Spotting a Safe Bet: How to Verify a Casino's Credibility

Given that new online casinos sprout out like mushrooms after the rain, all the players, especially those new to gambling entertainment, should remain vigilant when they register with a new operator. Quantity does not equal quality, so you might be disappointed with the services you get when creating an account at the first online operator you come across on the Internet. Even though the poor quality is frustrating, things can get worse if you pick a rogue website. 

We have created this comprehensive guide on a reliable online operator to minimize your odds of registering at an untrustworthy website. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the criteria and features that should be checked before you decide to give your personal information or money to a platform. We revise if an online gaming lobby meets the requirements according to the below-mentioned features in our reviews, and encourage you to pay attention to those points to verify a brand’s credibility.

Explore License and Regulation

Regardless of how attractive and trustworthy a platform looks, you should start with its certification. The first thing to check is whether the operator has a license and what gambling authority has issued it.

If a site is not licensed in any gambling jurisdiction, no official institutions have checked its services and confirmed the brand’s credibility. Thus, you are at a high risk of scams, as nobody controls the fairness of betting outcomes and payments. You should be ready that nothing guarantees you a payout when a withdrawal request is sent even if you scoop big wins. Moreover, the absence of the license means that your account can be closed without any notice, and you would not be able to prove anything or send an appeal. 

What license to look out for?

As soon as an operator is certified by a gambling authority, you can feel slightly more confident about its reputation. Still, you would also need to pay attention to what institution has issued a license. The reason for this is simple: not all gambling authorities are highly demanding. 

Green flags among gambling jurisdictions are:

• The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)
• Malta Authority (MGA) 
• Swedish Gaming Commission
• Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner (GGC)
• Macau Gaming Inspection & Coordination Bureau (DICJ)
• Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA)

If you see that a site is licensed in the Philippines or Anjouan, it is better than nothing, but we would still remain vigilant. A wise decision would be not to make a big deposit until you check if an operator with those licenses pays out winnings.

Check Security Measures

Considering that you plan to deposit money and keep winnings on your balance, you should be attentive to security measures and how seriously an online operator treats them. It might seem like a secondary thing, but we encourage you not to share your financial details and deposit money until you check security.

If a platform does not have a secure connection, your data and funds can be easily stolen by scammers. Lost money cannot be returned, and personal information can be used for scamming purposes. Furthermore, the fact that a brand does not care about secure play for its customers means that it does not value players.

What Are the Possible Security Measures?

Most probably, you have heard about SSL encryption. This is a must-have feature for any online operator that is a reliable gambling destination. If you see “http” instead of “https” skip the website and search for alternative brands with a secure connection.

Furthermore, some online operators provide players with additional safety levels and make 2-factor authentication available. We strongly recommend you activate it and minimize the possibility that someone will log in to your account without your permission. 

Revise Banking Options

If the first two features live up to your expectations, continue with payment service revision. While depositing is quick and happens with no challenges at any operator (even a rogue one), withdrawals might bring you plenty of challenges and disappointment.

You plan to deposit real money, so ensure that your deposit will not be lost for good and that you will be able to withdraw your winnings. If you do not explore banking options in advance, you might face plenty of unpleasant surprises that might lead to big losses. 

What are the Things to Look Out For?

• Check how big the choice of payment methods is. If there are only several payment services, there is a high possibility that many banking services do not believe in the credibility of a gambling destination. Discover if they are available for deposits and withdrawals or deposits only. 
• Ensure well-known and popular payment services are on the list. Ideally, practically all popular payment methods should be integrated. Their list includes Visa and Mastercard, Bank Wire Transfer, Revolut, Skrill, Neteller, Jeton, Interact (and some other well-known e-wallets), popular cryptocurrencies (e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, Ripple, etc.)
• Check how high the minimum deposit and withdrawal requirements are. The higher the minimum deposits and cashout are, the higher the possibility of a scam. 
• Check if KYC is required for deposit or withdrawal. If an operator implements the KYC process, it means that it follows anti-money laundering requirements and is willing to comply with industry standards.

Explore the Bonus Section

Once you are satisfied with the banking, check bonuses. If you see them as quite lucrative and unrealistic, it is better to search for another operator. Bonuses offered by a trustworthy online lobby often are quite moderate and challenging. If available bonuses are not seen as easy catches, you might not fear that an operator is a scam. 

Things to pay attention to:

• The percentage of the bonus match: often it is no bigger than 200%. If it is higher, it is better to ignore an operator.
• Wagering requirements: they should be obligatory for the majority of available promotions. If most bonuses do not have wagering requirements, be ready that winnings from them might not be paid out.

Same for a loyalty program, it should be lucrative, but remain realistic. No trustworthy place to bet and win would offer you 1,000 spins upon the first level-up or a massive cash reward that is close to the wagered amount required for leveling up. 

Find Out about the Owner

Who owns the operator speaks a lot about its credibility, so make sure to check the networks that own a selected online operator. After that make sure to find out as much as you can about this company. In such a way, you will be aware if it is the first gambling website it operates, or if it already has a proven track record of successful projects in the gambling industry. 

A virtual gambling venue that has an owner with an excellent reputation has much more credibility, as the chances that it is a fair gambling destination are extremely high. It is rare that a company that owns a group of popular and reliable operators would also maintain a rogue website. You can look through the list of trustworthy owners in our database.

What Are the Red Flags?

Upon checking the owner of a selected online operator, focus on the following:

• Check if the operator mentions the owner on the website. If it is not, it might be a bad sign, there are very few reasons to conceal this information.
• Discover whether the owner has other gambling sites launched. If yes, check their reviews to find out if players do not criticize their services much. Of course, the absence of sister brands does not mean you have to quit immediately but always select an operator that already has reputable sister brands to be more secure about its reliability.

Read the Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions are often the last thing players are willing to check before registration. Many see it as a long reader without much importance. However, we strongly recommend you read it before account creation to know the ground and avoid unpleasant surprises. 

What Things to Check?

• Gambling age and restricted countries to make sure you do not violate the basic rules. If you are under the allowed age or from a not allowed country, your account might be suspended. Thus, you would not receive your winnings.
• VPN usage, as it is often prohibited to use IP masking tools to access websites or games that are not allowed in your country of residence. 
• Fees and commissions to find out is there if you do not have to pay extra for the services provided (e.g. withdrawal fee, inactivity fee, etc.)
• KYC process and if it is obligatory. Moreover, pay attention to how much time it can take. 
• Reasons for account suspension to be aware of the rules and violations that might lead to account closure. 

Test Customer Support

What if customer support does not work? We would say, you need to think twice about whether to register at such an operator. Customer support is an essential part of the online lobby, and this service should be available, and it should be efficient. Players often have a lot of questions and some issues, so they need somebody to answer their questions and solve issues. The absence of the customer support team or a too-long response time should make you doubtful. Those are major red flags for operators that value their customers.

Read Honest Reviews

Last but not least, listen to fellow gamblers and read their reviews. People tend to write reviews when they are dissatisfied with something, and you would need to know about the potential pitfalls. Thus, pay special attention to the criticism from players to know what to expect. 

Of course, look at positive reviews as well and check whether positive or negative feedback prevails. If honest reviews are mostly positive, you can register an operator without doubts. At the same time, any major criticism is a warning, so you should be careful and consider if available services are worth your time and real money deposits. 

Now that you know what features to explore, you will be able to find a trustworthy online casino easily. We have no doubts about this. Still, it can be a stressful and time-consuming process. To avoid those challenges, you can also check our database with online casinos, as we have already reviewed all the available websites to ensure their safety and trustworthiness.