One of the unintended consequences of the online gambling industry’s skyrocketing popularity is that it attracted a lot of scammers. As if we didn’t have enough trouble without having to watch our every step when we are just trying to play a few rounds on our favorite online slot. Fortunately, there are several ways you can stay safe as long as you follow these tips for choosing an online casino.
Always Read the Fine Print
Some unsavory casinos like to hide their predatory tactics towards unsuspecting players in their terms and conditions. Delayed or even missing payments, ridiculous wagering requirements, and even worse things become completely legitimate if they are stated in the casino’s terms and conditions, even if they are written in a very fine print. Even if you get burned, you won’t be able to do anything about it, since you agreed to the terms when you started playing. That is why dedicating a few minutes to reading them thoroughly can save you a lot of grief later on when you try to withdraw your money. It may be boring and most of the time it will be a waste of time, but it is far better to waste half an hour than risk losing your deposit. And that is even without mentioning aggravation and bother it will cause.
Only Play at Licensed Casinos
Legitimate casinos are bound by law to be licensed by governmental regulatory bodies. For instance, in the United Kingdom, that body is the Gambling Commission, established in 2007. All gambling activities fall under its purview and all gambling operators, online casinos included, must have a valid license in order to conduct business. These licenses are easily checked on the Commission’s website, as all casinos must display them prominently on their websites. If it is missing, it is a sure sign that something is not right and you should skedaddle immediately. Of course, licensed doesn’t always mean reputable. The second step is to visit a casino review site like https://casino-bros.com/ca/ and read what other players had to say about them. Only when you are satisfied with what you see should you consider giving them your money.
Use Only Trusted Payment Options
Online casinos today offer a variety of options for both making deposits and withdrawals. There is absolutely no reason to look for some shady way of moving your money to and from your casino account. Traditionally, money orders were handled by bank transfers in the past, but today we have other possibilities. The simplest one is using your debit or credit card. There is a fee involved, but the transfer is highly reliable. However, some people don’t like online casinos appearing on their card statements for various reasons, so they use other ways, like an online payment system. The most popular is PayPal, but it doesn’t work for all casinos. Another option is Skrill, a platform created solely for catering to gamblers. Finally, you have the option of using cryptocurrency. There are already numerous casinos that accept bitcoin as a form of payment.
Contact Customer Support Every Time You Have a Problem
Most casinos have customer support available 24/7 and you should use them when you run into an issue. If possible, do it through an email, rather than the casino’s messaging system. The reason is simple, in case something goes awry, you will want to have evidence of correspondence you can count on. Even most reputable casinos may be tempted to mess with your messages on their system. Denying them the opportunity may save you in case the worst happens. The customer support’s response time can also be an indicator of how well a casino is run. The best ones will reply almost instantly and will do their utmost to solve the problem. The poorly run ones will delay and drag their feet, so you want to stay away from them.
Set a Budget
Perhaps the most important tip about playing at an online casino is to set a budget. When you play at traditional casinos, you have physical tokens, either money or chips, and can monitor how much you spend. Even then, many people can’t control their impulses and end up losing way more than they can afford. With online casinos, it is even worse, as your money is represented with numbers on a screen. Setting a budget and sticking to it will help you from blowing through your bank account in a single afternoon.