Firstly let us reassure you that every site listed on Top Online Bingo Sites is a safe bingo site. Unless you see the work ‘Blacklisted’ next to the site, you can stay safe in the knowledge that the site is safe to use.
How do We Know Which Are Safe Bingo Sites?
Playing at a land-based bingo hall is a relatively stress-free and safe activity. You are in the same room as the caller, and you can see the balls being pulled. Your winnings are paid out in the club on the same night…the only thing you need to worry about is the colour of your dauber. However, the majority of bingo games are now played online, and this instant reassurance is no longer available. The most Frequently Asked Question in the world of online bingo is ‘is it safe to play online’. This concern is entirely understandable, there are hundreds of sites around to choose from, and they all want your address, date of birth, financial details and other such personal and intimate information that you are not in the habit of comfortable dishing out to anybody that asks. And then, if you win, how can you know that you will actually receive your winnings? With the increasing amount of cyber fraud being reported on the news on a seemingly daily basis, it is no surprise that players are anxious to make sure they are not going to be tricked out of their hard earned money. The company you are being asked to trust could be overseas, is unlikely to have any connection with you personally, so how are you supposed to know if it is safe for you to use? Well for European players, there is excellent news for you, with a small amount of research, you can find a large number of safe bingo sites, regulated and vetted to the highest possible standard. There are four main licensing agencies that regulate the European market: The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) The Malta Gaming Authority The Gibraltar Licensing Authority The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) It doesn’t matter where these agencies are based, as they are all regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, and the 2005 Gambling Act. This ensures a number of key points are enforced. For instance, players must be over 18 years old, sites must be financially secure, games must be fair, and information must always be thoroughly protected.
Regulations Mean Fairness
In a bingo hall, you can see the machine being used and understand the draw is being made entirely at random. When you are playing online, how can you have the same guarantee? Regulated sites will use an independently-audited Random Number Generator, which is an exceptionally complicated mathematic algorithm. This algorithm means that it is impossible to predict which balls will be called.
Financial Security
This is perhaps the most important issue for any player – will your financial details be safe? Will you receive your massive jackpot windfall?If you use a regulated site, your financial details will be encrypted using 128 bit Secure Socket Layer technology. This means your details are scrambled and cannot be decoded – this is the same system used by both the military and the banks, so you can rest assured that your financial details could not be any safer.
Under Age Players
The minimum age for players in the UK is 18, and this minimum age requirement is stated in the terms and conditions. If you are concerned about your kids getting on to the computer and gaining access to gambling sites, you can use a method such as Net Nanny to lock the sites you don’t want your children having access to.
Is This Site Legit?
Firstly, check your chosen site is regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the Malta Gaming Authority, the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner or the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). Legitimate sites will display licensing information at the bottom of their homepage, so their credentials are always accessible and in plain view. The site should also detail the Complaints and Dispute process in their Terms and Conditions section. If your site is lacking even just one of these important key features, then you are highly advised not to play. Be safe, be certain, be sure – or else you could end up getting scammed, and that’s a gamble nobody wants to take.