Staying Safe When Gambling Online
Okay, guys, it’s time to do one of those posts. You know what I’m talking about – the type that aren’t really all that fun to read, and most people think are completely unnecessary, but are actually anything but. Yep, it’s time to talk about staying safe while gambling online for a little bit. Don’t leave! You might think that you’re not in danger of being scammed – after all, you’re an intelligent, rational individual who will surely spot any red flags right away! But, as a character from one of my favorite TV shows ever said, when you’re looking at something through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags. Sometimes, when you find a casino with amazing bonus offers, a wide selection of games and just the nicest customer support ever, you might be willing to overlook the fact that they don’t seem to have any certification. “I’d never do that”, you might be saying, “only idiots fall for scams!” Actually, according to multiple studies, highly educated people who typically make smart business investments are just as likely, if not more likely, to get scammed. Sure, you might be smart, but so are the people who are trying to cheat you out of your money. So as sick as we all are of these PSAs, please stick with me for one more, okay?
So, why is it so important not to get scammed, and how can you possibly prevent that from happening? Well, there are multiple consequences that can occur as a result of a scam. Naturally, any money you invest in a fraudulent casino as a deposit is lost forever – even if you win, you’ll never be able to withdraw anything. If customer service respond at all, they’ll be citing bank troubles and will ask you to be patient, citing numerous delays and stalling you until you get sick of waiting and just leave them alone. What’s more, your credit card information might also get leaked or sold, if you’ve inputted it into the site. Worst case scenario, you might even get arrested! Since it’s illegal to participate in illegal gambling activities, if authorities catch wind of your involvement they could pursue legal action against you, as has happened several times. So you must be absolutely sure to protect yourself!
As for how to do that, honestly, that part’s relatively easy. It’s different for each country, but if you look up sites prioritizing safety first when it comes to online casino gambling, you can find a list of online casinos that have been tested, verified and proven to be legitimate fairly easily. Additionally, you can also do the check yourself – most sites have some kind of certificate they display in the footer that you can verify for yourself. For example, in the UK online casinos are legally required to be certified by the Gambling Commission in order to operate, which is why most UK casinos will have a link to their Gambling Commission certificate somewhere. Additionally, you can take the registration number from that certificate and look it up on the Commission’s website yourself, just to ensure that it’s legitimate. But as I said, it’s different in each country, so if you live in, say, Germany, you should look up your own gambling regulations and learn how to verify online casinos in your home! With that said, remember to stay safe and, most importantly, to have fun!