Online Casino Security: A 5 Point Checklist

Modern web users are getting wise to the security risks involved in using all sorts of digital services. From social networks to shopping sites, many different platforms are potentially vulnerable to exploitation, and online casinos are definitely a tempting target for hackers.

As you might expect, there are differences in the quality of the security provided by popular casino sites. So if you want to enjoy web-based gambling without worrying about your personal data being exploited, here are the main must-haves for any service you sign up to.

Secure connectivity

This is a good starting point for any site you visit, let alone online casinos. If it isn’t using the secure version of the hypertext transfer protocol, otherwise known as HTTPS, then you should stop using it ASAP, and should certainly not hand over any private data on this type of unsecured connection.

While the inner workings of HTTPS tech are complex, the basic idea is that by using it, you can safely send and receive data to and from a website without any malicious third parties intercepting it. Encryption is the key here, and most modern web browsers will alert you to when a site isn’t protected by it.

Mainstream payment options

Another sign of a well-secured online casino is one which lets you make deposits and withdrawals using well-known payment platforms, rather than requiring you to use some proprietary solution that you have never encountered before.

Support for services like PayPal and Skrill should be a positive sign, since these offer excellent integrated protection for financial transactions of their customers. And given that you could be relying on this to transfer hundreds or even thousands of dollars, you don’t want to make compromises.

If in doubt about the top operators which provide secure payment options, check out the best casino and slots blog to read more on this topic and many others.

Strong password requirements

Highly rated online casinos recognize that one of the main weak points in any security system is the end user, and so the main way to mitigate this risk is to put policies and solutions in place which ensure customers conform to best practices.

To put this in a less technical way, sites which insist upon strong, unique passwords are better than those which have no restrictions whatsoever in this regard.

Using a strong password isn’t just important for the sake of your own data, but for the security and privacy of every user of a service.

If a site doesn’t implement specific requirements, such as a minimum password length, or the inclusion of special characters as well as standard letters and numbers, then it could be a sign of lax security in other areas.

Adhering to guidelines for strong passwords is a good idea for every online service you use. It’s also important to never reuse passwords, as this might backfire if a security breach occurs. A password manager, such as the one built into most web browsers, can help you to remember the different phrases you choose.

2-factor authentication at login

Following on from the discussion of secure passwords, it’s worth noting that these are not always enough to stop cybercriminals from breaking into online casinos and other digital services.

This is why a growing number of operators provide 2-factor authentication as a standard part of the login process.

You have likely experienced 2-factor authentication when using online banking services, so it should be fairly familiar to you. The idea is that as well as entering your username and password, you also provide verification in an additional way.

This might be by receiving an email with a code in it, or by getting this in a text message to your smartphone.

Whatever the case, online casinos that are committed to security will definitely be able to accommodate 2-factor authentication in some form.

Up to date licensing

Last but not least, online casinos need to be licensed by the local regulator that operates in your region. You can sometimes play on sites that are owned and based overseas, but this puts you in a legal gray area which won’t be much good if security is not up to scratch and you lose out as a result.

If you don’t live in a state where online gambling is officially legal and regulated, this creates a conundrum, of course. Traveling to places where it has been given the green light, and has the full backing of regulators and licensing agencies, is better for this reason.