The online casino industry has gone from strength to strength over the past decade, with numerous quality operators now offering everything from online slots to live dealer titles. Aside from the increased gaming variety, new players can also now access extremely generous bonuses, versatile banking methods, and other notable selling points.
But here’s the thing: not all online gambling platforms can be trusted, and it’s incredibly important to make sure you’re only playing at entirely legitimate sites. At the root, all players must ensure they’re using properly licensed platforms, as regulators like the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and the UK Gambling Commission provide essential oversight to keep operators playing by the rules.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are several other ways to verify the legitimacy of online gambling sites before registering and depositing. Just as the importance of professional roofing installations should be the first thing homeowners consider for a safe structure, ensuring a casino or sportsbook’s legitimacy should be the No. 1 concern for online gamblers.
But how do you do so? It’s not always easy for casino beginners to discern the essential factors when checking a casino’s legitimacy. Keep reading for an in-depth exploration of the three easiest ways to verify the legitimacy of online gaming sites. We’ll also highlight some of the main reasons for doing so and common hallmarks of the safest platforms.
Online Gaming Legitimacy: An Overview
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s round up the concept of online gaming legitimacy. The fertile casino industry has grown rapidly since the 2000s, with countless online gaming sites emerging and quickly experiencing significant player volumes. While this growth has primarily been positive for gamblers and operators, it has also attracted less reputable and shady companies.
This has made it even more important for players to distinguish trusted platforms from less respected and potentially dangerous ones. A legitimate online casino has transparent licensing from a reputable authority, implements transparent security features, and has secure transactions. We’ll go into more detail in the following sections.
Hallmarks Of Safe & Legitimate Casinos
Knowing what makes a safe and legitimate online casino is essential to safeguarding your overall experience. Pay attention to the following characteristics to make sure your chosen platform is legitimate and safe:
- Provably Fair Games: All casinos must show that their games use provably fair Random Number Generators. This is typically done by working with respected third-party audit companies like iTechLabs or eCOGRA.
- Robust Security Measures: Reliable casinos prioritize player safety by implementing robust security measures. These include SSL encryption, secure payment processing, and impenetrable data storage. Without doing so, players cannot be confident that their personal and financial data will be safe.
- Solid Reputations: A casino’s reputation speaks volumes about its trustworthiness. Reputable casinos are known for fair play, reliable payouts, and excellent customer service. Reading player reviews and checking expert ratings are easy ways to gauge a casino’s standing, helping players choose platforms with reliable track records.
- Legitimate Casino Licensing: Proper licensing is crucial to a safe and legitimate casino. Regulatory bodies like the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board would never authorize a dangerous platform, which gives a reliable indication of an operator’s overall legitimacy.
- Helpful FAQ Sections: Quality online casinos include comprehensive FAQ sections that can help players quickly get answers related to everything from payments to bonuses or specific game mechanics. These convenient resources are extensively available at the most legitimate platforms, which actively look out for their customers.
- Transparent Rules & Regulations: Transparent rules and regulations are another hallmark of a legitimate casino. This includes easy access to bonus requirements, withdrawal limits, and associated fees. Some dodgy platforms can make this information complex with the intention of confusing and ultimately ripping off customers, so be careful.
The Three Best Ways to Verify Online Gaming Site Legitimacy
Understanding the various hallmarks of a legitimate online casino is just one piece of the puzzle. Players must also know exactly how to verify these characteristics, and we’ll show you the three best ways below:
Check For Valid Licensing
The first step to checking an online gaming site’s legitimacy is searching for valid licensing information. Trustworthy operators have this information easily visible at the bottom of their homepages. Look for a licensing number alongside details on the regulator in question.
Look For Security Features, Awards, & Official Partnerships
Another useful way to assess the legitimacy of your chosen online casino platform is by considering the security features, awards, and official partnerships. Things like SSL encryption are visible with the lock in your browser search bar, while award-winning operators will always look to showcase their achievements on the homepage. Having an official partnership with a brand or famous sports team bolsters reputation.
Read Third-Party Reviews & User Feedback
While the two options above can give you a direct idea of whether or not an online gambling site is legitimate, we always recommend verifying this information by reading third-party reviews and user feedback. This way, you can be entirely sure that the information given by the operator is accurate.
