Online casinos have revolutionised gambling by letting consumers play their favourite games from home. While there are far fewer scam sites out there than the media may have you believe; every player should realise the potential risks of online casino gameplay. Casino scams can come in many forms from Phishing scams that steal personal information to rigged games designed to stack the odds against the player in the extreme.
This blog post discusses the most prevalent online casino scams and how you can avoid falling foul of them. Whether you're an experienced online gambler or just starting out, some of these scams can be pretty ingenious so you need to know the red flags. Keep on reading our informative article to learn more.
Common Types of Online Casino Scams
Rigged Games
Fake online casinos are websites posing as reputable online casinos but are designed to take your money or personal data. They might have rigged software, phoney games, or no intention of paying off prizes.
Rigged games are casino games that are either impossible to win or altered to benefit the house. These games might have changed odds or non-totally random random number generators, which would result in unfair gameplay and lost money.
Phishing Schemes
Online phishing schemes involve criminals impersonating legitimate companies to steal personal information like usernames and passwords. Scammers may establish bogus online casino websites and ask customers to log in. Scammers can then take money from users who input their information.
Bonus Abuse
Online casino bonus scams involve online casinos offering unrealistically big bonuses or promotions that are impossible to claim or with hidden terms and conditions making them challenging to use. Oftentimes, these frauds cause gamers to lose money and not get the promised incentives or promotions. You may have heard of the term ‘predatory language’ thrown around before, and this is exactly what you’ll find in a scam bonus offer.
Identity Theft
Online gambling fraud and identity theft happen when con artists create false identities to utilise for illicit activity or use phishing techniques to pilfer the personal and financial data of a player. Along with other personal harm, this can cause credit ratings to be destroyed and financial loss.
Red Flags to Identify Untrustworthy Casinos
Recognising the warning signals that point to a casino might not be real or trustworthy will help you avoid online casino fraud.
- Lack of Licensing Information: Legitimate online casinos are registered and controlled by credible authorities; so, their license and registration data should be easy to find on their website. Should this material be lacking or seem to be false, it could indicate an online casino scam. Regulatory bodies such as the UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission), MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) and the AGCC (Alderney Gambling Control Commission) are all reputable bodies to look out for.
- Poor Website Design and Security: Nefarious online casinos will often use poorly designed user interfaces, linkages, or poor website design. This is designed to confuse players and make it hard for them to locate or redeem funds. To project professionalism and trust, legitimate online casinos make investments in top-notch site design and user experience. Alongside this, security should be a top priority for legitimate casinos; after all they are handling your hard-earned cash (and hopefully) winnings. Legitimate sites will use advanced encryption and firewalls to keep your sensitive data safe.
- Unrealistic Promotions: Legitimate online casinos are open about their operations and offer easily comprehensible terms and conditions. Scam sites, however, lack transparency and showcase ambiguous policies. An online casino scam may be indicated by confusing or vague terms and conditions. Many scam promotions will have predatory terms and conditions such as unreasonable wagering requirements or time limits applied to the bonuses offered. Scam promotions usually tempt players with out-of-this-world offers like hundreds of free spins or matching-up deals for hundreds of pounds. Put simply, the age-old adage applies; if it seems too good to be true then it probably is!
- Negative User Reviews: The internet is your best friend when it comes to weeding out scam sites. There are plenty of dedicated player review sites, and if gamers have a negative experience you best believe they’ll let the rest of the internet know! Of course, one scathing review may just be an outlier, but if numerous players are regaling tales of nefarious deeds, then the online casino is probably illegitimate.
Steps to Ensure a Safe Online Gambling Experience
Verify Licensing and Regulation
Legitimate internet casinos are licensed and controlled by respectable institutions, such as the Malta Gaming Authority or the UK Gambling Commission. Search for details on the licenses and certificates owned by the casino and make sure they are current and valid.
Assess Website Security
Check out the security offered on the site. Is information such as encryption and firewalls easy to find? If you can’t find the information it’s best to look elsewhere.
Safeguard your personal data and pay with respectable credit cards that provide fraud protection such as PayPal, Visa, or Mastercard. Think twice when it comes to the information a site is asking you to provide. Does the casino really need this information? Is the online casino providing a valid reason as to why certain information is necessary (such as for age verification purposes)? Do they clearly show how the sensitive information you give will be protected?
Read Terms and Conditions
Legitimate online casinos will always be transparent with their operating practices and terms and conditions will be easy to find and clear to understand. Steer clear of casinos with outrageous bonuses and promotions; be cautious of those that present too good-looking bonuses or promotions. Carefully review the terms and conditions; stay at casinos with sensible bonus and promotion policies.
Use Strong Passwords and Enable Two-factor Authentication
To guard your account, choose robust passwords; make sure these contain a mix of characters and numbers and don’t use the same password for all your accounts, especially any banking accounts. For extra security turn on two-factor authentication.
What to Do If You Suspect a Scam
If you suspect a scam, stop using the site immediately, and if you’ve linked any banking accounts, make sure you remove this information, change your passwords, and where needed, inform your bank.
Next, double-check the terms and conditions of the site, this will not only help you to rule out your own misunderstanding of terms and conditions (mistakes happen after all!) but you can also take screenshots and collect relevant information to add to future reports. If you feel this may not be a scam but an error on the casino side, reach out to them to resolve the issue (this is why choosing sites with a clear customer service presence is important). The UKGC provides information on how to do this as well as a tool called ‘resolve’ to help you.
If you’re getting nowhere with contacting the casino directly, or there is clear evidence of scamming, don’t hesitate to reach out to the gambling authority for your jurisdiction. In the UK, this is the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. The UKGC’s website provides plenty of information and support for how to make a report. For other regions, check the governing body or, if the site displays it, contact the regulatory authority they claim to be accredited by.
Why Choose Licensed Casinos Like Spin Genie
Choosing licensed and regulated online casinos such as Spin Genie will allow you to enjoy the games you know and love with complete peace of mind. As a legitimate site, at Spin Genie we care about our players, which is why we’re strong advocates for safe and responsible gambling practices, and provide a broad selection of helpful tools players can use to keep the fun in their gameplay. Alongside this, we protect players' sensitive information using SSL Encryption and advanced firewalls.
If you need reassurance, you only need to look at other player's perceptions of legitimate sites. At Spin Genie we have a bustling community of players, with a plethora of honest reviews across multiple platforms. We’re always looking for ways to improve our user experience, and have been graced with a selection of industry rewards for doing so.
Escape the Scams and Enjoy Legitimate Online Gameplay with Spin Genie
While the media, rightly, keeps players informed on the various scams circulating the net, it’s important to remember that the number of scam sites out there is in the minority, and are usually easy to spot. Many scams can be avoided by taking simple safety precautions, such as (in the case of phishing) not clicking links provided to you in emails from people you don’t know, trusting your gut, and looking for the green flags indicative of a safe site like licensing and accreditation.
Put simply, when it comes to playing at an online casino with your real money to lose, take your time, scope things out, and use the knowledge presented in this article to select trusted casinos such as Spin Genie.
