The online gambling industry is thriving, with its global market size valued at USD 57.54 billion in 2021 and expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of close to twelve percent in the upcoming decade. As a result, more and more online gambling platforms, whether it is online casinos or betting portals, appear every day. While it can be interpreted as great news, it also means that it is becoming harder for an average gambler to find a trustworthy platform to play safely.
So, how do you identify a reliable casino and ensure a safe online gambling experience? In the article below, we share several fundamental rules you should follow to do just that quickly and effectively. Apart from reading casino reviews and choosing secure payment methods, you should carefully read the terms and conditions of each gambling platform that you consider using and verify its gambling license, as well as set up two-factor authentication. Now, keep reading and learn how to gamble online safely!
Check the License
The first and most important thing that you need to check before signing up to an online casino is whether or not it has a valid gambling license. A license proves that a casino operates legally and is supervised by a government body. If you come across an online casino that does not have a license, it is best to avoid it at all costs.
In the United Kingdom, for example, online casinos must hold a license from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. It is considered to be one of the strictest licensing authorities in the world, which means that if an online casino holds such a license, you can be sure that it has been thoroughly checked.
Read Online Casino Reviews
Another great way to ensure a safe online gambling experience is to read online casino reviews of each online casino that you are thinking about playing at. Online casino reviews, such as this Joe Fortune casino review, can provide you with detailed information about a particular online casino, including the games that you can play there, bonuses, available payment methods, and the quality of its customer support. Having read such a review, you will find it easier to tell whether a particular casino is legit and worth signing up to.
Choose Secure Payment Methods
Apart from ensuring that an online casino has a valid license, you should also see whether it offers secure payment methods. Ideally, you want to choose a platform that accepts payment methods that offer buyer protection and comes with very few fees and a short processing time.
- Buyer protection. When making a deposit or withdrawal at an online casino, you want to be sure that you will be able to get that money back in case something goes wrong with the transaction. Therefore, make sure to choose a payment method that offers buyer protection.
- Fees. Although most payment methods do not charge fees for deposits and withdrawals, there are some exceptions. So, if you do not want to be charged extra fees for making a transaction, make sure to check what kind of fees a particular payment method charges before using it.
- Processing time. The time it takes for a deposit or withdrawal to be processed can vary depending on the payment method you use. If you do not want to wait too long, make sure to check the processing times of a particular payment method before using it.
Some of the most popular and trustworthy payment methods used by online casinos include credit cards, e-wallets, and cryptocurrencies.
Set Up Two-Factor Authentication
When creating an account at an online casino, you will be asked to choose a username and a password. However, if you want to make sure that your account is as secure as possible, we recommend setting up two-factor authentication.
2FA is an extra layer of security that requires you to enter a code sent to your mobile phone or email address in addition to your username and password when logging into your account. This makes it much harder for hackers to gain access to your account, as they would need to have access to your phone or email account as well as your username and password.
Verify the Terms and Conditions
When signing up to an online casino, you will be asked to agree to its terms and conditions. It might be time-consuming and boring, but it would be best if you read them very carefully before agreeing to them. This is because these terms and conditions contain important information about the casino, including how you can withdraw your winnings. If anything in the terms and conditions strikes you as odd or confusing, you might want to look for a different online casino to play at.
Avoid Casinos That Require You to Download Software
In the past, many online casinos required players to download software in order to play games. Luckily, modern online casinos are instant play platforms that can be accessed directly through a web browser. It is much safer and more convenient, as you do not have to download any software, and you can access such a platform from any device with an internet connection. So, if you stumble upon a casino that requires you to download software, it is a clear sign that it is not as user-friendly as it could be.
Use Secure Wi-Fi Connections
When gambling online, it is important to use secure Wi-Fi connections whenever possible. This is because public Wi-Fi networks are not as secure as private ones, and they can be easily hacked. For this reason, if you want to make sure that your personal and financial information is safe when gambling online, we recommend using a private Wi-Fi connection instead of a public one.
In Conclusion
Gambling online can be a great way to have fun and win large sums of money. However, it is important to make sure that you gamble safely in order to avoid any problems. In the article above, we share seven fundamental rules you should follow in order to have a safe online gambling experience.
These rules include but are not limited to checking the license of each casino that you are thinking about playing at, choosing secure payment methods, reading online casino reviews, and using secure Wi-Fi connections. Now, good luck and play responsibly!
