Here are several easy things you can do to stay safe when you next want to play blackjack online for real money from your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop PC.
Whether you are a seasoned pro looking for somewhere new to play or a newbie who’s looking to play at an online casino for the first time, there are many things you must never forget.
How to stay safe playing blackjack online
If you want to play blackjack online with real money in a safe environment, here are some of the most important things to remember before signing up to any random online casino you have stumbled upon. They include the following:
- Safety & security
- Trust & reputation
- Licensing & ownership
- Software and games
- Currencies and banking options
- Responsible gambling/safer gambling tools
- Device compatibility
Let us quickly examine what this means for you as a player.
Safety & security
Ensure the online casino you are about to register a real money account with is a secure website with SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. Also, check the casino’s URL in the address bar at the top of the page. It should start with ‘https’ and not ‘http.’ Remember that the ‘s’ stands for secure.
In other words, being protected by SSL encryption (normally 128-bit or 256-bit) means your preferred payment method details, money, and personal information are protected at all times.
Trust & reputation
Try to do a little digging and find out if the casino has good reviews. If it has been around for a few years, there should be plenty of player reviews and equally as many unbiased/honest reviews written by trusted online casino information websites. If the majority of reviews are good, that site will be worth signing up to.
Licensing and ownership
Also, check that the operator can be trusted and has a good reputation in the iGaming industry. The most important thing is that the casino is licensed by a mid to top-tier licensing authority. Never sign up to an unlicensed online casino.
One of the most trusted licensing authorities in the world is the UK Gambling Commission. Others include the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE), the Michigan Gaming Control Board, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and the Malta Gaming Authority, to name a few.
If a casino is licensed by one or more of these renowned authorities, you know for sure that the site can be trusted.
Software and games
Make sure the casino has a decent selection of online blackjack games, card games, dice games, slots, video poker games, live dealer games, and instant win games from established, fully licensed software providers and game development studios.
Currencies and banking options
The safest online casinos for playing blackjack will only accept today’s most secure, reliable, and convenient digital wallets, bank transfers, prepaid cards, and credit/debit cards. Also, check that they accept your local currency before signing up.
Responsible gambling/safer gambling tools
A safe and secure online casino should always be seen to be actively promoting responsible gambling, and the best sites will have numerous ‘safer gambling tools’ in place to protect players. Also, set deposit limits, session time limits, and spending limits, where possible, to help you stay in control of your spending.
Device compatibility
The safest online casinos will be accessible from any modern mobile phone or desktop computer with internet/Wi-Fi connectivity. Always check the games can be accessed from your chosen device before signing.
Final note
Other simple things you can do to stay safe when playing blackjack online are things like never saving your login credentials on a shared computer or giving your account username or password to anyone.
Think before signing up and making a deposit that the site is safe, and do things like turn on 2FA (two-factor authentication). Finally, think before replying to emails that appear to be from your casino. It could be a hacker trying to harvest your information by pretending to be the casino.
