There are hundreds of online casinos on the Internet, but are they all safe and guarantee payouts? We have prepared a detailed guide on recognizing fake online casinos and choosing a truly reliable gambling platform. We will also advise you on what to do if you have already fallen victim to scammers and where to seek help in disputes with online casinos.
Do online casinos cheat?
Unlucky players often write on forums that online casinos cheat. However, this is not entirely true. A legal casino with an official license cannot cheat because all of its activities are regulated by the Regulations, Privacy Policy, regulator requirements, and local gambling regulations. Only fraudsters who do not have a license or permit to conduct business in organizing and conducting gambling games can violate the conditions described in the site’s documents.
Unfortunately, most players start looking for data on the license or any certificates of the online casino too late – when bets are made, and money and personal data have fallen into the hands of fraudsters. And it turns out that the site has no official documents, and you put the deposit into the fraudster’s pocket.
To prevent this, we strongly recommend that you find a reliable and safe online casino, and we are ready to help you find one.
How to make sure a casino is not a scam?
To make sure you are looking for a reliable online casino and not a scam, check the site against our list of criteria:
- License from a reputable regulatory body
If the website footer has a regulatory body logo and a license number, this is a good argument for security. - Certificate from eCOGRA, GLI, iTech Lab or other testing laboratories
The logos of such laboratories can also be found in the page’s footer. They discuss the fairness of the RNG in games. - Availability of all documents
All Terms, Privacy Policy and AML are statutory documents that should be available to the player before registration. - Reviews from real players
Resources like Trustpilot publish reviews from real players without moderation, and you can find out everything they think about the casino. - Contact details
Real casinos always provide the maximum contact details – e-mail, chat, phone number, and sometimes a postal address with registration data. - Payment methods
The more reliable payment methods, the better. The deposit and withdrawal options list should not end with cryptocurrencies or unclear wallets. - Network tournaments and jackpots
Providers do not combine such promotions unless they are sure about the casino. Besides, the developer pays out winnings in such cases.
If you put “check” next to each criteria when evaluating online casinos, there are no scammers in front of you, and you can count on security and payout guarantees.
Which online casinos can you trust?
We highly recommend checking each online casino according to the criteria described above. If the site meets all these requirements, you can trust it and play here for real money. A safe online casino tries to create the safest gaming environment, provide the best service, and offer more games and bonuses to retain regular players and attract new ones. Therefore, cheating or not paying out winnings is not profitable for them.
If you are not ready to spend time on thorough research – use our rankings of the best online casinos. Our experts objectively evaluate each site when preparing reviews and personally testing the registration procedures, bonuses, withdrawals, etc. We regularly update the data and add new casinos to the list so that you know the latest offers. You can trust every online casino that you find on our site.
Signs of fake online casinos
As the popularity of online casinos keeps growing, so does the number of platforms trying to scam uninformed users. Of course, most casinos are real and honest, but somebody always wants to cheat people out of their money. The rogue casinos are promising big wins through big bonuses but making the withdrawal process of your earnings difficult or impossible. Knowing how to identify those rogue sites could save your money and ensure a fair gaming experience. The following are telltale signs of a fake online casino and some tips on how not to become its next victim.
- No license and no regulation
A real online casino would show a license, provable, from among recognized gaming commissions like Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, or Curacao eGaming. Every fake casino does not have licenses or will have some pseudo or unverified documents. - Not having a secured website means there is no SSL encryption.
If the casino website does not have an SSL certificate, usually indicated with “https” and a padlock in the address bar, then that should raise a red flag regarding security. All decent casinos have SSL encryption to protect against the leaking of sensitive information. - Too generous bonuses
Some fake casinos lure players in with unrealistically large bonuses and promotions. If the offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Be wary of casinos that don’t provide clear terms and conditions for their bonuses. - Poor or unresponsive customer support
Serious online casinos have professional customer support, and it is accessible in many ways. Customer support is supposed to be prompt through Live Chat, Email, and Phone. If any casino offers no more than a couple of ways to get customer support, and the replies are not timely, or in case direct contact is being dodged, that is suspicious. - Negative or fake user reviews
While one would expect a smattering of poor reviews at any casino, constant complaints about withdrawal delays, fixed games, or poor service are surefire warning signals. Also, fake casinos usually have several review sites with fake and super-positive testimony . - No recognizable game providers
Legitimate online casinos offer games from one of the well-acknowledged providers, such as NetEnt, Microgaming, or Playtech. Scam online casinos typically present games of low quality and dubious or made-up providers or may even use cloned popular games. - Poor withdrawal process
The fake casinos can be elaborate or include vague withdrawal procedures that prevent the players from getting hold of their wins. If a casino is stalling on the withdrawals, charging extremely high fees for withdrawals, or imposing impossible payment conditions, then this is unquestionably for the scam target list. - Unclear or hidden terms and conditions
A genuine casino will have clear terms and conditions. There are those phony casinos that bury important clauses, making it difficult to understand the rules, while others can change terms in players without their knowledge, particularly on issues to do with withdrawals or bonus conditions. - Suspicious or limited methods of payment
Fraud casinos may offer only a few or unreliable payment processors, making it challenging for players to deposit money or withdraw their winnings. Be wary of every casino that accepts only unknown site payment processors or refuses to provide well-established services like Visa, MasterCard, or even PayPal. - Game manipulation or lack of RNG certification
Real casinos utilize RNG to ensure that their games are genuinely random. In contrast, fake casinos may rig their games, even if they do not have a certificate on the RNG or independent auditing. As such, winning fairly is impossible at such places.
What to do if an online casino scammed you?
You should not sit idly by if you get scammed by a fake online casino. Here are some steps you should take in such a situation:
- Write to customer service
There may have been a mistake, and casino managers can resolve your issue. Be sure to record all facts regarding the appeal and correspondence. - File a complaint with the regulatory body
Licensing bodies are required to respond to player complaints. Of course, this will only work if the casino has a license. - Contact the police
You can file a complaint against a fake online casino by filing a fraud report. - Contact your bank
If you describe the situation and provide evidence of fraud, the bank may initiate a fee investigation and return your deposit minus certain fees. - Consult a lawyer
They will tell you where and how to file a complaint and how to get your money back. - Write about the problem on the gamer forums
First, you can give good advice, and second, you will warn other players about the scam site.
Of course, it is better not to use these tips and avoid getting into such situations. Therefore, we again emphasize that the best way to protect yourself from scammers is to choose a reliable online casino on our website.
Final thoughts
The world of online casinos is an exciting one, but one should never be inattentive not to become the victim of a fake gambling platform. Key factors to which important attention needs to be paid include licensing, security features, reviews, and terms and conditions-transparency. Protect your money, giving you a legitimate chance to win. Remember, it probably is if something seems too good to be true – like massive bonuses or overly generous promotions. Always research and know which casinos are the best regulated in the industry. If you are well-prepared, online gaming can be a safe and responsible activity.
