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Imagine you’re a customer at one of the largest poker sites online…
You log into your account to check your balance.
You see that you have $2,576. You smile, because you remember that $1,500 of that came from a nice score in the Double Deuce you played last Sunday.
Identifying reputable online casinos that are safe and trustworthy is slightly different depending on the country and its licencing rules, but looking for the seal of approval from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority or Government of Gibraltar is a good start. Checking Out the Safety of a Casino. The next step to ensuring safety while playing at online casino, is to survey the casino for yourself. Casinos that boast of excessive winnings or that promise unreasonable bonuses are obviously lying. A casino maintains itself through. A safe online casino is any casino site that does fair business with its customersprocesses deposits and withdrawals in a timely manner, protects customer’s financial information, and has been tested and certified fair by a third-party auditor. To view online casinos that accept players from another country, you can use the ‘For players from’ filter above or change your country preferences. You can find selected countries with some information about each of them below, allowing you to easily discover good online casinos if you happen to be from one of the listed countries. Unfortunately, online casino owners and the house aren’t the only things online gamblers have to be worried about. With the never-ending cyber threats cycling the internet today, it is important for players to ensure that they are gambling at an online casino website that has top cyber-security.
You figure you’re running good. You’re playing good. So, why not try to score again the following Sunday? Your poker room always runs a heavy tournament schedule then. But, you don’t want to put up all the cash. Some of these tournaments are expensive.
So, you make the decision then – on Thursday, April 14th, 2011 – to play some satellites the next day (and Saturday, if needed) to see if you can win your way into the more expensive tourneys.
You go to bed early. You want to be fresh for the next day.
You wake up that Friday morning. You press the power button on your laptop. While your PC is booting up you grab a cup of coffee.
Then you click-click on the poker room’s shortcut on your desktop …and what you see next sends shivers up your spine.
You open the 2+2 and PartTimePoker forums, frantic to find out what the heck is going on.
Because you just came to find out that the US government – specifically, the Department of Justice – indicted the largest poker sites on the planet of multiple felony charges.
The bad news is you can’t play online poker. And you have no idea when or if that will change.
But, the good news is you were playing at one of the largest poker sites online. And their biggest competitor is shipping out bankrolls to all their American customers as fast as the requests are coming in.
You breathe a sigh of relief. You put your request in and expect to see it processed and shipped out quickly.
But …payments are taking a while.
No worries, you tell yourself. They have lots of cash out requests to deal with. Yours will come soon. And representatives are reassuring players on 2+2 and PTP that their payments will be shipped out ASAP.
This goes on for a couple months. You’re getting more worried by the day.
Then another bombshell drops.
On June 29th, 2011, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission suspended Full Tilt Poker’s license. Full Tilt is accused of running a pyramid scheme …and for not having the money to pay players back.
Your $2,576 balance – your entire poker bankroll – is sitting in your Full Tilt Poker account.
An Extreme Example to Prove the Importance of Online Gambling Safety
What happened on April 15th, 2011 – the day the poker community calls ‘Black Friday’ – is an extreme example of why online gambling safety is important.
- Why you need to research and join only the best sites.
- Why you need to know the shenanigans rogue operators pull so that you can spot them in advance …before they steal from you.
- Why you need to practice common sense and basic internet safety.
- Why it’s important to play at licensed and regulated sites over offshore sites if/when possible. And when it’s not, why it’s important to diversify your bankroll.
In short – it’s important to educate yourself.
Honestly, Full Tilt Poker is an extreme example. An exception to the rule, really. It wasn’t player’s fault – not entirely.
Players were blindsided by their own kind. By other poker players pretending to be businessmen.
And instead of being bitter, we need to focus on getting better. Getting better at spotting rogue gambling operators before they take our money.
The question is – how do we do that?
An Hour of Research Goes a Long Ways
Much of your safety – or lack thereof – comes down to the work you put in before you join an online gambling site.
We recommend you commit to doing an hour or two of research when coming up with your shortlist of online gambling sites you think you want to join.
