Blacklisted Online Casinos: Our Process of Listing Casinos
Online casinos continue to crop up each year. Each of these casinos come with bigger and better promises to the players. However, the downside is that not all online casinos are legitimate. As with any online transaction, you need to be assured that your personal and banking information is safe with a specific casino before risking your hard-earned money playing casino games for real money online.
We have done a comprehensive guide of the blacklisted Canadian casinos in 2024 and how to spot them among a sea of gambling sites. That way you can avoid all the disappointments that come with gambling at such sites.
What is a Blacklisted Casino?
A blacklisted casino refers to a warning label placed by the online gambling industry to ban operators with intentions of defrauding their players. Whether it’s the players’ personal or financial information, these outlaw casinos will use all means to scam their players off their hard-earned money.
Players should always avoid blacklisted casinos, and they can learn all about such operators by going through updated lists of blacklisted casinos before registering and depositing any cash.
Although licensing bodies continue to strive to eliminate these illegal casinos from the industry, they keep cropping up making it a daunting task. Reporting such casinos by players is a great start to this war of eliminating unsafe gambling platforms.
List of Casinos to Avoid
Casino/Group Name | Problem |
---|---|
Palm Slots | Restricted Payouts |
Sol Casino | Other Suspicious Activity |
N1 bet | Other Suspicious Activity |
21 Dukes | Restricted Payouts |
32Red | Restricted Payouts |
How to Determine Whether a Casino is Blacklisted
On the surface, an online casino might seem legit. However, doing a deep dive into its core values and the most important aspects of a casino will help you learn whether it is on the blacklisted list. Here are some of the factors we look at to determine whether a casino is blacklisted.
No Licenses
Reputable gambling sites go over and beyond to meet the set standards to get a globally accepted license. To get such a license, a casino undergoes a rigorous vetting process that involves demonstrating transparency, agreeing to voluntary auditing of their games and operations, and demonstrating financial strength to pay their players among other factors.
A casino that operates without a license compromises the security of the players and might not even pay out any winnings. They are known to rig games to work in their favor. That is why a gambling license is paramount.
Also, it shouldn’t be just from any licensing body. Some of the most trusted licensing bodies include Kahnawake, UK Gambling Commission and MGA. From our research, we have discovered that many of the blacklisted casinos hold a license from Curacao.
While getting a gambling license from Curacao is cheap and quick with minimal taxes, it comes with various drawbacks. The main disadvantage is that Curacao licensing standards are weak. Due to lack of gambling oversight in Curacao, many countries prohibit casinos licensed by this body. It is also known that Curacao doesn’t help players resolve any disputes they may have with its casinos, which encourages casinos to delay or deny payouts.
Failing to Pay Players
Blacklisted casinos usually don't pay in time and sometimes don't pay at all. They excel in taking and keeping their players’ money. Typically, these casinos will entice players with generous offers that promise huge payouts. That encourages players to deposit funds not knowing that it is a trap.
However, when players try to withdraw their winnings, they get slapped with ridiculous terms and conditions, long period processing requirements, and huge processing fees. The idea is for the players to get frustrated and instead of withdrawing their winnings, use the money to gamble more.
Unclear or Unreasonable Terms and Conditions
All casinos have distinct terms and conditions (T&Cs) since they are an integral part of the online gambling industry. Players should never overlook a casino’s T&Cs. While they are many and sometimes difficult to understand, a casino is obligated to inform players of its guidelines before they start playing.
Crucial information including wagering and withdrawal limits are very important for the user who is playing. Other important details include bonus information and the payout processing period. However, some of these details may change from time to time as a casino introduces new promotions and bonuses.
Blacklisted casinos display deliberately confusing and vague T&Cs leaving a big wiggle room to avoid paying winnings to their players. As a player, if you cannot understand the T&Cs of a casino, or if you find that they are not specific, avoid the platform.
Bad or Lack of Customer Service
Customer service is the backbone of every business. Canadians are known to have minimal patience for poor performance. Licensed and reputable casinos understand the importance of excellent customer support which is why they invest heavily in Customer Relationship Management. That includes providing their players with real-time customer service.
