How Do I Know If A Casino Is Safe?

Most people who play at online casinos are not digital natives. In fact, the age demographics for casino players have a wide range, with the margins populated by those who were born in the 50’s and 60’s and people who’ve just stepped into their 20’s. Still, very few casino players know any trivia about the origin of the first online casinos and online slots. A little background would provide some insight to question that crosses the minds of too many people: how do I know if a casino is safe? This of course pertains to online casinos and covers few aspects that fall under the ‘safety’ inventory. Before we get to the matter of what makes a casino safe, let’s go back to 1994 and trace the steps that paved the way for the online casino expansion.

The Origins of the Online Casino

The Internet had arrived at a blip around the middle of the 1990s, which, as some may know, resulted in the fomenting of the dotcom bubble. Following a steady advancement of web technology, such as more advanced web browsers being developed, and following a long list of dotcom companies that thrived in the newly born Information Age. Many companies were born during that time, and some, such as Amazon and Ebay recovered and continued to thrive following the burst of the bubble at the turn of that decade. One of the internet companies that was founded during that era, and that is alive and kicking to this day, is Microgaming. They provided the software and infrastructure for the first ever online casino. So what does this have to do with the matter of How Do I Know If A Casino Is Safe? Wait and see!

The First Online Casino

Three events coincided to give way to the first online casino. First is the government of the Caribbean island-nation Antigua and Barbuda, which passed a set of laws that basically jump-started an online casino industry there. Soon enough other countries created their own jurisdictions, such as the Kahnawake Gaming Commission founded on an island near Montreal in Canada, however, what enabled these to be of any service was the Canadian software company CryptoLogic. The two brothers who founded CryptoLogic brought software licensing to online casinos, as well as the money-transfer protocol which enabled them to provide real-money gambling to their patrons.

Enter Microgaming, a Island of Man based company that had been anticipating the rise of the internet and with it, the creation of a platform for their passion – casino card and table games, and slots. Microgaming released several titles of casino software, including the first jackpot slot game, and inaugurated the first online casino

Rise in Numbers

The early beginnings were humble, as it may have been expected. The number of online casinos in 1996 was 15. Two years later, that number rose to 200. You can see the pattern that is unfolding. With each passed year there were more and more casinos. To date, many of these casinos succumbed to the ebbs and flows of the ‘market’ but meanwhile many new ones were opened. This goes to show that among the thousand or more online casinos existing today, there is a fair number that are safe, and a fair number that are of dubious origin and intent. So comes the question, how do I know if a casino is safe?

What Are the Signs of an Unsafe Online Casino?

Let’s finally get down to the business of recognizing the markings of a casino that you are better off avoiding. The first steps that you should do once you have entered an online casino is check out the welcome bonus and the licensing information. Online casinos usually display the welcome bonuses at the top of the page, so you will not miss when there is one. You need to always take a long, cold look at the offer. If it seems unrealistic then you are better off reading the Terms and Conditions page, if you are hell-bent on playing at that particular venue.

An unrealistic welcome bonus purports to give ‘free cash’, but seasoned casino players know that the bonus money that is part of a welcome offer will have wagering requirements attached to it. So if any online casino is offering free money, no strings attached, it is too good to be true. If any casino is offering few hundred dollars or pounds or euro, or up to 1000 of any of these currencies, and the required minimum deposit is 200 or more, take a good look at the Ts&Cs.

By now you should have an idea how to recognize a realistic welcome bonus. Next to do is scroll down to the bottom of the page where you are going to find the licensing information. If you are familiar with the issuing jurisdiction or you’ve had a seamless gaming experience with casinos who are overseen by it, then you are welcome to join that casino. If there is no information that pertains to the licensing, if such a thing is never mentioned, you better click out right away and find yourself a good, verified casino, such as Yours Truly.

How Do I Know If A Casino Is Safe To Play?

A good online casino will have a license from a relevant gambling authority or commission, or two! Indeed, many casinos that operate in the UK and Europe but that are also available to players in Australia and Canada, have more than one license, even though one suffices. Next thing to check are the games. If the software developers belong to the group of relevant makers of slots and casino games, then the casino is running a solid gaming platform. You can find that information at the bottom of the page.

These three things should answer the question How do I Know If A Casino Is Safe, but if you are unsure still, do a simple google search and see what the punters think – but keep in mind that many of the opinions are based on personal experiences and are totally subjective. So if you like what the casino is offering, do make the basic deposit and see how you fare. If you have cross-checked these signs you will likely have a good gaming experience.

Concluding Remarks

We hope we have provided an answer to the matter of how do i know if a casino is safe. If you have check out the safety guarantees at Secret Slots feel free to check out the welcome bonus. If you have done that as well then be our guest.

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