Posted on 13 April 2020

How Online Casinos Protect their Customers

There are a number of critical factors that contribute to the steep surge in popularity that the online casino industry is experiencing year-on-year, such as the introduction of no deposit bonus codes and free spins slots, and one of the most important is the levels of security and fair gaming that casinos nowadays offer players.

Providing an environment that is completely secure and a gaming experience that is totally fair and reliable go a long way in helping new players get on board and play.

That is how the casino industry has marched from a modest beginning to the global behemoth that it is today. The numbers speak for themselves:

26% of the global population has engaged in some form of online gambling.
1.6 billion people across the world have placed some form of wager in the past year.
4.6 billion people have placed a wager at least once through the last year.
The global gambling market is projected to cross $380 billion between the years 2017 and 2022.

On this page we discuss the different steps that casinos take and features that they offer players to ensure a secure, reliable and fair gaming environment.

How Online Casinos Keep Your Account Protected and Safe

There are different features that online casinos offer to protect your account and ensure you have a fair and reliable gaming experience.

We list the top features and parameters that you should check for:

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Encryption

When it comes to online casino gambling, security is the biggest concern for players as well as operators. A secure gaming environment becomes mandatory given that all the action unfolds in virtual space. Casinos therefore use the latest in digital security technology, including encryption, to guarantee you a completely secure environment.

There are 2 types of encryption technology that you will find at online casinos:

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption: This method uses a secure key that is available only to authorized personnel or accounts. Anyone without the necessary authorization will not be able to access the key.
End-to-end encryption: Data is organized into secure and complex codes that are unique – only the specific account or device can recognize.

The standard usage is 128-bit SSL encryption, but there are casinos that use 256-bit encryption and end-to-end encryption too.

Secure Servers

All the major online casinos use a secure server to store your personal information. The server is guarded round-the-clock by the latest firewalls to ensure zero incidence of data breach. The firewall is a great tool to have because it filters any communication that has viruses, Trojans or malware. This is a great way of protecting your account from a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.

Two-Factor Authentication

Security is critical to a good gaming experience and a number of casinos are nowadays incorporating an additional layer of security apart from the regular channels like a security certificate and SSL encryption – two-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication is a necessity these days not only because of the security it offers but also the wide array of devices it works on. Popularly known as the 2FA protocol, it can be implemented through phone calls, SMS text, hardware, software and also e-mail.

HTTPS Security Protocol

Always opt for a casino that uses the HTTPS protocol. This is a direct indicator of security as the casino uses a unique encryption system that is known only to the operator. A site with the HTTPS protocol will use SSL encryption as an additional layer of security. HTTPS works for both desktop and mobile casinos, and that is the biggest benefit as more and more players are switching to mobile casino gambling.

Restrictions on Different Play Aspects to Promote Responsible Gaming

Online casino gambling is supposed to be for fun and not as a means of earning a living. Casinos are required by law to ensure they have steps and features in place to ensure players gamble sensibly and stay in control of the money and time they spend at the casino. Casinos are required to list out these features comprehensively through a Responsible Gaming policy.

The different features that you are likely to encounter in the responsible gambling policy of a top-class online casino are listed below:

Time Limits – Top online casinos offer players the ability to set limits on the following aspects of their gambling:
- Deposits: You are allowed to set deposit limits over fixed time periods, including: Daily, Weekly, Monthly
- Wagering: A number of casinos offer players the ability to set limits on the maximum they can wager. Once the wagering limit is reached the player is not allowed access to real money play. Wager limits are also placed over specific timeframes.
- Losses: Some casinos allow you to set limits on the maximum you could lose while playing. Your access to the casino’s games in the real money is restricted once you reach that limit.
- Session time: There are casinos that allow you to set a limit on the amount of time you spend in a single session of real money play.
Cool-off period – This feature allows you to stay away from the casino for a short time span. The time period you can stay away for ranges from a day to 3 months, in most cases.
Self-exclusion – This is a feature that every top-class online casino offers its players. It allows you to exclude yourself from visiting the casino if you feel you have a gambling problem. You can self-exclude for different timeframes, anywhere from a month to a year or even permanently. Once you choose the time period for self-exclusion your access to the casino is suspended for that entire period.

Independent Audits for Security and Fair Gaming

Every reputed online casino conducts audits to guarantee security and fair gaming. Security audits are conducted by reputed organizations like Thawte, COMODO, McAfee and Norton.

Fair gaming is a huge requirement given the remote nature of gaming at online and mobile casinos.

All top casinos use a random number generator (RNG) that is audited and certified for randomness and fair gaming by independent and reputed testing agencies like:

Technical Systems Testing (TST)
Gaming Labs International (GLI)
iTech Labs
NMi
eCOGRA

To Sum It Up

All the features listed above are standard measures that casinos have in place to ensure their players have a secure, reliable and fair gaming experience when they sign up for real money play. Another thing that players should do is check for the licensing information when they are at the casino website.

A number of top licensing authorities like the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) require casinos to display their licensing info on each page.

The UKGC also has a number of other security measures in place that operators must follow.

These include:

Risk-assessment to pre-empt money laundering and other financial crimes.
Outline policies and procedures to combat these activities.
Report any involvement in a criminal investigation.
Conduct all identity verification procedures immediately on registration and before they deposit funds.

Published on: 2020/04/13

Our Editor

Hi, I'm Ben and I'm the Editor-in-Chief here at NoDepositWorld.org. Thanks to my extensive experience in iGaming, I am able to ensure that all content on the site is of the highest quality and provides accurate and truthful information to our readers.

Ben Edwards