Online casinos are a convenient method of gambling. You can transport your games everywhere you go, removing any unnecessary funds required when travelling to or staying at a retail casino. This makes them ideal for pursuing easy hobbies. However, it’s not as simple as clicking on a website and playing away, especially when leaving the house.
There are several factors to take into consideration when using online casinos. After all, playing is only enjoyable when you can guarantee your personal and financial data is safe. Look through these simple steps to ensure you’re not making common mistakes.
The Website is Regulated and Controlled
The first thing to check when using an online casino, whether at home or on the high street, is to ensure the casino itself is safe to use. Fake websites are found all across the internet, so try your best to avoid these. They often stand out with flashy promotions and deals that seem too good to be true. An easy solution is checking that a gambling authority verifies the website. For British players, this would be the UK Gambling Commission. They will often display a visible logo on any regulated website. This can be found at the bottom of the screen or when you click on the website.
An uncontrolled website is often Blacklisted from casino sites. This will be due to a multitude of reasons. Usually, this ranges from refusing to pay out to customers to poor customer support. At the extreme end of the scale, you can even get your personal data and credit card information stolen.
Most reputable online casinos use SSL encryption, effectively adding another layer of security to your gameplay. SSL encryption ensures that all data is strictly between the user and the operator, eliminating unwanted third parties. To check that a casino uses SSL encryption, make sure that the search bar at the top includes HTTPS instead of the usual HTTP.
Another simple way to find out if the online casino you are using is responsible and secure is to read the reviews and ratings of other players. Sometimes, other people’s experiences can be a good enlightener as to which site is preferable.
Secure your Account
A strong password will make your account more challenging to hack into. Stay away from common passwords like ‘12345’ or ‘password’. Strong passwords include a variety of different symbols and numbers. Use both uppercase and lowercase letters. If you’re struggling to think of a good one, Google can suggest strong passwords that are completely randomised. They then save them to Google Password Manager so you don’t have to remember them.
Make sure you’re aware of and recognise any phishing attempts. Emails from an unknown user or a misspelt casino are probably scams. They usually include unrealistic perks and a link to an unknown website. Thankfully, with the advancement of technology, most of these go into junk anyway. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Know your Payment Methods
Many new payment options are available that further encrypt your information. Some examples include E-wallets and cryptocurrency. The latter relies on blockchain technology to encrypt data, allowing for a certain degree of anonymity. Another method is pay by mobile casinos, a secure way to make deposits from your phone bill or credit. This allows your account balance to last longer and can be used with a pay-as-you-go allowance or a contract plan.
Watch for any unauthorised transactions through your bank. If one occurs, the best way to resolve it is to contact the casino and report it to the bank. You may have to freeze your card until the matter is resolved.
Safe and Reliable Connection
Using hotspots can be risky if you are unaware of potential threats and ways to protect yourself. While public Wi-Fi is free, there is a strong chance no security is in place on these networks. Your phone might even attempt to connect automatically to them. You can adjust this through your mobile settings by going to advanced settings and turning off the hotspot.
One of the most common public Wi-Fi threats is Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks. These involve an attacker being able to read any transmissions sent from the mobile/computer to the online casino. If you are putting in your personal information and this happens, they can see it too. Hackers can also insert malware into your device, filling it with viruses.
To prevent either of these situations from occurring, install a VPN and antivirus software if possible. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts data, sending it directly from user to operator without the Man-in-the-Middle. These can be found easily on any device with a simple internet search. An antivirus software will do exactly as it says on the tin – prevent your device from developing viruses.
If you wish to avoid using public networks entirely, mobile data is generally safe. Mobile data is encrypted by the network provider, and there are fewer attacks than with public Wi-Fi. While it isn’t completely protected, using the above two methods should decrease the chance of ever having to deal with hackers.
Additional Preventatives
Constantly check for upgrades on your device as software updates and check for security patches, allowing your phone or laptop to be as secure as possible. A final suggestion for making gaming as enjoyable and safe as possible is to enable Two-Factor Authentication. It uses two forms of identification to allow any access to private data. The identification can be a password, and a text sent to your phone with a one-time passcode.
Being overly cautious and taking extensive security measures can seem like a hassle. But in a day when the internet and AI are moving faster than we are, we have to stay safe and protect ourselves. Plus, more security just means more time to actually enjoy the games you want to play and less time on hold with customer service.
