Currently hundreds of online casinos exist on the internet. Despite industry consolidation, the total number of operators are increasing as software licensing costs decrease and land-based casinos go online in increasing numbers. Unfortunately this boom is also creating new opportunities for fraudsters and crooks. Although not all online casino operators are dishonest, there are a fraction of them who are give the entire industry a bad name. The degree of the dishonesty varies greatly ranging from outright crooks with no business ethics to those who cheat players by imposing ridiculous conditions for cashing out or receiving bonuses.

In this section we teach online gamers how to distinguish between reputable online casino and crooks. Particularly in the gaming industry, buyers must take the initiative in avoiding fraud.

Step 1 : Qualify the Casino Software Provider

All online casinos are operated on some type of gaming software platform. Poor software leads to ongoing problems that are not easily solved, leading to eventual issues that include account tracking, bonus payments, unfair games, low payout percentages and cash-out problems. My rule of thumb is to avoid casinos operating on proprietary solutions particularly those that are not well known. My reasons are:

Small software developers do not have the economy of scale to maintain and upgrade large scale solutions that have all the whistles and bells.

Small software developers do not have a large userbase of licensees that provide constant feedback thus reducing overall software accountability and quality.

In business big players usually associate with other big players and small fish associate with other small fish. In an industry like gaming going with the small fish is a recipe for disaster as smaller players do not have the resources to develop sophisticated overall solutions. To find find out what software the casino you plan to play, check the website and read the fine print. If the operator uses reputable software chances are they would openly advertise it. If they operate with a less recognized proprietary solution then they usually do not advertise this fact. If there are doubts call the casinos technical support. Depending on the source, there are no more than a dozen major players. Below are 7 of the biggest software developers:

Microgaming

CryptoLogic

Boss Media

IGlobal Media

Playtech

Real Time Gaming

World Gaming (formerly known as StarNet)

The first 3 are very prominent in the online gaming world as they power casinos everywhere. World Gaming, formerly based here in Vancouver, has had a somewhat more questionable history despite being a public company due to some questionable business practices.

Some of the best casinos I recommend are the flagship casinos operated by the software provider. One example is InterCasino which is run by Cryptologic. The very reason is that in this case Cryptologic has put the company's reputation behind Intercasino. If there were anything fishy going on with InterCasino, this would affect their entire business. The chances of this casino not making payments, cheating players is remote and if it were to happen would severely affect their core business. See our list of top casinos run by the very best software operators in the industry.

For the very same reason casinos affiliate with large land-based casino groups should also be very reputable. Currently there are few land-based casinos operating online however this trend is soon to change as deregulation occurs.

Step 2 : Check the Casino's Credentials

If you still insist on playing with a casino that is not well recognized I would recommend you do a few basic checks on the site:

Visual Inspection - Does the site look professional? Some warning signs are spelling errors, poor user interface, confusing navigation and unclear explanations of various policies (payouts, payments, bonuses, game rules etc.)

Support Inspection - One way to check if the company is potentially dishonest is to call the support line and ask lots of questions. All casinos should have both telephone and email support. Beware if you experience the following:

- Long delays in email support response - No support telephone number, - Unknowledgeable support clerks - Lack of disclosure

Poor support usually indicates a similar attitude they will take upon making cashouts. Common questions you may consider asking are:

- Payout percentages - Info on large bonus winners - Payout conditions - Software provider - Associated business affiliations

And also don't forget to get the name of the support operator you called just in case.

Check Accreditation - Many top casinos are accredited by displaying seals, banners and logos of the organizations they belong to. However note that this industry is also full of bogus organizations that issue fake awards and seals. These "fake" player advocacy groups are often run by a single operator from home and have nothing better to do than assist in the cheating of unsuspecting online gamers. In general there are a few seals you should look for:

Step 3 : Check the Casino's Policy on Payouts and Bonuses

More than once I've played in a casino where I couldn't cash out. One example is a Microgaming licensee where they implemented 2 conditions (as of Oct 20, 2002) that I rarely find in other top-notch casinos.

