Safe Online Gambling Sites

Finding safe gambling sites is one of our primary objectives here at GamblingSites.org. There are many similarities between online gambling and live gambling, but the "online" aspect requires a greater degree of trust. Most online gambling sites are safe places to play, but there are just enough shady operators out there that trust must be earned.

The following gambling sites are the ones that we consider the safest:

Safety is of utmost importance because gambling websites deal with real money just like brick-and-mortar casinos. No matter how fun or flashy a site may be, the safety factor is the most important consideration of all. The above sites have proven their dedication to safe online gambling by operating for years in a straightforward, up-front manner.

How to Find Safe Gambling Sites

We use a few different methods to find safe gambling sites. The first thing we look at is the reputation of each site. We do this by looking at its history on the internet, talking to industry insiders and by looking at the experiences of actual players. If you know how to use Google effectively, it is surprisingly easy to found out what kind of reputation each casino site has behind it.

We also look for industry certifications such as those offered by gambling rating agencies and government regulators. Safe online gambling sites subject themselves to a number of tests to earn these seals of approval. For example, every safe gambling site submits itself to a third-party analysis of the random number generator that powers its games.

There are plenty of gambling sites that bill themselves as "safe" but it's hard to fake the above credentials. By doing our own research, we don't have to take casinos at their word. It's not that we have an inherent trust of gambling online, but we have been around long enough to know that the little extra effort in finding safe gambling sites is worth it.

Personal Computer Safety when Gambling

Personal computer safety is something else that you should consider for safe gambling on the internet. A decent virus scanner and firewall is sufficient to protect you from the vast majority of computer threats out there. Even if you never gamble online for real money, personal computer safety is a must-have for anyone connected to the internet.

Random viruses and other threats don't typically target people who gamble online, but you just never know. The best bet is to visit your local computer shop and pick up a copy of whatever security program. A $40 or $50 investment is well worth the safety provided by any quality virus scanner.

We also strongly recommend that you avoid sketchy websites that offer "secret" programs that can be used to cheat casino sites. Although these websites aren't very common, we still see them from time to time. These sites usually try to get you to download some piece of software that is supposed to give you an advantage over the casino. At the best, these sites are designed to scam you out of a little money. At the worst, they are designed to infect your computer with malicious software.

Gambling Safely with Real Money

Safe gambling habits are just as important as everything else we've talked about so far. Online gambling websites are plenty of fun, but you should always keep your gambling under control. All the computer safety in the world won't protect you if you spend your own money foolishly.

The most important piece of advice we can give you is to only gamble with money that you can afford to lose. It's nice to imagine winning a bunch of money, but there are never guarantees when it comes to gambling. Pretend that any money you deposit has already been spent and is the "cost" of a night of fun. If you end up winning, you can look at that as a fortunate windfall.

If you ever feel (or even suspect) that your gambling is getting out of control, there are plenty of resources out there that you can visit to learn more. Our online gambling addiction page lists a number of contacts that you can reach out to if you have even the slightest worry about your gambling habits.