How to Pick Safe Online Casinos: 10 Tips by CasinoAlpha Experts

Secure online casinos protect your money, data, and well-being. Follow our 10 expert tips (plus a bonus tip at the end) to find trusted sites.

Tip #1: Pick a UKGC-Licensed Casino

A UKGC licence is the minimum requirement for a reliable online casino.

Picking a licensed casino ensures that the company has implemented the necessary safety and security standards to retain the UKGC licence. So, you increase your chances of staying safe by 40%.

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) imposes strict standards of fair play and security. It also holds regular evaluations of the monitored casinos to ensure all legislation is followed.

Quick Ways to Find a Casino’s Licence

• Look for the UKGC logo on the casino’s website, in the footer of the main page.
• Visit the UKGC’s online public register and type in the name of the casino, or the casino’s owner company.
• Press CTRL+F keys and search for “UKGC” in the casino’s general terms and conditions.
• Pick a casino from an expertly vetted list.

Online casinos can hold other gambling licences. For example, some NZ online casinos can hold a licence approved by the Curacao Gaming Control Board or the Malta Gaming Authority.

Licensed vs. Unlicensed Casinos

Unlicensed casinos usually have deals that look too good to be true, and that is why they are dangerous. Without an authority that oversees their practices, you may lose your financial information and personal data. Stay away from scams by identifying the blacklisted casinos and choosing to play at regulated sites.

Examples of the Best Licensed Online Casinos

To find examples of the best licensed online casinos and their features, our experts recommend that you should read through:

• Jammy Monkey Casino review
• PlayOjo Casino review
• Videoslots Casino review

Our experts select and list the best online casinos with a licence exclusively. For alternative examples, see our page.

Tip #2: Make Sure it Has a Strong Reputation

A casino with a strong reputation is usually a trustworthy site. The operator’s reputation in the industry is built slowly, in time. So, if there were any security issues, they would show up in the casino’s record.

How to Research a Casino’s Reputation

• Find out how long the casino has been operating with a quick Google search.
• Access gambling forums and see the experience of other players with the casino.
• Check message boards for related discussions.
• Look for an expert review of your casino.

New casinos haven’t had the opportunity to build a reputation, so researching their track record takes more time. We have tested and selected new online casino sites with a good reputation and update their details monthly, to save you time and energy.

Red Flags You Shouldn’t Miss

Payouts that fail to reach players’ accounts in due time.

Rigged software complaints.

Players who were disgruntled about customer service.

Accounts of frequent game crashes.

Many unresolved disputes between players and the casino.

Examples of Online Casinos with a Strong Reputation in the UK

We’ve reviewed some of the most reputable UK online casinos:

• 888Casino review
• LeoVegas Casino review
• PokerStars Casino review

Tip #3 Choose a Casino with Top Security Measures

We strongly recommend that you pick an online casino that operates with reliable security measures.

This tells you how your financial and personal information is stored and protected against cybercriminals.

Find a Casino’s Security Measures Easily

• Verify if there’s an SSL encryption symbol in your browser address bar
• Use the CTRL+F keys and search for “security”, “encryption”, “firewall” in the casino’s general terms and conditions.
• Check the casino’s Privacy Policy for the same terms as above.

Security Measures to Look For

• SSL encryption protocols
• Firewalls to prevent unauthorised access
• Regular security audits
• Strict protocols to address vulnerabilities
• Strict procedures to minimise damage in the worst-case scenario

Look through an analysis of a casino with strong security measures to learn how to recognize them. When collecting data for our Mega Casino review, we also created a short security analysis that may help you.

Tip #4 Select a Casino with High Game Fairness

Our recommendation is that you pick a casino with a proven high level of game fairness.

This is a crucial aspect of any trustworthy online casino: to avoid unexpected and considerable financial loss, you should ensure fair game selection.

How to Check a Site’s Game Fairness

• Look for the eCOGRA logo in the main page footer on the casino website
• Make sure the casino provides games from reputable game developers
• Look for the terms “RNG” and “Random Number Generators” in the casino’s terms. Games that work on RNG are sure to provide randomised results.

Tip #5 Find the Casino with Safe Payments

Choose a casino that takes your payments seriously and provides a wide range of reliable payment providers. Casino deposits and withdrawals should be secure to protect your money and your financial information.

Quick Ways to Check if Payments are Secure:

• Enter the Cashier or Deposit section of the online casino and see if there is a padlock symbol in the browser address bar.
• Verify the methods of payment allowed by the casino and make sure there is at least one payment method you trust.
• Check the terms and conditions for payment information
• Check the Payments Policy, if the online casino provides one.

Consider Fees & Payment Processing Speeds

Considering fees and processing speeds early can save you significant loss along the way and can help you pick the right payment option.

For instance, both casinos and payment providers can impose a fee on your transaction. So, instead of withdrawing, say £100, you can end up with £70.

Recommendation

While selecting fast-withdrawal casinos, we realised that most offer a wide range of payment providers. We recommend that you select the providers that also provide instant withdrawals. Otherwise, you may end up waiting for several days to receive your money.

