How to Check if a US Gambling Site is Legit
Have you ever fallen for a scam casino site? If you gamble through offshore sites regularly, chances are you’ve come across a fraudulent gaming website. These companies work hard to hide their true nature.
They have beautiful websites, loads of games and generous bonuses. Some even feature fake testimonials and reviews. All the same, there’s a formula USGamblingSites.com created to help check the legitimacy of US gambling sites. Discover more below.
#1: Carefully Check the Domain Name and URL
Online fraudsters love to fake the domain names of well-known gambling sites. They know people don’t pay much attention to the exact name and address of a casino as long as it looks genuine.
They might target a genuine casino like bovada.com and create a fake site named bofada.net. Although regular customers of the casino know the real spelling, some new gamblers could fall for the fake site.
That being said, many illegitimate businesses don’t invest in web security. They have sites whose addresses start with HTTP and not HTTPS. The presence of ‘S’ in a URL confirms a site uses SSL encryption to secure your data.
In many cases, scam sites are full of grammatical errors and unrealistic offers. If you scroll through a site and it looks like a foreign amateur designed it, chances are it’s not genuine. If you need more confirmation, look for a genuine license. Legit casinos have licensed from renowned jurisdictions.
#2: Check Ownership and Contact Information
By law, all licensed casinos need to provide information about their owners. Importantly, they must include contact details. Knowing who owns a casino or betting site helps build trust. It also helps you know who to address in case of an issue. What’s more, you can learn more about a casino based on its owner, especially if they run other companies.
Of course, it’s only possible to reach a site owner if they avail their contact details. In the casino space, live chatting is the most preferred communication option. It’s a quick contact method that helps you get feedback in real time.
In the absence of live chatting. The next best option is phone contact. This way, you can call to verify who runs a casino and if they can provide assistance when you need it. Needless to say, email and social media support also come in handy.
#3: Genuine Games and Software Providers
One of the best ways to know a casino is genuine is to check its games and software providers. Legit companies lease software from licensed and trusted developers like NetEnt, Microgaming, Evolution, Betsoft and IGT.
By comparison, fraudulent operators feature unknown slots and table games from shady developers. What’s more, genuine companies provide high-quality, high-paying games. It’s not unusual to find slots with up to 99% RTPs.
Crucially, pick a site with your favorite games. If you love Starburst, Guns N’ Roses and Mega Moolah, find a casino with these games. Entertainment and a fair chance to win are the reasons for gambling online anyways.
If you love table games like poker and roulette, choose a live casino. Live software helps you play these games against human opponents instead of bots. Evolution Gaming is the best software provider in this space, so find live casino with games from the developer.
#4: Safe Payments for Americans
Want to identify a safe US gambling site? Look at its payment options and policies. Does it support ACH bank payments? Can you use Visa and MasterCard? Genuine sites work with safe payment companies.
Importantly, they avail a wide range of payment options for the convenience of different players. People who prefer to use cards can choose from Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Others could use Google Pay, PayPal and Skrill. You could also use cryptos like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
That being said, the best US gambling sites have friendly banking policies. We’re talking about the limits—minimum and maximum you can withdraw. Then there are fees and payout speeds Pay attention to the withdrawal speed: choose casinos and sportsbooks with 1–3-day payout speeds.
#5: Read a Site’s General Terms and Conditions
It’s true—most people don’t read terms and conditions before clicking the ‘I Agree’ section of anything. While we are not saying anything bad will happen for not reading the fine print, it can save you from a fraudulent gambling site.
Let’s start with terms on who can gamble at a site. Learn whether Americans can deposit and bet on a site before you register an account. The repercussions of joining a site that prohibits US citizens is that you could lose your money.
Another reason to read the fine print is to learn about a casino’s data protection policies. Does it agree not to share your personal information? Also, you want to learn about its banking and bonus policies. Essentially, the goal is to gain crucial information about a site before you become its customer.
#6: Offers Genuine Bonuses
Another way to identify a genuine US gambling site is to check for legit bonuses. You see, many scam websites succeed by providing bogus offers. For example, they can promise $1000 with zero wager terms.
But underneath their fine print, there’s information saying you can’t cashout your bonus winnings. Alternatively, they could offer a fair 100% first-deposit bonus. But then you have to meet 80x playthrough to cashout your profits.
In other words, fake casinos and sportsbooks use bonuses and free bets as a trap. Their aim is for you to deposit and gamble away your money without ever cashing out bonus winnings. By comparison, genuine operators have fair bonuses.
#7: Learn About a Site’s Reputation
Perhaps the fastest way to know whether a gambling site is safe for Americans is to reviews its reputation. What do people say about the company? Legit companies have thousands of people ready to defend their services.
The sites might not attract 5-star ratings from everyone. But genuine companies attract a lot of positive testimonials. Likewise, you can easily find reviews about scam companies online, including comments from people who got defrauded at the apps.
