Looking for a reliable online casino can be a difficult task, especially with the number of emerging casinos that are available.
As with any industry, there is bound to be some that want to spoil things, these are rogue casinos with no license, suspicious policies, and illegal intentions. In the majority of cases, these rogue casinos want to make a quick buck and get out before the complaints start pouring in.
A reliable, well-trusted, casino can be found by checking the following 7 items:
- Licensing
- Terms and Conditions
- Safety
- Responsible Gambling
- Payment Methods
- Customer Support
- Community Reviews
Before even thinking about gambling online, you should check the legal situation in your country. Unfortunately, many disreputable casinos will allow people from restricted countries to gamble on their websites. So, if it turns out that you cannot gamble online the journey ends.
If you are allowed to gamble online then the checking starts.
Licensing – All reputable casinos will be licensed. There are many licenses for many jurisdictions, it is up to you to ensure the license a casino has covers you. Some of the more reputable licenses are issued by Malta, United Kingdom, Curacao, Sweden, Isle of Man and Kahnawake. But just because a website displays that it has a license you should check it. In most cases clicking the license logo will take you to a validation page. Then check that the validation page is truly legitimate.
Terms and Conditions – Usually these can seem overwhelming, as they tend to be long pages with point after point. But this is where rogue casinos will hide some of their dubious practices. With sneaky terms and conditions, a rogue casino can refuse to pay any winnings. If there is anything in the terms and conditions that are not understood, get in touch with Customer Support. A legitimate casino will be happy to help explain, and welcome you as a player to their casino.
Safety – The term “safety” covers various aspects of an online casino. First, ensure that the casino is running over a secure connection. In most browsers, this is displayed with a padlock to indicate a secure connection. Second check if the casino has been tested by an independent audit body such as eCOGRA or GLI.
Responsible Gaming – All licensed casinos with any morals will be displaying links to various “responsible gambling” organizations, that can help those players that become addicted to gambling, or feel that they are becoming addicted. Reputable casinos will ensure that there is help from support and offer limits and self-exclusion.
Payment Methods – Quality casinos will offer well-established, well-known, payment methods. These payments transactions will be done over a secure link, with companies that adhere to financial regulations and codes of practice. If you are in any doubt about a payment being legitimate it is best not to until you are satisfied.
Customer Support – Often overlooked as a factor to the reliability and trustworthiness of a casino, Customer Support can put some fears to rest just by how they answer questions. If your questions are answered quickly, politely, and clearly then it is looking good. If, however, the answers to questions seem evasive, unclear, or even look like they are trying to hide something then it is better not to take the risk.
Community Reviews – You have checked the website, read the terms and conditions, and the casino looks legitimate, but you are still not 100% sure. If that is the case, check out the online communities, such as AskGamblers, CasinoMeister, and LCB. Here you will find players talking about all aspects of online casinos – from new games, withdrawals, and if a casino has been 'blacklisted' because of shady practices.
As can be seen, there are multiple factors to find a trusted, reputable, online casino. But, following these few guidelines, as well as your instinct, you can find a reliable, legitimate online casino. And as a final note, when looking for a casino, always only gamble what you can afford to lose and if there is even the slightest sign that gambling is becoming a problem – seek help.
