(Newswire.net— November 23, 2020) — Online casinos have seen a surge of popularity in 2020. Mostly due to the pandemic, but also because of technological advancements. Online casinos have become a lucrative industry for the past few years, and lots of investors want a piece of the pie. New ones spring up like mushrooms everywhere, as plenty of people want to try their chances with this business. Establishing a new online casino is not really that hard, although it’s a large investment. Some want to save money on licensing and choose to go without one.
There are plenty of reasons why you should play only at licensed online casinos. Now, unlicensed casinos might offer you out of this world bonuses and use other shady techniques of luring players. These benefits most likely have nothing to do with reality and are most likely a scam. Especially for live casino, licensed ones provide a much better quality of service.
They’re regulated
Unlicensed casinos don’t comply with any authorities. In fact, it’s illegal to establish an unlicensed online casino in most European countries. While unlicensed casinos may provide better for citizens living in countries with strict regulations, they’re unsafe. It’s quite a bit more secure to play at authority-regulated casinos.
Unregulated providers may prove to be offering unfair house edge and lower chances of winning.
Less likely to be a scam
If a casino has a license, then it’s automatically more trustworthy. You can fish out safe unlicensed casinos with lots of research and thorough investigation, but I don’t think it’s worth it. It’s your money that’s at stakes, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Such shady online casinos might one day take all of the money with them and go to the Bahamas. You never know. Because they don’t answer to any authority, besides the law, it’s easier for them just to pack up and leave with all the profits.
More revenue
Because licenses cost quite a bit to get, licensed casinos most often have more revenue. And the more revenue the casino has, the more likely they’re to let you withdraw your winnings without any problems.
Licensed software
It’s much easier for an unlicensed casino owner to skew the odds to your disadvantage. Even though casinos have a large house edge in some games, they can further manipulate them, as they’re most likely not using a reputable software provider. Licensed casinos need to prove that they’re using an untouched Random Number Generator. That means that the odds weren’t changed in any way, and you can be sure that the randomness factor is fair and square.
Furthermore, you should check their withdrawal methods. You want to be sure that cashing out will be hassle-free. Sometimes scammy online casinos practise making the withdrawal more difficult to frustrate the players so that they gamble on.
How to recognise a licensed, legitimate casino?
Documents
First of all, you want to look around their website to see if they allow you to see their documentation about licensing. If they’re not transparent about it and it’s either hidden somewhere or nonexistent, then it’s likely they’re not licensed. Furthermore, see what kind of license the casino has. The most reputable authorities that provide permits include the UK Gambling Commission, Alderney Gambling Control Commission and the Isle of Man Gambling Commission.
Software
Next, see what kind of software the casino operates on. If a casino is, in fact, a legitimate one, you should find the information about their software providers. Names like Microgaming, NetEnt or Playtech are some of the best ones. If you see them somewhere on the page, then it’s more likely that the casino is safe and licensed.
Reviews
While reviews aren’t all that reliable, they can prove to be a good source of information regarding an online casino. Lots of websites offer real, non-manipulated reviews for you to read. Beware of fake reviews, though, as they can be misleading you into depositing your money into a shady establishment.
Free offers
Bonuses that seem too good to be true are a good indication that a website is, indeed, a scam. The shady online casinos try to attract as many players as possible and have them deposit only to take their money. An industry-standard welcome bonus is a two or three times the deposit, so if you see anything more than that, beware.