Are Online Casinos Safe?

Safety has always been one of the top concerns of online players. Even with the rise of iGaming and market oversaturation, this question is still on the table – and rightfully so. Scams have never been more common, and cybercrime has become a threat to all internet users.

For all these reasons, ensuring you’re safe before you start gambling online is a must. There are a couple of aspects that reflect an online casino’s safety. This article will list and explore each one, explaining their importance. Keep reading to learn all you need to know to stay safe.

Legal Status

The first step you can take to ensure an online casino is safe is to check whether its operations are legal. Each country has its own rules and regulations regarding gambling. You’d be surprised how many of them don’t consider gambling, let alone online gambling, legal. A good example is the US.

While its legal status has changed over the last few years, online gambling is still in a gray area in most US states. Operating an online gambling business within their borders would be against the law.

That’s why it’s paramount that you find out where the casino is located before registering. You can usually learn this information from the casino’s home page or it’s About Us and T&C sections. Once you do, google that country’s stance toward online gambling to ensure the casino you’d be playing in is legally and ethically run.

Licensing

A concept that goes hand in hand with legality is licensing. Even if a country deems online gambling legal, that doesn’t mean anyone can open an online gambling business on its territory. Casino companies require certain documents and permits to operate, just like any other type of business. They usually obtain the necessary documentation from a national gambling authority or regulatory body that monitors all gambling activities within a specific area.

Gambling licenses differ depending on the type of business and are not easy to get. Companies need to provide a ton of proof regarding their current operations, future business plans, funding info, bank statements, and more. The gambling authority examines each operator’s documents and grants them a license if everything checks out.

Since many countries haven’t legalized online gambling yet, most online casinos hold licenses from a few well-known gambling authorities. The most common and prominent ones include:

• Malta Gambling Authority (MGA)
• Curacao Gaming Control Board
• Gibraltar Gambling Authority
• UK Gambling Commission
• Kahnawake Gaming Commission

You should be able to find the information about your casino’s licensing in the same place where you found its address and registration information. If its regulatory body is among the ones listed above, it can be trusted. If you don’t recognize the licensing authority, research it. Make sure it’s a legit organization with a good reputation in the gambling community and enough experience in this field.

Once you’ve done all of the above, there’s one more box you need to tick concerning licensing. Regardless of the category, gambling licenses have an expiration date. They usually have to be renewed after a year or two. In this way, the gambling authorities keep operators and their activities in check at all times. You can ensure a casino’s license is legit and valid by searching for it in the gambling authorities’ public register.

Google the public register — they’re usually easy to find — and use the operator’s name or its license number to search for its license. License numbers are typically listed on the casino’s home or T&C page, next to the name of the license provider.

Security Protocols

After you’ve made sure your casino has a valid license from a legitimate gambling authority, the groundwork is in place. Your next step is learning about this operator’s security measures. Due to the nature of their work, online casinos hold a ton of sensitive information. Users trust them with their personal and financial details, so they are common targets for cybercriminals.

Online gambling platforms usually employ a variety of security protocols to protect the information they collect and store. CAPTCHA and TSL technology shield casinos from DDOS attacks. Moreover, multi-step verification, SSL technologies, and firewalls safeguard databases from SQL injection attacks. Finally, the best online casinos educate their staff on how to recognize phishing, spoofing, and social engineering attacks.

When researching your online casino’s security measures, look for information about these protocols. In addition, make sure the software it’s using is up-to-date. You should be able to find out about your casino’s security on its About Us or T&C page or learn it from its customer services agents.

Third-Party Audits

Third-party audits should be a part of the casino’s security measures. A third-party audit is a set of tests conducted by independent industry standards organizations on online gambling sites. Its primary purpose is to prove that a particular casino meets industry standards.

This is done by examining various aspects of online casinos. Auditors check whether the casino’s security protocols, privacy policy, payment processing, and random number generators are up to scratch and fair. Moreover, they make assessments of the casino’s overall operations and customer care.

Some of them also feature dispute mediation departments. These departments are available to players who need help resolving a dispute they couldn’t settle through the usual support channels.

These organizations first appeared in response to the explosion of iGaming and the emergence of an overwhelming number of suspicious operators. The first ever online casino auditing company, and still the most popular, is eCogra — eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. It was developed through a collaboration between Microgaming, a renowned game developer, and 888, a famous casino company.

While eCogra is still the golden standard in the field, the gambling industry now boasts many other similar organizations. The lineup includes The Online Games Alliance, iTechLabs, GLI, Technical Systems Testing, and so on. Online casinos that pass an auditing company’s examination get an official Seal of Approval, so this is the symbol you should look for on your casino site. You should be able to find it at the bottom of the casino’s homepage and read more about it in the T&C section.

Payment Methods

The interception of financial transactions is among the most common ways hackers access sensitive info. Online casinos partner with safe payment processors and use the latest encryption technologies to protect their users’ funds from this type of cybercrime.

The biggest payment companies employ many security measures to protect your data and money. You’ll probably recognize the ones with the longest track records in the finance industry, like Visa, Mastercard, Bank Wire, PayPal, Neosurf, and so forth. As you can see, they come in many shapes and forms, from traditional credit and debit cards to e-wallets and cryptos.

Encryption technologies that online casinos use to secure transactions include the two we’ve already mentioned — SSL and TSL. They establish a safe connection for your data transfers using encryption. Consequently, if a hacker were to obtain access to the data, they would be unable to use it.

Additionally, a short transaction processing period is an indication that your casino does not struggle with security. For instance, all reputable gambling sites offer almost instant deposits. They also allow their members to view their financial histories — they give you round-the-clock access to all the transactions you’ve made since registering.

Conclusion

Most reputable online casinos with extensive experience in the industry tend to be safe places for gambling. However, you can never be too safe. You should always find out where your casino is registered, check its licensing, learn about its security protocols, and ensure it’s examined by a third-party auditor and works with safe payment processors. Only then can you trust it with your sensitive information and money.