Due to the pandemic that plagued the world in 2020, many entertainment establishments closed down because the government did not categorize them as essential.
Despite it being true, many bettors have felt disappointed due to casinos closing down, but there’s nothing they can do about that. That said, bettors have looked for an alternative ever since, and they looked on the internet for an answer. Sure enough, they found it in the form of online casinos.
Online casinos are just like brick-and-mortar casinos, except everything is digital. From the games to the withdrawal, you can do everything in online casinos except socializing and feeling the atmosphere. However, due to the rise in popularity of online casinos, there are also some people out there who want to take advantage of that fact.
Scammers and predators made fake online casinos, and instead of playing fairly with their players, they are out to get their money through illegal means. Of course, as bettors, we don’t want to get cheated out of our money. Before picking an online casino, you have to ensure it’s legit.
How exactly would you know if an online casino is fake? Here are the red flags to look for.
1. Unrealistic Bonuses
Most online casinos have perks and bonuses when registering on their site for the first time. It’s quite common, and it’s their way of enticing more players to play on their site and have fun. If you want legit bonuses and perks for registering from a trusted betting site, you can visit here. However, the most unfortunate thing is that fake online casinos imitate this.
It complicates things since there’s no way to differentiate between them. That said, if you’re in an online casino but think the bonus is too extravagant or too good to be true, there’s a good chance it is.
You see, in most online casinos, you must first meet a specific requirement to get their bonuses. For example, before you get the free money they advertise, you have to be a member of their site first or deposit a specific amount of money before you get the free money they’re advertising.
On the other hand, a fake online casino will say they’ll give it to you immediately after registering. Doesn’t that sound suspicious? If you think so, then you better think first before registering. But don’t get us wrong, though; there are also legit casinos that do this.
2. Low-Quality Design
If you think that the front page of an online casino is something they tore out from a kid’s coloring book, then there’s a good chance it’s a fake online casino. One of the rules in making a site is that its front page or the whole site design should look official, professional, and functioning. This includes online casinos.
An online casino that doesn’t have all these elements means various things. For example, they don’t have the money to create a site professionally, are not updated on today’s technology, or don’t simply care.
It’s also important to note that if a site doesn’t have a functioning aspect, it usually means that they don’t have the means to secure your data when you register on its site. Not only will you get your money and winnings at risk, but you might also get your personal information in danger, which includes your bank details.
3. Bad Online Reviews
People don’t like to get cheated. And most of the time, they want to voice their frustrations online, hence why third-party review sites are created.
If you want to check how an online casino conducts its business, you could look for their reviews online. When a person thinks that an online casino is fake, they often warn other players not to play on that specific site through a review that the other players can read.
Of course, some of these reviews are biased, but you never know. That said, if an online casino has too many bad reviews, you might want to assume that something shady is up with that online casino.
4. Sudden Restriction of Book-to-Book Transfers
Some sportsbooks allow you to do book-to-book transfers if you want to change your sportsbook or if you want to deposit some of your money from one sportsbook to another. It’s a standard feature that most sportsbooks have and is something many appreciate. However, if you notice that your sportsbook suddenly restricts this feature, there may be several reasons why and some of them are not very good.
One reason is that something is up with their accounting, and they must turn it off to fix the error. It rarely happens, but when it does, they usually send out an email to notify their bettors. This feature will be turned off during this time, and depositing and withdrawing might also be turned off.
On the other hand, scam sportsbooks turn this feature off when they’ve been found out and are in line for auditing. It could also be that they have been cut off from other sportsbooks because those sportsbooks don’t want to be associated with another one in the industry linked to scams. You could also expect the bank companies related to the sportsbook to pull out to protect their customers and their reputation.
5. Withdrawal Delays or None at All
One common trick that fake online casinos would do to players is when a player tries to withdraw, they will delay it as long as they can until they stop caring about their winnings anymore. Then at that point, they will just simply run away with your money. That said, if people complain online that a specific online casino is not giving away their players’ winnings or is too long, then you should avoid that casino. Legit casinos are fast regarding withdrawal since they are partnered with popular banking companies like MasterCard, Visa, and PayPal.
Final Words
Due to the rising popularity of online casinos, there will eventually be people willing to take advantage of the situation and try to cheat and steal other people’s money. Luckily, there are telltale signs that we can see to determine if an online casino is fake. You just have to know where and what to look for.