How to stay safe when gambling online

When it comes to staying secure online, we're perhaps a lot more educated than we were in the early days. We are all certainly more aware of online scams, and we all certainly have more informed habits when it comes to shopping online. When it comes to online casinos though, do we really know what we should be looking for? In the rush to get registered and rush to play your favorite Book of Ra slot, do you know what you should be looking for before you go ahead?

In truth, online casinos are just as safe, if not safer, then anywhere else online as long as you take some simple steps to protect yourself. After all, when gambling online, we're always open to the chances that we may not win, but that is very different from losing your money because you have been hacked!

Checking out the license

Every online casino that operates in the UK has to be registered with and issued a license by, the UK Gambling Commission. Before you click to search for Book of Ra, you should notice the casino proudly displaying its license number somewhere on the homepage, usually in the footer.

Having a license means that the online casino is regulated and complies with a whole host of rules. Breaching these can see the license being withdrawn and the casino going out of business. These rules are all in place to protect you as a player. Making sure that your chosen online casino is properly licensed is the first step to ensuring your gambling experience is a safe one.

Knowing your privacy is taken seriously

A licensed online casino takes your privacy seriously. Given the amount of money gambled on Book of Ra each day alone, you can imagine how much money passes through an online casino each week. This means that they have to have steps in place to keep your financial information safe and secure, and they certainly deliver on this front.

Gambling sites in the UK are just as safe as banking websites and apps. Using 128 or 256-bit encryption, you can be sure that there are no prying eyes looking at your bank or card details. You can make deposits and withdrawals safe in the knowledge that all of your information is safe. Knowing what online casinos do to ensure your gambling experience is safe, what extra steps can you take yourself?

Helping yourself to stay safe

Of course, online casinos do all that is possible to keep you safe, but as with any online experience, we all have some responsibility too. Here are some of the things that you can do to enhance your safety when gambling:

• Install anti-virus software. This isn't exclusive to gambling online, it's a good idea to have this installed anyway to protect from any online attacks.
• Pay attention to your emails... If you have an email from your favorite online casino, check it out properly before you go clicking any links. A casino will never email asking for your password, so be sure before you act on an email. 
• Keep your password secure... As with any online account, your password is yours and your alone. Keep it that way.
• Only play at trusted casinos. By sticking to fully licensed and regulated casinos, your experience is far more likely to be a safe one.