Online Casino Safety Guide

Visiting a real casino is pretty straight forward. You enter the building, exchange some money for chips, or play the money directly at the machines or tables, and if you win you can collect your winnings from the cashier. When you play online, things are a little different and there are many things to look out for when you play your money at a website, that may be located overseas. Your trust needs to be earned - you don't want to randomly spend money without knowing who is at the other end - will they even give you a real chance of winning? Our website give you more insight into the things you'll need to look out for when playing online, and we present you some of the best operators that players prefer.

The registration in an online casino is generally very simple. All you need to do is to fill out a form with your personal details and email address and phone number and complete the registration by confirming your email address after you've receive the confirmation email or text message. If you intend to play for real money it is also very important that you enter real personal information, as you will likely need to confirm your identity with the casino once you want to cash out money. The verification process is a compliance measure to combat money laundering, so there is nothing to worry about. Duplicate accounts are not allowed in casinos, and it is also not possible to play with an account registered from a country that is not allowed. If you are not able to register an account at a casino, we suggest that you contact the casino directly, to find out why it is not possible.

When playing online, it can be a difficult to see which casino is trustworthy, and which is not. Especially new websites don't have the player base or exposure yet, but that doesn't mean that they are not trustworthy. The first thing to look for is the license of the casino and the company that runs it. Many operators have multiple websites, and a new brand of an established operator is usually just as trustworthy as their other websites. Another thing you can do is to look online for player recommendations. If a casino is rogue or not trustworthy you will normally find players who voice their anger. However, sometimes bad reviews are to be taken with a pinch of salt, as it might be a secluded dispute between the player and the casino, and this doesn't necessarily reflect the general reputation. A happy player often doesn't write about their experience, but once problems arise, an unhappy player is a lot more likely to voice their opinion. Most problems with the casino can be solved by talking to the casino, and if that doesn't help, it is also possible to open a dispute with the regulatory authority that issued the licence to the casino.

The online casinos that you can find on FortunaOnlineCasinos.com are all licensed and have a great reputation with the players. Some of them have also won awards for their outstanding performance.

There are several countries that issue licenses for online gambling operators. However, some of these are less strict than others and there is a huge difference in their trustworthiness. In Europe, there are some jurisdictions that issue licenses and also make sure that the operators stick to strict regulations, especially when it comes to player protection. Among them are the UK Gambling Commission, Gibraltar, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the regulatory bodies of Sweden, Italy and Denmark. Another requirement of  most of these jurisdictions is that players funds are kept separate from company accounts. This makes it more difficult for operators to fund their operations with deposits of players rather than revenue. These accounts are audited regularly by the regulatory bodies. If players have problems with the operator, they can also report them to the regulator. If they find the casino is not acting according to regulations they can suspend or revoke the licenses.

A license from Curacao is also popular, but the regulations are not nearly as strict as the European licenses. There are also many other countries, such as Costa Rica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Cyprus and Panama, but their reputation is not among the greatest with the players and player protection is non-existent with these bodies.

In the end, when you choose a casino, it is important that you research the reputation of the operator. There are many casinos from Curacao that have a good reputation, despite the lax regulations, and there are rogue casinos from reputable jurisdictions. If a casino has been around for a long time, it is often a good indication that the operator is trustworthy, but research is always important.

A licensed online casino operator offers games from developers that have been tested thoroughly by independent companies. The games are tested for fairness of the random number generator, and most game developers also disclose the payout rate of each game. This figure will normally be between 95% and 99%, the difference to 100% is the house edge, i.e. the share that the casino keeps for their operation. Some casinos also publish overall payout rates on their websites.

A long-standing casino operator makes an effort to treat all their players fair, as it is in their own interest to keep a good reputation. However, game malfunctions and other terms can lead to disputes, and some players might not feel treated fairly. Most disputes are easily resolved, but in some cases disputes are carried to the regulating authority. They ensure that the player is protected from fraud, and resolve disputes between players and casinos. However, not every jurisdiction provides player safety, and it is important that you apply good reasoning when playing online at a website, and research the reputation of the provider before betting money there. All casinos that you can find on FortunaOnlineCasinos.com are licensed and have a good reputation with the players. You can find out about the payment policy of each casino in our reviews, and also take advantage of some great bonuses.

