Most online casinos are generally safe, but just like any other industry, there will be scammers. Creating a fake gambling website requires a lot less work than many people think, and just about anyone with the resources or basic programming/web design skills can have an online gambling website that looks just like the real thing.
An experienced online casino player will usually spot them right away, but it can be a bit tricky for a newbie. Luckily, there are a few simple things that will help you know exactly what type of casino you are dealing with.
New suspicious casinos
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with being a new online casino. After all, even the biggest online casinos on the planet were new and unknown at some point. But playing at a brand new casino comes with certain risks, and you will have to analyze them more carefully.
There is a difference between a new site and a suspiciously new site. It will take time for a new legitimate site to be registered by the appropriate regulatory authorities.
Some will also go a step further and hire an audit company right away to show themselves well. If the casino is new and you cannot find any registration information, then there is almost a 100% chance that you are dealing with a fraudulent site.
You cannot see RTP in games
If you don’t know what RTP or return to player is, it’s pretty simple. This is the theoretical percentage of the amount of money that is returned to the players on the money they wagered. A good casino will allow you to access RTP information either through their website or through their customer support. If for some reason you can’t find it or they flatly refuse to provide you with information, leave this casino immediately.
Bonuses are too good to be true
Online casinos offer special offers to attract players to their casinos. Some casinos will have very generous bonuses, while others will make deals that seem impossible. If you come across a casino that offers deposit match bonuses for uncharacteristically high amounts or has no playthrough requirements for their bonuses, then this is a clear sign of a casino not to be trusted.
Before choosing a casino because of its bonus structure, we suggest that you take a close look at the fine print first. If the terms seem too simple or complex, it’s usually not worth playing with. You should see things like wagering requirements for bonuses as well as maximums for deposit matches.
Bad payout structure
Sometimes, even at some reputable casinos, it will be more difficult for you to access the money in your account. But there are times when an online casino has ridiculous requirements for you to be able to withdraw your money. They often do this in order to use the money for financial manipulation or to accumulate enough of it before running away.
Even if the casino is not a scam, you should never go to a casino that is too difficult to withdraw money from. Don’t assume that all casinos will allow you to withdraw any amount of money after a few days of play and get the funds in your bank account right away.
There are casinos that require you to make insane bets in order to withdraw funds. Some will have incredibly high minimum withdrawal requirements. Some will even pay only in cryptocurrency. So, this is something that you need to pay special attention to in any online casino you deal with.
