Common scams and things to avoid
Flagrant theft
Some fraudulent Bitcoin casinos aren’t very shy with their scams. In fact, a large chunk of their business is finding new victims to deposit at their website. To put it simply, these casinos just straight-up steal from their players.
You can get robbed by these casinos in a bunch of ways, they can simply find an excuse not to pay you your hard-won money, they could claim you’ve breached their terms and have therefore forfeited your money. Sometimes they don’t even bother giving you a reason for withholding your money. That's why you should never deposit coins in any operator you haven't read about.
Personal information theft
Personal information is so valuable that several scam casinos have come up with new and unique ways to harvest that data. More often than not you need to input some level of personal information when gambling in an online casino. Like your banking information for example, these scam casinos will just yoink that information once you put it in and drain your bank account.
Another huge problem is identity theft; scam casinos find different ways to get you to give up your private information. Like locking your account and demanding you upload private documents to unlock it.
If anonymity is important to you, we recommend using VPN connection to protect your IP and then opt for a no account verification casino.
Rigged and pirated games
If these scam casinos don’t steal your money the old-fashioned way, there are still a few underhanded methods up their sleeves, like letting their rigged games do all the stealing for them. Even for experienced players, identifying rigged games can be extremely difficult to do before falling victim to them. Some particularly greedy operators rig their online games like slots, blackjack, roulette, and craps to give the house a much larger advantage over the players.
An easy way to avoid such problems is by betting only on crypto casinos with provably fair games available.
No customer service
You might be thinking, if I feel like I’m getting scammed why don’t I just call customer care? Well, that’s how some of these scam casinos get you. Either you’re faced with unresponsive and incredibly unhelpful customer care, or no customer care at all.
If you find yourself facing a problem, like an inability to withdraw money perhaps, you’re fresh out of luck. Before you deposit a single cent, be sure to hop on over to that customer care tab and check it out.
Deposit Theft
Deposit theft is one of the most common techniques scammers use to defraud players' funds. Generally, players will make a deposit, but the funds won't reflect in their accounts.
Sometimes, players will receive a notification that their transaction was declined despite sufficient funds. However, a legit casino can experience a technical glitch or accident.
If your deposit is rejected, it's best to call customer support immediately.
Bonus Theft
Most online casinos offer lucrative sign-up and welcome deposit bonuses to persuade new players to join. Scammers have caught on to this and will use this to their advantage.
Scammers create fraudulent bonus offers to attract the attention of new players. These fake bonuses trick players into depositing funds without the possibility of withdrawing them ever again. If a bonus offer seems too good to be true, 9 out of 10 times, it's a scam.
Malware
When most people consider a scam tactic, malware is the first thing that comes to mind. They wouldn't be wrong; scammers steal your information by infecting your computer with malware.
Rogue crypto casinos have corrupt links that freely load malware onto your device. Once your system has been infected, it's only a matter of time before scammers access your data and threaten you for money.
Past famous scams
Certain casinos have been caught red-handed trying to pull a fast one on their players, and have been rightfully blacklisted for it. Some of these scams include:
CyberRock Entertainment’s notorious practices
This online casino was blacklisted for its cash-out delays, non-payment, and strange terms and conditions. The terms for its bonuses heavily stifled the amount players could win, and even if you managed to win big, you’d have a difficult time getting the money out.
Pelican Casino caught using fake versions of games
An investigation uncovered that pelican-casino.com had been offering fake versions of slot games from at least 11 software providers, including top brands like NetEnt and Microgaming. The majority of the games in question looked legit and they had very convincing user interfaces. However, it wasn't until the source code was reviewed that the truth was uncovered, which just goes to show how underhanded this is.
Casinobtc.bet breaks every rule in the book
This just might be the worst crypto casino you could put your money in. It does everything wrong including unfair terms and conditions, unfair maximum win rules, fake games. It operates without a license, and to top it all off this casino also has the nasty habit of confiscating money from dormant accounts.
1xBet, a Casino Group Worth Avoiding At All Costs
The group operating 1xBet, 1xBit, is constantly accused of scamming individuals. Hundreds of unresolved scam accusations have been linked to the group, most indicating their accounts and withdrawals were blocked.
The group is notorious for selectively scamming players. It's not to say that every player's account will be blocked, but the casinos have systematically targeted players that hit it big.
