Safe Gambling: Is Online Gambling Scam Still a Thing?

Whether you’re new to playing real money games or not, there is one question that you will always ask yourself before playing a game.

13:53 27 December 2020

Will I get scammed?

 

There are still people who would tell you that online casino games are a waste of time because you will never really win big money from these. Some are saying that online casinos are only there to get more money instead of paying out. Well, this isn’t true and it’s simply a myth that people should stop spreading.

 

It is, however, just right to ask if you can potentially be scammed by playing online casino games. The direct answer to whether online gambling scams are still a thing is yes, it is. There are still fraudulent online activities that just can’t be helped, but as a responsible gamer or gambler, you should be aware of the precautionary measures that you can take.

 

Well, it doesn’t mean that you have to be scared of gambling online. Online gambling scams are hard to come by statistically in the United States. Based on research, cheating and game abuse in the gambling sector was at 55 percent in 2017. However, the growth rate of these activities slowed down in the following year of just 12 percent. This simply means that gambling companies are doing good when it comes to combating unfair gaming practices.

 

How Safe is It to Gamble Online?

 

Gambling companies would use different technologies to ensure the fairness of the games that they offer. They use Artificial Intelligence and data gathering to determine unusual gambling practices. To ensure the fairness of games like slot machines, they use Random Number Generators or RGNs.

 

An RGN is what ensures random results for games like slots. This programs a game to produce random and unpredictable results to make sure that players are being treated fairly. It’s impossible to rig slot machines that use RNG and online casino operators are required to acquire the services of independent and periodic game inspections to make sure that their games aren’t rigged.

 

It also helps that online gambling is becoming more and more regulated worldwide. The United States is a good example of this when it comes to sports betting. For a long time, the US has deemed sports betting federally illegal because of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act or PASPA of 1992.

 

However, in May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States has repealed PASPA. This meant that sports betting has been federally legal since then. This gives each state the power to decide on whether they will regulate sports betting within their borders or territories.

 

Currently, there are already over 20 states with legal sports betting and this has improved the safety of the gambling market. Before the decision of the Supreme Court, many Americans would take risks on placing their bets in illegal markets and offshore-based casinos.

 

The problem with that is that jurisdictions that cover offshore casinos have different rulings. Laws in the US that could protect the local gamblers may not apply to these offshore casinos. This can just make players have a hard time filing for disputes and cases if they do get scammed.

 

Ensuring Your Safety Online

 

Now that it is established that gambling scams are still a thing, you now have a role to ensure your safety online as a responsible gambler. There are a few things that you can do to avoid getting scammed by cybercriminals.

 

It is of utmost importance that you only deal with legit online gambling sites or operators. A legit site should carry a license issued by the local regulators or certain jurisdictions if you are dealing with an offshore casino.

 

Some of the most commonly issued licenses are from jurisdictions like Curacao, Malta, Gibraltar, the United Kingdom, and the Isle of Man. You can check for the casino license number at the bottom of the casino site. Some sites would allow you to click on these license numbers to lead you to the jurisdiction site that proves their legitimacy.

 

Another great way to know that a site is reputable is by reading online reviews. Fortunately, there are plenty of casino review sites that you can check. Many of these review sites allow actual casino customers to leave their reviews for you to know what kind of operator you’re dealing with.

 

Casino reviews nowadays are thorough and can be very beneficial if you are still shopping for an online casino. Overall, what you should avoid are fishy gambling sites that bear no license. Of course, it’s still better if you also check the legitimacy of the license number that they are displaying on the site.

 

Conclusion

 

Overall, it is safe to play online casino games as long as you are only going to deal with legit and reputable online casinos. Online gambling scam Is still somehow a thing as cybercriminals are constantly finding ways to get more victims. You just really need to make sure that you are being careful with all your transactions online whether it is about gambling or not.