With scary stories of rampant identity theft and online fraud, it’s not unreasonable at all for any online player to start feeling a bit more self-conscious and aware of how much personal details and information they are providing to any online casino they play in, or how much funds they have entrusted these entities with. This is why it’s very important to make sure the casino you’re playing in has the top-tier security to keep you and your information safe from malicious people on the internet.

Casino License

Like any business you frequent, legitimate online casinos will need to have a casino license in order to operate and they will usually proudly display their credentials for all to see.

Of course, getting a license is only part of the equation though. It’s also important that the license is obtained from reputable and dependable gaming jurisdictions and agencies depending on the country of origin of those casinos because legitimate agencies will usually conduct regular audits of their licensees, making sure that these casinos are treating their players well and handling their players’ details and funds with integrity.

It’s usually easy enough to do a quick Google search of a license and see if the license is legally issued by the agency it is said to have come from.

Casino Reputation

Getting accreditation from an NGO, third-party or government-linked agency is one thing, getting the nod from their players is another. By reading legitimate player reviews, you will know detailed experiences of actual players of a specific casino and it may help you identify any red flags. You might also want to check out online casino watchdog sites like the American Casino Guide which is set up specifically to help online casino players to find safe and reliable casinos to play in.

Testing Customer Support

Oftentimes, players tend to fall into this trap of assuming a site has actual support "just because it says so”. To really know whether or not support is not just a robot spewing pre-written messages and is actually helpful, prepare a question, any question, to ask them and send in your request. Something simple is fine as well.

By making sure the customer support of an online casino works, you’ll be reassured that if you have any issues later down the road, you can at least trust that they will respond to you and not just leave you hanging.

Secure Deposits and Withdrawals

It goes without saying that the software used to process your payment and withdrawals has to be secure and reliable. Most online casinos know this and will offer safe and secure online banking, card, or other payment methods for you to make your deposits and withdrawals. If you see popular and trusted services like AMEX, Netteller, Visa, Mastercard, and Paypal, you can rest assured that your payment details are secured.

Before you go and grab your first deposit bonus, it wouldn’t hurt to double-check and see if the casino site provides additional encryption service to process your every transaction just so your information cannot be intercepted by a malicious third-party.

Secure and Fair Gaming Software

This is something that not many players would think of checking but trust us, it’s very important as well! There are way too many shady online casinos that use tempered software to cheat the players of their money. One of the methods to know that the casino you’re playing in isn’t doing that is by checking the games they offer. If the gaming software they offer on the site is sourced from reputable and popular gaming publishers like Microgaming, NetEnt, or Play’n GO, then it’s safe.

Additionally, some reputable casinos will have a declaration on-site mentioning that they are “secured with SHA-3 hash algorithm”. This algorithm is a powerful tool that protects players like you by making sure that the Random Number Generators in the games aren’t being tampered with whether by the house or by some third-party. It’s a good assurance to have, especially if you’re concerned about game fairness.