Let’s be honest: online gambling is risky. Most people think that the biggest risk posed to gamblers is themselves but that is not necessarily true. Over the last few years, a great number of casino users have been hacked, scammed, and targeted by criminals.
If you are a gambler (or want to play casino games) then you need to do everything that you can to protect yourself. Keeping yourself safe from criminals is not particularly hard to do and with a little bit of preparation and practice can be done quite easily. This post will tell you how:
Finding Reliable Casinos
To find a reliable casino, look for ones hosted in countries with strict gambling regulations. Countries that have rules preventing providers of real money online gambling from acting with impunity are ideal. When a country has strict gambling regulations it stops casinos from being able to behave irresponsibly and recklessly with your data. Money isn’t the only thing that you need to think about protecting when you are gambling, your data is too.
If you do not protect your data then it could end up being sold to marketers or worse, stolen. Data that falls into the wrong hands can be used to target you with advertisements (which can be very annoying) or used for fraud. Make sure that you read your chosen casino’s data privacy page so that you can educate yourself on how they handle customer data. If the site you have chosen to use does not do everything it can to safeguard user data then you should find another one to use. Don’t willingly submit data to a site that won’t protect it.
Never Use Public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi networks can be hijacked very easily. If you are a user of online casinos then you need to make sure that you avoid using public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi networks that have been hijacked are extremely unsafe because the individuals responsible for hijacking them can see all of the internet activity and online movements of people connected to the network. That means, in simpler terms, they can watch what you are doing and monitor your keystrokes. If you are using online casinos on a public Wi-Fi network then the people who have hijacked it will be able to collect your login information and then access your account.
Because online casinos require users to submit their debit or credit card information for deposits as well as their bank account details for payouts, criminals that hack into people’s accounts can access all of this information and use it for fraud. If you do want to use a public Wi-Fi network or do not have your own private Wi-Fi network at home then make sure that you have a VPN (Virtual Private Network) activated at all times. VPNs can be used to hide your movements and prevent hackers from being able to track you.
Always Using a VPN
Following on from the last point made in the previous section, you always need to make sure that you have a VPN activated even if you are not using a public Wi-Fi network. VPNs are not only used to protect people’s internet activity from hackers but also from marketing companies. Sometimes people’s ISPs (Internet Service Providers) hand customer information over to advertisers so that they can then target people more effectively. Being targeted by marketers can be extremely annoying and is therefore something you should do everything you can to protect yourself. If you do end up being targeted then you could receive hundreds of emails and pop-ups per day related to gambling.
When using a VPN, you need to make sure that you are using one that offers the most protection and the best value for money. Finding a VPN that offers good value for money should not be particularly difficult. In fact, if you look hard enough you will be able to find one quite easily. Make sure that the one you choose has good reviews and a positive reputation. A VPN provider’s reviews and reputation can tell you a lot about it and will make choosing whether or not to use it easy for you to do.
Selective Data Submission
Be very careful about where you submit your personal information on the internet. This point goes beyond casinos. A lot of people have a very casual attitude to their data online. Some people think that just because they have not been hacked yet that they will not. Unfortunately, if you begin adopting unsafe data management and handling processes, you will eventually be scammed or hacked. People do not seem to realize this and as a consequence are targeted by criminals on an almost daily basis by gangs around the world.
Being more selective about where you submit and post your data will protect you from falling victim to cybercrime. Going back to choosing a casino for a moment, you need to be very careful about which one you ultimately begin using because if you choose the wrong casino then you could end up willingly handing your personal information over to criminals. It is not unheard of for criminals to set up fake casinos just so they can steal people’s data. In addition to this, these casinos often have rigged games which means when you play them, you stand no chance of winning.
Downloading and Using a Firewall
Finally, make sure that you have a firewall downloaded and in use at all times. If you are unfamiliar with firewalls then they are programs that are used to safeguard people’s computers and personal information. Firewalls are a direct defense against hackers. If you plan on using one then make sure that you find one with good reviews and a firm reputation online. Finding such a firewall provider should not be difficult as they are abundant. Going back to reviews, always read them before hiring or agreeing to work with a firewall provider.
Keeping yourself safe when you are gambling online should be one of your main priorities. Do not make the mistake of signing up for and using a casino until you have researched it extensively. The sites you use need to be carefully vetted for your data’s sake.