Quick Answer
The best indicator of a scam casino is the lack of a verifiable gambling licence, as all other aspects of a scam casino are a result of the lack of licensure.
10 Red Flags — Check Every One Before Depositing
1
No verifiable gambling licence
Some scam casinos may feature a licence logo on their website, but clicking on the logo will lead players nowhere, and entering the licence number will reveal no results on the official website of the licensing authority.
2
Unrealistic bonus offers
Legitimate casinos offer bonuses to players that are profitable but mathematically calculable, while the impossible offers like a 500% welcome bonus for new players are an attempt to lure in depositing players who will never win enough to withdraw.
3
No RTP information published
All licensed casinos are required to publish the RTP or play back of their games or feature providers that are certified to offer such games, meaning that if the casino refuses to provide this information or states that their games have no provider credits, then the players have no idea if the games are rigged.
4
Withdrawal delays with shifting excuses
Legitimate casinos process withdrawals from players within 24 to 72 hours, while the new excuses for casinos to delay processing a withdrawal from a player indicate that either the scam or the casino is insolvent.
5
Undisclosed or retroactively changed bonus terms
Scam casinos will use terms in their bonus offers that leave their players unable to claim their winnings, such as promising a bonus that requires the player to win a certain amount but then stating a maximum withdrawal from the bonus clause that was not shown to the player.
6
No functional customer support
Players should test customer support for a casino before depositing money. If the live chat function for the casino is offline, if the customer service emails bounce back from the casino, and if the contact form for the company does not have any e-mails that will reply to player messages, then the company will not provide support to the player if the player is ever having issues with their account or deposits.
7
Identical reviews across all review sites
Most fake reviews from scam casinos will be five-star reviews with the same text and posted at the same time window for each review. Searching for the casino on other websites such as AskGamblers, Trustpilot, and Reddit will reveal the true opinions about the casino.
8
Abrupt account closures after winning
When a player wins a significant amount at a casino, it is not uncommon for the company to send an email to the player stating that the account will be closed for violations of the terms and conditions. While the player may have won, the company will not pay out on winning bets. Reporting the casino to AskGamblers' Rogue Casinos list will allow the website to take action against these companies.
9
No responsible gambling tools
All licensed casinos are legally required to offer players the ability to set limits on deposits, playing sessions, and self-exclude from the casino, meaning that if the company does not offer these options for players to use, the casino is either unlicensed or acting in a way that makes it harder for problem players to control their gambling.
10
Domain registered within the last 3 months
For scam casinos, the domains are usually new and short lived, as these are companies that will collect money from players and then disappear. Using a whois lookup tool for the company's domain will reveal when it was registered, and all legitimate casinos will have a domain that is established for at least two years.
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Remember: Bitcoin transactions are irreversible. Unlike credit cards, Bitcoin transactions cannot be cancelled. Thus, if a player deposits into a scam casino using Bitcoin, there is no way to get their money back.
Quick Legitimacy Check — Do This in 5 Minutes
- Verify the licence directlyAs stated above, the licence number for a casino should be looked up on the official licensing authority's website, not on the casino's own website.
- Search for complaintsBefore placing any money into a casino, search their company name followed by the keywords not paying and scam on Google, Reddit, and AskGamblers.
- Check the rogue casino blacklistAskGamblers maintains a Rogue Casino Blacklist, which is regularly updated with casinos that have received player complaints.
- Check domain age via WHOISUsing a whois lookup tool will reveal the age of the company's domain name, and any domain registered less than a year ago should be scrutinized.
- Test support before depositingSending a test message to the live chat function of a casino will reveal the quality of customer support that will be provided to players while the player is active at the casino. Poor support prior to a player's deposit indicates that the company will offer poor support if the player should win significant amounts.
- Confirm responsible gambling toolsPlayers are always allowed and encouraged to set limits on how much money they wish to deposit, how many playing sessions they wish to engage in during a defined time period, and to self-exclude themselves from the casino itself.