Recently, we reported that Bet365 is being accused of restricting winner accounts. This immediately started the claims that the site is a scam. Scammy online casinos are unfortunately a part of the online casino landscape, but you can protect yourself from them.
Today, we will give you a few tips on how to spot scammy online casinos. Often, these casinos are super easy to spot, once you know what you are looking for.
The Casino is Not Licensed
The first red flag that you’ll likely see on any suspicious casino is a lack of licensing. There are multiple online regulators around the world, so there’s an affordable option for companies looking to get a license.
Licensing means that gaming meets regulatory standards for that agency. While most are not as strict at the UK Gambling Commission, the majority of regulators have the same core requirements. Gaming should be fair, funds are segregated, and ample player protections are in place.
Also, licensing information should be clearly displayed at the casino and on its homepage. If it isn’t, chances are they are unregulated. You can also verify that an online casino is regulated by contacting the regulator.
Games Are All Knockoff Brands
Another common red flag is when you have casinos that offer knockoff online casino games. The most common is knockoff online pokies. For example, instead of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, you may have Chicago John and the Fortress of Danger.
Moon Princess is clearly a knockoff of Sailor Moon and a tactic used by some scammy online casinos.
Other knockoff games may actually “borrow” the actual game engine of a popular online pokie and change it to suit their needs. If you are playing a game and it looks almost identical to another popular game, chances are it is a knockoff.
You Receive Account Restrictions After You Start Winning
Bet365 is under fire lately for restricting accounts after a player starts winning money. Most casinos, even scammy ones, don’t tend to restrict your account after the first win. However, if you’re winning consistently, a restriction is likely on the horizon.
Restrictions range from lower wagering limits to limits on how much you can cash out from an account. At some point, the casino may ban you from even playing at the casino. If you are following the Terms and Conditions of an online casino and finding yourself under restrictions, chances are you’re winning too much for their liking.
You Have Difficulty in Cashing Out
An offshoot of account restriction is difficulty in cashing out from an online casino. These difficulties come in various forms. The first is that the casino restricts you in the amount or how frequently you can cash out. For example, you may be restricted to only cashing out once you have $500 in your account or you may be restricted to a single withdrawal a month.
Cashing out from an online casino should not be near impossible.
Next, you may experience long delays in cashing out. Many scammy online casinos start out paying slowly, sometimes taking six months or more to payout. Eventually, they quit paying out.
Of course, there are some online casinos that just simply won’t pay out their players. You submit your request and are receive constant promises of pay, or customer service simply ignores your requests.
Almost Every Customer Review is Negative
There are dozens of websites around the internet that allow players to give reviews of online casinos. Scammy online casinos will generally start racking up customer complaints almost immediately. If you look around at these customer review sites and 95 percent or more of the comments are complaints about the casino, chances are that it is a scam.
Also, you will also start seeing review sites get in on the action. While we don’t review scammy online casinos, there are some sites that do and you will generally find complete writeups regarding the problems you can expect.
Our website focuses exclusively on legitimate online casinos. Check out our homepage for a list of Australian online casinos that you can trust. That way you can avoid the pitfalls associated with playing at a scammy online casino.