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Online Casinos Introduction: How to Avoid Gambling Scams
Now you've read all about the fun with online casinos, let's pause and consider a sobering topic: online casino scams.
Internet gambling is one hell of a lucrative business. So it's no wonder that all sorts of characters want to jump into the bandwagon and share in the fun. That includes legitimate businessmen and con artists out to screw you for your money. Of course, legit casinos want your money too—but they go about their business legally and honestly. Con artists and scammers aren't like that.
Where's My Money?
How can you get scammed by an illegitimate online casino? Well, first, they lure you into depositing money into their casino. Then when you try to withdraw your winnings, they refuse to give them to you. Often they will say you are ineligible for a withdrawal due to a stipulation in the bonus money rules that you failed to meet. Or they can accuse you of trying to cheat them or of not following the wagering requirements. This is one reason why you should always read the terms & conditions fully before giving any casino your money.
Scam casinos may also cheat you by rigging their software so that you end up losing more money than you would with fairer odds. When you get tired of losing and try to withdraw what's left of your deposit, again, they won't let you.
After victimizing enough people, these scam casinos will vanish—only to reappear under different names and domains in the future.
How to Protect Yourself
We're talking serious money here—YOUR money. So don't play around. Gambling doesn't include giving your money to criminals. Here are tips on how to avoid scam casinos:
Research. Look around for casino organizations and casino directories. Go to gambling forums too. These sites monitor lots of casinos and will recommend the best and most reliable to you. Compare various casinos before making a choice. You should go with the most trusted ones. In general, avoid new casinos that lacks a good reputation.
Background Check. If you have one casino in mind, look for third-party info on them online. See if a casino is member of a legitimate organization such as the Interactive Gaming Council. Find out how long the casino has been in business, who owns it and what its affiliations are. Casino directories may also have a list of blacklisted or scam casinos, so check if the casino is there too.
Fine Print. A legitimate casino will make its terms & conditions as clear to you as possible. They will tell you what software they use, what their privacy and security policies are and more. Read and re-read these. If there's any doubt in your mind, don't ignore it. Listen to yourself.
Show Me the Money. It should be as clear to you as possible under what terms you can withdraw your winnings and deposits. Even a legitimate casino can upset you if you sign up without knowing the rules. For example, some casinos (legit ones) won't let you withdraw all your winnings all at once. If you make $20,000 in a month, they may limit your withdrawals to $5,000 per month. In the meantime, you'll have to log into your account regularly or your money will be forfeited. So you risk losing your solid 20K.
You can't be too careful with your money. Be on the lookout for scammers and unreasonable terms. If you follow the guidelines in this online casino introduction, it'll go a long way to helping you avoid these scams.