Savvy casino punters carefully navigate their gambling activities in order to alleviate security concerns. They know that they need to protect both their personal information and ensure that they are playing in an atmosphere where they are assured of game fairness.
For PC and mobile casino gaming, the important issue of customer retention involves the implementation of measures that will provide players with a secure and trustworthy platform where the risk of security breaches are minimized and the games can be trusted. The actions that casinos need to take to meet customer demands in this area include:
Data Security
Casinos must secure data, both in regards to player information and financial transfers. They do this in a number of ways which include:
- Encryption – The Secure Socket Layer, known as SSL, or the Transport Layer Security (TLS) are the most efficient protocols for ensuring communication between the player's device and the casino's servers. These protocols ensure that any personal or financial information that you transmit is encrypted. Such protocols prevent interception of communication, including financial data that is transmitted between the customer and the casino.
- Secure Payment Gateways – Reputable online casinos partner with secure payment processors for financial transactions. The same advanced security features that the casino uses are also used by these processors so payment information is safeguarded on both ends for both deposits and withdrawals.
- Firewalls – Safe online casinos employ firewalls to monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic. Firewalls play a crucial role in preventing unauthorized access to the casino's servers so sensitive data is protected from external threats.
- Authentication and Authorization: – It’s recommended that customers set up accounts with casinos that implement strong authentication mechanisms. These mechanisms, which include secure login procedures, multi-factor authentication, and account verification processes, ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive accounts and information.
- Regular Security Audits – Casino advisors suggest that if you’re signing up to play at an online casino, you should check to ascertain that it conducts regular security audits. The audits are generally performed by internal security teams or by external third-party security firms. Such assessments can identify and address potential vulnerabilities that the platform may be experiencing.
- Data Storage Policies – It’s important to ascertain that your casino is implementing stringent policies for storing and handling player data. Sensitive information should not be stored unnecessarily and access to data stored in encrypted databases should be restricted.
- Regulatory Compliance – Reputable online casinos should demonstrate compliance with relevant data protection and privacy regulations in the jurisdictions where they operate. Compliance with standards such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in the EU ensures that player data is handled responsibly.
- User Education – Knowledgeable casino users know that it’s good practice to provide educational resources to users which advise them on best practices for securing their accounts, using strong passwords, and recognizing phishing attempts.
Secure Software Development
An online casino relies heavily on its software developer to provide it with games that are safe and fair. Such games can minimize vulnerabilities while delivering games that ensure fair play.
Customers need to know that the casino takes these concerns seriously. The casino’s responsibility is to provide games that are not rigged and can’t be manipulated in a way that favors the house unfairly. To this end, the Random Number Generator of every game developed by a reputable game designer will be checked to ascertain that all game outcomes are genuinely random and not influenced by external factors.
Cybersecurity Threats
Today, cybersecurity threats are a worldwide threat with hackers and scammers making billions of dollars by accessing the accounts of unsuspecting users. Players worry that third parties may access their accounts, thereby compromising the integrity of their personal information and their financial transactions.
Scammers generally breach users’ accounts by tricking the user into revealing passwords and other protected information that will allow the scammer to get into the user’s account. They do this in a number of ways.
One common method of “phishing” involves sending a letter that is, seemingly, from the user’s bank or casino to ask them to “confirm” information which involves providing their username and password.
Once the user clicks on the bogus link and inserts their actual username and password, the scammer can move on to use that information to gain access to the account and transfer funds as s/he wishes.
Online casinos can mitigate these threats by insisting that users choose strong passwords which must be provided every time that the player accesses his or her account. In addition, two-factor identification, where the player must identify him/herself in an additional way upon signing in to the account (usually by sending a code to a cell number) can secure the account.
Additional Concerns
Casinos can address their customers’ concerns by ensuring that their company adheres to all regulatory compliance laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which they operate. This involves the licensing and certification of both the casino and the casino’s software supplier.
Knowledgeable gamers know that a casino that displays proof that it follows the protocols of reputable authorities will be one that will be following the standards and practices that will protect their players’ interests.
Casinos which implement robust security measures, such as encryption technologies, compliance with industry regulations, secure payment gateways, and regular audits are casinos that can be relied on to deliver safe and secure gaming activities.
