Over the years, we’ve encountered many gaming websites and a fair number of online casino frauds. Although the active regulatory bodies for the IE market are effective, certain casino scams occasionally manage to get by.

We created this tutorial because new gamers are the most susceptible to scammers. By adhering to these rules and reading this guide, you can readily distinguish legitimate casino operations from scams.

• What’s a Rigged Casino?
• How to Identify Scam Online Casinos Before Joining
• Scam vs Legit Online Casinos
• How to Spot A Legitimate Online Casino
• Verdict From CasinoAlpha

What’s a Rigged Casino?

If a casino has been modified to maximize profits, it is said to be rigged. Therefore, giving the player little to no room to create or cash out any value.

The most important traits that make a casino rigged

• Game tampering for giving the house a more considerable advantage
• Inconsistencies between the presented and applied rules
• Constant cash-out problems or denials

These are the most significant factors that online casino scams use to increase their profits through unfair means.

Are online casinos rigged?

The short answer is no. Any iGaming platform that is not a scam will show and test its game returns. Also, you can rest assured that casinos featured on expert websites are thoroughly analysed. Any casino review aims at 100% objectivity so the gamblers know what to expect. Plus, all the online IE casinos we recommend go through a throughout evaluation process before they get listed on our CasinoAlpha site.

However, remember that casinos are businesses, and they will always make a profit. This is where the authorities come to ensure that the proper guidelines are followed and everyone is satisfied.

Are online casino games rigged?

If the Irish Betting License issued by Revenue Commissioners licenses the casino, for example, it’s indeed not rigged. Also, the presence of testing agencies like eCOGRA gives an extra layer of certainty. The RTP percentage shows exactly how fair any game type is in the long run.

Tips

Consider that the Return to Player percentage shows the return to users on a minimum of 1000 bets or spins.

Irish players express the most doubts about the fairness of online roulette games compared to other casino games. This is justified since the roulette odds in Ireland can differ drastically depending on the bet placed.

Is online roulette rigged?

No. The roulette type influences the house edge since the rules and wheel layout have a considerable impact. If you are unsatisfied with your outcomes, remember that it’s a fair game. You can try different strategies and consider playing French roulette since it has a low house edge.

How to Identify Scam Online Casinos Before Joining

You can examine an iGaming platform’s true colors using these straightforward techniques. To be safe, always seek a second opinion if you are unsure because con artists are continually evolving their techniques.

Tip

Doing some research before making any financial commitments can save you from a lot of headaches.

• Licensing Institutions

Licensing institutions are organisations that ensure the fairness of offline and online casinos by enforcing player protection regulations. The industry’s most trusted institutions that ensure casino fairness in Ireland are the Irish Betting License issued by Revenue Commissioners, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission.

If they license a website, you can rest assured that it’s not manipulated in any way.

How to find the license number?

Keep in mind that casinos always show their accreditation in the footer of the main page. There, you should find the institution’s logo and some text related to the casino license number. The logo should always be present alongside the account number.

In the case of the Irish Betting License issued by Revenue Commissioners, always click on the logo or the account number shown to ensure no online casino scams are present. They will redirect you to the official site for more details about the casino license. Suppose you cannot find this kind of information in the footer, or it’s present with no direct link. In that case, it could indicate online casino scams.

• Independent testing agencies

Casinos are audited by third-party organisations that analyse the available games to determine their RTP and RNG precisely. The first company of this kind was eCOGRA, which stands for eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance.

An iGaming platform audited by eCOGRA will have its logo present in the footer of the main page.

How to confirm the games are eCOGRA certified?

Clicking on the logo will redirect Irish players to the agency’s website’s game fairness audit results. Suppose a casino has a hyperlink in its logo that works. It shows transparency and honesty instead of online casino scams that never show relevant game information.

However, a downside is that such companies do not audit all the online casinos in the Irish market. Seeing a logo with a hyperlink is a good sign of fairness. However, its absence does not automatically make online casinos rigged since not all of them use third-party organisations.

RNG and RTP page

RNG and RTP ensure game fairness since players can see their chances and how much a game returns to the player.

Important

1. Random Number Generator, or RNG for short, it’s a piece of software that ensures the outcome of a game is randomly generated. All the best online casinos will use RNG software to ensure the fairness of the games provided.
2. RTP or Return to Player means how much value a game will return over a long period to the players.

Testing agencies always investigate these two factors that directly influence a game’s fairness. iGaming platforms usually show these numbers on their websites. They are in the footer on pages titled “Fair Play” or “System Fairness,” but depending on the casino, the name can vary. Moreover, some platforms present the RTP and volatility on each game’s info page.

Trustworthy platforms are transparent

For example, most online casinos from the IE market have dedicated pages showing how their games work and fairness. Having transparent information about games ensures honest business practices.

Always look for these pages since their presence shows that an iGaming platform was audited by a third-party agency. However, not all legit casinos present this info, so always dig around for more evidence.

• Casino bonus scam

Casinos attract new players by offering promotions, which can range from bonus funds to extra spins. Online casino scams offer massive bonus amounts far beyond the promotions usually in the IE market.

Example

The casino bonuses picked by experts are usually somewhere around 100% up to €500 for funds.

