Online Casino Safety

What we Look for in our Safe Online Casinos

If you come across a new online casinos and have some doubts about whether it’s a safe online casinos USA

to play at or not, we’re here to help. Every reputable brand needs to meet a certain number of terms to prove that it’s a safe casino. In the following section, we will explain the most important ones, as well as explain what each one actually means. If a casino passes in all sections you can be sure that it’s a reputable one and you can freely make a real money deposit there and play your favorite casino games.

Reputation

The first step to making sure a casino is safe to play at is its overall reputation. Today it’s impossible for a brand to hide that they are a dishonest operator. All you need to do is go to google and do a quick search on their name. The best hits come from gambling forums where players talk about their experience with the casino in question. If you come across more positive comments than negative ones you are looking at a legit brand.

It’s also a good idea to go through the complaints if you find any against the casino. In many cases, the player is at fault for breaching the terms and conditions of the casino or using double accounts to prey on bonus promotions. When caught these players can be very vindictive, trying to hurt the casino across gambling forums.

Licenses

A valid operating license is a must for all of the safest online casino for players. This can be easily checked. All you need to do is visit the casino website and scroll to the bottom. This is where you usually find the license logo. When you click on it the link should take you to the licensor’s website, where the operating license is clearly stated. This is a must for every operating license. If the link appears to be broken, or invalid or the license in question is not for that brand, chances are you are looking at a rogue casino.

But that’s not all you need to check. You also need to see what is the actual operating license and the country it is issued from. Some operating licenses which we will explain below are quite weak and can’t really do much to help the player. On the other hand, some licensors are known to be rock-solid, and usually, reputable brands acquire all of them to cover as many jurisdictions as possible and to serve as many players as possible:

Costa Rica

If you come across an online casino with an operating license from Costa Rica, our advice is to proceed very carefully. This is the weakest operating license there is and many of the casinos are borderline rogue. Do some research and see what kind of reputation the casino has.

Curacao

Curacao can be found as an operating license for many brands. They are not the best licensor there is, but the license is pretty cheap to get compared to other ones. Most small venue casinos choose this island nation for their licensor, simply to keep operating costs down.

Kahnawake

The reservation of Kahnawake issues operating licenses to many reputable brands. They are a solid licensor, even though they are slow when it comes to resolving complaints.

Malta

The MGA is one of the most popular licensors in the world. Many casinos are located in Malta, thanks to the low taxes and the MGA is pretty strict when it comes to issuing licenses.

United Kingdom

In recent years the UKGC became the strongest licensor in the world. They keep the casinos in check and do everything they can do to protect UK players.

Ontario

Ontario iGaming is a relatively young licensor, responsible for the newly regulated Canadian market. So far, they are doing a great job, thoroughly selecting the brands to wear their seal and protecting Canadians across online casinos.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar offers great tax terms for online casino operators. They are a solid licensor and many reputable brands proudly wear their seal of approval. All of the Gibraltar casinos are considered to be reputable ones.

Technical Safety

Legit online casinos today are safe to play at for real money. Your personal details are protected at all times and all data is encrypted to keep it safe from outside attacks. Most casinos today use a 128-bit SSL Encryption Protocol to protect your sensitive information. This makes it safe to use your credit card, bank account, or any other payment method for making transactions to and from online casinos.

Payment Methods

All reputable brands have a plethora of casino payment methods for making deposits and withdrawals at online casinos. This way they can cater to the needs of every player and make it much easier for you to handle your transactions. You may not want to use your credit cards, so you can easily use an e-wallet service or even mobile pay. 

Collaboration with Credible Software Providers

That’s right, software providers today are very careful which brand is allowed to offer their games. The leading providers like NetEnt, Microgaming, and Evolution Gaming, work very hard to protect their reputations. If a casino with its games turns out to be a rogue one, it will damage the reputation of the games provider as well.

Responsible Gambling Tools

All reputable brands must have a set of responsible gambling tools in place at all times. These tools help players keep their gambling under control and allow them to take a break when they think they’re heading into trouble. With the gambling tools you can limit the time you play each day, and the deposits you make or you can even take a cool-off period for a certain amount of time.

Customer Support

Every legit casino aims to help its players at all times. This is why all of them have a support team working around the clock to help you with any kind of issue. If you run into a casino that doesn’t offer live chat support or even e-mail support, you might want to look for another casino to play at.

Transparency

The leading brands in the industry have nothing to hide. This is why the transparency level at these casinos is on a high level. They have strong operating licenses and also employ independent testing agencies like eCOGRA and TST to test their games each month. This ensures that they have nothing to hide and proves that they are a reputable brand.

Our Top 3 Recommended Online Casinos in The United States

With a plethora of casino games to choose from you will surely like what this casino has to offer. You can play thousands of different slots here, and they also have a great live casino game providers. You are sure to find many games to your liking here and you can easily make this casino your home.

