Is online betting safe?
We have asked this question a good deal, and we always give the same answer. Online betting IS secure, but only if you have some precautions. It is down to YOU to make sure your personal safety.
There is no denying that gambling online for real money involves some danger. There is the obvious risk of dropping money on wagers naturally, but that’s not what we’re talking here. We’re talking about the probability of getting ripped off or cheated in some way, or even the risk of getting into legal trouble. These risks, among others, are why people worry about the safety of internet gambling.
Even though it is not a bad thing to be wary of the risks involved, the simple fact is that there is not actually much to be concerned about. Not many people who gamble online need to face any real safety issues, and there’s no reason why you should either. Avoiding the dangers and shielding yourself is actually pretty easy.
Not convinced? Then this guide is exactly what you need. We look at each of the most frequent security concerns concerning online betting, and clarify the actions you can take to make sure those concerns DON’T become a reality.
Getting Ripped Away or Cheated
This is THE most common safety concern we hear about. Lots of individuals worry that online betting sites simply can’t be reliable, and we understand why. Through the years there have been several betting sites guilty of a few or all of the next.
Disappearing with client funds.
Not honoring winning wagers.
Not paying withdrawals, or paying really late.
The simple fact that these things have happened at all reflects badly on the online betting industry. It shouldn’t even be possible for sites to rip their customers off or to treat them .
Regrettably it IS possible though, and we are not even shocked that it happens. There are always going to be individuals in this world who attempt to scam or cheat others rather than make an honest living. And in some ways the internet has made it easier than ever to eliminate it.
With this in mind, it’s not exactly surprising that some people do not enjoy the notion of betting online for real cash. They are just not comfortable with the risk of being ripped off or cheated, and who can blame them?
The fantastic news is it’s not really that big of a risk.
People do get ripped off and cheated from online gaming sites. We would be lying if we said otherwise. That does not mean that online gambling is basically unsafe though.
In fact, we would even go as far as to say that the opposite is true! There are SOME shady websites that operate unethically (to put it mildly), but they are the exception rather than the rule. Most gambling sites are perfectly safe to use, and may be trusted to treat their customers in the ideal way.
Hence the key to staying safe is just to avoid the shady websites and stick together with the legitimate ones. But how do you do that? How can you know which sites can definitely be reliable?
This is easier than you might think. Do a little investigating to determine which sites meet these criteria.
Licensed and regulated by a reputable body.
Been in business for several years.
Favorable online reviews.
Lack of negative reports/complaints.
The very first item on this list is especially important. Any website that is not licensed and regulated should be avoided in any way costs. That does not mean you can just blindly trust any site which does have an online gaming permit though. Some permits are so easy to get they’re hardly even plausible. Others are issued to sites that comply with VERY strict regulations and rules. To find more information, please see the article we have listed below.
Online Gambling & The Role of Licensing Authorities
The duration of time a website has been operating is a really good measure of the validity. Shady sites do not last too long, since they’re continuously getting shut down for one reason or another. If a website has been around for many years, it is likely to be one you can expect.
Online reviews are a wonderful way to find out more about a betting site. If a site has lots of favorable reviews, that is obviously a good sign. Particularly when those reviews are from people who have really used those websites. Genuine user reviews generally paint the most accurate picture.
WARNING
You have to be careful about trusting review websites. There are tons of websites that review betting websites and other gambling sites, but they’re not all 100% honest. A number of them get paid to post positive reviews, so you can’t expect to get unbiased opinions. Be particularly cautious when each review appears to be positive, and all sites get 5 stars or 10/10 evaluations.
We have our own review section here in GamblingSites.com. Our reviews ARE honest, and based on a combination of our own experiences and additional research. We write concerning the good and the bad, providing our subscribers with balanced views and the information they really need to know.
When a gambling site does participate in unethical behavior, it is very likely that the people affected will publicly express their concerns for everybody to see. That’s why we recommend searching for negative reports and complaints. Simply do a Google search using the website name and”scam,””complaint,” or something similar. If there’s anything bad you should be aware of, you’ll probably find it. If you don’t find anything, then that is a fantastic sign.
Please note that none of those individual criteria we’ve discussed here GUARANTEES a website is a trusted. If you put them together you can be quite confident that a site is legit, but you still will need to proceed with care if you would like to shield yourself. We recommend testing a site out with little deposits until you’re absolutely certain they can be trusted.
We realize that most people who bet online, or want to, would like to simply sign up using a site and start putting their wagers right away. Researching various different sites and testing them out is simply too much hassle. They still want to stay safe though. Luckily, we have an answer to this issue.
We have done the hard work, having researched and tested a broad range of betting sites. Based on our findings, we’ve compiled of list of recommended sites that we believe are the best around. This is finally only our view, but one thing’s for sure. Each and every one of the recommendations is secure to use. They’re all legitimate, trustworthy and reliable. We simply wouldn’t recommend them differently.
