Legal vs. Illegal Online Casinos: Spotting the Difference

Playing in online casinos is a great way to enjoy your favourite casino games without having to move from your comfortable spot on the couch. You get to indulge in live dealer games, slots, sports betting…whatever takes your fancy! You can improve your poker skills or bet it all on black. Before you jump in with both feet, though, you need to be sure that the casino you are playing in is a legal, licensed, safe one to play in. There are many unscrupulous people out there who may try to take advantage of those who don't know the difference. White label casino solutions such as DSTGAMING can help you take a look at ways to tell what's what for yourself. However, here are a few things you should be looking out for.

1. Is The Casino Licensed Properly?

Fortunately, this is a really easy one to confirm. Thanks to the rise of illegal and unlicensed casinos, the casino industry has a clear standard for displaying a license. If you search either the “About Us” or “FAQ” sections of a casino, this is where you’ll find the full licensing details. Many online casinos even have the details at the very bottom of the landing page- underneath, there is all the “contact us” information, so that's even easier to locate and confirm. 

Many of the best, legal online casinos are registered at a few common places. If you see any of these locations/bodies attached to a casino’s registration, it's likely to be a safe one.

• Curacao- Curacao eGaming
• UK- UK Gambling Commission
• Malta- Malta Gambling Authority

Red flag: if there's no registration number, they aren’t legal.

2. Use of an RNG

A Random Number Generator is at the heart of every online casino. The word “random” is the key here. This software is what's going to ensure that the numbers coming up when you take a spin on a slot machine are RANDOM, not fixed or favouring the casino any more than the typical house edge allows for. If a casino uses an RNG that is not recognised by their governing body, that casino is operating illegally. DSTGAMING is a safe and reliable casino game provider whose games are powered by RNG's. So if you see that name associated with the casino's software, it is safe to use.

3. Safe Payment Methods

Withdrawal and deposit methods are one of the biggest ways that unscrupulous illegal casino operators catch out unwitting gamblers.. There are a few really well-known and respected platforms that are safe to use, and those are

• Skrill
• Neteller
• PayPal
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• SEPA payments
• SWIFT payments

DSTGAMING also assists online casinos with payment methods. It's good to remember these names off the top of your head, but if you're unsure, a quick Google search will help you clarify things.

4. Age Verification

A legal online casino must operate according to the laws of wherever said casino is registered. To verify your age, the casino should ask for proof of identity, your physical address, proof of income or banking details, full name, and date of birth to complete the KYC or Know Your Customer process before allowing you to register. A reminder from the experts: if they don’t verify your age, they aren't a legal casino.

Now You Know

It's a simple enough task to verify all of the above by scanning the casino's website and attempting to register a profile. Look out for your own online safety by following these tips. Make sure you only gamble in legal casinos and follow every step required to protect your personal and financial information online. For more details you can check  this post.