However, a red flag that makes online casinos rigged is extra-large promotions for only one deposit. Something is not in order if you see a first deposit bonus of 500% up to €5000.

Keep in mind the differentiation between a welcome package and a first deposit bonus. The welcome offer requires multiple deposits, each with its bonus. It can have a cumulated value of up to €5000. Legit platforms can offer this kind of welcome package, but you will never see this sort of value for only one deposit.

• Few responsible gambling tools

As anyone might think, individuals who try to deceive through online casino scams do not care about player safety. The idea is to maximise their profits quickly before people notice their illicit practices.

Any iGaming platform from Ireland needs to have a responsible gambling page accessible to its players. This way, anyone can see what tools they have and how to use them. The lack of a responsible gambling page and few to no instruments are concerning issues that might indicate some trickery. This is another element that can make online casinos rigged.

• Domain name

An important thing to consider when browsing the internet is the website’s domain name. Some can be copies of the original site with the name changed a little to appear legit. Constantly keep an eye out for online casino scams like this. Although they are taken down relatively fast, it’s enough time to damage the bank accounts of some individuals.

Always look at what domain name you have accessed. If something funny happens, the platform you usually use can change from .com to .co or .net. Also, the website name can be modified slightly, indicating an illegal copy.

What makes these types of online casinos rigged is their sole purpose of stealing credit card or payment method information. So, always double-check to ensure hackers cannot access your personal information.

• Search other websites

When you’re unsure about an iGaming platform, search online for other opinions. Some people may have encountered different problems there. Still, the best options are websites run by gambling experts, where transparency is the norm.

Professional websites from the Irish market of casino sites, like CasinoAlpha, dedicate time and resources to provide a safer online gambling environment. Platforms listed there are not part of any online casino scams.

What makes online casinos rigged is that they are always spotted fast by experts, and that platform will never be featured on this kind of website.

Scam vs Legit Online Casinos

At first look, there is little distinction between trustworthy websites and those that use online casino fraud. However, after time, irregularities start appearing, and gamers eventually realize something is wrong.

The red flags of scam online casinos

• Changing terms and conditions

A defining element of online casino scams is a lack of transparency. If the user agreements suddenly change without any prior announcement, concern about their legitimacy should appear. Online casinos rigged in this way usually change the rules more often than you think so they can benefit at every corner.

An important aspect to know is that iGaming platforms rarely change their terms and conditions. However, when they do, the users are informed before any change takes place.

Noticing changing terms and conditions or bonus policy is a big red flag that indicates shady business practices.

• Delayed payments or refusal of payment

Before any withdrawal is delivered, the casino must process the payment, which takes 1 to 3 days. This depends on the casino policy, which is usually specified on the website.

Scam casinos can advertise a time frame, but they will always find excuses to refuse the payment for unspecified reasons. In some cases, when there is an outstanding withdrawal, the account can be closed without any explanation.

How do legit casinos handle payments?

This will never happen in a legitimate casino from the IE market. Any fast-withdrawal casino will always respect what they advertise. Since they also mention in what cases the payout can be delayed, so you know what to expect. You can access our online casino listing and select “Fast Cash-out” to check the platforms that process withdrawals within 24 hours.

If your cash-outs are constantly postponed for any reason or unspecified reasons, consider digging around the internet. By doing some research, you can see what other people experienced or the opinion of Irish gambling experts.

• Account restrictions after a dispute

Suppose a player keeps contacting customer support about unresolved complaints. In that case, a rogue casino can impose account restrictions without any prior notice or explanation. This can usually happen after payment disputes, but not always.

• Poor customer support

A rogue casino does not care about resolving player inquiries, which can be seen from how it handles customer support. When we say poor customer support, we mean various issues depending on their available methods.

Poor customer support can be but is not limited to

1. Not responding to email
2. Inadequate team member training
3. Giving misleading information
4. Only email support

• Inadequate player information protection

Inadequate or even lack of any personal information security measures is a big red flag. This can never happen on iGaming platforms approved by any of the aforementioned regulatory bodies available in Ireland, like the Irish Betting License issued by Revenue Commissioners or the UKGC. One of the criteria for acquiring a license in the first place is having reliable security features.

Some casinos have dedicated pages or mention the software they use to protect the user’s data. However, platforms with inadequate encryptions won’t have this kind of page.

How to Spot A Legitimate Online Casino

Prior to joining any iGaming platform from the IE market, always check the licence. Avoid the area if there is none. If you locate one, but it has no connection, for instance, to the Irish Betting License given by the Revenue Commissioners, you should, at the very least, be sceptical. If you believe the licensing information is suspect, do some additional research.

Explore the website to check:

• If they work with independent testing agencies
• How straightforward their user agreement is
• The number of responsible gambling tools
• How do their bonuses compare to other IE market casinos
• Check other websites and forums for more information

Doing this research and looking closely at the domain name are vital factors that will help protect your bank account from any fraudulent activities. Lastly, remember to play responsibly during any gambling endeavour.

Verdict From CasinoAlpha

After 8+ years of experience in the Irish online gambling industry, we have come across both legitimate and scam casinos. This guide presented you with the most common features you can spot to avoid joining online casinos without a valid licence and protect yourself from fraud.