Best Sports Betting Sites As recommended by GamblingSites.com
Breaking the Law
Why would anybody be concerned about breaking the law when gambling online? Anyone who resides in a state where online betting is fully legalized or regulated might be wondering why this. Unfortunately, in different countries around the world, there are people who fully understand why breaking the law is in question.
These people genuinely don’t know if it is legal for them to place wagers online, since the online betting laws in their nations are outdated, confusing or even both. It’s not clear what is legal and what is not, so people obviously worry that placing an internet wager may be breaking the law.
Now, we are not lawyers. We HAVE researched the legislation concerning online gambling extensively though, and we have come to two very clear decisions. The first is that most online gambling laws is targeted at people who supply online gaming services and operate gambling websites. The second is that there are no laws that explicitly allow it to be illegal for an individual to put a sports bet online.
What does this mean for you?
Well, in our opinion it means that there’s very little risk of getting into legal trouble for betting online. We can not say for sure that you’re 100% safe from breaking the law, but we really do not think that is an issue.
It is important that you steer clear of betting websites that might be operating lawfully though. The folks operating an illegal website are far more likely to face prosecution than the customers, but why risk it? Even in the event that you don’t get detained (and you probably won’t), guess what occurs when an illegal gambling site gets busted? Each of their assets become captured, so you’re likely lose any money you have in the site.
There are loads of gaming sites which operate lawfully within the jurisdictions where they are based. Including ALL the sites that we advocate. Stick with these and you should not have to worry about any legal difficulties.
Personal Details Being Sold or Stolen
These are two distinct risks actually. The risk of your personal information being sold is readily avoided, as you just need to use one of our recommended betting sites. All these are legit sites that just do not engage in this kind of behavior. They won’t sell your email address to other companies that will spam you to death. Nor will they sell your banking information to fraudsters.
They will continue to keep your personal details confidential, because your security is important to them.
Utilizing reputable and trustworthy sites will also lower the chances of your personal information being stolen. These sites use the latest encryption and security technologies to make sure that your information is as secure as it could be. There is still SOME risk unfortunately, as even the most reliable companies in the world are ultimately prone to hackers. Just ask Microsoft, Sony or even Amazon. These companies have all been hacked and’d client details stolen.
Realistically, there is only a tiny chance your personal information will be stolen from an internet betting site. Tiny enough that it’s not worth worrying about it. What’s more likely is that the information is going to be stolen from YOU once you’re accessing and utilizing gaming websites.
Here are some safety tips that will allow you to keep your information safe, and prevent unauthorized access to your betting accounts. We strongly advise that you follow them.
Install anti-virus and anti virus applications on all of your devices, and KEEP IT UPDATED.
Use strong passwords. Ideally with a combination of upper case and lower case letters, numbers and other symbols.
Use different passwords at different sites.
Do not provide your usernames or passwords to ANYONE.
Change your passwords regularly.
Use unusual security questions/answers.
Don’t send banking information via email, live chat or Skype. Only enter it straight at a betting site, where everything is going to be encrypted and protected.
Becoming Addicted
This is not the same type of risk to others mentioned so far. It is a very real risk though, and one which you should definitely know about. A small fraction of people do get hooked on online betting, or at least experience some form of problem gaming. If you would like to remain safe from such dangers, it’s VITAL that you gamble responsibly.
Your first step must be to set a budget based on how much you are prepared to deposit online. This should ideally be a weekly funding or a monthly budget. It should be money which you can afford to lose, which isn’t required for anything more important.
Then you have to be quite strict about sticking to your budget. Don’t warrant overspending by stating”just this once” or”I will win it back.” That’s how problem gambling starts, and things can soon escape control. Do not ever borrow money to bet with either. If you do not have the cash yourself, then you need ton’t be gambling. It is that easy.
Be mindful that most online betting sites allow you to set your personal deposit limits. Please use this if you believe overspending is going to be something you struggle with. It’s an additional layer of protection that you may be thankful for afterwards.
We also suggest learning about bankroll management and staking strategies. This will allow you to remain in control, and it can even enhance your overall chances of winning money.
Please note that it is ideal to refrain from gaming all together if you have an addictive personality. You could have the ability to remain in control, but you might not. It’s simply not worth the risk.
Overview There’s no real reason why online betting shouldn’t be a completely safe experience. There are a few dangers involved for certain, but most of these risks could easily be avoided. You simply need to take a few straightforward precautions.
If you only remember one thing in this guide, let it be this; that sites you decide to utilize CAN and WILL make a difference. By sticking to legitimate and legal sites which may be trusted, you’ll be able to eliminate many of the common safety issues. Should you also gamble responsibly, and require some security measures to protect yourself, you WILL be safe.
Then you can focus on having fun and trying to win some money, which is just what online sports betting is all about.
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