How to know if an online casino is legit

The popularity of online casinos is increasing by the day. A whole article will be needed to explain why playing in online casinos may become the new norm.

In response, operators have flooded the market with online casinos. Just so you know, there are literally hundreds of online casinos in the market. Just as you’ll expect, all of them claim to be legit and safe. However, we know better. Some of them (and you’ll be surprised by how many these are) are simply out to rip off unsuspecting players.

Will you want to play at an online casino where there is no chance of having winnings? Will you want to play at an online casino where there is no chance of getting paid when you withdraw winnings? Then you should join and play at only legit and safe online casinos.

The question is how to know which of the myriads of online casinos out there are legit, and which are scams. This article aims at turning you to a casino guru (in terms of easily identifying legit online casinos) so you’ll no longer have to fall for online casino scams.

Some of the things to look out for are when checking that an online casino is legit are as follows (being 4 in number, we call them the four walls of a legit online casino):

1. Operator

Legit online casinos will be backed by trustworthy operators. Thus, sites from robust, well-known and reliable casino operators are more likely to be legit, than sites from unknown casino operators.

Thus, when checking that an online casino is legit or scam; check the company’s information (name, legal status, contact details, board members/ managers, etc). If an online casino is transparent with these details, then you’ll know it has nothing to hide. If it omits critical company information, trusting it may just be at your own peril.

2. Licensing

Legit and trustworthy online casinos will be licensed and willing to provide the licensing details to players. That an online casino is licensed means that it is regulated. It means the casino meets the necessary operating requirements set by a gambling commission, and that the commission has an eye on the activities of the casino so it doesn’t run wild

However, there are some legit casinos that are self-licensed, meaning they do not have an official gaming license. So not having an operating license does not necessarily mean an online casino is scam; just like not having a driver’s license does not necessarily mean one can’t drive or is a bad driver. However, when in a car, will you not rest easy if the person behind the wheels has passed a driving test and has an official permission to drive? So too when using an online casino, you’ll rest easy if the online casino is one that has passed the strict checks of a regulatory body and has an official permit to offer gaming and gambling services.

That said, to know if an online casino is legit, check that it is licensed by a reputable gambling commission – find its license numbers, and the badges of the licensing commission, and click the latter to go to the pages of the commission to crosscheck this information.

Know that, these days some gaming licenses are worthless in terms of player protection. So, that an online casino has an official license is not enough; the license should be from a reputable gambling commission. In this regard, Malta, the UK, and Kahnawake are some of the most reputable gambling commissions. If the online casino you are considering is licensed and regulated by one or more of these commissions, it is far from being a scam and very likely to be legit.

3. Fairness

Legit and trustworthy online casinos will have fair games. That is, the outcome of the games should be random, such that players will have a chance of having winnings. Where games are not fair, it means the casino is rigged, and players cannot have winnings no matter how much they play.

It’s easy to check for fairness – independent audit seal. There are trusted casino auditors and certifiers that online casinos usually submit to. These parties put the games to tests, by running millions of game rounds and analysing the results. Where a casino passes the test, the certifier issues a Seal of Approval which the casinos proudly displays. Look out for such seals. Where available in a casino site, click it to see if it redirects to the certifier’s main page for you to make sure. In this regard, the eCOGRA “fair and safe” seal is one of the most reputable in the gaming industry. eCOGRA, which is eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, is a London-based internationally approved casino auditor. An online casino that is eCOGRA certified is definitely legit.

If an online casino is fair, anyone who plays there can have winnings
-GiantReviews

4. Operating Record

Legit and trustworthy online casinos will have a relatively clean operating record. A lot of factors can be looked at when considering a casino’s operating record. These are:

How long has it been operating?
We like casinos that have been around for a while (about 5 years). Online casinos thrive on reputation, so scams do not stay around for long. Before long, a scam online casino will be exposed for not producing winners or not paying winners; and once the word goes around, the casino almost always goes under. However, this does not necessarily mean relatively newer online casinos are scams.

Does it have a record of paying?
You want to be sure that it is an online that pays. A fair online casino means you can have winnings; but it is not enough to have winnings sitting in your casino account. When you withdraw winnings, will you receive payment? The answer is likely yes, if there are other players online that receive payment when they cash-out. Thus, look out for payment proofs.

When you withdraw winnings, will you receive payment? The answer is likely yes, if there are other players online that receive payment when they cash-out. Thus, look out for payment proofs. Importantly, don’t restrict your search to resources owned by the casino under examination; also check independent platforms where players post review.

Is it scandal free?
You’ll also want to check the casino is relatively scandal-free. Simply look out for whether the casino has taken any action/ inaction which caused general outrage in the gambling community. The list of what constitute a scandal will be endless. For example:

Some online casinos have been known to change their terms so as to deny particular players particular payments. An online casino that will not honour its terms, but will simply change it so as to deny payment is showing scam behaviour. Yes, a casino has the right to change its terms at any time; but this does not mean not honouring what was in place before the change.
Some online casinos have been known to condone unethical practices on the part of their affiliate partners or partner casino groups. That is, they continue to work with partners with roguish reputation. Yes, an online casino has the right to work with whoever it chooses. But remember the “show me your friend and I’ll tell you who you are” adage? If its “friends” are roguish, what stops it from turning rogue?
Some online casinos have been known to hide behind bonuses and bonus terms to frustrate players. If a casino forces bonuses on players, it is very likely scam. Some casinos will come with impossible bonus terms, such that if you redeem a bonus, then you can wave goodbye to any chance of cashing out any winnings. Some others will dangle the bonuses before players, but bury crazy bonus terms deep in the fine prints. If a casino is not transparent about its bonus terms, you should be wary of it.

To find out if the online casino you’re considering is scandal-free, simply check independent review sites. GiantReviews (www.giantreviews.com) is one such site. Other fine review sites include: AskGamblers, The Pogg, Casinomeister, Wizards of Odds, and Casino Listings.

Conclusion

Yes, there are many legit online casinos that pays. In these sites, when you play, you can have winnings; and when you cash-out, you’ll receive your money. You’ll know that an online casino is legit if: it is owned by a trustworthy operator, it is officially licensed and regulated by a reputable gambling commission, it has solid third-party audit seals, and it has relatively long and clean operating record (it is consistent with payments and relatively scandal-free).

One of our commitments here at GiantReviews is reviewing online casinos. The result of this effort is the Gaming/ Gambling section of our site where you can find information about whether particular online casinos are legit or scam. For example, you may want to check: Legit Online Casinos owned by the Casino Rewards Group. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, suggestions, etc.