If you’re a Brit who enjoys a flutter at the casino, you need to be on your guard against scams as unscrupulous players or operators run all sorts of dishonest schemes.
So to help you stay safe, we cover the ten most common online casino scams below.
Keep an eye out for them, and you’ll be in much better shape!
The 10 Most Common Online Gambling Scans
Almost 30% of Brits choose to gamble online so that’s why we are going to review the most common ways gamblers may get scammed online before looking at several tips and tricks to prevent it from happening.
Deposit Theft
Stealing the initial deposit is the most common and straightforward scam malicious casinos employ to get funds from their users.
Once you land on such a site, register your payment method, and submit your deposit, the platform will lock you out of your account and take the money.
However, since the initial sum is not that high, scammers might attempt to get more funds off you by offering very generous signup bonuses for larger deposits.
Rigged Games
One of the most straightforward online gambling scams disreputable casinos implement is rigging their games with abnormally low Return-to-Player (RTP) rates, thus increasing the house edge and the money they accrue from players.
For example, the standard RTP for online slots is around 90% to 95%, meaning you get around 90 to 95 cents back for every dollar you bet in the long run. However, this is only one of many casino facts to increase your wins-losses ratio.
Ultimately, rigged games have a drastically lower RTP percentage that tempts players to waste all of their gambling budgets on a single game without offering any returns.
Faking Their Identity
Since fraudsters can easily create fake reviews, credentials, and websites of seemingly legitimate casinos, online gamblers have to be extra diligent in choosing the right platform.
Towards that goal, you should look for both expert reviews and personal opinions found on various gambling forums and community sites. At the end of the day, even if you are unsure about a certain online casino, you can always go for a more popular and reputable site.
Suspiciously Attractive Bonuses
Today’s online casino fraud also relies on the psychological effect of offering great and varied bonuses that players would apparently get once they complete certain steps.
However, these casino providers are running a business and any bonus that sounds too great to be true is a sign that you should stay away from them, especially if you are required to deposit funds and complete plenty of steps to supposedly unlock your bonuses.
Illegal Online Casinos
The first sign of the reputability of casino games providers is the licenses they hold with the relevant gaming commissions in the countries wherein they are established.
To reassure visitors they hold the proper credentials, these casino platforms exhibit them front and centre on the main page of their websites.
However, since these licenses can be forged, you should also check with the corresponding issuing authority to learn whether or not it has indeed issued the needed licenses.
Malware Attacks
One of the most malicious online casino scams is attacking unsuspecting victims with a malware attack meant to steal their personal data and ask for funds to release it.
Scamming websites that use these methods extort much more than your initial deposit, and you can fall prey to them simply by visiting their website or installing an infected app.
Identity Theft
Fraudulent casinos also profit off careless visitors by harvesting their data and using it for nefarious purposes or selling it to other malicious groups or individuals.
Unlike other types of online gambling scams, identity theft is harder to recognise as everything might seem alright at the start until your account gets frozen and you are asked to upload identification documents to unlock your funds.
If you suspect you’ve been a victim of identity fraud, you should immediately change your passwords and usernames. Also, consider paying with cryptocurrency due to its inherently secure and untraceable nature.
Note: If you don’t know how to gamble with crypto, make sure you read our crypto gambling guide.
Can’t Withdraw Funds
In the early days of online casino gambling, providers would often promise big winnings for a lucky few, but they would withhold the prize, and ultimately fail to pay up.
So while you would be able to withdraw smaller winnings, jackpot winners would be unable to get their prizes due to various confusing administrative reasons.
On occasion, even the website would stop working at the same moment you would try to get your payout, and when you would try to reload it, the server would be inaccessible.
Fake Advertisements
Platforms intending to conduct online casino fraud would often use fake advertising to lure in potential victims by promoting fantastic prizes that are seemingly just a click away.
However, scamming sites would not honour their advertisements and bonuses as they hide them behind terms and conditions that are impossible to fulfil.
Lack of Customer Service
Lastly, one of the best indicators that you’ve visited a fraudulent casino is the lack of customer support, even if they list an email, phone number, or other contact details.
Therefore, before proceeding with your gambling activities, ensure the authenticity of the site’s help channels by contacting them.
Tips & Tricks to Avoid Getting Scammed
Thankfully, with some preparation and due diligence, you can avoid the most common types of online casino fraud, especially by following these tips and tricks:
- Play at only properly reviewed, licensed, and regulated online casinos;
- Install an antivirus and avoid suspicious app or file downloads;
- Read various casino reviews and customer experiences;
- Go for popular online casinos that have been around for a long time;
- Stay away from casino offers that sound too good to be true;
- Immediately reach customer support if you believe you were scammed.
Note: Even if you join a legitimate casino with no risk of getting scammed, you can decrease your losses by playing beginner-friendly games and betting small.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it, the most common types of online casino scams you could fall prey to. Now that you’re aware of them keep an eye out and protect yourself by following our tips and tricks. And as always, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!