It’s easy to spot telltale signs of unreliable, unsafe, and fly-by-night casinos looking to dupe players out of their hard-earned money. They may entice you with unbelievably lucrative bonuses, but they’ll be outed by poor casino practices like stalled payouts, dubious advertising, unprofessional customer support, unresolved player complaints, or vague wagering requirements.
Unfortunately, most of these signs become clear once you have signed up and deposited at the casino. Therefore, it’s super important that you do thorough research and assess an online casino’s legitimacy beforehand, so you can ensure your financial information, personal data, and funds are always in reliable, trustworthy, and safe hands.
However, with so many casinos available online, choosing a legit site can be a little tricky, if not a daunting process. But don’t worry – we’re here to help. To make sure that a chosen casino is operating a legitimate, fair, and secure gaming service, be sure to check for the following:
License or Certification from a Legitimate Regulatory Body
All legit casinos have a license, authorization, or certification from a legitimate licensing and regulatory body. It’s vital that they display a valid gambling license and a verification link of the same on their site, app, and other platforms.
Having a license is a surefire indication that an online casino can operate legally and, therefore, is allowed to accept players from the jurisdiction. That also means their operations and games are routinely audited to ensure they meet rigorous standards in terms of fairness, ethics, and security.
You could think of the licensing body as the arbiter in the murky online casino realm. But there are a ton of other crucial reasons why you should only play at regulated and licensed online casinos:
- Their games, random number generators (RNGs), and gaming systems have been independently-audited and vetted for security and fairness
- They have been verified safe, crime-free, and secure for players
- They must be transparent, fair, and address customer complaints appropriately to hold on to their gambling licenses and authorizations.
- They are required to segment funds in the players’ wagering wallets from the casino business money. This way, they can always afford to pay your cash-outs.
- They have put in place measures to prevent underage and vulnerable players from gambling on their platform. This means you can also self-exclude for a set period to avoid problem gambling that has continued to become rampant.
Prime examples of highly trusted licensing bodies you should look out for when choosing legit online casinos include the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Curaçao Gaming Control Board, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), and of course, Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).
Established in 2001, MGA is the most trusted name in the world of online gambling. It carries 4 types of gambling licenses, including sports betting, online casino, and lottery licenses. Evidently, some of the most player-favorite online casinos out there are regulated and licensed by the MGA as seen on onlinecasohex.nl.
It’s vital that your funds and personal information are safe and secure at all times when you play at an online casino.
Fast and Safe Payouts
You will likely also want to cash out your winnings from your online wagering wallet as soon as possible. A good casino doesn’t want to hang on to your sweet winnings. After all, that’s what makes online gambling such an enjoyable experience.
In saying so, all of the best online casinos are known to deliver fast, safe, and hassle-free payouts. Thus, it would be a good idea to check the withdrawal process and speed of the casinos you’re interested in before you sign up.
On the contrary, most shoddy and shady casinos use all sorts of tactics to delay your withdrawals for days, weeks, or sometimes, months without giving any sensible reason. Some illegal casinos may not pay out your winnings altogether, choosing to unceremoniously suspend your account and push aside your complaints to that effect.
To find a legit casino, read online reviews, and make sure to play at only recommended betting sites that offer quick payouts. You’ll be glad to know that most withdrawals made via e-wallets can hit your account within 24 hours.
Independently Audited and Regulated
Legit online casinos must show proof that they are games, software, and other gaming platforms are regularly vetted for fairness and security by a trustworthy third-party authority. This usually comes in the form of a current certification from a reputable independent testing agency.
The most trusted and prominent third-party testing house in the industry is eCOGRA (which stands for eCommerce and Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance). It operates an elaborate, independently-run gaming testing platform and produces regular fairness & security reports for online casinos.
With a multi-criteria testing approach, they make sure that the casino adheres to strict standards when it comes to responsible conduction, transparency in games, and ensuring player protection. They usually test RNGs used by an online casino to ensure that outcomes are truly random and not tempered with.
Other independent gaming fairness authorities to watch out for include Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), Gaming Associates, Technical Systems Testing (TST), SQS, BMM Testlabs, NMi, and iTech Labs.
Reasonable Terms & Conditions
Practically all online betting sites run a bunch of promotions that include free spins on slot machines, free credits, deposit bonuses, and cashback. For this bonus offers to be actually beneficial, it’s crucial that the conditions tied to them aren’t too complicated, too vague, or too restrictive.
This is particularly important when it comes to wagering requirements. You should be able to know the playthrough that you have to meet in order to cash out your winnings. Besides, there’s no point redeeming a bonus with a 200x wagering requirement – this is how horrible sites lure unsuspecting bonus hunters.
Authentic SSL Encryption
It’s vital that your funds and personal information are safe and secure at all times when you play at an online casino. As part of the overall safety measures, any legit casino should provide a genuine SSL encryption and certificate to validate this.
