Online Gambling Safety and Security: What You Need to Know

The iGaming industry has proven that it is here to stay. Though online casinos had to fight an uphill battle, eventually, they proved victorious, and have now become a staple of the gambling industry. There are those who prefer these websites over land-based gambling establishments, and those who’ve never even been to a brick-and-mortar casino, because the online ones are readily available.

However, there is no denying that the iGaming industry has had a history with unsafe websites. Unlicensed, unregulated, and unlawful online casinos permeated the industry in the 1990s. While many of them have been purged, you might still come across some unsafe online casinos, that you should know to avoid. That is why, it is important to understand safety and security when it comes to iGaming.

License and Regulation

Making sure that the online casino has a license is the first step to ensuring safety. For those who don’t know, a license is, in a sense, a stamp of approval. An unlicensed casino is one that has not been reviewed by any authority. Though not all unlicensed casinos are outright bad, it does mean that you have no guarantee that the site is to be trusted, and therefore, it is best to avoid them. 

Some people get hung up on the idea of domestic licenses. However, experts have shown that, in a practical sense, there is no real difference between domestic and offshore casinos. In fact, in many cases, gamblers prefer offshore casinos, as they might have some special perks. At the end of the day, no matter what casino you choose, as long as it is licensed, it is safe.

Another benefit of licensed casinos is that they offer excellent bonuses, which many can use to get to know new games, or try their luck at familiar ones. From the welcome bonus to the birthday bonus casino offers, you are bound to find something that strikes your fancy. Meaning, safety and security are not the only reasons to look for licensed businesses. 

Emails and Passwords

A big part of online safety is taking certain steps to protect yourself. For example, many people use the same email and password, no matter what they are signing up for. Of course, we understand the reason for that; it is tedious to create new accounts and memorize new passwords constantly. However, it is a pretty big step in ensuring your online safety.

There are also those that would rather purchase emails, then create new ones. For those who don’t know, it is actually possible to find online shops that sell aged Gmail accounts; a practice that is growing in popularity. It is mostly businesses that benefit from buying aged Gmail accounts, as they need multiple emails for different sectors, and purchasing in bulk is easier than creating new ones.

However, a lot of individuals have also begun purchasing Gmail accounts. When it comes to online gambling, we would recommend that you do it the old-fashioned way. After all, before you can buy an aged Gmail account, you will need to do some verification. Which means you are making it easier on yourself when actually creating the account, but doubling the investigative work to prove a website is safe. It is simpler to just create the account, at the end of the day. 

The Website’s Protections

Thus far, we’ve discussed what you can do to protect yourself. But, what about the online casino itself? These sites have been targeted by hackers in the past. With cybercrime on the rise right now, many are anxious about the future. The good news is that online casinos are taking certain precautions to protect, not just themselves, but also their customers.

For example, multi-layer authentication is now an industry standard. For the unaware, multi-layer authentication (MLA) is a system that requires participants in the website to prove their identity through several factors. For example, an online casino might require your password and username, as well as a verification code that they’ve sent to your email. 

Another way in which online casinos ensure digital safety is through monitoring. Unlike land-based establishments, online casinos can constantly monitor the activity of their players. Which means that if an account is doing something out of character, suddenly requesting large sums of cash, or even over-spending, the casino can get in touch with the person, and ask if everything is as it should be.

The Future of Safety

Plenty of internet casinos are doing their best to improve in all facets. It is because of that drive towards betterment that we are seeing new games, more live options, and some fantastic new bonuses. However, it doesn’t end there. Gambling websites are also doing their best to improve their security measures, and create a safe environment for new and existing players.

One way they do that is by incorporating artificial intelligence in their business model. Online casinos have been using AI to run certain games and programs for a long time now. However, as the technology surrounding it improves, many are hoping to see a more advanced version of the standard artificial intelligence. If that happens, then online casinos will be safer than ever.

For example, one could program the machine learning software to constantly and consistently monitor the gambling practices of the customers. The AI could then create curated lists of games that would most appeal to each individual player. From a safety perspective, the AI is capable of monitoring a lot more players, meaning it will be easier to spot any suspicious behavior, reducing the risk of identity theft, hacking, or fraudulent activity. 

Key Takeaways

When gambling, the responsibility of safety falls on both the customers and the online casinos. Gambling sites have a duty to ensure that their business is safe to use. However, individual customers also carry a certain level of responsibility. It is up to them to ensure that the site they’ve chosen is reputable and licensed, as well as create strong passwords, that will not easily be cracked by hackers.