With all of the choices available from modern-day online casinos, it can be difficult to narrow down your options. This is doubly true when you put a strict premium on safety, where bad actors can muddy the waters and make consumers even more careful. With that in mind, we created this simple guide to help players ensure they find a real money casino worthy of their trust.
Use Existing Resources
The first recommendation we would suggest for finding a safe real money online casino is to check existing resources. Helpful sites like this one have been built specifically for this function, as they map online casino with the best reputations for safety. Quickly comparing some of the most respected names in the online casino business, these websites can serve as an invaluable first step to narrow down your choices.
Check their Licenses
To legally operate, online casinos require a license. These licenses exist to ensure that these casinos have met certain standards of safety and quality control. Varying by location of the casino physical business, and the geographical areas in which they want to operate, it’s not uncommon for some casinos to have more than one license. Typical examples here include licenses from the UK Gambling Commission and the Curaçao eGaming authority. Of course, you’ll still have to do your part, but this is still a valuable step.
“Curacao” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by phil_g
Local Legality
Just because you can access an online casino website doesn’t mean you can legally use it. Every online casino exists with a defined list of countries it can interact with, and going outside of this list means you probably won’t be able to withdraw any winnings. Check each website’s terms and conditions before jumping in, and you can side-step this potential problem.
Withdrawals and Deposits
While not necessarily tying into safety directly, we would still recommend users check a casino’s withdrawal and deposit options before playing. You don’t need to go too in-depth here, just verify that the casino offers options that you have access to. If they don’t then it’s up to you if you want to skip over an option or spend a little time signing up to a new payment method.
“Credit Cards and Cash” (CC BY 2.0) by Sean MacEntee
Making your Choice
With these four factors in mind, it’s time to start choosing what you want from the casino itself, and the systems with which the casino operates. There’s considerable variety here, so this is another instance where players should avoid rushing into the first option. For most users, this next step could include taking stock of a casino’s atmosphere and game selection. Others might put a greater emphasis on bonuses like free spins and deposit matches. In this regard, there are no wrong answers, as finding a service that best appeals to your sensibilities is the most important.