A Beginners Manual: How To Tell If A Casino Is Legit?
Contrary to their land-based counterparts, virtual casinos allow you to enjoy your favorite games from the comfort of your home. Although the majority are safe to use, there are illegitimate sites in the vast Internet sky.
As visual differences between legit and rogue online casinos are almost non-existent, it is challenging to make a decision. However, there are many aspects that one is unable to notice with the naked eye. Here, we’ll show you tips on how to tell if a casino is legit.
Always Check The License
Choosing a casino may involve entrusting your money to an unknown entity. Hence, players need to be safe in the knowledge their money is being kept in a secure place. Moreover, since we’re talking about online business, there must be a mechanism to prevent businesses from misleading clients. As a result, a couple of licensing bodies emerged to protect players from casino mistreatment.
Also, regulatory bodies serve as an intermediary in case of disputes between players and casinos. Without regulators, the casino industry would quickly become like the Wild West. Luckily, these licensing institutions represent a barrier between legitimate casino operators and those preying on naive and inexperienced players.
Regulatory entities differ in the level of transparency they require. Offshore licensing entities typically enforce loose regulations, which is not the case for regional ones. As a result, casinos that hold some of the most eminent licenses stand out with a high level of transparency and strict promotion rules.
Some of the more renowned regulators include:
- The United Kingdom Gambling Commission,
- Malta Gaming Authority,
- ARJEL in France,
- AAMS in Italy.
On the other hand, some offshore regulations are Kahnawake, Curacao, Costa Rica, and others. If you notice any of these licenses on the platform, it’s a good sign an online casino is legit. You can generally find these details at the bottom of the casino’s website.
Certificates Of Fairness
Thanks to RNG, all casino games are based on luck. Random Number Generator ensures every outcome is completely independent of the ones before and after. Untrustworthy casinos don’t have RNG-based games in their libraries. On the other hand, trustworthy websites feature games from the most prominent casino software developers. What’s more, legit virtual operators test their games regularly. As a result, such gambling features bear seals of approval from reputable institutions.
Different ways can help you determine whether one gambling feature is safe to play or not. Dedicated websites can help you tell if a casino is legit and find fair and trustworthy games. Such resources serve as a way to educate and help new players adjust to the vast online gambling community. If you want to spin a few reels, these sources are a perfect way to determine if a particular slot is legit.
Library Of Games
As you already know, casinos aren’t the ones generating games. They work like window-shops for games developed by casino software providers. Hence, trustworthy operators tend to offer their players gambling features from renowned software developers such as:
- Microgaming,
- NetEnt,
- Yggdrasil,
- Pragmatic Play,
- RealTime Gaming,
- Evolution and many others.
Therefore, it’s always good to check the provider’s name when choosing a casino game.
Registration Requirements
This is yet another small but essential detail. Namely, during the registration process, casinos ask you to share information such as:
- Name,
- Last Name,
- Date Of Birth,
- Address,
- Zip Code,
- Email,
- Phone Number.
This procedure is pretty standard among both legit and rogue casinos. However, when you deposit, the operator will ask for specific documents to verify your identity. If the casino is legit, they’ll need these details only once, after which they’ll save it in their system. On the other hand, if the operator is rogue, they will ask you for the same documents multiple times.
Banking Options
Trustworthy operators tend to offer multiple payment options to their players. Therefore, they’ll cooperate with all the largest payment processors like:
- Visa,
- Mastercard,
- Maestro,
- Netteler,
- Euteller,
- Paypal,
- American Express,
- Sofort,
- Giro,
- Ideal, and many others.
Also, operators that hold to their reputation offer fast withdrawals (or at least a reasonable cashout time). If the casino has long waiting periods before you can take out your money, it may signify that the operator is not trustworthy.
Helpful Customer Service
Legit virtual casinos nurture transparent relationships with their clients. Besides highlighting licensing details, trustworthy gambling establishments are more open to communicating with their punters regularly. Having said that, casinos with a fair business policy have fast and helpful customer service. In addition, they’ll typically offer multiple communication channels like live chat, email, and a few phone numbers as well.
Positive Reviews
Customer reviews can also be a sign that will undoubtedly tell you if a casino is legit. People love to leave their impressions on the web. Also, we must consider the fact people are more likely to leave negative reviews rather than positive ones.
However, if you notice players write only bad things about an operator, it may be wise to avoid a particular platform. Also, take into consideration that all reviews are entirely anonymous. Therefore, we can question the credibility of both positive and negative reviews. This is why it’s vital to check other sources before forming an opinion. It is more likely to get a proper decision if you look at the problem from different angles.
Final Thoughts
Searching for a legitimate casino may seem like an endless maze for new casino players. Regulations are the backbone of online gambling. That’s why it’s vital to check if the operator holds appropriate permits. Steer clear of shady websites that don’t display licensing information. Also, new punters need to be mindful of all the tiny details that reveal whether or not a casino is legit.
By reading the above, you can learn how to save time while searching for the perfect operator. Also, you’ll stop yourself from jumping the gun and making the wrong decision.