A trustworthy online casinos will show their Privacy Policy on the website, and pledge to not give out an information about you to third parties. The casinos are not responsible to declaring your winnings to the tax authorities, this is your own responsibility, and it depends on the country where you live whether or not winnings from gambling need to be taxed or if they are exempt. For complying with money laundering laws however, it is not possible that you can play fully anonymous at a licensed online casino. When you make a withdrawal you are normally asked to provide a copy of your documents, such as passport and proof of address, to confirm your identity. These are important compliance measures from the operators.

If you want to play at a casino, you will also need to deposit money, and in this case, if you don't want the transaction to appear on your bank statement or credit card, you can use a e-wallet to deposit and withdraw, or a voucher for deposits. More about casino payment methods can be found in our guide for casino payment methods. Payment information is not stored with the casino either, as payments are processed through payment gateways, and they are carried out through secure connections, ensuring that no one can read the information while it's transmitted. If you are concerned about credit card data being transmitted online, it is recommended, that you also use a voucher or e-wallet to deposit.

Online casinos need a license to be able to offer remote gaming services. There are a few countries that regulate online gambling and issue licenses, but there are differences that affect player fund protection and assets of the casino. Some jurisdictions are stricter than others and it is often necessary for the operator to comply with strict regulations. For example, a license from the UK Gaming Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority is much harder to obtain than a license from the Curacao Gaming Commission. One of the strictest is Gibraltar and only established and long-standing operators can obtain this licence. The license is important for a casino, and many countries only allow online operators to offer their services in that country when they have obtained the licence.

It depends. There are certain factors to keep  in mind when playing online. One of them is to research the reputation of the casino before playing there. The reputation is very important to an online casino. If players have bad experiences they are likely to voice their opinion in forums or websites that collect complaints about businesses or casinos. Players who have a good experience usually don't write much about it. This means that reading one bad review about a casino doesn't necessarily mean that the casino is not trustworthy, as it may have been a secluded incidence with one particular player and getting the facts about the disagreement to pass judgement is virtually impossible. However, when there are many bad reviews about a casino, then it is probably something you should listen to and keep an eye open when choosing to play there. The trustworthiness can also be reflected in the age of the casino, as an older casino usually implies trustworthy site, because if it wasn't the players wouldn't play there and the casino would eventually have to close down.

New casinos are opening all the time, and just because a casino is new, it does not mean the operator is not trustworthy - quite the contrary. Many new operators make an effort with customer satisfaction so that the word spreads and more players choose their site. In this case competition is beneficial for the players. There are also awards given every year to the best casinos.

Remember, if it looks dodgy, it probably is. Keep an eye out for a Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, a Licence Number and Company registration information on the casino website. A trustworthy company will display this, usually in the footer of every page or in their Terms.

Whether you have to pay taxes on casino winnings or not depends on the country where you are tax resident. Some countries declare casino winnings exempt from tax, whereas other countries impose a tax. When you withdraw winnings from the casino, it is your responsibility to declare the winnings, the casinos are not responsible for the declaration.

Online casinos are regulated by remote gaming authorities and these perform checks that the casino adheres to the common laws of the country. Strict regulations to prevent money laundering are in place in Europe and many other parts of the world, and therefore it is necessary for the casino to perform identity checks of their players. These checks are usually requested when you make the first withdrawal, but some casinos have certain withdrawal limits after which they ask you to verify your identity. In any case, you should expect to present a valid ID and proof of address when playing online. This is a precautionary measure and also protects you from fraud in case your credit card is used for online casino payments. When a credit card is used, the casino may also ask you to present proof that you are the owner of the card by sending a photo of the card used for deposits, and making parts of the number unidentifiable. It is a normal compliance process for the casino to ask you for ID - it doesn't mean you are suspected to be involved in money laundering. It is a common procedure, especially with casinos that are licensed in the EU.

At Fortuna Online Casinos we only review and mention casinos that have fulfilled all criteria for a trustworthy casino. The websites are fully licensed and the operator does not have a bad reputation among the players. Furthermore, payments are processed in a timely manner and the terms are not predatory to the customers. The casinos have been tested by us and we describe the terms and pros and cons about the operator in our detailed casino reviews.