Today, customers can choose from a dizzying range of online casinos. Like the upcoming roster of new games in 2024 and beyond, there always appear to be new online casinos sprouting up. However, not all online casinos are legitimate and some should be actively avoided.
It’s important, therefore, to know how to avoid the shady sites and make sure they only register and play at legitimate online casinos. Let’s look at why avoiding these casinos is important and how you can do it.
Why it’s important to play at legitimate online casinos
Using an illegitimate casino means you risk running into the following issues:
It’s clear that using illegitimate casinos or sites with a poor reputation can lead to complications. This is why it’s vital to understand what constitutes a legitimate casino and how to find them.
How to recognize a legitimate online casino
Luckily, there are simple things customers can look for to determine if an online casino is worth their time. These things include licenses, game developers, customer support, and third-party reviews.
1. Look for a gambling license
In the US, there are only six states that allow online casinos to operate legally. They are: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, and Connecticut. If you live in any of these states, you will be able to play at a traditional online casino, but that casino must have a license to operate in your state.
You’ll often be able to check if a casino has a valid license by looking for a link or reference number at the bottom of their website. If the casino is not licensed, or if it seems hard to track down their licensing info, go play somewhere else. Casinos that have licenses will proudly display theirs.
Outside of those states, the only option available are sweepstakes casinos. These don’t need licenses, but they do need to comply with sweepstakes rules. Check the terms and conditions of the casino in question to see if that specific casino operates in your state.
2. Check the game software developers
Online casinos typically do not provide their own games. Instead, they work with third-party software developers. It’s vital to check these developers and make sure the games are provided by reputable developers who are licensed and have their games tested for fairness by organizations like eCOGRA. If a casino doesn’t appear to have any games from reputable or well-known developers, that’s a red flag.
Reputable developers that are good to see include:
3. Assess customer support options
Bad customer support does not mean that a casino is a scam. That said, seeing robust, responsive, and well-implemented customer support options is usually a good sign.
The people setting up scam casinos very rarely bother offering any support at all. Meanwhile, legitimate online casinos often have no issue providing 24/7 customer support via multiple channels. The best sites offer live chat or telephone support where customers can speak to a real human support rep.
4. Read the terms and conditions of promotions
It’s pretty common for online casinos to offer a wide range of bonuses and promotions. You can check this useful reference on gamechampions.com to see some good examples. However, some bonuses are better than others, and some are simply not worth it due to unfavorable terms and conditions.
Aside from the bonus value – it’s important to check the T&Cs for things like wagering requirements, expiry periods, maximum cashout limits, and game availability. The best bonuses have low or no wagering requirements, give customers plenty of time to use the funds/spins, and don’t impose any random limits or wait times beyond the industry standards.
5. Look at third-party reviews and ratings
It’s pretty common for online casinos to feature reviews and testimonials on their website, as well as their social media pages. These are nice to have, but they’re also easy to fake, so you’ll want to cross-reference with third-party websites to get a more unbiased view of a casino’s reputation.
TrustPilot and Reddit are excellent sources of information concerning online casinos and there are usually multiple reviews and comments from actual users. Read these for a bit and look for any trends or red flags that become apparent. One complaint about a topic is no reason to panic, but if 5 people say the same thing? Then you should pay attention.
Avoid casinos that seems sketchy
Players must remember that not all online casinos are created equal. Some are simply out to scam customers of their money and use shady techniques and practices to do so. This is why it’s vital to check the legitimacy of an online casino before registering an account.
The first step is to look for a valid gambling license if one is required (sweepstakes casinos don’t need one). If one is found, look at the software developers who provide the online casino games. It’s then important to look at third-party reviews and ratings and make sure customer support is readily available.
When in doubt, go play somewhere else. There’s no shortage of good options in the market.
