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Guide to Safe Online Casinos – Licences, Games and More!

When perusing the seemingly endless clusters of online casinos, it’s easy to get lost among the glitzy facades and attractive bonuses. However, safety is key in all aspects of life, and safe online gambling is no different. Enjoying your gaming experience will be a lot easier if you know you’re at a secure online casino, allowing all your worries to dissipate. This page will help you out with just that. Which casinos are really worth their salt when it comes to safety? Let’s take a look at our top picks.

The Top-Rated UK Casinos for Safety
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All above-listed operators excel in providing their customer utmost safety when gaming. All are compliant with the standard UK gambling regulatory measures and monitoring standards, which is nothing to sneeze at – the UK Gambling Commission requires many safety-related provisions from their licensees, all with the aim of giving you and other gamblers the most transparent and safe online casinos.

Safety First!: How to Pick a Reliable Online Casino

Online gaming imagery including roulette wheel, slots and casino chips

When it comes to entertainment, safety is probably not the first thing to come to mind. And specifically with casinos, you’re probably thinking bonuses, game selection, membership perks or how good the live games are. In any case, however, this is just as fine a place to consider being safe as any – if not even more so. It’s not all fun and games in online casinos: there are enough shady businesses out there that won’t hesitate to pull one over on you. To avoid falling into a trap, you’d best stick to a reliable casino where you won’t have to spend time on worrying when you might get ripped off. So how do you recognise a good and safe online casino? Here are some of the criteria that we, the casino experts, look for each time.

Test Houses Seal of Approval

Logos of UK casino test houses

Fairness is the alpha and the omega of every game of chance. After all, it wouldn’t be ‘chance’ otherwise, would it? So what’s the deal with ensuring that online casino games run on a fair and completely random system? Well, as you may know, playing most casino games, for instance, slots or multi-hand blackjack, involves getting either a winning or a losing outcome with each play command – and this outcome depends on the game’s random number generator (RNG) software. To assure that this software does indeed give random outcomes such as a specific card suit and number or a roulette number pocket, UK casinos are required to have their games tested for fairness with one of the recognised and accredited testing agencies. The biggest names in the business are eCOGRA and GLI/TST, who monitor the games periodically and run numbers on the RNG software. One of these numbers will be the return to player (RTP) rate, which tells you how much of your wagered money a specific game will give you back over an extended play period.

Licensed and Legitimate

The UK Gambling Commission logo

The other cornerstone of good casinoing is the licence. There are too many operators out there without one, but, luckily for UK punters, the UK Gambling Commission has made it mandatory for all gambling vendors seeking to provide services to British players, to obtain and maintain a licence. This seal of approval entails a whole list of provisions, the most important being fairness monitoring, financial and organisational transparency, encryption of payments, and support and resources for those who might be on the brink of problem gambling. So, no matter whether you’re a total noob or a seasoned player – always check for the UKGC license number on the casino website before you hunker down and start throwing money into those online slots. If you cannot find a casino’s licence number on the UKGC website, take it as a big warning sign. We do not recommend playing at any casino that does not have a valid licence.

Responsible Gambling

Royal Panda is an advocate of responsible gaming

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Speaking of problem gambling, there are several things to watch out for at online casinos – namely, the policies the operator upholds to prevent risk or problem playing. A casino that cares for the well-being of its customers will provide ways to cap your spending or your play time, as well as give you the chance to completely shut yourself out of the website through a self-exclusion process. This way you’ll be able to block your own access to the casino for a defined period of time.

Gambling Law

The nature of land-based casinos is inherently a bit different from online platforms. For example, you’ve got smaller overhead costs online, and you can also afford to have a large game selection, turning your online casino into a real behemoth. That’s why it’s easier to be a super casino online rather than in ‘real life’. Unlike with virtual space, UKGC regulations and other governmental evaluation measures make it harder for giant land-based supercasinos to pop up around the UK. In fact, in 2007, the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown turned down one such proposal, opting for 16 smaller casinos around the Manchester area, rather than one giant one. On the other hand, online operators have to succumb to a greater degree of oversight when it comes to security and safety, given the nature of online transactions and the risk of fraud, spyware or other scams. Also, the licensing for safe online casinos is a special one, as it’s issued to remote gambling operators who, most of the time, reside outside the UK but still have to obtain a licence to provide services to UK customers. When it comes to transparency, fairness and monitoring, and provision of resources for risk gamblers, the same legislation applies. Besides, neither land-based nor remote gambling wins are subject to any tax, hurray!

