Back around the turn of the millennium, when Windows NT was the latest technological marvel and AltaVista was the US search engine of choice, online casinos represented the dark side of the internet, unregulated, unreliable and unrecommended by any sane person. A quarter of a century on, the iGaming industry generates billions per year and is a commercial success story that is as well controlled and regulated as land based casinos and sports books – maybe even more so.
Yet any US business with an online presence knows that success and regulation do not guarantee protection from cybercrime. Like burglars or bank robbers in the physical world, it is just a case that the scammers have to get smarter to circumvent the controls. If you enjoy placing the occasional real money casino wager online, US players are blessed with a wealth of trustworthy gambling sites to play for real money in the US. But there are also a minority of shady operators that can be here today and gone tomorrow. Here’s how to tell the wheat from the chaff.
Common scams
Setting up a bogus betting site might call to mind that classic 1970s caper movie The Sting. But the truth is, it’s a lot easier to do it in cyberspace. A scam gambling site will look like a real one, but will separate you from your money with rigged games, unfair terms such as withdrawal limits or delayed payouts. All they are interested in is skimming as much as possible before you get wise, so the trick is to spot them for what they are before you part with a cent.
Check the reviews
If you only choose trustworthy casinos that come recommended by an independent review site such as those referenced above, you can save yourself a world of pain. However, you might want to seek out even more choices for yourself, in which case there are some telltale warning signs you can look out for.
Warning signs
No licensing information – any reputable casino will be licensed by a recognized body such as the UK Gambling Commission or the Curacao Gaming authority. These licenses are earned through hard work, and casinos are justifiably proud of them. So any platform that is evasive about its license should be treated with suspicion.
Lack of encryption – even your village butcher’s website should be encrypted these days. Casinos need to take security seriously, and good ones will be as proud of their encryption technology as they are of their licenses. If there’s little or no information, it is a worrying sign, and you should play your slots and blackjack elsewhere.
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Over-inflated bonus offers – most online casinos offer free spins and matched deposits as welcome bonuses. But these are usually quite similar in terms of magnitude and conditions. If a casino sticks out by offering ten times more than the rest with no wagering requirements, there’s a good chance it is effectively writing checks it won’t be able to cash. By all means investigate further, but tread carefully, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
