How to Check a New Casino Site is Safe

It shouldn’t surprise you to find that we really love new UK casino sites. However, we aren’t blind to the fact that many of you are concerned about playing at new online casino sites, as you find it hard to believe that they are all completely safe. We can assure you that every casino we recommend is safe though. Just to put your mind at rest, we’ve come up with this page, to show you exactly how you can check for yourself whether a new online casino site is completely safe or not.

The UK Gambling Commission

The single most important organisation for UK casino players is the UK Gambling Commission. This is a government group set up to regulate gambling in all its forms, and this includes online casino sites. They constantly monitor the activities of sites they oversee and will withdraw a site’s UKGC licence if they are found to be doing anything illegal or misleading. Without a licence from the UKGC, a site simply isn’t allowed to accept players from the United Kingdom.

You can see if a site is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission by scrolling to the bottom of its homepage. This is where most regulated sites display the UKGC logo. You can also visit the UKGC website and look through the list of licenced online casino sites. While it is nice to also see other regulation, from organisations such as the Malta Gaming Authority, this extra regulation will have no bearing on UK players at all. So, if a site is regulated with the UKGC, you can trust it. If it isn’t, you should avoid it at all costs.

Independent Auditing Companies

While the most important thing to look for at a site is the UK Gambling Commission regulation, you should also look to see if the site in question has been independently audited. There are various companies who carry this out, however the best-known of them all is eCOGRA. But what do they do? Well, they look at the random number generators used to play the games and they then confirm that these RNGs truly are random. If they are, every single player will have exactly the same chance of winning as the next player.

If a site has been checked by a company like eCOGRA, you’ll also find their logo at the bottom of the homepage. You can click on this logo to see a copy of the site’s certificate, thus proving that everything is fair and above board. Not having a certificate from a company of this type doesn’t mean that a site is definitely dishonest, however it will lead to some deciding to steer clear.

SSL Encryption

The final thing to look for at a safe and secure online casino is SSL encryption. This is a technology that allows your personal data to be encrypted when it is sent to a casino. This stops unauthorised parties from gaining access to this information. It is the case that nearly all casinos offer SSL encryption to players, however it’s always worth checking quickly.

If you’re still not confident inputting your card details at a casino, there are plenty of other payment options available to you. These include e-wallets, Paysafecard and companies like Boku, who add your deposit amount onto your mobile phone bill.