On the other hand, blacklisted casinos have bad or non-existent customer service. They ignore players’ issues, don’t respond to calls or emails, and they delay support to frustrate players. If you find that a casino has poor customer service, that is a big red flag, and you might find it on the list of blacklisted operators.
Rigged/Unfair Games
One of the most common tricks with blacklisted casinos is pirated games that are rigged in the operator’s favor. You will find this common in slot games, which are top earners for online casinos. However, Craps, Roulette, and Blackjack games get rigged too.
Players play these games believing that they will eventually win, not knowing that chances of winning have been rigged to minimize or eliminate chances of payouts.
Reputable casinos are required to provide games that are fair and certified internationally. These games get audited by third-party bodies, including Gaming Labs International and eCogra. These providers verify that all the casino games use a Random Number Generator (RNG), which gives them integrity since it ensures that each result is random without any manipulation.
Weak Privacy and Security Measures
While blacklisted casinos talk big about security and privacy of their players, they could care less about the same. Compromising players’ sensitive information could lead to hacking, fraud, and identity theft issues.
That is why we always advise our readers to only provide personal and financial information to licensed casinos only. These casinos should use end-to-end encryption algorithms and private data protection statements to safeguard their players’ information. They should also voluntarily provide their players with information regarding governmental consumer help in case disputes arise.
In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Document Act ensures that its citizens’ personal information is always protected by businesses that operate within the country. Before signing up at an online casino, check whether it offers strict protection measures.
Confusing/Deceptive Casino Bonuses
Nobody dislikes freebies, and casinos understand that. The unfortunate thing is that outlaw casinos also know this and use it to take advantage of their players and scam them. These casinos use bonuses that seem generous and promise huge and frequent winnings.
They offer such unrealistic bonuses as deposit or sign-up offers, especially for new unsuspecting players. Once players have committed their hard-earned money, they later learn that these bonuses come with vague T&Cs that make it impossible to meet so that they can claim their winnings.
The wise thing is reading all the terms and conditions before depositing any funds. However, we have made it easier for you to avoid signing up at a blacklisted casino. By going through the list of our recommended casinos, you will find one that suits your needs. Before recommending any casino, we do thorough research to ensure that it is safe, licensed, regulated, and that its bonuses are realistic and worth your time and money.
Play at Reputable Online Casinos
Now that you know blacklisted casinos exist, and how to spot them, the next step is to ensure that you only play at reputable online casino platforms. If you don’t know where to start, go through our list of recommended online casinos to make your pick. Avoid losing your hard-earned money to blacklisted casinos.
FAQ's
- Why should I avoid blacklisted casinos?
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Numerous horror stories exist online detailing how innocent casino players got scammed by blacklisted casinos. The worst-case scenario would be you losing your hard-earned money or your personal information getting into the wrong hands. The risk of identity theft and fraud increases if your information is shared or sold to third parties. When you play at blacklisted casinos, you can also expect slow or no payouts, and other questionable practices.
- What should I do if I have already registered with a blacklisted casino?
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If you have already opened an account with a blacklisted casino, the first step should be to immediately stop playing and withdraw any funds from your account. In case the operator delays or refuses to release your funds, consider walking away since this would be cheaper than having your personal information breached, which could lead to identity theft. If the casinos continue sending you enticing bonuses through emails, report them as spam and also block the platform.
- Can I get refunded my money?
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While getting refunded by these casinos is possible, it is not guaranteed. If you fail to get your money back within a reasonable period, contact the casino and lodge a complaint. If you still don’t get refunded, contact the regulatory authority that oversees the casino and make your complaint.
Cecilia Mwangi
iGaming News Writer
Cecilia is a passionate content writer who specializes in gambling content. With her 10+ years of writing experience and expertise, Cecilia loves sharing her knowledge on gambling and reviewing online casinos to help Canadians gamble safely at reputable online casinos. When she is not on her keyboard cooking up a storm with words, Cecilia loves playing online slots, traveling, reading, and spending quality time with her family.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-mwangi-content-writer-virtual-assistant/