Nov 11
How to Know if a New Online Casino is Legitimate
READ TIME: 4 MIN.
New online casinos appear almost every single day, and it's not surprising, really. There is a ton of cash in online gambling and everybody wants a slice of the pie. Of course, the fact that there is so much cash in the casino business also means that the industry is rife with scams. If you're unlucky or you don't do your due diligence, you run the risk of stumbling across a scam online casino.
We're going to do our best to help you avoid them. Let's teach you how to test whether a new online casino is legit.
The risk with new online casinos
As we said, new online casinos are cropping up all the time. We love playing at them. In fact, new casinos often offer the best gambling experience. We're talking unique games, epic bonuses and some cool features. The problem is that not all new online casinos are above board.
Some new online casinos – albeit not many of them – may not be all that they seem. Some are just there to scam you out of your hard-earned cash. This may be through creating games that have their odds manipulated, or by never letting you withdraw your winnings. Since these casinos are new, there might not be a whole lot of people reporting on the scam, either.
So, what do you say? Shall we give you some tips on avoiding these scams?
Look at the website
Honestly? Most of the time, you can look at a website and tell instantly whether it is a scam. A lot of scammers like to make it incredibly obvious their site is a scam, because they know if somebody is foolish enough to fall for it, they will be easier to extract cash from.
So, just look for obvious signs of a scam. For example, links that don't work, lots of words being misspelt, lack of customer support details, no address, no telephone number and similar things.
If something looks like a scam, it probably is.
Check accepted payment methods
Legit online casinos will have reputable payment methods. This includes credit and debit card. This gives you an extra layer of protection if something goes wrong, because nine times out of ten, you can make a chargeback on a card if you're the victim of a scam.
You should be especially wary of websites that only offer cryptocurrency as a gambling option – especially if they want the crypto sent direct, rather than through Neteller or similar. Crypto is often used by criminals as it is virtually untraceable, and you've got virtually no hope of getting it back if you've been scammed.
Again, we are not saying that every site that only accepts crypto is a scam website. There are legit crypto-only online casinos out there. You just need to be a little more careful.
Check site licensing
In most countries, online casinos need to be licensed. When a site is licensed, it means that an independent body has checked the website to make sure that everything is above board. This means that they've had a look to ensure that games are fair, that the site has processes in place to ensure that any customer issues are dealt with, etc.
If an online casino has been licensed, this fact should be displayed prominently at the bottom of the page. Don't take the site's word for it, though. We have seen plenty of online casinos claim that they are licensed when they are anything but. So, make sure that you double-check the site's licensing to ensure it is legit.
That is not to say that there aren't legit new online casinos without licensing, but they are few and far between. Remember, if there is no license detail displayed on the site, there is nobody to complain to if things go wrong.
Read online casino reviews
Gamblers love to help other gamblers. They like to tell others when they've uncovered a scam. So, if you're a little bit unsure of a new casino, make sure that you Google the name. If you see a load of reviews telling you to avoid the site, then that's what you should do.
If you see a load of fake reviews for a site (positive ones), then it should be insanely obvious. Again, avoid the site.
The only issue here is that some new casino sites are so new that there isn't really a way to check the reviews, since nobody has tested them. So, you can either avoid that site completely or use our last method for testing whether a site is a scam.
Check top new casino websites
The final method is to check for particulars on websites such as NewCasinos.com. These sites will give you the lowdown on reputable new online casinos. Basically, they've done all the hard work so you don't have to.
Of course, make sure you're using legit review websites here. This might not come as a surprise, but some of these sites will review scam websites without checking them – that's why we're giving you a very specific recommendation.
You also have the benefit of many of these top new casino review websites giving you access to some unique casino bonuses, ensuring that you get more bang for your buck.
Once you have found a top review website that you can trust, stick with it. That way, whenever you're looking for a new online casino to play at, you can have a look at the reviews and then you're ready to roll. There'll always be new recommendations.
Final thoughts
And there you have it. You now have all you really need to avoid those scam new casino websites. Honestly, it's easier than you may think. If you keep your wits about you, there is absolutely no way to fall for an online casino scam – this is because most scams are just so obvious. Just bear what we said in mind and you'll be good to go.