Gambling has been a favourite leisure and an opportunity to win for many people for years. Players have been trooping to casino premises and continue to do so for various reasons. However, online gambling has made it convenient to gamble from the comfort of your home. You can access your preferred games either on your desktop or on the go using your mobile smartphone or tablet.
Gambling online has also been made easy by the establishment of hundreds of online gambling sites. To gamble, you only have to sign up, make a deposit, and start placing your bets. However, before signing up at any online gambling site, it is advisable to consider your online gambling safety and security to avoid losing your funds to online fraudsters. Below are 10 safety tips to consider when gambling online.
Confirm Site’s Licensing and Regulations
There are thousands of online casino sites where players can sign up and play real money games. While most genuine sites such as Casitsu.com are out to offer players a fair gaming environment, there are rogue sites out to defraud casino players. Therefore, it is advisable to confirm if there is a regulator who oversees the operations at the specific gaming site.
You should also ascertain that the online gambling site has been legally authorized to operate within your jurisdiction. You can get the licensing information of the specific gaming site at the licensing authority’s website. Most casinos display the licensing information at the bottom of the website with a link to the licensing authority. By following the link at the licensing body’s website, it is easy to know if the license information is valid and the license is active.
Some of the strictest gambling authorities include the UK Gambling Commission, Curacao, Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, and Kahnawake Gaming Commission. You can also check if the casino has been licensed by other local authorities, allowing you to report any complaints in case the casino fails to resolve any genuine concerns you may have.
Site’s Fairness Standards
You should only play at an online gambling site that has demonstrated its dedication to hosting fair games. Most online casino games are games of chance, and you need the assurance that you won’t lose funds due to unfair gaming practices. To be on the safe side, check if the site’s RNG (Random Number Generator) software has been, and is, regularly audited and certified by relevant institutions. These include eCogra and GLI (Gaming Laboratories International). Their logos are usually displayed at the bottom of most websites if the casino has been certified. Whether you play online casino games or bet on sports, the best online gambling site should have a certification or guarantee of fair gaming standards.
Check Website Data security
Most online gambling real money sites require you to provide your personal information when signing up. You must provide your names, telephone numbers, and identity document details online before you can play and withdraw your winnings.
Before providing these details, it is vital to confirm that the site is safe and secure from hackers and fraudsters. A secure site should meet the following:
- Have a padlock sign before the Url address to show the site information and to confirm the security certificate is valid.
- The website address should not redirect you to spam sites where you may lose your private data
Genuine online gambling sites such as Casitsu.com also contain information regarding their data security and the security software they have used. This information is usually available in the ‘About Us’ and FAQ section of most sites. This protects your sensitive financial data such as credit cards and bank account numbers from fraudsters and identity thieves.
Find out which payment methods are supported
The payment methods supported by an online gaming site are a pointer to a site’s trustworthiness. For instance, genuine sites support secure payment methods where you can easily trace back your payments in case of dispute resolution should you encounter payment hitches. A site that insists that most payments should be made directly in cash, points to shady deals, and it is possible to lose funds. On the reverse, genuine sites support the use of recognized payment methods such as through PayPal, Visa and MasterCard, Neteller and bank transfers among others. Additionally, when making payments at a new site, it is advisable to make smaller deposits as you gain confidence about the gaming site. You should therefore check the payment limits when making the first deposit or when making the initial deposits into the casino.
Confirm customer support responsiveness
It is possible to lose funds online when you make payments without understanding the terms and conditions of the site. For instance, it is possible to lose a bonus when you withdraw your winnings without meeting the set wagering requirements. You should first check out the support options and how responsive the customer support is before committing fully to real money gaming at the site. You should also be able to confirm with the customer support agents on any issues that you do not understand. If the customer support is not available most times, then there are high chances that they do not care for their customers and it would not be the ideal site to register your gambling account.
Read the gambling site’s terms and conditions
Before signing up at the online casino of your choice, you should first read the fine print and understand the site’s terms and conditions. This way, you are aware of the deposit and withdrawal limits, the bonus policies and other important issues regarding gaming at the site.
For instance, you can check out the wagering requirements and how to withdraw any bonus or the winnings that you get at the site.
Reading the terms and conditions before registering your account also informs you what you should expect when you play at the site. The site’s terms and conditions also informs you if you fit in as a high roller or casual player and whether the site meets all your online gaming needs.
Gamble responsibly
Once you have become a member of the online casino of your choice, you should aspire to gamble responsibly and only play with funds that do not interfere with your budget. You should not gamble excessively or chase losses to the extent of neglecting your important financial responsibilities. While gambling, you should set loss limits and deposit limits to help you maintain a healthy gambling habit where you are not tempted to overspend when gambling.
You should also gamble at the right times without neglecting your other duties, such as any regular jobs. You can track the time spent when gambling online and restrict it to only times that you can afford to play. In case of any problems with excessive gambling, you can contact the customer support team or refer to the ‘Responsible gambling page’ for anonymous help on how to gamble safely and responsibly.
Consider the games and software providers at the site
In aspiring to gamble safely, you should check out the software providers that any site that you join has partnered with. Some of the trustworthy software that are known for fair and high quality games include Microgaming, Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Playtech, Scientific Games and IGT among others. You should steer clear of signing up at any online gambling site whose software providers are unknown or ones whose games are of poor quality.
When considering the online casino games to play, you should aspire to play games that you are well-conversant with. For instance, when playing poker or blackjack and other games of skill, you should first be conversant with the rules to avoid losing your wagers.
Reputation of the online gambling site
Before committing to join an online gaming site, it is imperative to first check out what other players have to say about the online gaming site. If there are many unresolved complaints about the operations of the specific site, such as withdrawal delays and closed accounts, you should avoid the site.
There are many online casino watchdog sites where you can find negative or positive reviews about the specific online gambling site.
Once you have verified the casino’s operations, you can make a decision whether to sign up at the site as you are assured that your funds would be safe at the casino or betting site.
Trust your instincts
After making the necessary checks in regards to the online casino security and reputation, the final guide on how you fare when playing online lies on your instincts. If you still have a nagging feeling that an online gaming site could scam you of your funds, then you should ignore the online site and settle for a more comfortable one. You should also trust your instincts when placing online wagers that could translate to winnings. This will guide you on maintaining responsible gambling practices and guarantee your safety at the legal online gambling site.
