Safety in online casinos - How to find a secure SA casino

Are online casinos safe?

The vast majority of online casinos are safe. It’s actually beneficial to both the casino and its players that it takes various measures to ensure a secure environment for all. Included in those measures are the following:

Licensing: In order to be an approved, secure online casino, the establishment must be licensed by an accredited gaming authority. The casino should have a reference to its licensing directly on its website with a logo and a clickable link that shows where the casino is licensed and its licensing number. Most of our recommended casinos and software providers are licensed by the Lotteries & Gaming Authority in Malta or by the government of Gibraltar.
Anti-virus protection: Just as you want anti-virus protection for your computer, each casino wants to protect their software and network from viruses, spyware, and malicious threats. The most common anti-virus protection used is Norton powered by Symantec (formerly VeriSign), which conducts vulnerability assessments and scans the casino’s website for any of the aforementioned threats 24/7.
Safe, reputable software providers: Since an online casino’s games and back office come directly from their software providers, it’s essential that that the casino partners with reputable and certified software companies like Playtech, NetEnt, 888, Sheriff Gaming, and others. Their software is continually tested by 3^rd party auditing services to ensure fairness and players’ safety.
3^rd party auditing services: TST Labs (Technical Systems Testing) and eCogra are the two most common 3^rd party entities that conduct continuous testing to ensure that a casino’s software, RNG (Random Number Generator), and payouts are all fair and in compliance with international gaming standards. If a casino uses one of these services, there should be a seal of approval or certification from TST Labs or eCogra with a link to any recent tests on the bottom of the casino’s main page.
Strict Privacy Policies: To ensure the safety of their players, casinos process any personal information provided in accordance with any and all data protection laws within the countries that they operate. Personal information is only seen by relevant staff at each casino and not shown to any other party. We recommend looking at a casino’s individual privacy policy to better learn how any information you provide is used, as well as carefully reading their Terms & Conditions which offer a close look at how the casino operates, any restrictions they have for players from specific countries, additional information on payment methods, and more.

Online casino payment security

In addition to strict privacy policies, online casinos employ SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)/TLS (Transport Layer Security) certificates and HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) to keep your personal information and identity confidential.

HTTPS: a communications protocol that ensures safe communication over any computer network by combining HTTP and layering it with SSL/TLS technology.
SSL and TLS: digital encryption that provides a secure environment for servers and browsers to safely share information like financial transactions, personal data, and login details.

When you’re asked for any of this information at the casino, you’ll be able to see an image of a lock next to the website’s address, which signifies that the website is not only verified, but any information you provide is safe and encrypted from any potential threats.

Mobile casino security

Online casinos use the same technology that guarantees safe play on their casino site as they do on mobile casinos. That being said, there are still some steps that you can take so that you can minimize risk to potential security threats, such as only using secure WiFi networks (no public WiFi), only download apps from the App Store or Google Play Store, look for https when you’re online, avoid opening any unfamiliar emails or texts, and adjust your privacy settings on your phone so your information and accounts can’t be accessed by someone else in the case that your phone is lost or stolen.

How we rate online casino safety

Providing a safe & fair environment for players is our top priority when we rate and recommend a casino. In order to ensure that we are recommending safe online casinos that adhere to the highest standards of internet security, we do our research, just as we described above. We look to make sure that the casino is licensed, partnered with secure software providers, undergoes constant testing and is regulated by a 3^rd party accredited institution, uses anti-virus software, HTTPS and SSL/TLS encryption technology, and offers fair terms & conditions for its players.

The Bottom line about Casino Security

This time we’ve already done the hard work for you and found a great list of safe online casinos that you can visit right now. But remember, any time you’re looking to join a new casino, it’s important to consider all of the criteria that make a casino safe. If you feel that a casino is missing one of these components, don’t play there because there are plenty of excellent secure casinos to choose from.