How Do Blacklisted Online Casinos Expose Users to Cyber Threats and Scams?

The worst kind of online casinos that must be avoided at all costs are unlicensed and unregulated sites, but also ones that are fully licensed and regulated, but have obtained their licenses from bottom-tier gaming commissions/regulators that carry out very few background checks over the licensees.

These bottom-tier (aka rubber-stamp) gaming commissions/licensing authorities and regulators have hardly any controls in place to monitor the day-to-day operations of businesses they issue licenses to, or safeguard people who join these sites in any way. 

Untrustworthy online casinos are also commonly referred to by industry leaders and professionals as blacklisted online casinos, and they can be blacklisted for various reasons that we will be discussing right here. 

We will also be revealing how you can avoid signing up to a blacklisted casino site and highlighting some of the main types of cyber threats and scams that typically take place on untrustworthy iGaming platforms like this. 

How do online casinos become blacklisted?

There are many different reasons why some online casinos end up being blacklisted by various trusted organisations, but the most common are the following:

• The casino is either completely unlicensed and unregulated by any reputable mid to top-tier licensing authority/regulator/gaming commission, or it will have obtained a license from an untrustworthy organisation that doesn’t have the players’ best interests at heart
• When you read the expert reviews for any ‘not recommended casinos,’ they will be overwhelmingly negative. The ratings will be terrible. The ranking positions will be low. The player feedback will be poor, and there will be many unresolved complaints on that site
• Blacklisted could also mean that they are either mega slow at paying out winning withdrawals to registered members, or they simply don’t process withdrawals at all
• Almost every decent online casino out there today that’s controlled by a reputable and trustworthy operator will never add any hidden fees to your deposits or withdrawals. If fees are applied, it will be your chosen payment provider, so always check that deposits and withdrawals don’t come with any hidden fees attached. Blacklisted casinos have been known to add them, and no matter how nominal or insignificant the charges might be, it’s still not good practice
• The world’s worst online casinos have also been known to tamper with their software in favour of the house, and they use software that nobody has ever heard of, meaning the average Return to Player (RTP%) payout rates are much lower than the average payout rates on a trusted site. The average RTP payout rate is widely considered to be around 93.00% to 98.00% or higher. Below average is considered anything lower than 90.00% (it’s usually much lower on blacklisted casinos), which just isn’t fair for players
• They may offer some amazing bonuses and promotions, but never actually come good on them, or the wagering requirements attached to those bonuses are ridiculously high, say 60x, 70x or higher. That’s right, some online casino bonuses on blacklisted sites have bonus wagering requirements as high as 200x! In other words, the promotions/bonuses are misleading and are not actually worth claiming
• You can tell a great deal about the integrity of an online casino operator just by measuring its customer service levels. You can do this by finding out how responsive, friendly, helpful, and professionally trained the player support agents are. Blacklisted sites either have poor or non-existent player support agents who never demonstrate even the most basic/standard customer service levels, and they may even be rude

Other ways online casinos might end up being blacklisted

Blacklisted casinos also frequently change their terms and conditions and general policies, or make them so that they are almost impossible to understand, which just confuses and tricks players. 

They also might not be very transparent in their day-to-day operations. They may also fail to comply with local/international online gambling laws, data protection and privacy laws, and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws. 

Their cybersecurity measures might also be outdated or vulnerable to cyberattacks, which also leaves players and their sensitive data/funds at the mercy of cybercriminals. 

How do blacklisted casino sites expose users to cyber threats and scams?

Failure to leverage the right kind of highly sophisticated cybersecurity measures or adhere to industry standards when it comes to data protection can also leave online casino players vulnerable to many other fraudulent activities. 

This is why players should always look for legally permitted online casinos that are controlled by reputable operators who have obtained their licenses from one or more of the iGaming industry’s most reputable (top tier) gaming commissions/licensing authorities. 

Today’s most trusted sites will ensure that your money, preferred online payment method details, personal information, and any other sensitive data that’s stored on their platform (such as any private conversations you may have with the live chat support agents) is in safe hands 24/7 and will NEVER be shared with any other third parties (without your permission) or sold onto the highest bidder on the dark web. 

Final thoughts

When deciding which online casino might be worth joining, fortunately, rogue casinos that have been blacklisted for one reason or another are relatively easy to spot these days.

However, just to be on the safe side, you should always conduct your own basic background checks and due diligence before signing up to any online casinos you have found. 

In other words, read the expert reviews to see if that site is safe or not, and for double assurance, go to the official website of the gaming commission/regulator that the casino claims to be licensed by and check through their list of licensees to see if the casino operator is telling the truth. 

Avoid playing on blacklisted sites at all costs until they are removed from the list, or, if you already have an account and then find out that it’s blacklisted, perhaps consider closing your account as soon as possible, or just leave it dormant and look for somewhere else to play.