You may have used an account for countless weeks without experiencing any problems until the clock runs out. The casino group recently spoke up about the numerous accusations made on Bitcointalk, claiming they had undergone new management. Unfortunately, the change in management hasn't resolved any issues to date.
Cryptodice.io/ Satoshidice.io unable to pay 0.5 BTC winnings
Satoshidice.io, without warning, changed its domain name to cryptodice.io. It wasn't the sudden name change that warranted a blacklisting, though parts of the casino were still referred to as Satoshidice.io.
Suspicions were raised as to the legitimacy of the casino when a fellow crypto gambler reached out to Bitcointalk. The player indicated that he had won around 0.5 BTC, which the casino could not pay.
Instead, Cryptodice.io suggested a $500 monthly payout. Any legitimate crypto casino should be able to make a payout of 0.5 BTC; we aren't talking about millions of dollars.
Avoiding scam casinos
Check out the user reviews
One major way to spot a scam casino is by checking out the reviews as it's not unusual for the review sites to be either in on the scam or not doing a good job. But let me tell you, nobody is more brutally honest than a customer who just got scammed, that's why you want to look at the user reviews.
Head over to a site like Trustpilot.com and hear what the customers have to say about the casino. If they have a poor rating and plenty of people calling it a scam, then you just saved yourself some heartache. And remember if you see this notification on Trustpilot
The reviews are probably fake and you’re better off finding a different casino.
Evaluate the terms and conditions
I know what you’re thinking, who even reads terms and conditions? Well, you better start. If you’re putting your money on the line you need to go find that Ts & Cs tab and read it.
Not every part of the document is necessary to thoroughly examine; however, just look out for the important bits, like deposits, bonuses, withdrawal limits and wagering requirements. If the terms look predatory to you, that’s your cue to leave.
Avoid any casino with an insecure connection
If you head over to a website and your browser shows you anything like this:
Leave immediately, the last thing you want to do is input any sensitive private information on there. This sign doesn’t necessarily mean there's malware on the site, but any information sent or received with that page is unprotected and it could potentially be stolen by attackers or hackers.
Install an Antivirus Software
It's never a safe option to scroll through the web without any form of antivirus software installed. Rogue casino sites are filled with online threats waiting to access your data.
Antivirus software may not be able to prevent every possible threat from accessing your data. However, it will come in handy.
Make Small Initial Deposits
Most crypto casinos have a minimum deposit amount, while others have no restrictions on your first deposit. It's best to play it safe. If you're unsure whether the casino is a sham, make a small initial deposit; a few Satoshis are enough.
This will protect you from losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. You'll only take a minor knock if the casino is a scam.
Check to See if the Casino has a License
The omission of a gambling license is a sure way to tell that a casino is fraudulent. All legitimate casinos possess a license. You'll be able to find the casino's license on their website.
If you can't find any sign of a license, it's a waving red flag. Additionally, if you plan on spending big bucks, you can always contact the regulatory board of any casino and confirm whether the casino is registered with them.
Most crypto casinos are licensed under Curaçao, Malta, Cyprus, Panama, and Gibraltar laws. Hybrid and fiat casinos fall under:
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UKGC
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CRA
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MGA
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GRA
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NGA
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AGCC
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GSC
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GPEB
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AGA
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MCK
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AGCO
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RACJQ
This list is not the least exhaustive. There are many other gambling regulatory boards in existence.
Safe suggestions
Don't fret, there are still a few safe casinos out there where you won’t get terribly scammed.
Bitsler
With over 3000+ games for players, including 16 unique games from the provider, many crypto games available, and with more than 15 crypto methods for making deposits and withdrawals, Bitsler is already an easy sell, the customer-friendly support is just the icing on the cake.
Stake
On top of offering a good variety of games, Stake also provides 24/7 live chat support and anonymity. It’s also provably fair and it is regulated by the Curaçao Egaming authority, under the Curaçao government.
Cloudbet
Established in 2014, one of the pioneers of crypto casinos and probably the best sportsbook thanks to its odds and VIP offers, Cloudbet is a safe and established crypto alternative for players who want a quick, easy to use interface and high limits. In other words, the perfect casino for whales.
Now go out there and remember to do your research before even clicking a link to any online gambling sites, nobody likes getting scammed after all.
