Casino Scam Information
Online gambling is a multi-billion dollar industry and like all forms of ecommerce, its still developing from relative infancy. Therefore when we gamble online we forgo some of the regulations to which land-based casinos must adhere. It is not a world of fly-by-night operators, however like all industries, reputations can be sullied by a small percentage of dodgy vendors. As you read on you will see there are a range of regulatory bodies overseeing online gambling operations. Some of these watchdog organisations provide avenues to address player complaints and allegations of fraud. We hope you never have to call on these organisations for assistance and we believe awareness of the issues raised below will allow you to avoid being defrauded by an online casino or sportsbook.
How to Choose an Online Casino
If you pick a large online casino that has been around for a few years, it should be a reputable casino with reliable payouts. A bad reputation travels fast on the Internet, so any casino that scams its members will get a bad reputation quite quickly. That doesn’t mean that smaller casinos are all scams, most of them are ok, but there are a few smaller casinos that may not pay all of your winnings.
Before choosing your casino there are some things you need to consider. Will you be playing online on the casino’s website or with downloadable software? To play online we suggest a broadband cable or DSL connection from a reliable Internet provider. Also check any browser or security settings you might need to adjust before playing and obviously scanning for viruses and spyware is essential. Some sites offer both online and downloadable versions and you should check the process of registering an account as it may occur either through the site or software, depending on the casino.
Pros and Cons of Gambling Online
The payout percentage for online casinos is often better than land-based casinos. This means that you can be better with an online casino. Make sure that you know the payout percentage of the casinos that you visit.
Most of the largest casinos will get their books audited by a large reputable accounting firm. For example, Price Waterhouse Coopers audit the payout percentages for most of the top internet casinos.
Once again, the larger casinos will have acceptable rules for withdrawing the money. You should be able to withdraw your money at any time, for any reason. However you should be aware that there are often rules about withdrawing your bonus money. You can’t just join the casino and withdraw your bonus money straight away. The rules usually state that you have to gamble at least 5 times your starting money before you withdraw your bonus.
Credit, Debit Cards and Wire Transfers
When dealing with the big casinos, it’s usually completely safe to use your credit card on a secure (SSL) encrypted order form. In fact, the casinos will quite often never see your credit card information, as it goes directly to the credit card processor in the encrypted form.
What is SSL (server secure software)?
Secure server software (SSL) is the industry standard and among the best software available today for secure commerce transactions. It encrypts all of your personal information including credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet. The truth is your credit card number is more exposed to the public by the paper copies of receipts that are stored, lost, or thrown away at home or at work.
How do I know if any website page is secure?
You can tell when you’re in a secure area because the URL (Internet address shown on top of most browsers), to the left of the colon, changes from ‘http’ to ‘https’ - this is to signify that you are going from a non-secure to a secure site. In many browsers you’ll also see a solid blue line in the upper portion of the browser’s window.
Please note (and we get this question a lot) that some browsers give you a warning when you go from a secure area to a regular area. The aim is to ensure that people know when they’ve left a secure server. The message is often a bit startling, and makes it look like you’ve done something wrong even though you really haven’t.
If you follow these guides, and only use reputable online casinos then you shouldn’t have any problems.
Common Scams
Sites taking people’s money and then shutting down or simply refusing to pay out on “wins”. Even if there was an honest mistake or the site genuinely ran into financial difficulties, there is little you can do about it.
Fraudsters getting access to credit card or bank account details and fleecing the accounts. This can become a particular risk if the site is operated at the edge of the law or is illegal.
Personal and financial details being sold to other organisations and used for other purposes. This can range from nuisance telemarketing and spam e-mails, to attempts to defraud.
Gambling Organisations
Even if it is a legal site, not all consumer protection agencies have jurisdiction in other countries. If you are ripped-off or have any problems, you have to take your own action in the host country’s legal system. This usually isn’t a problem with the safe casinos that we have recommended on this site, but it’s the sort of thing you would usually have to worry about if you follow our guidelines.
IGC
The Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) is a non-profit trade association that serves as a collective voice for the interactive gaming industry. The IGC builds credibility in the industry and creates member benefits by aggressively addressing legislative and regulatory challenges and opportunities.
ECOGRA
The primary objective of eCOGRA is to provide player protection, by providing comfort to the player that the games are fair, the player will be paid timeously and treated fairly, and that the operators will behave responsibly. Players will be assured of this when they transact with online gaming sites displaying the eCOGRA Seal of Approval.
There are also gaming commissions in each U.S. state.