- If a casino doesn’t have licenses from several countries, that’s one big red flag.
- You should always read terms and conditions before playing at an online casino.
- Availability of games shouldn’t be the only factor you consider when picking a casino.
You might have heard some horror stories about people getting scammed by online casinos. It’s a shame that there are bad apples in the barrel; but lucky for us, there are more honest places where you can play than fraudulent ones.
So, how do you know if the site you want to play at is shady? Well, there are few red flags you need to look out for and once you spot them–run!
No Uttera Veritas
What does “Uttera Veritas” mean? It’s Latin for “Complete Truth”. In other words, it’s the opposite of what casinos that don’t publish their RTP rates stand for.
There are no absolute winners without absolute losers. That’s why all games of chance have certain odds which eventually determine whether your bet was successful or not.
If you like table games, the RTP rate will help you understand how much money you can expect to get back into your pocket through tips after you’ve played for an hour (or any other time period). The rate is usually annually calculated and then presented as a percentage.
When it comes to slots and other games that depend solely on luck, the Return to Player rate helps players understand whether the slot is worth their time and money.
Now, you might think that lower RTP is better because it means higher returns. But that’s not entirely true since the rate below 95% is considered poor. Casinos that don’t publish this info are probably hiding something they aren’t proud of.
Absence of Licenses Equals Illegitimacy
An online casino must obtain at least one valid license before being allowed to operate. This process requires money, so those who avoid it are definitely up to no good.
Gambling regulations vary from country to country. Some states are very strict while others turn a blind eye to whatever goes down in their jurisdiction.
Panama is among the offshore jurisdictions with superficial gambling laws and that’s why many suspicious websites have a seal indicating they’re Panama-licensed. Even if they look totally legit, our advice would be to steer clear of casinos with this type of accreditation.
bonus codes online casinoTo sum up, you should stop the inspection of any at the moment you see they are unlicensed.
No Audit Reports Mean Potential Fraud
Game fairness is another thing you need to take into consideration in order to protect your money. As we’ve already said, dodgy casinos will never provide their RTP details, but that’s not enough information to bring them down.
Some dishonest sites may lie about game performance claiming that all their products are top quality, but unless you’re a gaming expert, you won’t be able to tell if they are speaking the truth.
Fortunately, there are third-party companies specialised in testing and auditing , software, and RNG (Random Number Generator) to make sure they meet safety standards.
If a casino claims that their offers have been tested and the links to audit reports are nowhere to be found, hit the road jack.
Casinos Near Miami Beach, FL - Off the Beach FunDeposit Options Lack Diversity
It’s the year of our Lord 2022 and plenty of financial services still haven’t recovered from the 2008 crisis. However, that doesn’t explain why some casinos offer such poor in 2023.
Offering Visa and MasterCard as the only option as well as cash transfer (which can sometimes take weeks to be processed) is simply ridiculous in a world where blockchain has enabled the creation of dozens of fast, safe, and anonymous payment systems.
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Litecoin are becoming increasingly popular due to the fact that transactions made with them cannot be revoked, frozen, or reversed. They also grant full privacy to users.
Our top will most certainly become legally recognized means of payment in the nearest future, so we recommend you stay tuned to the latest trends instead of depositing money into banks and shell companies.
Bonuses Sound Too Good to Be True Because… They Are!
Who doesn’t like bonuses? We all do and that’s why casinos use this marketing trick to attract newcomers even though it often results in losses for the platform in question.
Best Live Dealer Casinos in the US (and Top Games to Play)However, you need to pay close attention to bonus terms and conditions because some requirements can cost you more than just your winnings. Here’s what you need to look out for:
Wagering Requirements
Wrongs come in a package deals and the first pair of shoes you’ll have to fill are wagering requirements – bonuses’ evil twin brothers.
These nasty bastards dictate how many times you are required to play your bonus through before you’re allowed to . And let me tell you, sometimes the goal is nearly impossible to achieve no matter how hard you try.
For instance, having 50x wagering requirement on $10 bonus basically means that you must spend $500 before the winnings become withdrawable. So, make sure you check these requirements and your own limits before signing that bonus contract.
Game Contribution Percentage
Believe it or not, some casinos award you with a completely different amount of bonus wagered in different types of games. For example, slots often have a weight of 100%, followed by scratch cards (50-75%) and video poker (20%), and finished off by blackjack and roulette (minimum coverage or 5%).
So, if you wager $100 on slots, your bonus will be fully covered. But if you decide to play video poker, you’ll only reach somewhere between 20% and 40%.
The bottom line is – always stick to games that provide 100% contribution no matter how boring they might seem.
free slots no registration or downloadsExpiration Date
Some bonuses last forever (at least theoretically) while others expire within few days/hours/minutes. Make sure you find the ones with decent expiry date that will give you sufficient time to earn your reward.
Minimum Deposit
A lot of casinos require you to deposit minimum $10-$20 in order to qualify for a bonus which can hardly bring you any significant profit after you fulfill all the other requirements. Our advice would be to search for platforms that lift some of the weight off your shoulders with at least a decent amount.
Terms and Conditions Page Is Your New Best Friend
We know it’s not exciting to read tons of tiny letters, but it’s the only way to protect yourself from getting scammed. There are lots of things that casinos are obliged to disclose but which they tend to hide in the additional pages.
Although it may seem boring to go through each paragraph, we strongly advise you to do it anyway in order to learn the operator’s policies regarding withdrawals, account closures, refunds, cancellations, terminations, etc. Before you start playing.
Live Chat Doesn’t Exist or Act Like a Robot
Even the best-designed machines still lack empathy and creativity compared to humans. While advancements in AI and machine learning have drastically improved over recent years, chatbots are still far away from being capable of delivering personal assistance.
Awesome Online Casino Bonuses You Need To Try In 2023Sometimes they fail to understand simple instructions or just hang up. And let’s not forget about hackers who managed to develop a program that makes chatbots say dirty words thus proving that even the smartest robots are only as good as their programming.
If a representative of an online casino starts behaving oddly (asking irrelevant questions, providing nonsensical answers, using abusive language, etc.) and you’re sure that it’s not a troll but a bot, stop the chat immediately and search for another venue.
Real people deserve praise when they do their job well, so make sure you give a feedback to people responsible for customer service when they assist you nicely.
Limited Number of Payment Request Per Month
Be careful if a casino imposes limitations on how many withdrawal requests you can make during a month because this could potentially lead to unexpected problems.
Some platforms cap the number of payments to five or ten per month under the pretext it’s their policy towards VIP players who usually don’t need to be paid more frequently.
Don’t fall for this excuses. Such tactics rather aim to collect bigger amounts of money without unnecessary transfers. Our suggests that you can withdraw money whenever you want without any limitations.
Availability of Games Should Not Be Main Criterion
Nice design, flashy lights, and thousands of titles sound great, but you must investigate an online casino more thoroughly before creating your player account. First of all, make sure it has valid licenses and certificates of authenticity. Then, check the quality of their customer support and withdrawal policies.
Availability of games should not be the main selection criterion, but it’s important nevertheless. Nowadays, most reputable casinos feature hundreds of games including classic and modern slots, progressive jackpots, table games (blackjack, roulette, craps, etc.), card games (poker, baccarat), live dealer games, and video poker.
Best Las Vegas Casinos Outside the Strip - Where to Go InsteadIn case you cannot find your favourite game at a particular site, check our list of the and you will surely find what you were looking for.
Jokeroo is a gambling expert with a decade longevity. He knows gamblings inside out, and he is here to share his knowledge with the readers of GamblingSites.com.