Are you secure when you play at a casino online in Canada? Perhaps you're eager to play, but only will do so when you know there is as little risk as possible. Security measures can be hard to gauge in the virtual ether of gambling, not because they don't exist, but because they are not always in plain sight.
Canada's major live casinos, such as River Rock Casino or Playground Poker Club, blatantly showcase camera systems and experts trained in the art of spotting cheats. It's easy to feel safe at these establishments. Whereas, online casinos cannot show you how they are combating the woes at the felt, yet protocols are very much in place. Like gambling gods with an omnipotent sense of what's going on at all times, internet casinos in Canada have a slew of measures in place. You don't have to be a security expert to understand the basics, but they will put your mind at ease, allow us to explain to you:
So if casinos online are able to ensure the safety of all their players without us being able to witness this, how do they do it?
Every casino online account holder will have to register their personal details with a site and protect them with a strong password. On top of this they will also need to provide answers to a series of security questions in the event their password is ever lost of compromised. This feature of internet casinos is the first line of defence in the war against cheats and one of the main ways players can actively ensure the safety of their own money when gambling online.
Probably the most important safety measure a casino online offers its players is a team of fraud experts. Because online casinos have the luxury of real-time statistics on every player (something a live casino doesn't have), a team of experts can easily analyse and identify security breaches. Whether it's a fault in the system or rogue players, the wealth of data available to security personnel is vast and this makes it virtually impossible for weaknesses in the system to go unnoticed.
Random number generators (RNGs) are another way an online casino protects its players. This software is essentially the driving force behind every gambling site. Based on complex algorithms, RNGs determine the result of any game you play. RNGs are fantastic for online gamblers because they are needed for an operator to obtain a licence. Third-party testers assess them to ensure they aren't biased. Moreover, every RNG must be protected against exploits and void of any features that could endanger the fairness of a game.
All online casinos must ensure that its members are of legal age to gamble with real money. Although it's possible to create a casino online account without verifying your identity, you will only be able to play free games before you're stopped in your tracks.
To make a real money deposit or withdrawal, you must confirm your identity with an operator. The general method of ID verification is by submitting various pieces of documentation, a driver's license, passport, or utility bill, to the operator. You must provide official evidence of your identity before you can play for real money.
Online casinos will put automatic restrictions on the amount of money you can deposit & withdraw in a set period of time. Although these particulars are changeable, any new account holder will have to demonstrate a level of responsibility before they can make adjustment requests.
Credit card fraud is a major issue online, both in and out of the gambling world. For any site, this is a cost that should, and can be minimised, and the reason why depositing is controlled. It pays to have these restrictions in place to protect you from the risk of fraud.
The most affluent online casinos will implement SSL encryption. A 128 or 256 bit SSL protocol is virtually impenetrable. With this in place a very complex computer code jumbles your personal and financial information.
SSL encryption is widely supported by the foremost banking institutions and ecommerce websites. Breaking incredibly complex lines of code is pretty much impossible. The encrypted information is then stored on the most secured, firewall backed, servers with layers of protection. Even if these servers were hacked, none of the casinos' information would make sense.
To make your casino online experience as safe and fun as possible, there are a few other safety tips to take into consideration:
Casino online security is extremely important because the gambling industry is based on trust. In the old days a solid handshake and someone's word was enough to convince them their money was safe, but nowadays we expect more. While it's true that some online casinos have been subject to security breaches in the past - UltimateBet is one example - the problems have resolved swiftly. Indeed, as we mentioned, security teams are constantly monitoring a site's data and any time they spot a flaw they move on it quickly.
As the casino online industry has grown so has the amount of regulation and that means operators now have to be a lot stricter on both their players and their own policies. Overall this has not only made the experience of gambling online a lot safer, but much more profitable because casinos are now able to spend less money on fixing problems and more on retaining customer loyalty.
Online casinos are a business. The last thing that these establishments want is to lose their loyal players, their following and potentially their entire operation. One of the biggest expenses of casinos online is the security. Just as your bank has a team of people working round the clock the ensure all protocols are running smoothly, the casino is doing exactly the same thing. They bring in third party anti-fraud experts on a frequent basis, up to every month, and take advantage of auditors to confirm the software is completely fair. When you play at the reputable casinos, you will have nothing to worry about. Your information is just as secure as that of your online banking.
Now that you have a basic certification in casinos' security measures you can rest easy and start to focus on the bigger, better picture: the fun.