The online casino industry has blossomed in recent years. With technological advances, its growth has outpaced its brick-and-mortar counterpart. Playing at an online casino offers many benefits. For example, you can play your favourite casino game from the comfort and privacy of your home using a mobile device. Furthermore, an online casino can host numerous games because the technology replaces the need for bulky casino machines. 

However, as more players enter the casino business, unscrupulous dealers have exploited this growth to con unsuspecting players. Most of the scamming takes place in unregulated casinos. Such casinos may not be licensed or may not have signed up with regulatory and casino governing bodies. As such, there is a high chance that playing in such rigged online casinos will expose you to unscrupulous business practices, including fraud. 

How Casinos Make Their Money

Before checking whether online casinos are rigged, it is important to understand that casinos are businesses. Like all businesses, casinos are out to make as much profit as they can. They do this by enticing more customers and also getting them to spend as much money as possible. In return, the customer looks forward to winning if they are lucky. 

Online casino machines are set to give out less money than is put into them. The well-known expression, “The house never loses”, is based on this setting. This setting is also known as “The house’s edge”.

To keep the players happy and willing to play more, the online casino returns a percentage of players’ money as ‘winnings’. Coupled with the lure of a big win, casinos that have a high RTP are likely to have the player winning frequently enough to want to continue playing. 

To increase the profit margins, the casino will aim to have more players playing longer while taking a small “house’s edge’ from each player. The highest RTP odds would come to 99%. Odds of 100% would mean the casino would not make any profit. Many casinos would not go lower than 80% to remain competitive among their peers.

Online casino machines operate on an algorithm that makes the probability of winning slightly lower than losing. The likelihood of winning is random and is based on a Random Number Generator (RNG) program embedded into the machine. An RNG program makes it impossible to predict when the machine will pay a jackpot.

Ways Casinos Can Rig Their Games

There are things to look out for if you suspect the online casino you play at is rigged. Firstly, casinos advertising their business can make false claims as a strategy to lure more players. For example, if a casino claims a 100% RTP, then it means the casino is not making any profit. Another clever tactic is for a casino to make offers such as “free money” and then give conditions that one must meet to qualify for the freebies. Often, the qualification is written in small print.

Other than advertising an RTP that is greater than the reality, other casinos tamper with the RNG. This is a serious breach of the foundation of fairness on which casinos operate.  Imagine a casino where the cards served to you as a poker player are rigged so that the casino knows in advance the hand you will be dealt. Alternatively, the roulette wheel might be programmed so that it never lands on the numbers selected by players.

Some fraudulent online casinos refuse to pay out money that a customer has won. Sometimes, the casino will introduce a malfunction of the system or a player’s account so that there is no proof that the player hit the jackpot.

Other times, the money won is withheld so the player can continue playing and lose even more money. Once you reach out to customer care service, your concerns are ignored, or you are given flimsy excuses. Either way, you lose.

Another common tactic used to swindle players out of their money is the frequent near-miss setting of video gambling or slot machines. This involves the machine displaying a configuration that misses the jackpot by a single line. Psychologically, the player who ‘almost’ hits the jackpot is tempted to keep playing. Though not illegal in some states, the frequent near-miss setting influences the player to play longer.

Some casinos introduce hidden charges on transactions. Deposits and withdrawals on credit cards, as well as bank transfers, are often the targets of these shady casinos. Some will also target payouts by including charges before your money is released. A genuine casino will charge minimal fees for transactions on your account or even offer them for free. 

Avoiding Rigged Online Casinos

Rigging at an online casino might be profitable in the short term, but players will avoid it once the information is out. For new players, you need to do your research before you sign up for any online casino. Read reviews from different people and reputable casino reviewing sites before you commit your money. Take note of players who complain of delayed or unpaid payouts. Unresponsive customer care service is also a red flag.

Always check the licenses and regulatory bodies under which your online casino operates. Reputable, well-known licensing bodies in places such as Malta and Gibraltar ensure that your casino has met the standards to operate legally and meets the threshold for the industry’s best practices. Regular auditing by government and independent auditors is a plus for a casino. Auditors check the casino for fairness, customer protection, and other quality assurance standards.

In the casino world, a good reputation is very important. A casino that has a good reputation would do everything to protect it.  Addressing customers’ concerns promptly and professionally builds trust between a casino and its clients. Big and speedy payouts are also a great marketing tool. Asking for advice from friends and relatives about a good casino is one way to avoid scammers and crooks masquerading as genuine casinos.

Check out for misbehaving software. Top casino software manufacturers have created games with incredible graphics, sound, and interactive screen interfaces. The games are compatible with most smartphones and other mobile devices. Some unscrupulous online casinos steal these games from other sites to use on their own. This might make the games malfunction or present a game with frequent glitches.

Conclusion

Like any other industry, the online casino industry has its fair share of rotten apples. However, this should not prevent you from enjoying yourself at legitimate casino sites. It is important that before registering in any casino, you do your research and background checks. 

In particular, check to see whether reputable bodies license the casino. Furthermore, a casino that independent auditors audit is likely free of fraud. If an online casino promises something during promotion but does not deliver, that should be a red flag.

The customer care service at any casino should be responsive to customer queries and complaints. Some fraudulent online casinos have cryptocurrency as their preferred mode of transaction. 

They do this because crypto transactions are more difficult to trace and prove when there are complaints. Many legit casinos also use cryptocurrency because it is secure. But if there is a stack of red flags, coupled with a preference for crypto, it could be a warning sign.

Therefore, we do have rigging in online casinos, but you are more likely to fall victim if you play at unregulated and obscure casinos.

Related Articles