Online gambling is a multi-billion dollars industry that continues to grow. A lot of people are trying to get a piece of that pie. Online casinos are facing fierce competition and some of them aren’t above using some fishy tactic to make a profit. From rigged games to delayed payments, they will use every tool they have to keep as much of your money as they can get away with. Then there are scammers, who create fake casinos that disappear overnight, just as people are starting to demand payouts.
Naturally, this has created a lot of suspicion among players, especially new ones who are just getting into online gambling. Faced with a choice of casino, they often fall for scams or outrageous conditions, leaving them without their deposit. Fortunately, this can be avoided.
One of the surest ways to determine whether an online casino is legal is to consult reviews like the ones found on Casino Pilot. They review online casinos and make sure that scammers get flagged. In addition, they compare terms and conditions casinos offer, especially bonuses and withdrawal times. This allows their users to always have an updated overview of all relevant information that can help them choose the best online casino available.
You can always try and determine if an online casino is legal by yourself if you don’t mind doing some legwork and digging. Here are some things you need to pay attention to before making a deposit.
Check for Government License
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Many governments around the world are creating regulations aimed at online gambling. While this will inevitably lead to increased costs, it will also provide a measure of security. Governments’ regulatory bodies make sure that an online casino is conducting their business according to certain standards, before issuing the license. One of the most important standards is fair games. All games are checked for fairness, making sure that they aren’t rigged and that their payout rates are as advertised. This is usually achieved by testing the Random Numbers Generator (RNG). The RNG is the heart of any gambling operation and it must function within certain parameters to be considered fair. They also check for technical security, making sure that the casino meets the minimal requirements of protecting their players and their accounts from hacking or unauthorized access.
Read the Fine Print
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One of the most prevalent scams out there is predatory terms. We call it a scam, although, technically speaking, it is a completely legal practice, albeit morally dubious one. Let’s say that a new player is looking for an online casino. They come across a bonus offering a 100% deposit match, effectively doubling their money. Of course, they register a casino account. They don’t bother with reading terms and conditions, just like the rest of us. Just keep clicking next until you get to play some games. Unknown to them, they have agreed to a 100x rollover rate. Truth be told, an unexperienced player probably won’t even know what it means. They have deposited $100, got another $100 from the casino and they are off to the races. After a while, they manage to win some games and their deposits grow to, say, $500. Thrilled, they try to make a withdrawal and that is where their troubles start. Because that 100x rollover rate means that they have to spend 100 times the amount they deposited before they can make a withdrawal. The bonus they got from the casino only makes it worse, since now they have to make bets in the total value of $20,000 before taking their winnings. They try to complain, but the casino smugly points out that they have agreed to terms and conditions and unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done. Rules are rules, after all. Those $500 on your account you were planning on spending on something nice? Forget about them, you will never see a dime of that money. You are, however, welcome to make some bets with them. This is just one of the examples of how shady online casinos rip their players.
Check the Blacklist
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There are many online casinos blacklists on the Internet and you should check whether the casino you plan on giving your money is on any of them. There are numerous reasons why a casino can end up on a blacklist. The most common ones include false advertising, lack of payments, scamming, and lack of randomness. A huge number of complaints can also land them on a blacklist. If enough people complain about a casino, something obviously isn’t right and further investigation is warranted. Some include casinos that don’t pay enough attention to security and fail to properly encrypt their players’ data. Since it often includes address and credit card numbers, it is highly sensitive and can do a lot of damage in the wrong hands. Not to mention that the actual casino account can be hacked, leading to the loss of all the money the player had on it.
Another reason that can land a casino on a blacklist is unethical gaming. Many of them will offer you some free spins on their slots, so you can get a feel of the games and see which one you like. As you are playing for free, you will notice that you win a lot. And by a lot, we mean easily doubling your deposit in a matter of hours. Seeing how easy it is to fleece an online casino, you hurry up and deposit some real money. Suddenly, when you start playing for keeps, your luck seems to take a turn for the worse. Before you know it, your deposit is gone. This is also a fairly common practice and you should stay away from casinos that use it.
In conclusion
Finding a reliable casino can be a tedious proposal. The sheer number of them makes it almost impossible for an average player to make any meaningful assessment. That is why review sites and other organizations that can do that are valuable. It is important to note that even those methods aren’t foolproof and occasionally a scam or rogue casino will slip through the net.
