Online casinos promise a great deal to prospective punters and in most cases, they’re capable of delivering most of those pledges. Players are fascinated by the prospect of grabbing generous welcome bonuses and playing in a user-friendly environment. At the same time, many are concerned by the possibility of landing on the website of a rogue operator that preys on unsuspecting punters. To avoid the pitfalls of playing at an illegitimate casino, you should channel your attention toward a few of the red flags.
Licensed and regulated casinos are legit
Gambling & online casino operators cited here don’t need to cheat on their customers because the house edge is the guarantee that they will win in the long run. Even if you play games that have a 99% return to player, which is above the industry average, the casino will still have the advantage. This means that casinos can be 100% fair and still expect to make a profit in the long term. In theory, there is no need to cheat because profits will still pile up if punters play long enough, but it’s always worth taking some precautions.
One of the first things you should do to avoid becoming the victim of rogue operators is to play at licensed and regulated websites. Those that have secured a license will likely display it at the bottom of the website for everyone to see. This is a reason of pride for most gambling operators, especially if the license is awarded by one of the strictest regulatory bodies. The UK GC and the MGA are two shining examples of regulators that don’t compromise on security and only license respectable casinos.
Read reviews and try the games
Once you narrow down the search and single out suspicious operators, it is time to take a better look at those that caught your eye. Your fellow players could provide more inside, as they had the opportunity to try the games and know what they’re talking about. Read a few reviews to see what former and active players have to say about a particular casino and the games it offers. You might be surprised by their insights and identify red flags that you would’ve otherwise missed. Reviews written by the critics are also valuable because they know the industry inside out, but you need to find trustworthy ones.
Once you choose an online casino and register an account, you don’t have to rush to make a deposit. Instead, it can take your time and explore the games at leisure to see how they run on your device of choice. Pay attention to the return to player advertised and see how these numbers are viewing longer play money sessions. When the time comes to deposit, choose one of the available payment methods and load your account with a small amount. Initiate a withdrawal as soon as possible, just to see how the system works. Start with more payments and only move on to higher limits when you are comfortable.