The Internet has enabled us to play some of the best casino games from the comfort of our own home. However, it has also brought with it a few online operators which have ruined the level of trust we could have had when playing with real money online.
This means it is imperative for every player to do our research and ensure we are playing at a web casino that wants to offer a fair and fun service to their players. So while there are rogue online operators out there, this shouldn’t hinder your experience if you’ve done the research.
We list some scams to keep an eye out for and solutions to avoid them, as well as some reputable web casinos that have their player’s best interests at heart – and that is a fun and fair gaming experience.
Rigged RNG software
A Random Number Generator (RNG) is the software used to generate random outcomes for every spin, or every deal, or every ball drawn. This software is controlled by the online casino and unfortunately, there is a very real risk that online operators rig the software in their favour. These are the select few that ruin it for everyone and mean we all have to do our research to find out where and what we are playing has been reviewed and is indeed fair.
These rogue operators rig the software so that the outcome of every spin, every deal, and every ball drawn, is going to lose so they can take your money and pocket it without making it obvious that they’e rogue.
So while RNGs are random, they are really only as fair as the online casinos which operate them.
How to avoid rigged RNG software
There is a way around playing at casinos with rogue operators and this is through third party testing. This sees an accredited and globally recognised third party testing every single game via a vigorous process to ensure that the games are fair.
Two highly regarded companies for online casino games include Technical Systems Testing (TST) and eCOGRA. These companies test the games and then grant their certification, with reports that are updated monthly, on every game that players can view by clicking on their logo found on the bottom of the online casino’s homepage. If they fail the testing, they don’t receive the accreditation and you won’t be able to find their logos anywhere. It is advised to avoid casinos which don’t have this accreditation.
If they don’t have auditing companies then check for jurisdictional licenses as some newer online casinos aren’t yet granted certification from these companies, but can still be high quality casinos. Jurisdictional licenses to look out for include Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Alderney Gambling Control Commission, UK Gambling Commission, and Gibraltar. If one of these logos are on the homepage then the gaming establishment has undergone an intense investigative process of their overall operations to receive the license.
Additionally, do a quick Google search with the casino’s name and the auditing company or jurisdictional license to see if the casino and the certification is real, as there have been some online operators who have falsified these documents, but they are swiftly reported online.
Not paying out winnings
An online casino can appear legitimate but when it comes down to paying out winnings, rogue casinos are sorted out from the fair ones.
Some online casinos won’t completely go rogue and disappear with your money, rather they will cite a certain reason as to why they can’t pay out your winnings so they can continue to operate and rip off other players. For example, there have been reports by players in casino forums that the Vegas Strip casinos, which include America’s Online Casino, Club Regal Casino, Cleopatra’s Casino, Club Mardi Gras Casino and eWorld Casino, have refused to pay players in the past citing they can’t pay players who live in Denmark as their reason.
Ensure your winnings are paid out. The only real way to avoid this from happening is playing at a reputable web casino which is certified by eCOGRA. Why eCOGRA and not another auditing agency? eCOGRA offers an additional service where they act as a mediator between players and online operators when a dispute occurs that you can’t seem to resolve. eCOGRA steps in and looks at all the evidence and makes a decision, which will help you if you are in the right.
False advertising
Although players can fail to read terms and conditions when it comes to casino bonuses, there are some online operators out there who take advantage of this and don’t offer terms and conditions at all. Here, they can advertise an amazing bonus, such as a 400% bonus for a $100 deposit, but not specify what wagering requirements you need to do to get the money and you can miss out and end up depositing at a rogue casino.
For example, if you are shopping around for web casinos you may get your list down to two casinos and opt for one over the other due to it offering a better bonus, but then struggle to claim it due to a condition the casino failed to share with you. This can leave you with your own funds deposited at the casino and you can end up staying there and playing because you’ve already deposited, leaving you open to other poor practices the casino may act on.
No matter where you are playing, even at our recommended web casinos, always read the terms and conditions of the promotions and bonuses offered before acting on them. If there aren’t any, avoid this casino as this is a dead giveaway that the casino is rogue.
No encryption technology
This is the best visual sign of a rogue web casino. If there is no small padlock, whether it be green, grey, or another colour, in the URL toolbar when you have entered the flash casino via your browser, such as Chrome, Safari, or Firefox, then it isn’t safe to enter your financial or even personal details.
This padlock indicates that the online casino uses modern digital encryption technology to protect any information from outside parties. Without it, anyone can hack into the link you send your sensitive information through and steal your details and ultimately your money.
Avoid web casinos that don’t have a padlock in the URL toolbar
This is the easiest solution out of all the points we make today. All you have to do is type in the URL of the online casino and check to see if there is a padlock.
For some Microgaming flash casinos you may have to launch the instant play casino first before checking for the padlock. If there is no padlock, do not play here. All of our recommended online casinos are encrypted and have the padlock to prove it.
Poor customer support
While this doesn’t seem like a big deal, customer support is actually integral to a reputable online casino. Having a poor support network can really hinder your gaming experience.
For example, if you have trouble making a deposit (though you can check out our how to deposit guides) or you have a question regarding a game or even a technical issue you need instantaneous support with you need to have a customer representative available regardless the time so you can get an immediate response rather than one in a few days or weeks when you have given up playing completely.
Test the casino’s support options
The best thing you can do to avoid playing at a casino with poor customer support is test them out, before you get playing. If they don’t have a Live Chat, Skype, Messenger service, or telephone number to call 24/7 this can be a drawback as it means they don’t have round the clock assistance. If they do, give them a message or call with a general question to test out how immediate they are.
Also try their email to see what their response time is in order to figure out how long it takes for them to respond to less urgent matters.
While this may not make or break a player’s experience, it is still a good feature to have, with all of our recommended web casinos offering top notch customer service.
Why don’t all casinos cheat players?
After reading all of this, it can almost seem logical that all online casinos are rogue and cheat players. But this isn’t the case. Fair online operators conduct themselves as businesses. They make money, while still offering players a fair chance at winning money.
Just like a shop or a restaurant, they could offer you a crappy product or service but if they want to continue making money they need to offer a good product and a good service. So while casinos can steal your money or operate in an unfair manner this is only beneficial to them in the short term as word of mouth, or word of the Internet, will blacklist these casinos, which will put them out of business.
Additionally, the more we become aware of the signs to look for in terms of rogue casinos the less likely we are going to fall prey to their scams.
To save you the trouble we have found some of the best casinos to play at as they use third party testing agencies, they are licensed by advanced gaming jurisdictions and they have all undergone an intense investigation to ensure they offer a fair service to their players. You can easily double check by following the tips mentioned above.
Reputable and fair online casinos
While there are the select few that have ruined our trust of online casinos for all, and thus has seen our jobs intensify in terms of tracking down reputable web casinos, there are still reliable and trustworthy Internet casinos out there.
These are all accredited by globally recognised third party organisations and have thousands of positive player reviews on the Internet which you can read to confirm that these web casinos are some of the best that won’t cheat you of your money.
- G’Day
- Slots Million
- Royal Vegas
- Jackpot City
- 32 Red
- Leo Vegas
- Roxy Palace
- Guts
- 7 Sultans
- Casino-Mate