How To Avoid Being Scammed By Online Casinos

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Online gambling is a huge industry and a great source of entertainment for millions of people, which is great news since it means there are more options than ever available to the players online. However, any time something gains such popularity, there will always be individuals out there who wish to exploit it via illegal means.

Unfortunately, online casinos and gambling are no exception and have been associated with their fair share of scams and frauds. But this doesn’t mean you need to be afraid and avoid online gambling.

Scams have become common in a large number of online industries and it is about arming yourself with the knowledge required to avoid them. You can and should read online casino reviews as step one, but there are many more actions you can take to prevent yourself from becoming the victim of online casino scams.

Read this article to find out how.

Common Online Casino Scams

If you can recognize a potential scam, you can stop yourself from entering into it from the very beginning. Here are a few of the most common online casino scams that you could come across.

Deposit Theft

This is perhaps the most simple scam out there and it is fairly self-explanatory: the casino will require you to deposit cash before playing any games, which is then impossible for you to use or withdraw.

Often, your account will end up being frozen for no reason or you’ll be required to go through a series of endless steps to reactivate it. The scammers here know a large number of people will get so frustrated that they eventually give up on getting their money back.

After all, most deposits fall around the $10 or $20 mark and a lot of people are unlikely to spend very long chasing that amount.

The unfortunate truth about this scam is it is very hard to spot and avoid until it is too late. Introductory offers that seem too good to be true can be an indicator as the casino tries to lure you into making a deposit.

The best way to avoid this one is to do proper research on each specific casino website before you sign up with them and read their terms and conditions thoroughly.

Rigged Games

Unfair games are always a worry when it comes to online casinos but, when you’re dealing with a legitimate company, they don’t need to be. Trustworthy online casinos run their games like roulette using special third-party software that they have no control over.

Scam casinos use their own software or pirated versions of other software so they can control the outcome of their games to rip customers off.

To help avoid such scams you should keep an eye out for the big names in casino software like NetEnt, Playtech, and Microgaming and make sure the casino you use has a valid license from a reputable commission. You could even try emailing software companies directly to make sure the casino in question uses their software legitimately.

Computer Viruses

Scammers can instruct players to download files and apps loaded with viruses as another means of extracting money from them. A common variation of this is known as Ransomware.

Ransomware is a virus that essentially locks your device until you have paid the scammer a specific sum of money: the “ransom”.

Ransomware is commonplace all over the internet and has caused major issues with some of the world’s biggest organizations.

The easiest way to avoid ransomware is simply not to download anything and, if you do download files, be 100% sure the site can be trusted first. Most casino providers will let you play directly from their website so you should be wary of any that make it compulsory to download an app to play.

Tips for Finding Trusted Online Casinos

1. Look for a gambling license from a well-respected commission. There are a few trusted jurisdictions that have the power to grant these licenses but a website with a license from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, Gaming Curacao Authorities, or the Malta Gaming Authority will be a safe bet.
2. Check the software. The casino should have a list of the software developers they use displayed on their home page. Make sure the website you’re playing on is powered by independent software from a reputable company such as NetEnt, Microgaming, or Playtech.
3. Analyze payment methods. You should only play on a website that allows you to deposit and withdraw funds in a way you are comfortable. Any website that seems to offer very restrictive payment methods is a clear red flag.
4. Do your homework. You really can’t research an online casino too much so take your time and make sure you read enough information and reviews to make you feel 100% sure the provider is legitimate. Be sure to look at multiple review sites since some casinos could be posting fake reviews.

The more research you do, the more chance you have of recognizing scams and finding only the best places to gamble online.