Dollar amounts of less than $50 cannot be cashed out. Click here to view. BlackJack is excluded from qualifying games to cash out the bonus. Especially for me, blackjack being one of my favorite games, this makes it virtually impossible to cash out as I cannot meet their minimum requirements. Click here to view Casinos are in business to make money, however at times the operators can be overzealous in their policies resulting in dissatisfied players. Here are things to watch out for:

1. Are payout policies listed? - Review the terms and conditions and make sure you are satisfied with them. Often online casinos do not pay out bonuses until a minimum dollar volume is reached. Moreover certain games may be excluded from this calculation (see above). My recommendation is that upon joining a casino, to cash out once to experience the entire process. Check the period elapsed before money is issued and whether there are restrictions and other policies. (I've had one casino require me to fax them my passport to verify a measly $50 cashout!) Other industry tricks to watch out for are:

- Fees for payout withdrawals and wire transfers.
- Hidden banking fees (these can get up to $50 for a simple wire transfer discouraging cashouts for smaller sums)

2. Are big bonus winners advertised? - Some casinos openly advertise big winners and for good reason. The lack of big winners should be a warning sign of an unscrupulous operator. InterCasino, for example, openly advertises it's list of recent winners.

Step 4 : Check the Casino's Reputation in the Community

This does not mean going to those link farms which rate sites and claim to do all sorts of "independent reviews". Many of them are completely biased and have never even played at the casinos they are promoting! Casinos are changing all the time with new owners, games and policies. Make sure you check out reputable sites (not link farms) to see what real players think of them. In my case I test each of the casinos constantly before I put them on my site (see disclosure) and spent any amount of money. In general here are some things to look for on these message boards:

• They should have a good reputation regarding adhering to their own posted payment processing schedule.
• They must have a clean history of fairness towards their customers. Look for audited payout percentages advertised on the site.

Watch For These Warnings!

• Bonuses without Payouts - Bonuses are a great form of promotion however do not over prioritize it when choosing your casino of preference. All the bonuses in the world are worthless if you cannot cash out. I've been cheated on several occasions by casinos offering great bonuses. Remember, if it is too good to be true then it usually is!
   
• SPAM - Watch for casinos using spam as a marketing tool. This is a sign of a poor marketing budget which may be indicative of a cash-poor casino that will have problems upon payout. If you receive spam see if you can trace it back to the sender. Sometimes the spam is sent by a marketing company affiliated with the casino.
   
• Slow customer support - Slow response from queries either via telephone, live chat or email response are a warning that support is outsourced. Nothing wrong with that however it may be indicative of future support quality. Informative support staff available 24/7 is a must.
   
• No-Disclosure - They must be willing to divulge information about their business. Ask them if they are licensed in a jurisdiction that offers gambling licenses. Rogue casinos will use any trick, legal or illegal, to not payout big prizes including claiming that the player's jurisdiction does not allow online gambling!

Tricks of the Trade for rogue casino operators

• Creating multiple identities and changing them. After they cheat a few players, they close the casino down and change it's name thus concealing their true identity.
   
• Bogus "feeder" or referral sites with absolutely no premise behind them. I've seen many so called referral sites that are operated by the casinos themselves. This obvious conflict of interest is common in unregulated industries.
   
• Fake awards & accreditations - These include "best casino awards" that are completely bogus. See the links at the bottom of this page for info on accredited agencies.
   
• Spam messages - Particularly the ones that are not even addressed to you touting a big win.

Casino Communities

See the following sites to find out how other players view the casino you are planning to play at:

Casino Meister
Winner Online
Internet Commission Message Boards

Top Related Resources

Industry Associations

Online Players Association
The Online Players Association (OPA) is an online gambling watchdog group that is dedicated to providing the online gambler with information on Internet gambling sites that are reputable, safe to play at, and honest. They also act as a mediator between any disputes involving a player and an OPA endorsed gambling site. This group was founded in 2000 and to date has helped players recoup over US$100,000 in winnings and deposits from online gambling sites.

Interactive Gaming Council
The Interactive Gaming Council (IGC), founded in 1999, is an industry wide organization made up of online gambling sites, online gambling portals, and others involved in the world of Internet gambling. The IGC Seal of Approval is a logo that appears on online gambling sites and symbolizes that those sites adhere to the highest ethical standards. The Seal of Approval program also gives players access to dispute resolution through an IGC mediator who works to resolve any problems the player may have with an IGC associated gambling site.

Off Shore Gaming Association
The Off Shore Gaming Association (OSGA) is a watchdog group that monitors the off shore sports gaming industry. The OSGA lists reputable online sportsbooks and online casinos. The OSGA also has a variety of other sports related tools to help the average bettor.

Internet Gaming Commission
The Internet Gaming Commission is an online gambling watchdog group that helps to inform players about safe places to gamble online. The Internet Gaming Commission also has a dispute resolution section that attempts to mediate any problem that arises between a player and an online gambling site. (Link to Internet Gaming Commission.