Gambling is one of the most exciting forms of entertainment in the world and it is also one of the most common. There is hardly any part of the globe where you can’t find people who play gambling games. Even the most remote parts of the world have gambling games that are enjoyed by everyone. Thanks to internet-enabled mobile devices, people can enjoy casino games online without leaving the comfort of their homes. The first online gambling took place in 1994 and it was the ticketing for the Liechtenstein International Lottery. Recent studies show that the online gambling market generates more than $40 billion worldwide every year.

There are hundreds of websites for gambling online available to everyone with a smartphone who doesn’t stay in a restricted area where online gambling is illegal. Unfortunately, even in places where online gambling is legal and regulated, there are hundreds of illegal casinos. These casinos are just like regular online casinos but their sole purpose for being created is to dupe unsuspecting gamblers of their hard-earned money. Some of these websites trick you into giving your banking card information and use it for all sorts of dubious things. With so many options online, how can you identify an unreliable casino?

How to Know When a Casino Is Unreliable

1. Check the Casino Blacklist

Thanks to the internet, you can find out which casinos have been blacklisted by trustworthy reviewers and which ones are legitimate. Keep in mind that a casino doesn’t need to be an outright scam for it to be on the blacklist. If the casino offers poor services, has bad quality, or is not trustworthy, it will most likely be added to the blacklist. A good place to find a casino blacklist online is CasinoJager.nl. This website is full of unbiased reviews about casinos from different parts of the globe. If you’re looking for a blacklist to guide you as you pick the best online casino for you, CasinoJager.nl will do. Getting blacklisted on CasinoJager.nl list is a bad sign but it’s not permanent. If a casino improves its services and quality, it will be removed from the blacklist.

2. Check Other Reviews

When you come across an online casino, the first thing you should do is find out what others are saying about it. With a quick Google search, you can find out if the said casino is reliable or not. Let’s assume that the name of the casino is “onlinegambling.com”. Type in “onlinegambling.com scam?” on Google and see what pops up. The more negative reviews about a casino you see, the further you should run away from it. Social listening is also a good way to find out if you can depend on a casino. Find out what people are saying about the casino on Twitter, Facebook, and even Instagram. Keep in mind that one or two negative comments don’t automatically mean a casino is unreliable as long as most people are happy with their services.

3. Check for Spamming History

The best online casinos in the world have a solid marketing team behind them. These marketing professionals ensure that they don’t irritate clients or prospects in their quest to expand. Spamming is one of the most annoying forms of marketing in the world. It involves sending a large number of messages indiscriminately to different people at the same time. These messages lack personalization and often come with promotional messages. Some spams can come through emails while some might be pop up ads on the website that don’t give you time to concentrate and do what you want. You should be especially wary when you’re receiving emails from a casino even if you never submitted your email.

4. Check for Unreasonable Payout Terms

Casinos are supposed to allow you to make money while you are having fun. The more favorable the payout, the more money you will win and the more attractive the casino will be to users. Make sure that you read the payout terms and conditions before you sign up on any casino. The withdrawal and cashout limits should also be considered when you’re reading the payout terms and conditions. Every casino has cashout and withdrawal limits but some are more favorable than others. Go for the more favorable options to get the best result.

5. Check the Identification Process

All legal online casinos are required to follow some Know Your Customer policies for safety and security purposes. These policies often require that each player presents a legal form of identification with names and other details that match what is in their bank accounts. If your bank name doesn’t match the name in your identification, the payment will not go through. While verification is an essential variable in every casino, some dishonest casinos have long and unnecessary verification processes. They allow you to sign up and make deposits by simply signing up with your name and email address, you will only find a lengthy verification process when you want to make a withdrawal. They start asking you for documents that take weeks or even months to process. The idea is that you will either gamble away your winnings or get tired and forfeit it. When too many people complain about lengthy verification on an online casino, it’s always better to avoid those casinos.

6. Find out If the Casino Has Financial Resources

Land-based casinos are required by law to have a significant amount of money at hand at all times. Depending on the jurisdiction, it could be anything from thousands to millions of dollars at any one time. Since almost anybody can open an online casino, they may not have the financial resources than you’d expect from a regular casino. If an online casino doesn’t have enough financial support at the time they open, the problem will keep getting worse as time passes. The best online casinos are the ones that have reputable land-based versions. Some online casinos have been in existence for years. These might have high signup and wagering requirements but they are usually the best.

7. Lookout for Misleading Information

Before you sign up and make deposits on any online casino, check to ensure that the information they share isn’t misleading. The most reputable casinos don’t joke with transparency. So, when a casino is not forthcoming with information or misleads you into thinking their services and products are better than they are, you should jump ship and look for a new casino to play on.

8. Lookout for Any Sign of Criminal Activity

When you suspect an online casino of criminal activity, you shouldn’t ignore the suspension. Casinos that share misleading information are not great but the ones that work with criminals even in the slightest are bad. If the online casino has any affiliation with criminals, run away from it. This is because casinos take too many vital details about you to risk falling into the hands of criminals. For example, if you use your international passport as a form of identification, a criminal casino, or a casino that works with criminals can use your passport details for illegal purposes. They might also decide to sell your information to criminals.

9. Find Out if the Website is Secure

If a casino is not secure, it will be open to all sorts of attacks from hackers. When this happens, you’ll be at risk of losing more than money. Your personal and financial information. You may become a victim of identity fraud or worse. This is why it is extremely important to review every online casino before you start using it. If there are reports of possible fraudulent activities from the casino, you should not risk signing up.

10. Find Out if the User Interface is Good

One of the easiest ways to spot a fraudulent casino is to check the quality of the website. Most fraudsters don’t invest in providing the best quality for their subscribers. The website speed might be slow, the navigation poor and even the content will be flawed with grammatical errors. This doesn’t mean that a good user interface and design automatically means that a casino is reliable. Some long-term fraudsters invest money in time in high-quality website development just to get prospects to trust them. These sites even pay reviewers to write positive things about their products and services. So, a simple Google search might not give you the information you need to decide if the website is reliable or not.

Bottom line

Gambling is fun. If you’re lucky, you can hit the jackpot and make enough money that will last a lifetime from gambling either in a land-based casino or online. However, it isn’t without risk. If you’re unfortunate, you might end up losing all your money on gambling or losing personal information to fraudsters. In any case, always gamble responsibly spending only money you can lose. With the ten tips above, you should be able to find a reliable online casino.