Since the 2000 the number of online casinos and gambling sites skyrocketed. The business model was so successful that everybody wanted to have a bite from the rich and promising online gambling market cake. This gold rush attracted both big boys from renowned and respectable companies and a lot of sharks lurking in the Net for an easy prey. The proliferation of the gambling sites is good and bad news for the player. The positive aspect of huge number of sites is getting better offers and customer service, better games and generally better overall experience. Casinos started exceeding each other with the biggest signup bonuses and highest payout rates. On the darker note, many rouge casinos, operating without a license or from unregulated territories, simply cheated players, refused payouts or compromised player’s privacy.
It is relatively easy to spot the rouge site and many players fall victims of their own carelessness when they deposit money without prior investigation. It doesn’t take much time and effort to check the following.
- Who provides the software for the casino site? Check the software provider site. What other casinos run their software? You may want to do quick search on Google for the opinions and reviews of the provider.
- Where are they licensed? Check the jurisdiction and follow the link to the regulator site. It may be wise to avoid casinos accredited in South America or Eastern Europe.
- Do they have a telephone and email customer support?
Test it – phone in or send an email asking some basic questions and see how quick they respond. Is their answer clear? Ignore the automated email response. - Can you play the games for free before you join?
You should be able to check the games before you play for real. If you cannot do that before making a deposit you should go and look for another site. - Are there any negative comments about the site on the Net?
Do a quick search on the name of the casino on Google. Add words “review” or “opinion” after casino name to the search phrase. It is very likely, that if the site is dodgy there were some people before you who tried it and shared their experience. - Is their signup offer too good to be true?
This is pretty self-explanatory and you should be familiar with that rule already. Any casino offer that is very tempting is either subjected to complex terms and conditions or is simply fraudulent. - Do they have clear terms and conditions? It may be worth to have a look at their terms and conditions. You don’t need to analyse all of it line by line, but have a glance and see if they are written in good English and are clearly laid out.
