These days, seemingly not a week goes by without news of malicious hacker group stealing user names and passwords, or another hacker group gaining access to large databases of credit card numbers. Obviously, the thought of having your personal information made public online can be downright scary. Needless to say, one must wonder if it’s safe to play online poker. To an extent, part of the answer to that question depends on the operators; one ought to only play poker online at a trusted, safe room. The other part of staying safe while playing online poker really comes down to you and the types of precautions you take. While playing 100% fully secure online poker might not be possible, every online gambler should have enough knowledge to prevent themselves from being at risk. As such, we’ve put together a list of four basic tips that ought to help you stay safe when playing online poker for money.
Take the Time to Research the Operators
As mentioned earlier, step one is to play at a trusted site. Doing so involves you putting in the time to properly research which sites could offer you a safe online gaming environment. Sure, many of the actual games, bonuses, and promotions being offered are the same regardless of which site you choose to play at, but safety should always be your number one concern. Be sure to look at how long the operator has been in business. Online gaming platforms that have lengthy histories also usually have tons and tons of player reviews. This doesn’t automatically guarantee safety, but it’ll give you plenty of reading material to weigh when deciding whether or not to select this site as one of your chosen online poker destinations.
An operator’s reputation is critical. What are other gamblers saying about the services that the site offers? How is the site at processing deposits and withdrawals? Do they pay on time? Does the website implement the correct privacy policies to keep their customers safe? These are all questions that you need to get the answers to before signing up.
Do They Ask for Proper ID When Receiving or Making a Payment?
When it comes to financial transactions, just using a simple username and password isn’t always enough to ensure proper security. This is why some gambling operators like scr888 will ask for copies of you IDs before you can make a transaction or withdraw funds. A driver’s license, government-issued identity card, or even a passport might be required for some, and while this might seem like a hassle it goes without saying that it certainly helps protect your funds. Specifically, in the unfortunate event that someone does manage to get a hold of your username and password, this extra security measure could be the one thing that ensures they won’t be able to go through with the transaction and steal your money.
Are They Equipped with an Anti-Fraud Staff?
There will always be people out there trying to get a hold of your personal information and exploit it. Any well-regarded online poker operator will always have a team of anti-fraud members working around the clock to ensure that your funds and transactions are 100% safe. This department would surely be staffed by highly trained professionals who’d be able to pick up on the slightest changes in your routine. There might be a situation when your account gets frozen for unusual activity, which will indeed be a hassle and seem completely unnecessary, but these security procedures like these could certainly prevent you from getting scammed. In this regard, securing your online poker account is no different than the procedures in place for most major credit card companies.
Does Their Log in Screen Feature Hi-Tech Encryption?
These days, it seems pretty self-evident that a login screen should be safe and secure, but you would be surprised at the number of gamblers out there who don’t consider this. Every player should be required to enter a username and password before they can log in to the online poker client. Once this information is entered into the system it should be encrypted and entered into a secure database that only a few select individuals will have access to.
Unfortunately, many outfits don’t take the enough precaution when keeping track of their customers’ usernames and passwords, which might leave you susceptible to hacking attacks. Over the years, most operators have greatly improved their encryption methods, and you always want to make sure that you are doing business with a company that is using the most effective encryption software. Of course, it also helps if you choose a unique password that is different than the one you use for your other accounts.