Most casinos, poker sites, etc. have similar games, bonuses and banking options. Some are bigger or better than others, sure, but not so much that that’s where your focus should be. Not in the beginning.
Besides, scam sites render these things pointless. If they rip you off, what good did that fancy deposit bonus do you? Or that banking option with cheaper fees?
No, you should always focus on safety first.
But what do you research? What should you look for?
This is what we recommend looking for:
- Age – How long have they been in business? Older sites aren’t trustworthy because of their age alone. It’s also that there’s more history, more information – good or bad – available.
- Reputation – How do other players feel about them? Do they like them? Do they feel like the site has their best interest in mind?
- Banking – Are they paying players? How fast? Have they missed payments? Are checks bouncing?
- Games – Have their games been tested for fairness?
- Promotions – Are they offering fair bonuses …and only to people who want them? Are their rollover requirements reasonable?
- Privacy – Do they say how they’re going to use your information? Are they the only ones who’re going to use it, or will they sell it so others can market – aka harass – you?
- Licensing – Do they have a license? Who gave it to them? Can you trust them?
- Jurisdiction – Who is overseeing this gambling operator? What commission? And do they take their job seriously? Some do and some don’t. Read our page on gambling jurisdictions to learn more.
A good way to think of this is as if you’re interviewing someone for a job – or better yet – someone to watch over your kids. What would you look for? Who would you trust?
It’s okay to be skeptical during the research process. You should be. This isn’t a time to look for the good stuff. This is the time to find every little bad thing you can.
Where to Find This Information
You know what to look for, but where the heck do you go to find it? Here are some suggestions to get you started:
Reviews – Read site reviews (like the ones we have on our site). They cover all the information you’re looking for on the site’s history, games, reputation, support, and so on. But because review sites are biased (they get paid to refer new customers), you might need to do some additional digging to uncover details about a site’s past, licensing, scams, complaints, etc.
Forums – This is a great way to find out what’s going on because it removes most of the bias you’d otherwise get from website owners. Most of the people posting in forums have no skin in the game – they’re not influenced by money or any other incentive. Their opinions are honest – though you may want to ignore the random ‘this casino is rigged’ posts.
Two forums you can start with include Casino Meister and Latest Casino Bonuses. You can also Google whatever it is you’re looking for – casino, sports, poker, bingo, etc. – plus forum and you’ll get plenty of results.
For example, casino forum, sports betting forum, poker forum, etc.
Terms/Conditions – Read the casino’s terms and conditions. You might need to read a few to get an idea of what’s normal, what’s not and what’s highway robbery. You can also get an idea from reading site reviews.
What you want to look for are how bonuses are handled; when they process payments; what might stop you from getting your payment; how they handle problems – and so on.
Safe Online Casinos Real Money
We also recommend getting a screen shot of the terms and conditions of whatever casino you ultimately decide to join in case they try to screw you over later. More on this in a minute.
Blacklists – Another way to stay safe gambling online is to first check casino blacklists. These are lists of casinos the website owner has determined to be shady. They might have screwed players over by changing their terms, theft, focusing bonuses on them, etc.
This is the easiest step you can take. In fact, it should be your first step in your research phase as a listing (from a legit blacklist) should automatically eliminate any candidate on your list.
Jurisdiction / Licenses / Software Testing – Read our jurisdiction pages to learn more about the area the operator’s doing business in, and the gambling commission who oversees them. The more relaxed they are – the less rules, structure, consequences, etc. – the less protection you’ll have if/when something goes wrong.
Does a Pro or Celebrity Endorse the Site? This can be helpful in avoiding the absolute worst sites because most pros or celebrities care about their name. They wouldn’t want to stick it on anything (too) shady. But that’s not always the case AND the pro/celebrity isn’t always aware when something is wrong. We saw many examples of this on Black Friday.
Those are the best places to research online gambling sites.
