How do you know that you’re playing at a trusted and good casino? Unless you’ve picked one of the recommended casinos on this page, you’ll have to do the homework for yourself. I’m here to make that challenge a bit easier, though. In my years of gambling online, I’ve come across my fair share of dodgy and bad casinos, and quickly learned how to spot the telltale signs that some casinos weren’t worth my time.
In today’s blog, I’m going to share a few of these telltale signs with you. By the time you finish reading today’s post, you should be able to easily identify five key elements that make up bad casinos and you can take action to avoid gambling at those sites. Let’s dive straight in with number one, as it’s self-explanatory, really – no licensing details being displayed.
#1 No Licensing Details
There is no bigger telltale sign that you shouldn’t play at an online casino than when no licensing details are available. Even simply having a small piece of text at the bottom of the casino that tells you where the casino is licensed is something – you don’t necessarily need to see the full licence in detail. Casinos operating without a licence are almost always rogue or blacklisted sites which are unfair and may not pay winnings. Even when they do, they may have ridiculously low withdrawal limits in place.
What you want to look for is some sign that your casino is licensed by the UKGC, MGA, Gibraltar, Kahnawake, or Curacao. You can pick apart how well-regulated the casino is at any time, but first, it needs to be licensed. You should also note that crypto casinos aren’t necessarily licensed, and this is sometimes okay. However, the best ones will be. All the sites recommended on this page are certainly licensed.
#2 The Terms and Conditions Are Vague
The next clear sign that you’re playing at a bad casino can be found on the terms and conditions and withdrawal pages. Of course, you’ll spot the most glaring red flags immediately, but here are a few others you may wish to consider:
Bonus T&Cs
The bonus terms and conditions page is a great place to look for dodgy behaviour. The first thing you can check is the playthrough rate attached to bonuses. Bad casinos will always have this set rather high (50x or more). You can also spot red flags by looking at minimum deposit limits, maximum win caps, and game eligibility terms. If these seem unreasonable to you, they probably are.
Withdrawal Conditions
Another place to look for bad casino practices is the banking screen. Sites which limit your withdrawals to £500 a week or just a few thousand quid a month are to be avoided. Even some of the best casinos may have withdrawal fees, but these should be low. It shouldn’t cost you a chunk to cash out your winnings. Slow transaction times are also a good indicator of bad casinos. You shouldn’t have to wait longer than five business days for your winnings, no matter where you play or whatever method you choose. Lastly, it is perfectly normal to have a KYC process unless you’re playing at specific no-verification casinos. However, if a KYC process is asking for things like proof of income and one-on-one calls before they confirm transactions, it is time to look elsewhere.
#3 The Casino Constantly Pushes Promotions
Casinos will always push promotions and bonuses. However, you should always have the option of not claiming one. If you make a deposit and the casino automatically gives you an offer, you should have the option of rejecting it. If you aren’t given that option, and customer support won’t let you do so – run a mile. Bad casinos will try to coerce you into claiming offers you may not necessarily want so they can hit you with their unreasonable wagering requirements. Don’t fall for it.
#4 A Poor Game Library
The games that a casino offers can also tell you a lot about the type of site you’re dealing with. To explain this section better, let me run a few of the most common things you should know:
- Top casinos feature games from dozens of household names and top-tier providers, including NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Games Global, Yggdrasil Gaming, Play ‘n Go, Evolution Gaming and others. Bad casinos will feature games from over 100 of them, most of which you’ve never heard of.
- Bad casinos often won’t allow you to play games for free as demos. The best sites will do.
- It is possible for games to be pirated. If a casino is offering games that they don’t have the licences to, then they are probably pirated.
- Casinos which don’t support progressive jackpot games may not have the finances behind them to pay out big wins. This may be nothing, but it is certainly worth considering.
- The best casinos will support all sorts of games, from internet slots and table games to live dealer options and more. You should expect to see variety, with a good number of different examples of each game type playable. If there’s just one type of game supported (for instance, one blackjack game or one roulette), you’re not going to get value for money.
#5 A Lack of Customer Support
Finally, I always say that you should never join any online casino which doesn’t offer a wealth of reliable support options. You never know when you may run into an issue and need expert assistance – don’t count anything out. You don’t necessarily need to have telephone, e-mail, and live chat services all available around the clock. However, you shouldn’t have to be left to struggle with chatbots, barely there FAQ guides, or wait for days to get responses via ticketing systems. If a casino is fair and trusted, it will spend a bit of money ensuring that it has a support team on hand to help you.
Which Safe Online Casinos Should I Switch To?
Now that you know the telltale signs to avoid in bad casinos, a lightbulb may have gone off in your head. If so, and you realise that you need to change casinos, I’m here to help. This page has plenty of trusted international online casinos for UK players to join, each of which has been approved as fair, licensed and certified. Check out the reviews on this page and see what each site offers and how it differs from those bad casinos discussed above. I’m sure that if you sign up to one of these trusted sites today, you’ll get the great casino experience that you’re looking for.