Just like other aspects of the internet, you need to exercise caution when playing at online casinos. While there are many legitimate online casinos out there, there are also plenty of sites whose sole purpose is to steal your bankroll.
If you want to stay safe while gambling online, you need to play at sites that are licensed, certified and actively protect their players. The table below has a list of recommended casinos that are famous for protecting their players and conducting honest gaming.
| Rank | Casino | Bonus | Rating | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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$1,000 Welcome Bonus | Visit Review | |
| 2 |
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400% Welcome Bonus | Visit Review | |
| 3 |
|
$1000 Welcome Bonus & 222 Free Spins | Visit Review | |
| 4 |
|
$1,600 Welcome Bonus | Visit Review | |
| 5 |
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Double your first deposit of $20 or more with bonus cash | Visit Review | |
| 6 |
|
$1600 Welcome Bonus & 100 Free Spins | Visit Review | |
| 7 |
|
$600 Welcome Bonus & 200 Free Spins | Visit Review |
5 Tips for Gambling Responsibly
You’ve often heard the phrase that you should gamble with your head and never above it. Gambling should be viewed as entertainment and you should take precautions to ensure that you gamble responsible. To that end, we offer the following suggestions.
Make a Gambling Budget - Any money that you gamble with should be exclusive of money you use for daily expenses. Set a gambling budget and make sure that your play remains within the confines of the budget. If you happen to lose it all, then you need to quit playing until you can replenish it with money you can afford to lose without hurting your lifestyle.
Set Time Limits - Set a time limit for how long you’ll play online. You’d be surprised how many bets you can place in 30 minutes to an hour. Setting a time limit ensures that you don’t spend too much time online and spend too much.
Set a Stop Loss - While losing is not a goal of gambling, it is often a reality. Some players overlook the amount of money they are spending and wind up gambling away more than they should.
Look at your gambling budget and then decide how much that you’re willing to lose in a session or per day. If you have a budget of $200, maybe set a stop loss of $50 in a session. If you lose $50, then it is time to quit for the day. This ensures that you don’t blow your entire gambling bankroll at one time and you can play another day.
Self Exclusion Programs - If you find yourself having difficulty controlling your play or losing too much at a casino, consider putting yourself on a self-exclusion program. Casinos have self-exclusion lists that will effectively block you from playing for real-money for a set period of time. This can be a time period of a few days to a permanent block from the site.
Finally, if you feel that you have developed a gambling problem or have become addicted to gambling, it is time to see professional help. There are numerous groups out there that can help you overcome gambling addiction.
Gamblers Anonymous uses the same 12-step program as Alcoholics Anonymous to gambling addicts reclaim their lives. A couple of other well-known help organizations in the UK include the National Problem Gambling Clinic and GamCare. Both will provide professional counseling to help you to beat gambling addiction.
Tips for Gambling Safely Online
How do you know that a site is safe to play at? You can trust the words of others, or you can do your own research. For those that want to conduct your own investigations on a casino, here are a few tips for gambling safely online.
Verify their Licensing - Before signing up for a casino, check to see if they are licensed with a recognized licensing authority. Four of the premier licensing organizations are the UK Gambling Commission, the Gibraltar Gaming Commission, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and the Isle of Man.
Any site that is licensed by a premier licensing organization has went through extensive testing and background checks to ensure that their gaming is safe and their business operations are con-ducted honestly. These organizations also regularly monitor and audit their license holders and will penalize companies that violate their regulations up to revoking their license.
eCogra Certification - eCogra is one of the oldest independent testing agencies. They conduct a wide variety of online certification and monitoring services to ensure that online casinos operate fairly.
A site that is eCogra certified has went through rigorous testing to ensure they meet or exceed industry established benchmarks in various areas including security, random number generation and even game payouts. Sites that are not eCogra certified should be avoided.
Payouts and Random Number Generation - Prior to playing at a site, you should check both the payout charts and information on a site’s random number generator. Information about a site’s payouts should be readily available so you can see what percentage of bets are paid out to players.
A random number generator is the main technology behind a site’s gaming software. An inferior RNG is often skewed towards the casino and results in few winning players.
Any site that doesn’t have this information available should be avoided. If a site is eCogra certified, you can find information on both these items in their licensing documents at the eCogra site. If they are eCogra certified, then payouts and their RNG are good to go.
Avoiding Rogue Casinos
Unfortunately, there are a number of online casinos that operate outside of established gambling laws and regulations in various countries. These black market casinos often are smaller opera-tions whose only goal is to steal your deposits.
Often times, these casinos will promise you great bonuses and excellent gaming and fail on all counts. Players seldom, if ever, are able to cash out funds and after a time the operations often close shop and steal the deposits and bankrolls of its players.
To help protect you from these rogue casinos, we’ve compiled a list of blacklisted casinos. Make sure to check out our articles on these rogue operators and avoid them at all costs.
Protect Yourself While Gambling Online
If you’re going to play at online casinos, play responsibly. You would never use a computer without virus protection or drive without a seatbelt, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t gamble online without taking precautions.
Finally, remember that online gambling is reserved exclusively for those 18 and older. No exceptions. Playing responsibly is the best way to ensure that your online bankroll stays safe and you enjoy your experience.