Playing at legal online casinos
There are many online casinos all over the world. The industry is growing all the time. That’s why there are not only well-known providers, but new ones are being added. For you as a customer, it is of course convenient that you can choose from so many casinos. However, you should not forget that there are also dubious providers on the net. They take advantage of the fact that some gambling beginners do not know how it works. For this reason, it is important that you learn how to recognise a reputable provider. After all, you should only play on safe platforms. Only there you are guaranteed fair play and your data and deposits are safe.
We could make it easy for ourselves and say that you should simply choose a provider on our site. We test the casinos for you in advance and only publish reputable providers. But with the help of this guide, you can learn to recognise the clues yourself. Especially when it comes to sensitive data, you should feel safe. After all, you have to submit your ID to verify your data. You don’t want to give it to someone who is not taking care of your information.
Legal gambling on the internet
You’ve always wanted to know if you’re playing in a legal casino. We strongly advise you not to gamble illegally, you are putting yourself at too high a risk. There are two simple rules to follow:
- Check the country’s regulations
Every country has its own laws and regulations regarding gambling. Some markets are regulated and have their own supervisory authority. Unregulated markets, on the other hand, are less safe for customers. Within an association of states such as the EU, additional rules apply outside of your own state. However, your state government’s minimum age requirements are always binding. Find out about the individual regulatory authorities that issue licences to operators and their requirements. - Check blacklists
If you want to find out if an operator is rogue, there is a quick solution. Most regulatory authorities publish blacklists. On these lists, you can find the operators of online casinos that are dubious. They have not received a licence or have not even applied for one because they do not meet the requirements. The platforms that operate fraudulently are naturally unpleasant for the regulatory authorities. Therefore, all dubious providers are listed on the blacklist and you should avoid them. On the other hand, you will always find casinos that have been granted a licence by the authorities. All licensed casinos meet the strict criteria and are constantly monitored.
Information from the online casinos
These two rules are important, but they are not enough. Especially if you are simply looking for a new online casino. Then, after all, you want to know how to recognise a reputable site yourself. There is some information on the platforms themselves to check. The reputable gambling providers will gladly provide you with all the information you need. This includes licences and certifications, as well as security measures and information on responsibility.
Licence of the online casinos
A reputable provider has one or even several licences from regulatory authorities. These state regulatory bodies only grant a licence if a high level of standards is met. The casinos are also regulated by the authority and this ensures regular controls. Licences from the Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner, Curacao Gaming Authority and UK Gambling Commission are particularly well-known. They stand for good quality and fair play in the casinos. If a casino can show several of these licences, it stands for even more quality and security. When a licence is granted, various points are checked, including:
- Criminal record of the casino owner
- Quality of the gaming software
- Fairness of the gaming software
- Financial situation of the casino
- Compliance with ethical protocols
Only those who fulfil all points and have not previously had any criminal convictions are granted a licence. You can find the licence number on the respective website of the provider. This makes it easy to check with the issuing authority that it is correct. The regulatory authorities have lists with all the numbers for you to check.
Voluntary certification of online casinos
Reputable casinos have their software and random number generator tested regularly. This is done on a voluntary basis independently of the regulatory authorities. The certificates are usually published or at least confirmed with a seal on the site. The companies check whether all game results are really random and fair. The best known of these independent auditing companies are:
- eCOGRA
- GLI (Gaming Laboratories International)
- TST (Technical Systems Testing)
- iTechLabs
On the websites of online casinos you can often find the winnings of the games in real time. This way you can see that real winnings are being made. In addition, they usually produce a payout report that summarises the month. This way you can also see the actual payout rates of the games.
Security on the casino website
All reputable online casinos place great emphasis on security. They all have an SSL encryption certificate. This type of encryption means that your data always remains private and cannot fall into the wrong hands. They also always work on the best security standards within the casino. Your payments are also transmitted in encrypted form. You are also offered many different payment methods. So you can choose the safest one for yourself.
By the way, you can easily find out if the site is secure. Simply check the URL address in your browser. If you find an “https”, then it is a secure site.
Responsible gambling in the online casino
Responsible gambling is also supported by online casinos worldwide. Therefore, many providers have created uniform options for players. Among them are especially preventive measures to protect against gambling addiction. Here are some actions you can find on the pages of reputable casinos:
- Cooperation with GamStop, an organisation for self-protection against gambling addiction
- List of hotlines and support organisations for gambling addiction
- Warnings on the site urging responsible gambling.
In addition, other features have been introduced to protect at-risk gamblers:
- Budget Limit: you can set a budget that you can deposit and gamble. This way you keep control of your finances.
- Time limit: You can set a certain time limit for how long you can play. After the time limit expires, you will be automatically logged out and temporarily banned.
- Loss limits: Set how much you can lose in a certain time. Once you have reached the limit, you cannot continue playing.
- Reality check: You can set a warning to appear after a certain time. This is to remind you how long you have been playing.
- Cool-off period: If you choose to do this, you will not be able to log on for 1-3 days, but will have a forced break from gambling, so to speak.
- Self-exclusion: If you realise that you have gambling problems, then you can have yourself permanently banned from the casino. There are also networks such as GamStop in the UK, through which you are banned from all participating casinos. In other countries, such organisations and networks also exist or are planned.
- Self-regulation: On the casino pages you will often find information about self-regulation, whether you are at risk of addiction.
The functions and measures are intended to help you gamble responsibly. You set the limits yourself. You can change them later. However, so that you do not make a change on the spur of the moment, it takes a while until they are applied.
