With thousands of casino sites running across different parts of the globe, the gaming industry is more competitive than ever before. However, given that online casinos operate exclusively over the internet and are hubs for a high volume of monetary transactions, they are a major target for cybersecurity attacks.
With such risks in mind, online players prioritize security above anything else before they sign up at an online casino to play classic slots or any other online casino game for that matter. Thankfully, all the finest online gambling platforms not only promise an incredible gaming experience but also airtight protection when it comes to the security of the punters’ banking and identity information.
So, how exactly do the best online casino sites protect their players against the much-dreaded cybersecurity criminals? If you’ve ever wondered how safe you are when engaging in online casino games, here’s a comprehensive look at how serious the online casino safety threat is, and how trustworthy iGaming brands are using leading-edge technology to cut the risks.
Online Casino Gambling: How Big is the Risk?
According to WebARX, as many as 30,000 new websites are hacked every day across different parts of the world. With such a high volume of cyberattacks, it’s crystal clear that cybersecurity has become a major concern across all industries and not just online casinos alone.
Security aside, if you aren’t careful where you take your online gaming activity, you may end up playing on a platform with rigged games that lead to losses. When a game is rigged, you will have no chance of turning your bets to profit no matter how skilled you are even when you are taking part in games like poker and blackjack.
On the flip side, however, as risky as it sounds, you could easily avoid such troubles if you make sure that you always play on legally licensed online casino platforms. A legitimate online casino will happily publish its licensing information on its homepage to reassure you that you are playing on a safe platform.
The Technology Used by Online Casinos to Protect Players
Now, when it comes to the question of what online casinos do to guarantee player protection, here’s a breakdown of the most effective technologies they implement to keep players safe:
1. Blockchain Technology
Initially, online casinos were reluctant to use blockchain technology in their operations, but the attitude is quickly changing. Blockchain is practically impossible to hack, meaning that users will have the ultimate security for their finances. Moreover, given that all blockchain transactions are registered on an independent ledger, users will have complete ownership of their money, and there’s no chance of tampering with the data.
2. Firewalls
Through secure firewalls, casinos can successfully prevent unauthorized traffic from accessing system servers. Such a security measure is critical as it prevents access to user data through attacks of malicious code from hackers. Additionally, firewalls also help in preventing (DDoS) Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks which usually increase unwanted traffic on online casino platforms, making the online sites more vulnerable to cybercriminal activity.
3. 128 and 256-bit encryption
Both 128 and 256-bit encryption methods transform players’ personal and banking information into chains of unbreakable code. Once the sensitive information is encrypted into code, only users with decryption keys can access it. Thus, even if hackers manage to access the information in one way or another, they still will not decode it without the decryption keys. Financial institutions use these security encryption methods as a standard, as it offers an extra layer of security that guarantees user safety.
4. Random Number Generators
RNGs or random number generators in full are usually regarded as the heart of security and fair play in any online casino platform. If there’s no RNG on a casino, then there’s no way of telling whether the games on the gaming site are rigged or not. RNGs are used in online casino games to guarantee the randomness of slot machine outcomes from spinning reels, roulette wheels, shuffling and allocation of cards used in table and card games.
Further, the reliability of these RNGs is usually put to the test by independent companies whose work is to certify their legitimacy. Gaming Labs International (GLI) is one of the most popular third-party companies that verify the fairness of these RNGs for online casino games.
As Long as a Casino is Licensed, it is Safe and Secure
As standard practice, online gambling regulatory bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission, Curacao eGaming and Malta Gaming Authority thoroughly vet online gaming sites before issuing an operation license to any company. If a casino can’t prove beyond reasonable doubt that its patrons will be secured from cyberattacks or rigged games, then no gaming watchdog worth its weight will issue a license.