Without a doubt, casinos are part of the global culture. According to Global Gambling, 2 billion of the world’s population gamble at some point. In terms of gambling revenue, Asia leads the way with 31.3%. The top five markets in the field are China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Germany. However, the casinos of today are not the same as they once were.
Online casinos
In the past few years, a few things have happened that turned online casinos into multi-billion industries. The most vital change was the growth of technology. Computers are faster, smarter, and have more security than ever before. Using an online casino is easy, and it can be accessed through any of your electronic devices. They can offer more games, lotteries, and sporting events than any land-based casino. But how do you know you are using a safe online casino?
In this article, we will give you several ways to check the site you choose that ensure your safety.
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Reputation
Before you begin, look online and see what others are saying about the casino you are considering. Look up winners from the casino name. Look to see if there are any awards for them.
You will probably see several articles about them if they are reputable sites. I would be careful if I found they only had one location. The internet is endless. Online casinos go through a lot to get and maintain a license. They probably have locations in more than one country.
License
As mentioned, every online casino must be licensed to operate legally. This is essential. When an online casino is licensed, they have many qualifications they must comply with. The authority of the country that permits them also regulates them. They are audited. They must prove they have the means and methods to pay the jackpots offered.
You can usually find a list of licensing authorities they are registered with on their website. It should also be listed on their corporate page. If you choose to play with an unlicensed casino, you are unprotected.
Some of the best licensing authorities include;
- HM Government of Gibraltar
- UK Gambling Commission
- Swedish Gambling Authority
- Government of the Northern Territory
- Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli
- Malta Authority
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SSL encryption
SSL is a security coding that encrypts information between two electronic devices. For example when a computer communicates with a server, the data is secured via encryption. This prevents fraud by making it difficult for a third party to intercept and read the data.
There are a couple of ways you know if the system you are using is SSL encrypted. First, look at your address bar at the top of the screen. If your site is encrypted you will see the https:// at the beginning of the URL. The second way is to look in the far left of the same bar. If you are on a secure site, there is an image of a small padlock.
Any site you access that requires funding an account needs these two indicators. It is also important to use unique passwords and never share them with anyone. Online casino sites only allow one user per account. This keeps everything legal and in order when payments of winnings are transferred to your account.
Insurance
As mentioned, online casinos must prove to the regulatory agents that jackpots are immediately payable. The most common way is to secure coverage with insurance. You are in very safe hands if you use a site with its own licensed insurance company.
Online casinos usually pay smaller jackpots from house funds they deposit into your account. The insurance company pays enormous jackpots, and the online casino has immediate access to the funds. There is no delay in paying winners.
Read the information.
Reputable online casinos will have the odds of each game they offer spelled out for you. They also list the RTP on their games. RTP stands for the average “return to player” the game provides. Finally, read the terms of service to understand all the rules of playing the site. Contact customer service if you have questions. There should be more than one way to contact customer service. The most common ways are via online chat during busy hours and via email.
Conclusion
It is essential to be safe when you use online sites. If you input your banking or credit card information, you need to know the information is secure. Use the above information to quickly and effectively check the site you use. You will feel better knowing technology is watching over you, and so is the vendor you are using.