Safe Software

Well-known online casino software providers

The gambling software at hand can be another point of contention – there are good apples and there are bad ones, too. As you can read in our gaming software guide, safety goes hand in hand with fairness for many solid operators, who ensure that their games are malware and spyware-free by sticking to tested, reputable and dependable gaming brands. Whether giants like Playtech or NetEnt, or more niche brands like Dragonfish, there are plenty of well-intentioned game-makers out there, so it’s in your interest to familiarise yourself with them and stay safe this way. These are the big players in the market, but more recently smaller devs have been coming into the fold. These new, innovative companies can be just as safe and secure as the big boys, but you should still exercise a little caution when you come across a brand you don’t recognise. Check to see if the software developer has been technically audited by a reputable company. Audits ensure that the game-makers are not cheating players and that the games are fair and random.

Customer Services

A customer service agent

It’s always good to have someone to turn to in case of trouble – and with online casinos, that ‘someone’ should come in a form of a helpful and resourceful customer support agent, who will help you get out of pretty much any pickle. Deposit not gone through? Wager malfunctioned? Game froze? You name it – there are hundreds of things that can go wrong, and that’s why it’s crucial to have easily accessible support team at your fingertips around the clock.

The best casinos out there will have various ways to get in touch: email, phone, or live chat, supplemented by a helpful and thorough FAQ section for quick solutions to common queries. Our tip would be to browse the FAQs first. The live chat service is quite common, too, giving you the chance to talk to a customer service agent in real time. We often find this to be the quickest and most convenient way of dealing with any problems you might experience.

Payments and Bonuses

Money matters, right? (Yes.) And in the online world, money matters perhaps even more so, due to the inherent nature of the internet and all that might be lurking beyond what you see on the screen. Payment safety is not a thing to be overlooked: you want a casino with proper encryption of all transactions, incoming and outgoing. This is a top criterion for the protection of your sensitive personal data. On top of that, payments should be fast, there should be many payment options to accommodate your preferences, and, when possible, there should be no extra fees.

BONUS PROS:
BONUS CONS:
Spins
High wagering requirements
VIP & loyalty rewards
Limits on bonus play withdrawals
Refer-a-friend bonus
T&Cs can be misleading
Match bonus

And when it comes to depositing money, don’t be too easily swayed by flashy deposit match bonuses and sky-high amounts. There’s a fair chance this is just a tactic to suck you in and leave you hanging. Instead, inspect the terms and conditions of the bonus carefully to avoid any unpleasant surprises in that pesky small print. For a good start to the topic, head to our overview of best bonuses in UK online casinos, where you’ll also get a quick lesson in the intricacies of bonus rewards. Quite often, the devil is in the details with these deals. Always read the conditions and, in particular, look at the wagering requirements of any deals you do choose to claim. If you cannot find this imformation in the online casino’s website, it’s another red flag that should serve as a warning that you’re perhaps not be dealing with a good operator.

History of Your Provider

Online casino operators pop up like mushrooms after a hefty rain these days, and the competition is getting stiffer every year. You can take your pick from older, more-established companies, or give some of the innovative newbies a try. Whatever you do, though, take out your sleuthing glasses and read up on the casino and its history and company development. While longevity is not necessarily a sign that everything is peachy, it signals stability and safety. By the same token, however, newcomers don’t necessarily need to be avoided – there are many shiny new casinos which have already racked up several awards in their short lifespan. Check for these and similar credentials of recognition, and you’ll be in good hands.

Play Online, Not at Land-based Casinos

Going back to our brief reflection on gambling laws, we’d recommend sticking to online casinos if you’re an avid gambler. On top of the advantage of a greater choice in games but without the hassle of navigating giant casino, there are several upsides that might make an online environment more comfortable for many people. If you’re a bit of an anxious type, you might appreciate the lack of other people around you when you play virtually, and you might feel less pressured to ‘play well’. Simply put, by playing online you can take your time, learn the ropes, get comfortable and get into your element at your own pace. Additionally, there are no entry fees online, like you might encounter in some casinos, and the payment safety, protection of data, and other security measures might be better applied online thanks to the stringent remote gambling legislation.

Fun and Safe Online Gambling Experience

Staying safe while playing in UK online casinos is not an unimaginable feat – you’re pretty well covered in this highly regulated market, including various oversight measures that ensure your protection as a customer. Nevertheless, keep our criteria in mind when you look for a safe online gambling spot. It’s easy to lose track of some elements, but licensing, monitoring, safe and encrypted payments, and good software are the cornerstones of every good casino, so keep an eye out for these! If you’re not keen on research of your own, head straight to our top UK casino picks as we’ve already done the work for you there!

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