Secure online casino features
We’ve given you the red flags that you need to watch out for at online casinos. Now, it is time to take a look at some of the security features and technologies that good quality online casinos employ to safeguard their own website as well as the personal and financial data of their users.
Data Encryption
Data encryption can be quite a technical concept if we dive in too deep. In lay man’s terms, you can think of it is a secret language. It is like sending a message to your friend which is written in a secret code that only your friend can understand. Therefore, if someone was to intercept the message, they really would not gain anything from it, and you would not lose anything from it.
Virtually every big website today has some form of data encryption on it. Online casinos that are legitimate and well-established will generally have 256-bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption, or at least 128-bit SSL encryption. This is as secure as the encryption used by your financial institution to safeguard your online transactions. It is the gold standard of data protection these days.
So, how do you know if an online casino encrypts their data? Simply look at the address bar where the website address is – if the address starts with a HTTPS (S stands for secure) then it means the website has a valid SSL certificate and your data is safe. However, if it Is just HTTP, it means that data is not encrypted and a cyber attacker could target the website and steal sensitive information.
Random Number Generator
When you play at a mechanical slot machine at a land based casino, you know that the game is fair. The machine pays out sometimes, even though it does favor the house ever so slightly. However, when you are playing a virtual slot at an online casino – the question that crosses a lot of players’ mind is – how do I know that the game is not rigged? How do I know that every time I spin the reels, the outcomes are not pre-determined and against me?
The truth is, if the online casino you are playing at does not use a random number generator, you simply cannot be sure of this. The game could very well be unfair.
This has always been a huge drawback for even legitimate online casinos that could not prove that their games were fair and square. Until, the random number generator came along. What you need to know is – online casinos that use random number generators are ‘provably fair’.
A random number generator (RNG) is an algorithm which produces, as the name suggests, a random number every time the algorithm is executed. The random number is then used to determine the outcome of your game or round.
Therefore, every time you spin the reel or roll the dice at a ‘provably fair’ online casino, the RNG is invoked to give you random results. Random results, in the context of a luck-based casino game, equates to fair results.
However, just because an online casino claims to use a random number generator, it does not suffice. As a player, you would do well to ensure that the random number generator is evaluated and tested by independent third-party testing firms such as eCOGRA and TST. Only when you know these testing firms have given the casino a thumbs-up can you play with peace of mind, knowing that you are not being unfairly cheated.
Responsible Gaming
High-quality online casinos will foster the principles of responsible gambling and implement them on their platforms. While responsible gambling may not gracefully fall under the category of ‘safety and security’ it is certainly a sign of a legitimate online casino that is trying to safeguard its players from the insidiously addictive nature of real money gambling.
Habit gambling is a serious issue, and players can quickly lose track and control. Many people can go bankrupt chasing losses at online casinos and can completely ruin their lives. Therefore, online casinos which offer responsible gambling features should be considered and prioritized.
Some of the common responsible gambling features include:
- Limits – Online casinos will allow you to set limits on how much you can deposit. This can be a daily limit, a weekly limit or a monthly limit. Once you set your limit, you cannot go over it and this way, you can stop yourself from chasing any losses. You may even be able to set limits on how much you can put on stake in a single bet, etc.
- Session time outs – When you are engrossed in an online casino game, it is easy to lose track of time. Hours could go by and you may not even be aware of it. Losing track of time usually is accompanied with losing track of money. Therefore, certain online casinos allow players to set reminders or limits on how long they can be logged in at the casino at a stretch.
- Underage gambling – Protecting minors from gambling is a huge priority for legitimate online casinos. They could lose their licenses if they fail to do so. Therefore, online casinos may ask players to upload government issued identification for verification purposes before they are allowed full access to all features of the casino.