Many Australians are interested in joining an online casino. However, they are also sceptical about whether they can trust casinos online. While there are many legitimate online casinos, people risk coming across a malicious casino with the intent to scam users. This is why it’s important to know what to look for when you join an online casino.
Luckily, there are several ways you can tell if Aussie online casinos are trustworthy. Today, we’ll discuss what you should look out for when you want to join a secure online casino. This way, you won’t have to worry about unfair play or being scammed. Read on to learn more.
Checking the legitimacy of an online casino
The good news is that most online casinos are safe. Since there is a small risk that you could come across one that you can’t trust, we want to share some tips with you on how to check for a reputable online casino. This is because rigged online casinos look identical to secure online casino sites. To pick out the good from the bad, look for the following information.
Casino license
Every platform offering online gambling must have a license to operate. All online casinos that are operating legally will post information about their license online. This can usually be found directly on the homepage or about us page. This casino follows strict rules and is regularly audited. An online casino needs to have information about its license to be considered trustworthy.
Secure software
Secured online casinos will take extra measures for security. This is to ensure that all users have a safe online experience. Since you will need to provide personal details and banking information to use a particular online casino, it’s important to make sure proper security software is in place.
All licensed casinos will have SSL encryption. You don’t have to be a tech expert to figure out if a casino has this. All you need to do is look at the URL bar. If the online casino site is secure, there will be a lock symbol before the website address. The online casinos rigged may have a “!” in a triangle, which means there is no security software.
There are other forms of security that safe online casinos are known to use in Australia. This includes a 2-step verification, where a code is sent to your email or phone to confirm it’s you. A trusted online casino will usually require ID verification. This is used to protect your account.
Reviews
One of the top ways to find out if an online casino is trustworthy or not is by reading reviews. This will let you know what real gamblers experienced when they used the casino platform. The following things are signs of a malicious online casino:
- Were there any issues requesting a withdrawal?
- High fees for withdrawals
- Poor customer support
- Online casino not following up on bonus offers
Remember that a few negative reviews don’t necessarily mean that the online casino isn’t safe. Keep an eye on what points people like vs what they dislike to determine if the casino is safe. For example, if there is a negative review because the live game selection isn’t up to the customer’s standards, that doesn’t mean the casino isn’t fair. However, if there are multiple reviews stating the casino rejected withdrawal requests, it’s likely not a trustworthy platform. Also, you can find different interesting information when reading reviews, for example, how a writer with a ph.d. in psychology became a poker champ.
Unfair online casino games
Unfair casinos are getting better at covering their tracks. Some online casinos have even gone as far as to create fake license information to display online and trick customers. We don’t want you to get fooled by that, so we’re going to share how you can spot an unfair online casino by its game selection.
Game variety
A big part of trusted online casinos will have hundreds or thousands of games to choose from. Players can find slots of all different themes, table games just like you would play at a real casino, and even fun gameshow style betting games. If you’re looking at an online casino with a minimal game selection, it’s very likely an unfair online casino.
Game providers
Before playing online casino games, you should become familiar with the different providers. Most gamblers prefer to choose games from the best providers because they can expect good quality, entertainment, and Fairplay. The leading game providers will only work with legit online casinos. This includes game providers such as:
- Microgaming
- NetEnt
- Evolution Gaming
- Playtech
- Pragmatic Play
- Play N Go
RTP%
The RTP% stands for return to player percentage. This represents how much money the average player wins back when they bet up to $100 on the game. We recommend researching the RTP% of the games you want to play. Older games have an average RTP% of 93 to 95%, while games released over more recent years have an average of 95 to 97%.
So, how can you use RTP% to spot an unfair online casino? Malicious online casinos are known to lower the RTP% of the games. This way, they won’t have to pay out high winnings.
RGN
You can always trust to play a fair game at the best online casinos. This is because they use an RGN, a random number generator. RGN ensures that the results of a casino game are 100% random. Unfair casinos will remove the RGN so they can rig the game. This results in fewer wins at these casinos.
Payment methods of legitimate online casinos
A safe online casino will have specific rules when it comes to payment methods. One rule in particular that online casino platforms must follow is to only accept payment methods in which the information matches exactly what the casino member has on their profile. In addition, trustworthy online casinos will never allow members to use another person’s payment method.
Legitimate online casinos will also use safe and secure payment methods. This gives members a sense of security when they make a deposit. Most Australians prefer to use specific payment methods because they know there are protocols in place to make sure their transaction is 100% secure. For this reason, you should look for an online casino platform that offers the following payment methods:
- Bank wire transfer
- Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard)
- Paysafecard
- Skrill
- Neteller
Responsible gaming
This is one of the real differences between fair and unfair casino platforms. Unfair casinos want to make as much money as possible, so they won’t provide options for responsible gambling. On the other hand, fair online casinos follow a strict protocol for providing responsible gambling services to customers.
So, how can you tell if an online casino provides responsible gambling? The first thing to do is look for a responsible gambling page. This will provide players with resources on how to maintain a safe and fun gambling experience. Some sites will even provide further resources, such as a phone number or website link for help with gambling addiction.
The best casino platforms will allow players to set limits. When they are setting up their profiles, they can set limits for deposits, losses, and sessions. Players should also be able to reach out to customer support if they need to set a cool-off period or self-exclusion. This will lock them out of their account for an agreed amount of time, so they can’t do any more gambling.
Why do you need to avoid unfair casinos?
There are several disadvantages to playing at an unfair casino. The main reason why you should avoid these sites is that you aren’t protected. Scam casinos have a bad reputation for going rogue. What this means is that they can just up and disappear without warning. When this happens, the casino takes all of the players’ funds with them. If you have recently made a deposit or had a big win and didn’t withdraw yet, you could be massively screwed over.
Another reason you should avoid unfair online casinos is that you won’t win nearly as often. When gamblers play several games in a row, they should see one or more wins. With rigged casino games, gamblers could play many games in a row without any wins.
Gamblers that do win playing with malicious casinos are often given a hard time when they want to withdraw their winnings. Unfair casinos are known to have capped winnings, low maximum withdrawal amounts, and long wait times for withdrawals. They also frequently decline members’ withdrawal requests without giving any information as to why.
Scam online casinos also have poor customer support. Members will have a difficult time getting a hold of a representative. Many gamblers have complained that their questions and concerns often go without a response. Most trusted online casinos have 24/7 customer support, allowing gamblers to get assistance instantly.