What Elements Make a Trusted Online Casino?
Every online casino is different, but, thankfully, the vast majority that operate online in the UK can be considered trustworthy. Why? Because, although the UK enjoys liberal gambling laws, the industry is still well regulated and scrutinized. Yet every casino operator is different. Certain practices will be employed by some operators, which you might not find at other casinos. That does not mean they are unscrupulous, but there are signals that you should look for when choosing an online casino in order to judge its trustworthiness. Consider these factors before signing up:
Credentials
At the bottom of each online casino homepage, there will be details of this online casino’s licence. If you are in the UK it must be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission – no exceptions. You should certainly check this out if the casino is a small operator you haven’t heard of before. If you are playing with a casino outside the UK, then look for licensing from credible licensing bodies like MGA (Malta), GGC (Gibraltar) and NJDGE (New Jersey). Of course, awards are also an indicator. If a casino wins a prestige award and is recognized by the industry, it’s a fair assumption that it’s trustworthy.
Auditing
Most people assume that online casinos have some kind of control over payouts, when it’s not the case at all. When it comes to real money slots, for example, it’s the developers like Playtech, Microgaming and NetEnt that create the game’s conditions. The casinos don’t really have any influence over the outcome. The good news is that the licensing bodies mentioned above will have rigorous procedures to ensure that casinos are compliant with fair gaming practices. If you want to look at payouts for individual games you can look at the rules section for each title, or there might be a payout report published on the casino site.
Transparent Promotions
There is no such thing as a free lunch, as the saying goes; and, casino players expect that there will be some sort of restriction on bonus money. Casinos can’t just give out free cash, or they would soon be out of business. But what experienced players hate – really hate – is finding out that winnings from a bonus are not what it seems after the fact. If it has been made clear that a bonus must be wagered through a few dozen times before withdrawal, then fine. But if you have met the wagering requirements and subsequently win a ton of cash, only to be told that there is a restriction like a max win cap, it can be devastating. A good casino will be proud of its promotions and the terms attached to them.
Responsibility
These days, it’s not enough that a casino takes your money and, hopefully, sends some more back. In markets like the UK, online casinos are supposed to do verification checks to combat fraud and money laundering. If you aren’t asked to provide proof of I.D at some point, then that should act as a warning signal to you. Why? Because a legitimate casino will want to work within the parameters set out by the UKGC, and it won’t want to be breaking the law in some way. The internet is a big place and doesn’t have any borders as such, so it’s possible to join casinos that don’t ask you for such verification. Do so at your own peril, as if there is a problem or dispute, you will not have the same recourse for support as you would enjoy with officially licensed casinos.