Are Online Bingo Sites Safe?

Safety's a funny thing when it comes to the online space. Some of us are still almost suspicious about the internet and might try to avoid even something as simple as online shopping, for fear of our payment details or identity being stolen by unscrupulous people. Then, there are those who feel comfortable with entrusting all manner of sites with their sensitive information.

Online bingo sites are subject to particular scrutiny as far as safety is concerned, and why shouldn't they be? After all, when you are depositing sizable amounts of your own money into an account to gamble on roulette, blackjack or slots games, you need to be able to trust that you have chosen a genuinely safe and secure online bingo.

It can be especially difficult to separate the reputable from the disreputable online bingo sites if you have never before played bingo games online, and important to compare online bingo sites before choosing one. So, what are the things that you most need to consider?

What's the Worst That Could Happen at an Online Bingo?

There's no simple answer to the question "Are online bingo sites safe?", except that some are and some aren't safe, and the risks of choosing a less-than-safe online bingo can widely vary.

The obvious risk of doing business with an unsafe online bingo is that your funds could be lost. Online bingo sites work on the basis of the player depositing funds into an account on the site, before using those funds for the given site's bingo games, hopefully winning some money and then withdrawing the winnings. But have you read all of the small print governing such factors as wagering requirements?

Obviously, if you fail to take notice of such 'fine print', there's a certain extent to which doing so is your responsibility, rather than a sign of your chosen bingo site being unsafe. However, there are 'grey areas' where certain online bingo sites can act in a less-than-trustworthy way, with the worst of them simply failing to give you the winnings that you are owed.

Others may sell your personal details to a third party or advertiser without telling you, which isn't strictly a 'safety' issue, but does amount to an invasion of privacy as far as some users are concerned.

So, What Are the First Steps of Choosing a Secure Online Bingo?

Let's return to the earlier question: "Are online bingo sites safe?" Basically, they're generally safe in the same way as browsing online anywhere is generally safe. Yes, there are cowboys and very real dangers, but by equipping yourself with the information in this article, it shouldn't be too arduous a process for you to choose a genuinely safe online bingo.

In sharp contrast to the early days of the World Wide Web (WWW), we're now in an age in which the majority of us are accustomed to doing seemingly everything online - ranging from online purchases at the likes of Amazon and eBay, right through to filling in forms on the government's website. Well, the great news is that the same security measures that help to make those sites safe are now present and correct across the leading online bingo sites, too.

Introducing Secure Sockets Layer Technology

An obvious sign of a secure online bingo is the use of what is known as the Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, protocol. This was the most widely used cryptographic protocol for ensuring the security of internet connections until it was preceded by Transport Layer Security, or TLS, in 1999. However, many people continue to refer to this type of technology as 'SSL'.

As for how you can check whether a given online bingo is using SSL, all that you need to do is look in the address bar of your browser. If the URL of the bingo site - for example, Iconic Bingo website is preceded by the word 'Secure' and a padlock symbol - you can be sure that the site is using the protocol. The same applies if you see 'HTTPS' in the URL, rather than just HTTP. More information about Iconic Bingo is available in our Iconic Bingo review.

SSL supports the information security principles of encryption, authentication and data integrity, so a genuinely safe online bingo will make good use of it for such things as online debit or credit card transactions, where you would not want your personal and payment data to be seen by prying eyes.

Is There Any More I Can Do To Protect My Payment Details?

Yes! You could choose to use an 'e-wallet' service like PayPal, which is a payment method offered by a very large proportion of online bingo sites. It is a 'go-between' for payments that ensures your chosen online bingo does not come into direct contact with your credit or debit card information at all.

It's also worth bearing in mind that credit cards often offer a level of built-in protection against unsavory bingo sites, or at least against the risk of a hacker getting to your credit card details and using them. That's because some credit cards come with free identity theft cover to ensure no one is able to simply steal your identity and run up credit card debts in your name.

However, we would urge you to enquire with your credit card provider as to the exact nature and level of protection that is available for or included with your own card.

What Else Are Online Bingo Sites Doing To Ensure Safety?

In the ever-competitive online bingo market in which new sites are coming on stream all of the time, even the best-known sites are going to great lengths to demonstrate that they are a genuinely safe and secure online bingo, and therefore worthy of your confidence and time.

They might do this by using the bingo games of a software developer with a reputation for good-quality and fair games, as well as by seeking accreditation or certification from trusted third-party organizations. It's also vital for an online bingo to acquire the right gambling license, with the most-respected licenses being those obtained from Alderney, the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom (all sites that we recommend are licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission).

With such other characteristics of a given bingo site as its banking, bonuses, promotions, customer support and terms and conditions all playing a part in determining its safety and security, you'll have a lot to think about when trying to choose one. So why don't we make it easier for you, by guiding you through a comparison on the basis of some of the most crucial parameters?

The Parameters to Consider in Search of the Most Secure Online Bingo

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