It's all too easy to just presume your chosen online casino is indeed reputable, but the old idiom goes "a fool and his money are easily parted". So why not take the time to read these ten tips that should make sure any of the online casinos you use are as reputable and trustworthy as they can be...
Governing Authority
From the 'Gambling Commission' here in the UK (you can see some of the best UK casino sites here) to the 'Gaming control board' in the US. By making sure the site you are about to sign up for has these badges should leave you feeling pretty satisfied with the trustworthiness of any online casino site. These gambling authorities will check the site on a regular basis and hold them to account on anything they see as not good for the gambler.
Negative Reviews
Most people don't bother to read the bad reviews on casino sites, but it is not something that should be overlooked. Ask yourself what is the person complaining about, why didn't they like the site and have the site owners responded to them to try and resolve the situation. Even if the reviews are a small percentage you should still take a look at them just in case it is something that affects you in the future.
Positive Reviews
Reading the positive reviews for an online casino site is just as important as reading the negative ones. Make sure they seem to be from real people, happy with their real wins. To be honest it is often quite easy to tell a real review from a fake one as fake ones tend to be "good site" or "I enjoyed this site". Real people like to put a little more info into their reviews, so do keep a lookout for the real ones.
HTTPS Protocol
You would be shocked at the number of online casinos that still have just an HTTP site rather than the much more secure HTTPS one. It's a simple check that anyone can do and while it doesn't mean the site is 100% secure it is certainly something to consider looking out for.
Social Signals
By doing a quick search on social media you can soon find out if other people have been talking about this site. Even if it is a casino review site it is best to see what ones they are talking about. If none of them is talking about the site you are about to use it is probably best to stay clear of it.
Social Pages
You don't have to check all social media channels, or indeed anything more than you currently use yourself, but do check the site you are about to give your money to have a social media presence with FB pages for instant messaging, to twitter for a much more public discussion. Many online casino sites will also have a YouTube channel with tips and tricks, so it is always worth hunting these social media pages down.
Communication Channels
Be wary of online casino sites that only have email customer support. This will often mean it will take them a good while to respond to your problems so anything that needs resolving ASAP will often take far too long. Is there a phone number (try calling it) or a live-chat box, start up a chat even if you don't have a problem to make sure it is real and working OK.
Brand Names
Don't be fooled by a brand name. Just because it sounds familiar to a casino you once visited in the real work doesn't mean it is the same company you believe you can trust. Having said that, just because your online casino doesn't have a branded name doesn't mean you shouldn't trust them. But this post is all about reputation and when it comes to that big brand names they can make you feel much happier to part with your money than other sites.
Pay Out Channels
One of the more important things to do is to make sure the site pays out in a format that is good for you. Are they OK with a Paypal, can you withdraw your winnings via Bitcoin? By doing a little bit of homework about this should also give you a nice idea of how trustworthy the site is. If they are happy to accommodate you whatever way you want to withdraw your winnings it should mean they are pretty much reputable
Ads
This is not something you will come across easily, but as a general rule the more a casino site advertises the more reputable it really is. This is especially true when it comes to TV ads as they cost thousands, so the company is only going to do this if they are the bigger players in the world of online casinos. If they spend that amount of money on advertising they should have a pretty good reputation when it comes to customer support as well.