Are online casinos fair or do they scam players?
Online casinos like kingcasino.com are amongst the most profitable businesses in the UK. They see millions of players come and go throughout the year and generate over 5 billion pounds of profits! Every casino will claim to be open and fair but every now and then we will hear from a disappointed player, who will claim to have been scammed. Naturally, we want to ask if online casinos are fair or do they scam players? We present the answer in this article.
Scams
There have been casinos in the past that scammed players by not upholding their own terms or conditions, or rewrote their terms and conditions to suit their own needs. An example of that could be Betfair, which was involved in a bonus scheme scandal: Betfair offered players a very generous bonus offer that raised some noise all over the world. Their website was flooded by millions of gamblers taking advantage of the offer. Many people won big and depleted Betfair’s coffers, to which the company decided to confiscate player’s funds. That is considered an unfair practice – Betfair rewrote their rules to suit themselves.
Some casinos will operate without a license, or offer games that they do not have a license for. These casinos are known as “rogue” casinos and should be avoided altogether. Operating illegally, they will be able to twist the rules or even rig the games against the player.
Fair casinos
Most casinos operate fairly and openly, meaning that they adhere to their own rules and also those set by the gambling regulating bodies, such as the UK’s Gambling Commission. These will be the well known, tried and tested companies that usually have good reviews to go along with their reputation.
However, some casinos will “trap” players and their funds while still operating fairly. They will most often do that through unrewarding bonus offers. While experienced players will know to avoid these, a newbie is likely to not know any better. At the first look, these bonus offers will be very attractive, offering wads of free cash and bonus games, but when you look at the fine print you will see phrases like:
- A winnings cap – a limit to how much you can win using the bonus (anything above the line will be forfeit);
- A withdrawal limit – a restriction to withdraw funds above a certain amount;
- Wagering requirements of 85x and above – these are simply unrealistic expectations that are almost impossible to fulfil, meaning the player will probably lose.
- Sticky Bonus – this is a type of bonus that can never be withdrawn. Any winnings that you might achieve will only be available to withdraw once the amount of bonus has been deducted from the sum.
The silver lining here is that any bonus offer that has clear terms and conditions cannot be called a scam, regardless of the players calling it unfair. Be vigilant!
Conclusion
There are lots of different casinos online. Some of them will scam players, but most of them will not. Always look up reviews for your chosen casino to make sure it is fair. Do not play at casinos with unclear or open-ended rules. Only go for the best offers that suit your bankroll and playing style. Follow our advice and you won’t be scammed!