Online casinos have gained dominance over physical casinos in the gambling industry for several reasons. While their convenience is the major factor why they’ve gained traction over the years, the security of online casinos has also played a major part in attracting millions of players to the market.
In physical casinos, the players’ safety is maintained by several basic financial security measures, CCTV, and bouncers. However, these security measures are mainly restricted to the casino floor, which leaves much to be desired compared to leading online casinos.
Of course, not all online casinos have top-notch security measures, but the most popular casinos do. Some of these online platforms also offer a no deposit casino bonus, which allows you to sample their games and test their security protocols without spending your money. Here are the most common online casino security features that will guarantee your safety and peace of mind.
6 security measures critical to online casinos
1. Data encryption
The huge amounts of money transferred between the players and the casino operators are one of the main reasons why online gambling websites need to be secure. Besides the money, these transactions also include the player’s personal information that can be maliciously used by third parties for identity theft and financial fraud.
To secure the data being transmitted back and forth from the players to the casinos, operators use 128-bit or 256-bit encryption. These encryption protocols convert the information into strings of unbreakable codes before transmitting it, making it hard for third parties to access any confidential information. The information is then decrypted on the other end of the operator.
Players can tell the type of encryption protocol that an operator is using by looking at the home casino’s home page. You can also check the website’s toolbar and if the URL starts with “HTTPS”, then the operator has an SSL certificate. That indicates that your information is encrypted.
2. Firewalls
Firewalls establish the parameters that decide which traffic should be allowed in a server and which one shouldn’t. They are essential to the scary, steroid-enhanced bouncers standing outside the doors of an online casino to ensure that no unauthorized parties can access the information on a casino’s server.
Online casinos use firewalls to ensure that their servers are secure from hackers and other malicious attacks that seek to access the stored data. Advanced firewalls are also using technologies like machine learning to protect the servers from Distributed Denial of Service attacks that could increase vulnerability and increase unwanted traffic on a casino site.
3. Random number generators
Random Number Generators are algorithms used to handle games like slots and roulette to enhance fairness in an online casino. These algorithms require no outside input to give results and instead use a seed number to make the output as random as possible. Additionally, both the seed number and the algorithm are unknown to the players to make sure no one can hack them.
To guarantee the player’s fairness and maintain trust, casino operators contract 3rd party companies solely focused on testing the RNGs for fairness. Technical Systems Testing is one of the most popular companies that test RNGs, an organization working under Gaming Laboratories International.
4. Gaming licenses
While not every jurisdiction has embraced internet betting, all safe and secure online gambling websites operate under a valid license. These licenses should be issued by reputable gambling jurisdictions like the Gibraltar Gambling Authority, the Isle of Man, Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), and the UK Gambling Commission, among others.
The fact that an online casino has a valid operating license from a reputable jurisdiction makes the website reliable, safe and secure. These jurisdictions protect the players from exploitation by the casinos, while ensuring that their money, personal details, and financial transactions remain safe.
5. Privacy policies
Privacy policies are crucial as they tell you how an operator plans to use their players’ personal information. The policy will tell you whether an operator shares their players’ emails and phone numbers with advertisers and other third parties that you might not be comfortable sharing the information with. That’s why players need to read the privacy policy before they agree to sign up on any casino website.
6. Secure banking methods
The availability of multiple secure banking methods in online casinos is a great advantage to players looking to send and receive money safely. Players can deposit their wagers or receive their winnings using their credit & debit cards and online virtual wallets like Skrill and PayPal. Additionally, players looking for anonymity and safety can also gamble through the blockchain using digital currencies.
How effective are online casino security measures?
When choosing a casino it’s important to ensure the operators have all these safeguards for your security. However, these security safeguards don’t guarantee that the casino you choose is legit. Instead, these safeguards are the minimum table stakes that every online casino must have to promote fair gambling and the safety of their players.