Tip #6: Choose a Casino with Effective Assistance

Choosing a casino with effective customer support is crucial in ensuring that someone will be reliably there in case you experience any issues.

A trained, polite, and effective customer support team can guide you through questions and problems and help upkeep your security and well-being.

How to Tell if a Casino Has Effective Customer Support:

• Check the casino’s “Contact us” section in the website footer to see your support options.
• Try to access the live chat before you create an account. Pre-registration support is always a good sign.
• Test the support’s response time by asking a few questions via email and live chat.
• Prioritise the casinos with 24/7 live chat that can reply in multiple languages.

Tip #7 Check the Bonuses and Promotions Opportunities

Checking the bonus opportunities at an online casino can tell you if the company is reliable or a scam. It’s simple: scam bonuses are too good to be true.

Bonuses are a popular way in which many gambling sites attract new members or keep the existing ones engaged. With the best casino bonuses, you can support your budget in gambling, and casinos also make a small profit from bonus restrictions.

This is why bonuses that are too good to be true should be avoided. Look into the bonus terms for wagering requirements, bonus caps, game restrictions and claiming conditions. If you don’t find clear information about such terms, avoid the bonus.

Tip #8 Verify Mobile App Security

While researching to extend our online casino list, we noticed that not all mobile gambling sites have secure apps.

This is why we recommend that you only select mobile casino apps from the official Google Play Store or Apple App Store. These stores make extensive verifications before listing any apps.

We suggest you check the reviews section on the Google and Apple stores before downloading the app. These stores provide authentic user reviews.

Tip#9 Choose a Casino that Promotes Responsible Gambling

Choosing a casino that takes responsible gambling seriously means choosing a safe and ethical website that will caretake your well-being.

Such casinos must have strong policies for preventing gambling addiction and for supporting you when you lose control of your gambling behaviours. These policies should be clear and comprehensive. They should take you through all the rules of the website and the tools it provides so that you can make informed decisions.

How to Check the Responsible Gambling Tools

• Check the website footer for a link to the Responsible Gaming policy.
• Look in the general terms and conditions for the phrase “Responsible Gaming”.
• Ask the live chat operators about the tools and policies available, if the website does not make them obvious.

Essential Responsible Gambling Tools

• Deposit and withdrawal limits that you can set yourself.
• Wagering and loss limits that you can set for yourself.
• The option to take a short break from gambling.
• Self-exclusion.
• Budget calendar that keeps track of your financial activity on the website.
• Reality check pop-ups.
• Reverse withdrawal preferences.
• The ability to close your account.
• A questionnaire that helps you self-assess your gambling behaviour.
• Useful information about gambling addiction.
• Secure links to helplines and expert organisations.

Tip #10 Pick a Casino with Transparent Terms and Conditions

Before selecting an online casino, make sure its terms and conditions are easy to find, easy to understand, and that they cover all bases.

Reliable casinos will always make the essential information you need readily available.

You can check easily if the terms of a casino are transparent:

• Check if they cover the bonus policy, payment policy, privacy policy and other aspects that may impact your experience.
• Ensure they provide information about where you can make a complaint and how.
• Check if they offer details about game contributions.
• Verify if they mention the licence.
• Check if they provide information about the owner company, such as headquarters and contact details.

Expert reviews usually do the research for you. We suggest you check if the casino you chose is included in expert collections of casino reviews, to get details about its terms and conditions from reliable sources.

You should always read a casino’s terms and conditions. Do it even when you’ve established that it is a secure online casino. By knowing this information, you can avoid losses caused by misinformation about the site rules and policies.

Bonus Tip: Pick a Casino with a Clear Privacy Policy

When picking an online casino with a clear privacy policy, you save up a lot of research time, because:

• Casinos with clear privacy policies are usually serious and most likely reliable.
• You can see immediately how they collect your information, how they use it, who they share it with, and how they protect it.
• You will receive instant details about the site’s security measures such as encryptions, firewalls, and emergency protocols.

Summary of Key Tips

Let’s recap the key tips you should apply to select a secure and trustworthy online casino:

• Only pick UKGC-licensed and regulated online casinos.
• Ensure the casino has a good track record by checking user reviews and looking into its reputation.
• Pick a casino with top security measures like the latest encryptions and firewalls.
• Select a casino that has fair games, based on RNGs and certified by independent auditors.
• Only pick casinos with secure payment options and policies.
• Verify if the casino provides effective customer service, preferably 24/7.
• Avoid scam promotions that seem too good to be true and pick bonuses with clear terms.
• Choose a casino that promotes responsible gambling through serious policies and essential tools.
• Select a trustworthy online casino based on its clear terms and conditions.
• Don’t forget about all the information you can get from an online casino’s Privacy Policy.

You can use our tips confidently to secure an account at a trustworthy online casino. We designed them based on our years of experience in the industry and in accordance with our commitment to provide you with the safest and best gambling experience. Make informed decisions and play responsibly!