In one word, promotions. This casino has a number of bonus promotions to choose from, once you use up their great welcome bonus. You can pretty much find a promo for every day of the week, simply keep an eye out on your e-mail or check the promotions page.

This casino has a lot to offer to players in every way, but what we like the most is the fair bonus terms. Once you start playing here you will eagerly await the next promo. The wagering requirement is low and you will have a good chance to clear it and make a withdrawal.

How to know what Online Casinos to avoid

Rogue casinos are pretty easy to spot. All you need to do is follow a few pointers and spend a little bit of time in research. Believe us the time you spend now will save you a lot of headaches in the future. Here are the easiest ways to spot a bad casino.

See what real players say

If you want to see whether a casino is legit or not, hit the gambling forums. Forget the reviews across the net which praise the casino, many of them are paid for a hide the real facts. Go to a reputable forum and ask around or do a quick search about a brand. If you see a lot of gnarly comments stay clear.

Weak or lack of operating license

The operating license is the best way to see whether a casino is legit or not. If the brand comes with no valid operating license or the information about the license is vague you are looking at a rogue casino. Our advice is to move on and look for another brand.

Impossible bonus terms

The casino bonus terms can be a clear indicator of the legality of an online casino. If the bonus terms come with very high wagering requirements, low withdrawal limits, and a small number of allowed casino games you are better off moving to another brand.

Very low withdrawal limits

The not-so-good casinos usually don’t have a lot of money in the bank to pay off lucky winners. This is why they impose some very low daily and weekly limits. We have seen brands where the maximum daily withdrawal limit is as low as $200, while the weekly limit is no more than $400-$500. Imagine how long you will need to wait to get paid in full if you hit a big win.

Missing information

All legit casinos clearly state their information. This includes the company name, address, as well as their phone number. Many rogue brands don’t display this information, so in case of trouble, you will have a very hard time finding the people behind the site. If you can’t find this info on the casino website, simply don’t play there.

Third-Party Control for Online Casino Safety

In addition to a valid operating license and an overall great reputation, the best casinos in the industry also hire third-party companies like eCOGRA, Gaming Associates Pty, Technical Systems Testing Labs, and iTEch Labs. These companies test the casino games on a monthly basis and post the results on the casino website. They are independent reports and can in no way be influenced by the casino.

Why is this important?

Thanks to these independent auditors the casino confirms that they are a reputable brand, conducting business fairly and professionally. Simply put, the casino is saying, don’t take our word that we’re legit, check the report from the independent author.

Are Casino Bonuses safe?

Yes, casino bonuses are a great way to increase your starting balance and have a better chance to score some big wins at the casinos. But it all comes down to the bonus terms, to determine whether the promo in question is worth claiming or not. Let’s see some of the most important terms to check before you claim a bonus.

Type of Bonus

There are several types of bonuses that you can claim across online casinos. Starting from a no-deposit sign-up bonus for creating an account, all the way up to a cash-back or loyalty bonus to cover some of your losses. The most popular one is the welcome bonus and it’s pretty much the best promo you can find at the casino.

Wagering Requirements

The wagering requirements of a bonus need to be as low as possible, for you to have the best chance to clear it and make a withdrawal. The higher the wager is the more you need to play to clear it, so the odds work against you because of the house edge.

Expiry Date

Usually, most promos come with an expiry date of 7 to 30 days after you claim the promo. This is more than enough to use the bonus, as most players start playing right away and the session never lasts for more than a day. But, it’s always a good idea to check the expiry date, since some casinos can offer it for a limited time only.

Game Eligibility

Every online casino has a list of forbidden games for play with bonus funds. These usually include live dealer games and jackpots, while table games, video poker, and bingo come with a very low wagering contribution. This is pretty much standard, but at some brands, the number of forbidden games can be massive. It’s best to avoid these promos altogether, as you are forced to play only games with a high house edge.

Withdrawal limits

Usually, at most online casinos, all deposit bonuses come with no maximum withdrawal limits. The only time limits are imposed is when you are playing with a no-deposit sign-up bonus or some loyalty bonus. Still, you always need to check the terms to see whether the bonus in question has some withdrawal limit or not.

Safety of Online Casino Applications

As we already explained legit and licensed online casinos are safe to play at for real money. They have a number of safety features in place to protect you as a player at all times. The same can be said for mobile casino apps. The most reputable brands in the industry release apps of their own, which you can download directly to your phone. They are safe to use and make access to the casino much easier.

Conclusion

Overall, the standard in the online gambling industry today is at a very high level. The competition in this sector is fierce, so it’s better for businesses to be legit and have a big number of loyal daily players than to be rogue and shut down your doors in less than a year.

You can still come across some rotten apples in the basket, but they are few and far in between. If you want to play at the top brands in the industry simply pick some from our list of recommended casinos. They have all been scrutinizingly tested by our casino experts and are proven to be safe and fair.