The Hidden Dangers of Online Gambling
Before online casinos existed, gambling online meant arranging a trip to a land-based casino.
Depending on where you lived, the trip could be long and might even call for an overnight hotel stay. The first online casino launched in 1994, helping pave the way for thousands more.
Today, online casinos are easy to find and offer a wide range of real-money games, whether you are at home or using a mobile device on the go. If you have an internet-connected device that can browse the World Wide Web or run casino apps, online gambling is within reach.
That convenience also has a downside. Online gambling comes with risks worth understanding, and this article looks at some of the less apparent hazards of playing on these sites.
This article aims to explain the risks by drawing attention to less obvious aspects of online play compared with land-based gambling, rather than simply condemning it.
Online Casinos and Land-Based Casinos Compared
Land-based casinos may cost more, with higher minimum bets and added expenses for travel and perhaps a hotel. Online casinos, by contrast, are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a week, and generally offer lower stakes and a wider choice of games than a physical venue.
Whether you want to play blackjack, try baccarat, roulette, online slots, craps, poker, or bet on your favourite sport, you may find it on a website. Playing online is also usually more convenient than travelling to a land-based casino.
On the surface, online casinos appear to offer a better deal than physical venues. But along with the benefits of playing online come several less obvious drawbacks.
- Isolation
- Overspending
- Scams
- Insufficient safeguards
- Rigged games or result tampering
Online Casino Gambling Can Feel Isolating
Online casinos can be entertaining and may fill time when you are bored and looking for a pastime. A wide range of table games and variations can keep you occupied. For instance, you could spend hours learning Blackjack’s basic strategy and trying it across different formats, such as 4 to 8-deck games or hands that allow surrender or splitting.
Slot players can choose among thousands of themes, titles, and features, which could provide hours of entertainment. Loyalty bonuses, casino challenges, and a range of tournaments may make play even more absorbing.
That wealth of entertainment comes with a potential downside. Online casino games can take up a considerable amount of your time. You may have less time for friends and family and might start cancelling sports events or social plans to keep playing favourite slots. If you feel driven to wager a little more just to meet a bonus wagering requirement, a gambling problem may be developing.
You might argue that Live Casino offers social contact through chat with a dealer or croupier. But that is no substitute for the social interaction you need. Online play could weaken your connections with friends, family, or even your spouse.
Maintaining social contact with friends and family in the real world is important. Consider setting a firm limit on how much time you spend gambling online at your casino.
- Set a firm time limit for each playing session
- Take a gambling break if you start cancelling sports or social events
- Make time for family, friends, and social activities instead of always playing casino games
- Do not rely on live dealer games as a substitute for socialising in person
Online Casinos Can Encourage Overspending
Overspending is a serious online casino risk, in large part because depositing is so easy. Online casinos offer the kind of convenience associated with Amazon or eBay, providing customers with fast payment options. In today’s fast-paced e-commerce environment, people expect to pay for purchases almost instantly.
With so many quick payment methods available, adding money to a casino account may take just seconds and a few clicks or taps. You may not even need to leave the game, as some sites let you deposit or top up while playing. Overspending can be especially easy when you are chasing losses and can deposit funds immediately.
If you are raising your bets to win back a loss, topping up more than you planned, or wagering beyond what you can afford, take a break. If overspending or chasing losses continues, consider these tools, which may help you stop:
- Use your casino’s reality-check tools to set time limits
- Consider the casino’s self-exclusion feature for a cooling-off break
- Set table limits to stop yourself raising stakes while chasing losses
- Set maximum deposit limits for the day, week, or month
The Risk of Scams
The article describes most online casinos as fair and licensed by trusted authorities, but a licence alone does not guarantee safety. It presents government or EU-based licensing as a safeguard because regulators are expected to oversee operators; those processes may have limitations, and authorization in one jurisdiction does not prove authorization in another.
A casino might appear legitimate while holding a licence from a remote island jurisdiction. It could also offer games from Microgaming, Evolution Gaming, and NetEnt, creating an impression of reliability. That branding is no guarantee of protection: some operators use established developers yet find ways to avoid paying large wins.
These casinos may operate beyond the reach of laws or jurisdictions where legal action is straightforward. They could ignore your messages, close your account, or make up a reason to withhold payment.
Research an operator before depositing. Check whether it is licensed where you live or by a body such as the MGA, which covers multiple jurisdictions. Read casino reviews, look at ratings and comments from players who have used the casino, and check social media and forums. Thorough research may uncover scam warning signs, but cannot guarantee any particular outcome.
- Research the casino’s licensing body and consider whether it is trustworthy
- Look for casinos licensed by UKGC, MGA, or authorities operating under EU laws
- Read casino reviews to see what players report about the operator
Sometimes the Problem Is Not the Player
A challenge when assessing an online casino is determining which tools it offers to help you gamble responsibly. This is particularly important for newcomers who may not yet understand the risks of excessive play. A responsible casino should provide measures intended to curb overspending and excessive gambling, and to help people avoid debt or gambling addiction.
Look for FAQs, help pages, game RTP information, instructions, strategy guides, and links to organisations that offer information and assistance for problem gambling.
Most importantly, the casino should offer tools that allow you to:
- Set a maximum deposit limit for the day, week, or month
- Set the maximum amount you can wager on a single bet using table limits
- Self-exclude for a cooling-off period or longer
- Limit access to specific games
- Use a reality check to track playing time and amounts wagered or lost
The overspending section has already described these features as ways to lower the risk of debt and chasing losses. Before you play, it is important to check that the casino actually offers them.
Rigged Games and Result Tampering at Untrustworthy Casinos
Very few online casinos could get away with rigging games at that time. The article notes that even operators with weak licences often use platforms connected to several software providers, intended to keep random number generators (RNGs) within a predetermined return to player (RTP) and prevent operator tampering.
Nonetheless, some casinos hold questionable licences that allow them to use proprietary RNGs. They may display a certificate claiming that a reputable company tested the RNGs. The check may have taken place, but the key questions are when it occurred and how often testing is repeated. The article raises the possibility that tests were conducted when the casino opened and never repeated.
Badges and seals may give players a false sense of security while game outcomes are manipulated. On closer inspection, an RNG certificate could be months or years old, or undated. The operator may also have a questionable licence that makes this kind of deception easier.
Here are 5 practical ways to avoid rigged online casino games:
- Choose casinos licensed by the EU or trusted local government authorities
- Check whether the casino provides eCOGRA quarterly reporting
- Find out whether IBAS is available as an independent channel for casino disputes
- Look for current certificates from iTech Labs, Testlabs, GLI, and TST
- Read casino reviews, including those published here on casino-ideal.ca
