If you have been considering signing up to an online casino to play games using real money but have been wondering about how you can stay safe while gambling online, you’ve come to the right place.
Here is a useful guide for anyone who is looking to bolster their online security when placing sports bets or playing slots, blackjack, baccarat, craps, poker, or any other casino games from your smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, or laptop on an iGaming website.
Guide to staying safe when gambling online
Before signing up to a website that may not be so trustworthy, there are many things to consider. For example, there are thousands of iGaming sites to choose from today, but some cannot be trusted, so you want to find a good site that won’t let you down.
The most common types of iGaming sites are online casinos, sports betting sites (which are sometimes referred to as bookmakers or online sportsbooks), lottery and bingo sites, and dedicated poker sites. The most important things to consider when searching for a reputable site are the following:
- Ownership and licensing
- Reputation and trust (including reviews and ratings)
- Security and safety measures
- Games and software
- Device compatibility
- Promotional offers and bonuses
- Safer gambling tools
- Player support and customer service
- Currencies and payment methods
Other important things to consider are things like ease of sign-up/registration process, average RTP % (Return to Player) payout rates/competitiveness of their odds, design/layout/ease of use of the website, whether it has a good smartphone app or not, and whether it has one gambling product or multiple gambling products under one roof.
Instead of trying to find all this important information yourself, the best thing to do when looking for a safe sports betting site or safe online casino would be to visit the time2play.com website – the world’s most trusted iGaming review site.
Their dedicated team of researchers have years of experience finding the best casinos. All of their featured online casinos have been expertly reviewed using the same proven vetting process. In other words, you can guarantee your safety at any of their most highly recommended online casinos.
Why is it important to find this stuff out?
As mentioned, some online casinos simply cannot be trusted. They are either unlicensed or have obtained a license from a ‘rubber-stamp’ (bottom-tier) licensing authority, and they are often controlled by untrustworthy operators.
Unlicensed iGaming sites must be avoided at all costs. Stick to playing at well-established online casinos and other real money gambling sites that are fully licensed and regulated by renowned mid to top-tier licensing authorities. These are the sites that are controlled by some of the iGaming industry’s most trusted names.
You should also take a few minutes to read the reviews. Don’t register an account if a website has bad reviews and low rating/ranking scores. Only sign up to ones with positive reviews.
You also want to ensure the casino is protected by 128-bit or higher Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption software, which keeps your account safe 24/7 and has friendly and professionally trained player support that can easily be reached.
What else can I do to stay safe at online gambling sites?
You can do many other things to improve your online security, like never saving your casino account username and password on a shared computer, logging out when you are not playing, and only using trusted devices and web browsers to access the sites.
Don’t give your password to anyone, and only use a trusted payment method. Today’s most secure real money gambling sites tend to accept eWallets (aka digital wallets), prepaid voucher cards, bank transfers, and credit and debit cards. You can also find some that accept cryptocurrencies.
You may also want to invest in an antivirus for better online protection. Also, turn on two-factor (2FA) authentication, where possible, and always be wary of suspicious emails that may claim to be from your iGaming site but are from cybercriminals using phishing scams.
What are the safest online casinos in 2023?
If you’re looking for a safe online casino to register a new account with today, five of the most trusted sites you can turn to in 2023 are Playluck Casino, Platin Casino, Casumo Casino, LeoVegas Casino, and Vulkan Vegas Casino. Secure links to these top 5 online casinos are available in the reviews on the official Time2Play website.
Final note
The other way you can stay safe when gambling online is to set as many safer gambling tools as possible. For example, start with a budget and perhaps set deposit limits, win/loss limits, or session time limits. Setting limits and gambling responsibly can help you stay in control of your spending.
Editor-in-Chief | Seat42F, a leading source of entertainment news, information, television and movie resources.