Avoid Scams with Our Guide to Finding a Safe Online Casino

The steady rise in the popularity of online gambling has been met with increased regulation. Back in 2003, the British culture secretary was keen to promote changes in gambling to keep up with advancements in technology. Gambling-related laws were updated and the UK Gambling Commission was created in 2005 which meant a tighter framework in which online casinos operate. These changes have had a positive effect on consumer confidence, combined with the relaxation in TV advertising laws for online casinos, there’s been a rise in overall gambling participation. Online casinos are popping up regularly, some which find loopholes to exploit which you should watch out for to avoid potential scammers.

• Unfair bonus terms
• Delayed payouts
• Manipulation of player results
• Unauthorised lockouts of player accounts

Best ways to avoid a scam

Since 2014, all online betting sites need a new gaming license specifically for the United Kingdom to legally operate, and because of this we recommend first and foremost, that you check the online casino site is authorised by the UK Gambling Commission. The UKGC plays a big role in enforcing sound casino practices and co-operation with them is a good start to enjoying a safe and secure gaming experience, such as the requirement for a monthly publication of payout rates by independent testing labs.

The easiest way to check if an online casino is licensed is to simply head to their landing page and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Casinos typically display their licenses and partnerships in the footer, you can also head to the UKGC website and search for your chosen operator to cross-reference for peace of mind that you’re playing at a secure online casino. There are of course, points to consider which are out of the hands of the commission such as their reputation, the fairness of their games and how quickly they pay out. These points are summed up next.

How Long Should Payouts Take?

We can’t provide you with a precise time for how long payouts should take because unfortunately there are no binding rules for either the casino or your chosen banking method to follow. Cash withdrawal from a casino is a two-part process, the processing time from the casino, which checks various things there side, such as if bonus conditions have been met to cash out. The actual transfer time into your personal account varies between each operator. Identity checks to prevent money laundering are also commonplace and can slow down the withdrawal process considerably, these may take place every time you cash out, or in the case of Mr Green casino, this is done just once. Once funds are cleared from the casino, they are released to your chosen payment provider, who also need to process the transaction. As with most online transactions, this can take a few days.

The actual transfer Once the casino has released the funds, the actual transfer takes place. The amount of time this takes depends on the technical and organisational framework of the individual payment provider. One of the most efficient examples of this is Paypal. When you select Paypal to transfer funds from your casino account, it should appear in the e-wallet within a matter of seconds. Bank transfers takes a little longer, since they are reliant on two different payment institutions. Expect to wait up to 3 days, however, without any delays, the funds shouldn’t take more than a day to reach your bank account.

Duration of the transfer This is the part before the casino releases any funds, and the reasons for a gap between your request to cash-out and the casino releasing the monies are normally two-fold. The first delay is typically internal processing from the casino side as they prepare to execute the transfer. At this point they check that bonus condition are met for example, The second delay will be providing your proof of identity, the casinos use this as proof of money laundering prevention to the legislator. We’d suggest up to 3 days is reasonable, and exceeding 6 and you should ask yourself if they are a professional outfit with efficient processing in play? The reason for creating delaying tactics would be in the hope you become tired of waiting and cancel the payment to continue playing. Although this isn’t necessarily fraud, it’s bad business practice and I personally want access to my money as soon as possible, without a untimely waiting period.

Good Reputation

• Our Safe Online Casino Checklist
• Regulated by the UKGC
• Many active players
• Fair games and bonuses
• Established name on the market

Casinos are very keen to keep a good standing in the industry and to have a positive reputation among players, since anything that jeopardises their reputation has a knock-on effect, discouraging new members from signing up. These good value and safe online casinos are easy to spot, and won’t involve much if any research on your side. Some of the biggest names in online gambling are also high street names and institutions of English gambling, William Hill and Ladbrokes for example. Big casinos have associations with first-class sporting events, you’ll notice their branding at poker tournaments and on football shirts for example because of exclusive sponsorship deals. If blatant nods to their upstanding in the industry aren’t at first obvious, the about us section on the casino site details when the casino was established, and information about their parent company. To make life a little bit easier, we’ve gone to the trouble of including this information on every casino review page on this site to save you the task.

Are Games Tested for Fairness?

If the games aren’t fair and transparent, then they’re a waste of time to play. Software developers use third parties to audit their payout percentages (RTP), and the best ones go as far as making them visible to you in monthly payout reports for example. Games are testing millions of times each to make sure they are completely unpredictable and that the probabilities of playing online match that of a real-life scenario. Once these criteria are met, the casino is certified, which means yes their games are as fair as possible to play. The most common signatures you’ll notice on the footer of an online casino homepage are the Systems Testing (TST), eCOGRA logos, and Gaming Laboratories International (GLI).

Are the Bonus Conditions Achievable?

Bonus conditions are nothing to be suspicious of, these are the conditions set from the casino, which players must meet in order to cash out their winnings. These ‘wagering conditions’ come hand in hand with pretty much all casino offers and it’s wise to check these out before diving straight in and playing with real money.

The most common casino promotion is a deposit match bonus enticing players to sign up and begin playing with a larger casino account balance. These can be lucrative when the bonus conditions are fair, but casinos behave differently and restrictions can be too harsh to meet. The main factors to look into are the amount of time you’ll have to meet the wager, the size of the wager and the games which are valid with said bonus. Anything over 40x your deposit and bonus amount is on the harsher end of the scale, we’d also encourage choosing a casino that allows more time to meet the wager, up to 30 days for example when the wagering requirement is in this region.

The Focus on Player Welfare at Scam Casinos

Scam casinos don’t promote responsible gambling since they have zero interest in player welfare. Casinos with integrity commonly link to associations which promote safe gambling. GamCare, UKGov, and The Independent Betting Adjudication Service offer heaps of advice on how to pretend gambling turning into problem gambling. The UKGC is also displayed proudly amongst these associations, since all of these organisations work in the interests of the players to create a fair and safe gaming experience.

• UK Gambling Commission
• GambleAware
• GamCare
• IBAS