But one challenge you’ll have when using these resources is knowing who to trust. You have to ask yourself – how much do you know about each site, forum or pro? How do you know you can trust their recommendations?
The truth is, most people are biased. Their recommendations are (often) financially driven or influenced. So, it can be hard to know just how good their top sites or worst offenders are.
The solution is to check multiple sources. Do multiple sites or forums say the same thing? Do multiple pros or celebrities say the same thing? A good phrase here is, when there’s smoke, there’s fire. If multiple people say something, you can (probably) assume there’s some truth to it.
How to Spot Scam Artists a Mile Away
Another challenge you face is that you can have the absolute best online casino or poker site in the world – everyone recommends it; your peers, friends, spouse, mom, dog, etc.
They have the best games. The best reputation. The best everything.
Then they screw their customers over. And everyone feels blindsided by it.
Sort of like the situation with Full Tilt.
Honestly, these types of situations are nearly impossible to avoid. I mean, there’s only so much you can do or see.
The biggest difference between Full Tilt and a true scam site is – and you might not agree with this – but some of the leaders of Full Tilt simply stopped paying attention. Then mistakes were made.
But a scam site? They don’t operate for years only to suddenly rip you off. They usually show their cards much, MUCH sooner.
There are things rogue operators do which can serve as a warning bell to you. When you spot or hear about one of the following issues, get the heck out of their ASAP. Cash out immediately …if you still can.
Slow Pays – Are players complaining about how long it’s taking to get paid (especially when it didn’t used to be a problem)?
No Pays – Have casinos stopped paying players?
Changing Terms – This is outright rogue behavior. Some casinos will change their terms on the fly to support whatever dispute they may be involved in with a customer. They do this to support their site or to justify a decision they made.
Forced Bonuses – Casinos don’t like it when people cash out. How else will they make money if players aren’t spending money on their site? But scam casinos HATE and FEAR IT. For one thing, they might not have the money to pay them. So, what they do is try to get the player hooked on another bonus because then the player won’t be able to cash out until they fulfill the bonus terms. But sometimes the casino forces the bonus on the player (without them asking) to get them locked in.
Locking Accounts – If you or someone else gets into an argument with the casino and they lock your account, you know something is up.
Those are a few things to look or listen for. And if you ever get the runaround, feel as if the casino is trying to avoid you or is flat-out trying to scam you, it’s best to err on the side of caution and cash out as soon as you can.
Note: We’ve written more about gambling safety and spotting rogue casinos here.
How to Spot Cheaters
It’s not just bad operators you need to be on the lookout for. If you’re a poker player you also need to be on the lookout for cheaters.
Some things you need to lookout for include:
- Collusion – When two or more players scheme against you. They’ll play soft against each other, but hard against you – and then split the profits.
- Chip Dumping – One player gives or ‘dumps’ his chips to another player to give that player an edge, or to keep him alive longer in a tournament.
- Bots – Players using bots to play you, either for efficiency (automation) or to cheat.
- Multi-Accounting – A single player with multiple accounts. They do this so they can have multiple seats in a cash game or tournament.
If you’re suspicious about a game or player, you should report it to the poker site. They’ll investigate the game and take any necessary action.
And if they don’t? Or, if they try to sweep the problem under the rug?
Then there’s another tell they can’t be trusted …and that it’s time for you to request a cash out ASAP.
Because this behavior wouldn’t fly in a live poker room. So, don’t let it fly online.
Common Sense: Your Last (First?) Line of Defense
Okay, so we talked about how to spot shady gambling sites before you sign up, as well as how to spot them in case they don’t show their true colors until after you’ve joined.
Next up – let’s talk about common sense.
Honestly, I’m not sure if this should be your last line of defense or your first line of defense. Maybe a better idea is to have your common sense running in the background at all times.
But, what do I know? And maybe that’s asking too much of some of our readers. In which case there’s nothing I’ve written here that can help them anyways.
