6 Red Flags to Watch Out for When Looking at Online Casinos

There are literally thousands of online casinos to choose from, and if it's your first time looking for one, it can be hard to tell which ones you can trust with your money.  The vast majority of online casinos are legitimate, but some are either unsafe, fraudulent or a waste of time. Thankfully, there are signs that will tell you whether a casino is worth your time or not pretty fast. Let's take a look at some of the red flags to watch out for when looking at online casinos.

Unprofessional Looking Website

One of the clearest signs of an untrustworthy casino is if you notice issues with their website or glitches with their app. If you see any typos or unstable design elements, then it's a clear red flag. Online casinos make enough money to have top-of-the-line websites and have their copy proofread, so this isn't something you should see.

If you do, give any website you were thinking of playing a test drive, but only if you can avoid giving your payment information. This will allow you to see how smooth their software is. If you see choppy animations or bugs, then this is another bad sign. Unless the hardware you’re using is severely outdated, their app should run normally without major issues. If you see any, consider looking elsewhere.

Suspicious Licence

You should only play at licenced online casinos, and their licence has to come from a respected regulatory body. If you can’t find the licence, you should leave immediately as this is the clearest sign of a fraudulent site.

If the casino is not licenced by the UKGC, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, or the Malta Gaming Authority, then it should be cause for concern. Other respected regulatory bodies include the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and Curaçao Gaming Control Board. If their licence was not issued by one of these bodies, then you might have to think twice about playing there. 

If you don't want to go through the trouble of searching for a site’s licence or researching licencing bodies, then you should check out a review site like OnlineCasinos. All the casinos OnlineCasinos reviews are licenced, and they only showcase casinos that are up to a certain standard of quality. You’ll also get a quick snapshot of what it’s like to play at each casino, along with some of the special offers they have for new players.

Poor Customer Service

If you notice that the site has poor or non-existent customer service, then you shouldn’t play there, plain and simple. Plenty of things can go wrong at an online casino. You could have issues with payments or withdrawals, or don’t receive a payout after winning. You should be able to speak with a customer service rep at any time of the day and through multiple methods.

A good online casino will allow you to contact their reps through phone, email, and live chat. So, when first playing at a casino, try their live chat function and see if it’s working and how long it takes for a human to answer you.

We also suggest that you give the casino a call so you can gauge the quality of their customer service better. Try to ask them very precise questions, such as the RTP ratios on games, how long it takes for withdrawals to be cleared, or questions about their bonus structure. The person on the other side should be able to answer these questions with no problem and in clear English. If for some reason you can't reach a human or they seem confused, play elsewhere.

Outlandish Bonuses

Most online casinos will offer bonuses to new players. These will usually be in the form of a deposit match bonus. You might see casinos offer anywhere from 100% to 300% of your initial deposit as a bonus. But, if you see a casino offer anything much higher than that, then you should be careful.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that the site is fraudulent, but there might be some things hidden in the fine print. One of the ways these casinos get you is by putting insanely high wagering requirements for you to redeem your bonus. Some will require that you spend 80 times the amount of your bonus before you can withdraw your winnings. So, make sure that you read the details and see if the bonus is actually worth it.

Vague History

If you can’t find actual players with anything good to say about an online casino, this is not a good sign. Even if a casino is relatively new, you should be able to get some accounts of people that have played there. You should also check the casino’s “about us” page and see what you find.

If the content is vague and generic, then it’s a clear red flag. You should at least get some information about when the casino was established, some information about their licencing, and the technology they’re using. You should get an idea of which software providers they use to power their games. If you can't see any of that, we would advise that you spend your money elsewhere.

Limited Payment Options

Great online casinos will offer a wide variety of payment options. A casino that only allows you to make payments through major credit cards and bank transfers is very likely a front for fraudulent activities. If a casino offers PayPal and other options like Neteller, Skrill, and Paysafecard, on the other hand, then it’s usually a sign of a website that you can trust, as long as it meets all other requirements. 

When it comes to withdrawals, you should check what the delays are. Any casino that takes more than four days to deposit money in your account should be avoided.

These are all things that you should look at whenever you’re searching for online casinos. This will give you an instant idea of whether a site might be dangerous or not worth playing at.