Choosing a safe and reputatable online casino, poker room or bingo hall from the literally thousands on the internet can seem quite a daunting task particularly if you are a newcomer to gambling online. The good news is that there are many honest and reputable gaming sites that would welcome your custom, and the bad news is that in any industry there are a few bad apples, so here are some tips to help you steer clear of the dodgy places and make your online gaming experience a pleasant one.
1. Avoid gambling sites that spam.
Spam is not only annoying it is illegal – reputable casinos and gaming sites do not have to resort to spamming offers and links in order to attract customers. Reputable sites do use email marketing but they use double opt in lists in which the subscriber has agreed to receive gaming promotions. If it is not clear that the email has come direct from the casino – if the links included redirect to another site or if it is not clear from where the email originated then avoid the casino at all costs. Honest online casinos do not need to use spammy techniques to attract new players- and if the casino is using dodgy practices to market itself you can bet it will use dodgy practices to avoid paying your winnings.
2. Read Reviews from Real Players
It is often said that word of mouth is the best form of advertising, and there is nothing more useless than a review by a real life player. Search the casino in google to see what oterh players have to say – beware though some shady casinos have caught on to the fact that players like to research them before depositing and employ “shills” who troll forums and review sites to post what a great experience they have had at the casino. An honest reviewer will usually tell you the things they don’t like about the casino as well as the things they did. If a review sounds fake it probably is.
3. Sign up from a reputable site.
There are a number of portal websites which specialise in the marketing of casinos and poker rooms, and if you sign up at an online casino through a banner or link on their site, the site owner should be willing to help in the event of any future problems. Signing up from a portal site gives you a point of contact if something goes wrong and the casino sites isn’t responding to your complaints, and many gambling webmasters are involved in gambling webmaster organizations which not only gives them the support of other webmasters but also most portal webmasters have personal contacts at the casinos they promote which can help get any problems resolved quicker.
4.Dont be fooled by Licenses.
At present there is no universal system for casino licensing –although most casinos hold a license in the jurisdiction in which they operate. However don’t be fooled by licensing – there are very great differences between getting a license to operate a casino in Malta which is a highly reputable jurisdiction and in parts of South America where the requirements aren’t so strict. All licenses are not equal. The UK introduced a safe list of jurisdictions in which a casino must be licensed in order to advertise in the UK. This casino white list only included jurisdictions in which rigorous licensing procedures are in place to ensure the casino is fair, is not accessible to minors, protects vulnerable people and keeps out crime. Amongst the licensing jurisdictions which the UK believes to be stringent are The Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Malta.
For further information about safe and honest online casinos, together with a list of current promotions and offers visit Go Casinos UK or VIP Casinos UK