The point is that common sense is a must if you want to gamble safely online. More specifically, you should practice common sense when it comes to:
Using public computers. I’d avoid this altogether. But if you don’t have any other option, then you must make sure no one can or will see any sensitive information. Like credit card numbers, social security numbers, login details, etc. Another suggestion is to do all your private stuff at home. Just use public computers for playing.
Your passwords. It’s a good idea to change your login information every few months. Make it complex, too. The longer, the better, and be sure to use numbers and symbols. And be smart – don’t save your login information to your browser or computer and ESPECIALLY not to a public computer.
Diversifying bankrolls. If you play at an offshore site, you should diversify your bankroll. Because you never know when something bad will happen, whether it’s the site’s fault or the government’s. If you don’t want to diversify your bankroll, then I recommend keeping less of your gambling funds online. That way, if something does happen, you minimize how much you lose.
Offshore sites. There is a risk to playing at ANY offshore poker site, casino or sportsbook. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Some are more trustworthy than others, but at the end of the day, you have little protection if they decide to just take your money and run. Your best bet is to play at 100% legal, authorized and regulated gambling sites, if possible.
Simple stuff. But common sense usually is.
(Unfortunately, not everyone has some.)
But just by using your common sense – even if you do nothing else – you’ll be far safer than most when you gamble online.
Conclusion: You’re Only as Safe as You Want to Be
Seriously. Especially after reading this page.
To summarize, we showed you how to:
- Research gambling sites using reviews, forums and blacklists.
- Spot rogue operators and cheaters before they rip you off.
- How common sense will keep you safe online.
This isn’t a 100% foolproof guide. But if you follow the advice here, we can all but guarantee you and your money will be safe when you’re gambling online.
What more can you ask for?
These days, there isn’t any reason to risk your bankroll at a shady offshore casino. There are legitimate, safe online casinos available in an increasing number of states.
Outside of the newly regulated states, sweepstakes gambling laws allow you to enjoy real money slots and table games online.
We share how to find a reputable casino and which casinos are available in NewJersey, Pennsylvania and elsewhere in this guide. We also explain how significant a risk you’d be taking to play offshore. Lastly, we cover the trusted banking options and what to expect in terms of games.
List of the safest online casinos for USA players
What makes an online casino safe?
There are two primary factors to look out for when you assess the safety of an online casino.
First is the fairness of the games.
You’ll need to trust that the shuffle of cards, the roll of dice and the spin of slot machines and give you a fair shot at winning.
For online casinos, the special software, called the RNG, controls it. This random number generator should be independently audited, and the outcomes of millions of tests should be compared to the published returns for each game.
Second is the safety of your bankroll, which includes whether you’ll get paid after you win and try to withdraw. It also consists of any risk that the casino will confiscate or lock your funds — or disappear, taking your money.
Regulated, legal casinos give you recourse in the event of a dispute via your state gaming commission. However, if an offshore casino takes your funds, you’ll have nowhere to turn.
Along with these significant factors, there are other things to look out for when deciding whether a casino is fair. These include playthroughrequirements for bonuses. How long you have to clear bonuses also counts because if the time limit is too short, you may not have time to get the benefits.
Harsh terms and conditions, for example, voiding a bonus for playing a few spins on the wrong slot, are also worth checking out.
Simply sticking with legal, regulated casinos will help ensure the gameplay is fair. If your state has yet to license online gambling, then sweepstakes casinos are both legal and safe.
There will be more on those below, but first, let’s take a look at the regulated online casinos in NewJersey and Pennsylvania.
Safest gambling sites in New Jersey
New Jersey was the first state to regulate online casinos.
Gov. Chris Cristie signed bill A 2578 in 2013. This law outlined a framework for online casinos, poker rooms and sports betting. Licensing is handled by the New Jersey Division of Gambling Enforcement (NJDGE), with the brick-and-mortar casinos able to bid for licenses.
Fast-forward to today, and there are many New Jersey online casino options. With the reputations of the live casinos at stake, these are the safest and most trusted places to play.
