Staying Safe While Gambling From Your Mobile

With state-of-the-art visuals, over thousands of games and online casinos to choose from, it is of no surprise that millions of people enjoy playing from the comfort of their homes each year.

The number of players is growing at a continuous rate and that enthusiasm has found its way to smartphones. Almost everyone has a smartphone and, in the UK alone, 53,629,948 of adults own one.

So, it makes sense why the gambling industry has focused heavily over the last few years on this recently untapped market. Statistics show that during this year in the UK, many people looked to escape the boredom of lockdowns due to COVID-19, specifically 26,814,974.

However, with the emergence of such popular online casinos being accessible by smartphones, dangers have also arisen. There are some mobile casinos that don’t have firewalls or encryptions, which lead to hacking and fraud, in other words your money being stolen. But don’t worry with these tips you can stay safe while gambling online.

Use trusted payment methods

Every online and mobile casino uses payment methods in order for you to deposit money to play and withdraw money that you have won. It is highly advised to use trusted payment methods such as PayPal, Visa/Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller and EcoPayz to name a few.

Often casinos offer a range of payment methods to their players rather than just limiting themselves to one. For example, Vera & John accept Astropay, EcoPayz, Neteller, Skrill and Trustly at the moment – probably to ensure that they’re not losing any customers who have a payment preference.

While unusual sometimes casinos do change their payment providers that they accept so if you want to keep up to date with what Vera & John accept we recommend checking this article by Japan 101 as it’s always up to date.

The reason it’s so important to use a trusted payment provider is because when you make payments with any platform, you are potentially giving access to your personal information.

All of the platforms above are heavily encrypted to ensure your data is not able to be leaked or collected. Using unverified or untrusted payment platforms can lead to your personal information, such as your online banking details, email address and passwords being collected.

Use verified apps

As well as using trusted payment methods, choose verified casino apps. When you install an application on your smartphone, you have to allow the app to access certain features of your phone.

Before installing an app, read through the permissions they require and check if the app has been verified. You might be installing an app that has the ability to read your screen and collect your personal information.

Unverified casino apps also haven’t been regulated for payout percentages and Random Number Generation, which means you may never win playing these apps.

Play in a safe area

While it is very convenient to open an app, anywhere at any time due to the advancements in technology, however this can be quite a security concern. It is also very efficient to load the webpage of the online casino and not have to enter your username and password every time.

Automatic log in makes it very easy to just start playing wherever you are, but that also means if your phone gets stolen, anyone can access your account. They could then either gamble on your device using your money, or even gain access to your bank account. Smartphone theft has been on the rise with 70 million being stolen each year.

Check online for other user’s experiences

Another way to protect yourself is to check online for the experiences other users have had. There is a plethora of forums available with thousands upon thousands of members sharing reviews and experiences of apps and online casinos they have tried.

Before playing on any app or online casino, it would be a good idea to browse the forums to get as much information as possible. This is not only good for your security, but you may find information relating to payout percentages, how often players win, how often players hit the jackpot and the general convenience of using the platform.

Information like this will great improve your own experience in the long run and may help you to avoid having your personal information potentially stolen.

Check gambling registers

Another resource that is freely available for you to peruse are gambling registers. You can find these registers online with a quick internet search. When an online casino or app is verified, it means that they have certified gambling licenses.

There are many providers such as Malta Gaming Authority, Gambling Commission, Swedish Gambling Authority and eCOGRA. It is important that the app or online casino is licensed as licensed platforms are heavily scrutinized before being given a license to ensure that play is fair.

You don’t want to be giving money away with no chance of winning anything back.

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