A number of Grande Vegas online casino players report that they came to Grande Vegas after having fallen into the trap of playing at a fake casino. In addition to Grande Vegas, there are hundreds of reputable online casinos where it’s possible to gamble safely on secure online platforms.
So how does an individual fall victim to a fake online casinos? How can you differentiate a fake casino from an authentic one? How do you ensure that your online gaming takes place in a secure environment?
When you’re “shopping” for an online casino where you plan to play real money games, the first thing that you want to check is whether the casino shows any of the signs of being a fake. Fake online casinos pop up regularly and can close shop quickly at any time, taking players’ money and ebanking information with them.
Once you provide a casino with the link to your ebank, you’ve handed them a big tool in possible future efforts to access your account and clean you out. Being able to spot a fake online casino is crucial as you prepare to enjoy a positive gaming adventure.
Luckily, there are checks and balances that can help you avoid such bogus sites. Before you sign up for an online casino account and provide the casino with personal and financial information, check out some basic elements of the proposed casino platform.
Licensing
The first thing that you should do on your mission to determine whether a casino is a safe and fair gaming environment is to find out if a casino is regulated and licensed. Look at the casino website. Legitimate online casinos display information about their licenses prominently on their websites.
You can find this information in sections like "About Us," "Terms and Conditions," or "Licensing" or at the footer of the homepage. Note the licensing authority and license number. Online casinos are licensed in the country in which the operator is based – if, for instance, they are based in Malta, the Malta Gaming Authority will grant the license (MGA), or if they’re based in Gibraltar, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority will grant their license.
Most online casinos are based in countries that have regulatory authorities who grant licenses to online gaming platforms like Gibraltar, Malta, Curaçao, Estonia and Isle of Man.
Then, to make especially sure that the license is valid, it’s a good idea to take the extra precaution of visiting the regulatory authority’s website and check that the license number is listed as authentic for that particular online casino. Enter the license number into the designated area on the regulatory authority's website to confirm that the information matches the details provided by the casino.
Review Forums
There are a number of review forums on the web where you can read through the reviews and comments of other players and add your own. Some of these review forums are run by specific online casinos who want to promote their own platform and tailor the reviews to suit that end.
But Reddit, the online community where people talk about their interests, hobbies and passions, offers a more objective space for casino reviews. You can search for reviews of online casinos in Reddit’s search bar – there are several threads. People comment openly about their experiences with a wide range of online casinos and it’s worth an hour of your time to read the reviews so that you make a choice where you can play safely.
Seals and Logos
A legitimate online casino will interface with other operators and the integrity of those operators is also a key to determining whether the online casino is authentic. The games that the casino offers are designed and published by gaming companies which must also meet licensing requirements to be certified as fair and random by gaming authorities. Each online game must demonstrate that it’s Random Number Generator delivers random results so that players can rely on their games being fair.
The online casino processes transfers of funds via online banking services such as credit and debit cards, evouchers and ewallets, wire transfers and cybercurrency payments. To transfer funds, the player must first set up an account at a casino-supported online banking service and then link that service to their casino account. Funds can be deposited into the gamer’s casino account via the online bank and winning payouts can be withdrawn back into the player’s online bank account from their casino account.
These online banks should display their own certification symbols to indicate that they are regulated by government regulatory authorities such as the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway, the Financial Conduct Authority of the UK and the the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB).
Check the seals and logos displayed on the online casino’s homepage (usually at the footer of the homepage) to see which additional operators are working with the casino. Then, check the qualifications of those other operators.
Terms and Conditions
Every casino has a page of Terms and Conditions to which you must agree in order to open an online casino account. The Terms and Conditions to which you agree will determine whether you can challenge the casino in case of a difference of opinion.
Read those Terms and Conditions, both to understand what your responsibilities are to the casino and what the casino’s responsibilities are towards you. In addition, this is a chance to check out information about the casino’s licensing and regulatory compliance because such information is generally supplied on the Terms and Conditions page.
If it’s not there, that’s a sign that you should check them out a bit more thoroughly. If the casino isn’t transparent about it’s license, or if the license details seem incomplete or suspicious, be cautious – that’s a red flag.
Always ensure that you are playing at a licensed and regulated casino to protect your interests and ensure a fair gaming experience.