Furthermore, most of the casinos in New Jersey operate in partnership with the biggest names in casino gaming. These include 888, Virgin and Betfair.
Top casinos online in NJ
Here is a list of the safest, licensed casinos currently available in New Jersey, together with their license-holding live casino partners:
- Golden Nugget Casino (Golden Nugget)
- BetfairCasino (Golden Nugget)
- SugarHouseCasino (Golden Nugget)
Safe gambling sites in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is the second major state to regulate online casino gambling.
Act H 271 was passed in 2017. This law allows for licensing for online casino, sports betting and poker rooms, as well as adding a land-based casino.
Licensing is under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). They deliberately took a slow approach, preferring to ensure that everything is 100% tested and compliant before allowing the operators to go live.
List of the top online casinos in Pennsylvania
A handful of casinos are live. These are:
We expect other significant partnerships between the live casinos in Pennsylvania and big online operators before the end of the year. These will join the online PA betting sites, and eventually online poker sites in the Keystone State.
Are sweepstakes casinos considered safe?
While we wait for other states to complete their regulations and licensing processes for online casinos, sweepstakes-based sites make for a legalalternative.
These casinos are legal in most states and offer a range of slots, plus limited table games and video poker. These casinos use sweepstakes contest laws to operate. They effectively turn each spin of a slot or hand of blackjack into a short sweepstakes contest.
There are some workarounds needed to run these games, as direct real-money deposits can’t be used to buy chips.
Sweeps casinos, like LuckyLand Slots and Chumba Casino, work with twocurrencies.
The first is ‘“goldchips,” aka “goldcoins.” You can buy these with your credit card, though they do not have any redeemable value; you simply use them for fun play.
The other currency is “sweeps coins.” You can’t buy these; however, the sweepstakes casinos will give it to you for free. Either you can buy gold chips, enter contests on social media or write the sweepstakes casino a letter.
You play games with sweeps coins, and then exchange any winnings for dollars, which you can withdraw. Note that you’ll need $100 worth of sweeps coins to make a withdrawal.
While this model sounds odd to many players, it is legal, safe and has been growing in popularity around the US since being introduced in 2016.
Both casinos include a colorful and modern range of online slots. If you’d like to check out the games, then Chumba Casino is offering $2 worth of sweeps coins for free. There are other Sweeps type sites. These include Global Poker (for online poker) and Fendoff Sports (for sports contests).
Offshore casinos: A big risk
Safe and legal options are available in most states, with regulation continuing to expand. There is little need to risk your casino bankroll at offshore casinos.
Many brands are operating from CentralAmerican countries or Caribbeanislands which offer online casino games. However, these do not pass the necessary tests of safe operators.
Depositing and withdrawing are difficult, with federal laws blocking mainstream deposit options like cards and bank transfers.
There is also littleoversight. So, this means nobody to complain to in the event of a dispute. If these casinos decide to withhold your winnings–for whatever reason they come up with–you will have no recourse.
Finally, the software used is not subject to the rigoroustesting that state-regulated casinos need to go through to ensure that the RNG is fair.
What games to expect from safe online casinos?
Online casinos have a vast range of slots, table games, video poker and live dealer rooms to enjoy. Whether you play for micro-stakes or big money, there are thousands of titles to explore.
Below is an overview of the main game categories you can enjoy at legal online casinos:
- Slots: The biggest list of games at any legal online casino will be the slots. Bigger casinos can have 600 or more games. Some of these are online versions of live casino slots, while others are for online play. Expect some fantastic graphics, exotic themes and big jackpots. Traditionalists will also find simple retro video slots and even online versions of mechanical three-reel games.
- Software-based table games: You can play a lot of table games at legal online casinos. These range from blackjack and roulette to casino games based on poker hand rankings. With no dealer to pay, you can enjoy these games for small stakes. You’ll often find interesting variations of well-known games, so look out for the jackpot side bets.
