How To Find Secure Online Casinos 2023
Finding a secure, safe, legitimate and trustworthy online casino is a must. When looking for an online casino, it is natural for you to be attracted by what they offer. More than anything, you are after a great user experience. However, you should also consider the security of the website.
There are thousands of online casinos and you need to know how to choose the right one. This industry earns billions each year and that is enough to attract unsavory individuals to create online sites to scam people out of their money. Fortunately, local governments have seen how this industry has grown over the years and have made aggressive measure to regulate it. They have strict requirements for legal online casinos and you just have to understand what these are so you will know what to look for.
How to find a safe, secure, legitimate and trustworthy online casino
There are three important qualities of a safe online casino.
Licensed and Regulated by a Gaming Authority
First of all, an online casino should be licensed and subjected to the regulation or a reputable Gaming Authority. There are many gambling licensing authorities. Here are a few of them.
- UK Gambling Commission
- Malta Gaming Authority
- Danish Gaming Authority
- Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
A casino license is considered a “seal of approval”. This means the online casino met the standards and requirements of the country that they wish to operate in. The requirements include the ownership details, meeting industry standards, safe and efficient systems, customer data protection, fraud prevention measures, etc. Having a license means players are protected – specifically their personal information, credit card details, and real money deposits.
Fair Games and Payouts
Unlike a traditional casino, the cards dealt on the table are usually left to chance. This is a bit hard to do when you are playing online casino. This is why online casino websites should use a pseudorandom number generator (PRNGs). This is a software program that generates pseudorandom numbers (PRNs) that create random numbers in the same way that a live dealer does it. This particular software should be constantly tested by a third-party auditor so the online casino games will always be unpredictable. Online casinos are still in the business to profit so it is easy to be tempted to rig this to make sure that players keep on losing and payouts will be fewer. But strict rules are always in force to make sure this will not happen. There should be a balance between the ratio of wins vs losses. So if you want to check if an online casino is safe and secure, you should not just look for the PRNG software. You should also make sure they are being audited by a reputable third-party company every now and then.
Best Encryption Technology and Safe Payment Options
Finally, a safe, secure, legitimate, and trustworthy online casino should have the best encryption technology in place to protect all financial and personal transactions. This is why you should make sure the online casino has SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and TSL (Transport Layer Security) digital encryption. This is the technology that ensures every sign-up and money deposits or withdrawals are done securely. The more modern the encryption technology is, the stronger and more effective it can be in securing the site. Not only that, the online casino should have several payment options that are not only safe but also convenient and simple to use.
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- -
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 40x
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- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- x40
- Free Spins Wagering:
- x40
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- 50x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- -
- UK License:
- Yes
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 35x
- Bonus wagering:
- 25x
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- 35x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- -
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus wagering:
- 30x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 30x
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- 35x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- Wager Free
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus wagering:
- 35x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 35x
Other things to look for to find a secure online casino
Obviously, the three qualities mentioned above are the most important. But how will you know if an online casino has any of the three? Here are the specific things that you need to look for.
Licensing and regulatory information
This is usually found at the bottom of online casino websites. You will see the logos of the licensing authorities. Make sure you find out the specific licensing authority in your country. Their logo should be on the website – if not, your country of origin will make you unqualified to play.
Software used by the website
Online casinos use a lot of software programs. There are programs used for the game while there are those put in place for security purposes. Make sure that anything that is used by the website is from trusted software providers. When it comes to games, you need to get to know the reputable media giants when it comes to gaming developers. These include Microgaming, NetEnt, and Playtech. You should also check if the site uses Realtime Gaming software programs (RTG). This is common for US online players. You might want to look for the logo of external audit firms that does random checks of the online games to ensure fair play. These include Ecogra, Thawte, TST, and Gaming Associated Pty Ltd. These logos are also at the bottom of the page.
Online casino ownership
Getting to know who owns the website is also another way to check for secure online casinos. This is found on the About Us page. If the online casino does not have this page, check the Terms and Conditions Page. In case there is no information about the owner, that should give you enough reason to doubt the site. Legitimate and trustworthy sites will be vocal about the reputable companies they are associated with.
Website security
When you visit any website, your computer is continuously interacting with the web server. There is an exchange of information between your computer and web server. The information exchanged should be protected. Usually, websites use a Secure Socket Layer or SSL technology is responsible for encrypting the data exchanged to keep it protected. You need to make sure that the online casino has this SSL technology. There are a couple of ways to check the security of an online casino.
- Make sure there is an https:// at the start of the URL. The “s” means secure. If the site is not secure, it will only appear as http://.
- Look for the lock. All web browsers (Google Chrome, FireFox, and Internet Explorer) will display a lock sign to indicate that a site is secure. You will see it beside the web address (URL).
Online casino payouts
Even if an online casino is secure, you still need to ensure that the payout is safe. Having a safe payout means the online casino has a simple, fast, and efficient system in place when processing your financial transactions. One indication is being in partnership with reputable financial giants like MasterCard, Visa, etc. If these are offered as a deposit or withdrawal method, then you are in good hands. Check out the other online payment methods like Skrill, Trustly, and Neteller. Being associated with reputable payment methods will solidify the online casino as a safe, secure, legitimate, and trustworthy website.
Longevity
In any business, the length of being in the industry is usually a good indication that they are legitimate and trustworthy. It can also be assumed that they are both safe and secure. If a business is not secure, a lot of customers would file complaints about them and they would have been under investigation a long time ago. If they have survived the industry for a couple of years, that is a good indication that they are doing something legal. Otherwise, they would have been shut down already. Of course, this is not the end all and be all of a secure online casino, but it is still a positive point towards security.
Tips to protect yourself at an online casino
Even if you found a legitimate and trustworthy online casino, that does not mean you should already let your guard down. There are still a couple of things that you can do to make sure you are always safe and secure.
- Come up with a strong password. Usually, a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols will make a strong password. You should also try out the 2-step verification that is offered on some sites. This usually requires you to submit an email address or mobile number so the site can send a verification code that you have to enter before you can be logged in. Using a security question is also another way to secure your password. From time to time, you might want to change your password – just in case.
- Be cautious of phishing emails. When you see a spam email that requires you to click on a link – be very cautious about it. Make sure the email address is legit. Some links will require you to input your password – but the truth is, they are just getting it so they can log into your account.
- Monitor your bank statements. Always keep an eye out for your bank statements. If there is an unauthorized withdrawal, you can spot it immediately. You need to report it as soon as possible to make sure that your money can be returned to you.
Consider all of these when you are looking for an online casino. Try not to be blinded by what they offer in terms of bonuses or free spins. Be smarter by ensuring that the online casino is safe, secure, legitimate, and trustworthy. That is the only way you can really enjoy playing online casino games without worrying about someone taking your winnings from you.
Emily Thornton boasts a degree in Digital Media from the University of Bristol, accompanied by an obsession for the online casino world. Over the past six years, she's combined her tech-savvy skills with a flair for writing, producing in-depth reviews and slots analyses for various casino platforms. A frequent contributor to free-spins.org, Emily's articles are grounded in research, ensuring readers gain trusted insights into the dynamic world of online gaming.