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The global iGaming market represents one of the most popular segments of the $300 billion-a-year video game industry. The broad appeal of digital iterations of classic table games, combined with their relative accessibility and offering of real money prizes, all come together to make them one of the biggest growth areas to watch over the next ten years.

This is especially the case when one factor in the impact of iGaming being let into the world’s largest economy, the United States, following 2017’s repeal of the PASPA federal legislation.

Altogether, this amounts to a minor boom for the industry. This ultimately stands to benefit the end-consumer, who gets to not only sample platforms from among a wide range of options but gets to benefit from the innovation born from this competition.

But it’s not all straightforward, unfortunately. With an estimated 20,000+ online casinos operating today, it can be difficult to identify which are worth your custom. Moreover, while many of these platforms are less refined or complete than others, some are genuinely malicious or represent a security risk.

Suffice it to say, this latter category is to be avoided – but how exactly can we ensure we don’t fall for one of these suspect gaming providers? Fortunately, there are a number of simple steps you can follow to make sure you’re only spending your money at the very best and most trustworthy platforms.

Compliance with Gambling Orgs

Across the world, iGaming is subjective to stringent controls due to its mature content. To police, these requirements, and ensure compliance with industry norms, a number of gambling regulation organisations exist around the world.

Some of these are predominantly focused on brick-and-mortar venues in specific regions. Still, many offer online iGaming certificates that can be acquired by any platform that fits the relevant criteria. Because of this, checking that the platform you’re using is regulated by one or more of these bodies is a great first step in assessing whether it’s of high quality.

Among the most common to watch out for are the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), Curaçao eGaming (CEG), and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC).

Comes Recommended

One of the simplest ways to ensure you’re only accessing the best iGaming platforms out there is to follow up on recommendations from industry leaders. The majority of iGaming industry news platforms are committed to championing the platforms that meet the very highest standards. What’s more, there are even websites whose sole purpose is to review, rank and recommend online casinos for their users.

For example, among the directories offered by casinoreviews.com, you’ll find a survey of the casinos with the best payouts online. There’s even an added benefit in seeking out providers through these recommendation platforms, as they typically host affiliate sign-up offers that can get you great deals on welcome bonuses or free spins, depending on the platform in question.

Secure Sockets Layer

Cybersecurity can be complex, but the fundamentals are surprisingly straightforward. One of the most common ways that people get their information intercepted and stolen online is by accessing websites that do not offer server packet encryption.

Simply put, this means that certain websites do not take steps to safeguard your private information when you access them. You may suppose such websites must be difficult to identify, but there is a simple trick that will keep you in good stead.

Simply take a look at the URL, or web address, of the site in question. If it begins with ‘http://’, you should exercise caution – particularly if you already have your suspicions about the site. If, on the other hand, the website begins with ‘https://’, it’s more than likely safe to access.

This is what’s known as SSL, or secure socket layer certification. It demonstrates that a site is encrypting all information being sent and received from its servers, including your confidential information. To get an SSL certificate a trusted third party must verify a website. It is for this reason that it is extremely uncommon for a malicious site to feature this security protocol.

Looks Professional

While this last tip won’t get you very far on its own, factoring in whether a site looks modern, clean, and professional is a great way to pile on contributing testimony as to the quality of a iGaming site.

A website that looks like it hasn’t been updated since 1997 is unlikely to be in compliance with modern web security. This can mean that even if it’s not explicitly malicious in intent, its outdated design could result in it posing an undue security risk.

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