- Live dealer casino games: Bigger casino brands have studios in their brick-and-mortar casinos where games are dealt in real-time. You then bet on them via the casino software. Live dealer games remove any doubt that the deal is unfair. Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, Casino Hold ’em and three-card poker are the most popular live dealer games.
- Video poker: This game is popular due to the low house edge. You will find classic games, like Jacks or Better and DeucesWild, at regulated online casinos. There are plenty of variations to enjoy, including bonus poker variants.
- Keno and bingo: These games often have colorful themes. Some have the opportunity to win large sums if you get all of your numbers to match.
Other types of games
These games available are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to options. Many don’t fit neatly into any one category.
Examples include Slingo (a slot-bingo hybrid) and virtual betting games based on horse racing or soccer.
Key to ensuring that you can enjoy these games in a safe environment is to stick to legitimate, licensed sites. This will make sure that the published returns from each game match the expected returns from each game.
Is it safe to deposit to a legal online casino?
Depositing and withdrawing winnings from an online casino is an area where many players need extra assurances. After all, when you ask whether online casinos are safe, you are primarily concerned with avoiding being ripped off.
There are a lot of ways to deposit onto state-regulated casinos. While most of these are available everywhere, some casinos will only accept certain brands of cards or electronic wallets.
Your options for depositing funds at sweepstakes casinos are smaller. Here, credit cards are the primary option.
These are the many ways you’ll be able to deposit at legal, regulated state casinos.
- Credit or Debit Cards: Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted.
- Branded Debit Cards: At the more prominent casino brands.
- Cash: Pay at the license holding casino’s cage.
- PayNearMe: This cash payment option works at 7-Eleven stores.
- E-check: Otherwise known as ACH transfer.
- Bill Pay: Utility bill style payments via major banks.
- PayPal: Fast and secure electronic wallet payments.
- Skrill or Neteller: These wallets work like PayPal and are widely accepted.
- Bank Wire or Money Order: Traditional banking; it is slow but secure.
When you withdraw from a regulated casino, they will first attempt to pay your winnings back to the account using the same method that you funded it.
Safe online casino bonus offers
All casinos offer welcome bonuses, with many also having long lists of ongoing promotions and deals.
You will find that the best deals and the worst look similar on the surface.
For example, two casinos might both offer a 100% matched welcome bonus of up to $500. When you check the terms and conditions, casino bonuses start to look different.
The first thing to check to ensure your bonus is safe is the playthrough requirement, which is the number of times you need to bet to clear the bonus into your cash account.
Higher requirements can be 50x or more, while the best are in single figures. You should also check for whether your favorite games are “weighted.” While this is common for low-edge table games, the contribution to playthrough varies dramatically.
As a final check, make sure you have enough time to complete the wagering required.
It only takes a minute to check the terms of casino bonus offers. Once you start doing this, you’ll see there are some significant differences between the deals.
Regulated casinos and responsible gambling
Reputable online casinos always take responsiblegambling seriously. They do so by protectingminors and anyone who feels they may have a gambling problem.
Safe, state-regulated casinos are required to offer a suite of tools to protect problem gamblers. Registration at these casinos involves using the last four digits of your Social Security number to prevent underage players from joining.
Red rock casino spa locals discount. It didn’t seem to be a place that Brits tend to opt for possibly as it’s several miles from the strip but there’s a regular complimentary shuttle service to the strip (last bus back 10pm) and we found this worked for us.
Other responsible gambling areas should always include the following:
- A self-assessment questionnaire.
- Links to local and national help charities.
- The ability to set limits on deposits, time on site and amount bet.
- The ability to take a timeout or self-exclude completely.
If you find a casino that does not offer these, then we recommend you look elsewhere.
Wrapping up: Where to find safe online casinos?
By sticking to regulated and legal online casinos, you can enjoy online casino games safely.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania already have online casinos, with more states expected to follow soon. The local brick-and-mortar casinos hold licenses. Furthermore, state gaming control boards oversee these operators.
If your state has not yet regulated, then sweepstakes casinos make a safe and legal alternative to the offshore operators.