Online gambling in Britain is a hot topic right now and a new gambling act to tackle the scourge of addiction looks likely in the next 6 months. Despite the bad press the industry is well-regulated in this country under the eyes of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) who are responsible for issuing licenses. It is possible to enjoy gambling responsibly at trusted sites and to help you, in this article we outline six steps to ensure that you don’t get caught out by bad operators or misleading advertising.
- Join a Licensed Online Casino
If you are new to gambling online, it is important that you don’t just join the first casino that you find. Financial security has to be at the top of your list, even higher than getting a blackjack or a royal flush. It’s sad but true that there are rogue casinos online that just cannot be trusted.
You must carry out some research on the online casino that you wish to join and make sure it carries a license from the UKGC. Several listings and review sites can help you with this, giving expert views on different operators and brands. Remember that rogue casinos will not have undergone any tests as licensed online casinos have. Also, they have no one to answer to if they do behave irresponsibly. Online casinos that have applied for and been given a license are therefore the only ones to consider. Some quick research will show you the new slot sites with a UK license that are currently the most popular and trusted.
- Read the Terms of Your Welcome Offer
The online gambling industry is a highly competitive one. Sites do all that they can to entice customers to join. One way they do this is via welcome offers. Typically, this would be matching the initial deposit a new customer makes, perhaps even the second and third ones too. Free spins on a selected slot game are also regularly offered, as are free tickets to casino tournaments.
You must read the terms and conditions of any welcome offer or other promotion. It may well be that you are given a bonus that is going to become very difficult to withdraw. High wagering requirements or restrictions on the games you can play are such examples. If you receive a £50 bonus, that sounds great. However, if that bonus has to be wagered 40x before a withdrawal is possible, it’s not so good. You’d have to wager £2000 to fulfil that wagering requirement. Having something left to withdraw is going to be a difficult task. Read those terms and conditions and avoid those with extremely high wagering requirements.
- Don’t Play Unfair Games!
It is possible to ensure that the games people play at online casinos aren’t fair. Software can be used, which means the players are fighting an unfair battle. This is a situation that you never want to find yourself in. Sure, not every time you gamble at an online casino, you will come away with a profit. That’s the story of gambling; sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. However, if the games you are playing have been rigged, then your chances of being a winner will of course be much lower.
We go back to the need to join a licensed casino. With that license in place, any complaints about games being unfair will be examined by those who issued the license. That’s just not going to happen if you are gambling with an unlicensed casino.
- Play at A Casino Where Withdrawals Are Fast
Financial transactions are so important when it comes to being a member of an online casino. An untrustworthy online casino won’t present you with any hurdles when making deposits. They want to get your money, but do they want to help you when you make withdrawals from your account?
Again, it is a good idea to access sites that give lots of information about online casinos. Look to see what they have to say about the withdrawal of money from your account. How long does it take for money to get back to you? Do they set high minimum amounts that can be withdrawn?
Also, look to see what their customers have been writing about making withdrawals. If there are a series of complaints, then steer clear and avoid such problems happening to you. For example, there have been cases where players find their accounts being frozen or having charges levied when attempting to make withdrawals. Those are cases of rogue casinos using your withdrawals to make even more money for themselves; avoid them.
- Play at Casinos Who Advocate Responsible Gambling
Gambling is supposed to be a fun activity, but it can also create problems. Online casinos will include information about how to gamble responsibly. They also give details of organizations that can help with problem gambling. If an online casino totally ignores this subject, then they don’t really care about their customers and should be avoided.
- Make Sure Your Personal Data is Not Misused
Keeping personal information safe is extremely important. Online casinos will encrypt information to keep it safe from scammers. If an online casino that you want to join doesn’t do this, then don’t become a member. The possibility of your details being accessed by fraudsters will be higher than at other more responsible sites.
Also, look to see how the personal data you supply is used. Do you really want to join a site that will give your information to plenty of other companies? A trustworthy online casino will provide you with the chance to decide who else can receive your personal data. If those questions aren’t being asked, then you could well find yourself being deluged by spam. Plus, if the online casino isn’t trustworthy, what are the companies they deal with going to be like?
Online gambling can be fun, but it must be enjoyed responsibly. For Britain’s online gambling community the only way to make sure this happens is to play only at licensed sites that have been fully audited by the Gambling Commission and affiliated bodies. So, if you planning on spending some money on the reels or the tables, please follow the advice in this article, have fun and gamble responsibly!
