Though online casinos can offer a great time, they can still put your privacy and personal info at risk. Online casinos are not special in this regard, though, as online attackers will try to invade just about any online space they can. With that in mind, there are many things you can do that will keep you as safe as possible while playing.
Online casinos are considered to be safe, but it’s still a good idea to educate yourself on the potential risks. Knowledge is power, and now you can play your games armed with a better understanding of how to mitigate cyber threats.
Choose a licensed casino
The number one best thing you can do to protect yourself in 2025 is to only ever register with licensed online casinos. Though licensed casinos are more common than unlicensed ones, it’s still possible to accidentally come across one that never earned its proper certification.
Whether you are looking for the best betting app or the site with the best slot games, you should always pick a licensed online casino or sportsbook, no matter what kind of games interest you and what type of bet you plan on making.
Licensed casinos come with all sorts of perks that go beyond improved security. They are more likely to have reputable and fast-acting customer service, and more likely to have fewer frozen payments or transactions, and they tend to offer a wider range of payment options.
Use two-factor authentication
If available, you should pick an online casino that allows two-factor authentication (2FA). There’s a reason why this method is available on sites and apps all over the place – it is a tried and tested method that makes your accounts so much safer.
Using a tablet or smartphone, you’ll receive an authentication password via text. This means that as long as you have access to your portable device, it is virtually impossible for a hacker to get into your casino account and access your funds.
Since most people do their online gambling on the go, this makes two-factor authentication a very natural thing to add to people’s daily online gambling sessions. Pick a reputable online casino with a good mobile app, activate two-factor authentication and you’ll be good to go.
Consider changing payment methods
Payment methods play a major role in the online casino industry, more so than some people realize. For one thing, they are the most important deciding factor in the speed of an online casino’s payout. But different payment methods also come with different security measures, meaning some are theoretically safer than others.
Take cryptocurrencies as an example. Though not every online casino offers crypto, the numbers are growing. Crypto is special, not just because it offers instant deposits and withdrawals, but because of its usage of blockchain technology to create enhanced privacy and anonymity.
Should you ever be concerned that your gambling entertainment is being monitored by someone, crypto is a great way to make every single transaction seamless and anonymous. The most common cryptocurrencies to find at online casinos are Bitcoin, Litecoin and Tether.
Update software often
If you are using an official mobile app, you should update the software whenever the opportunity presents itself. Many online casinos and sportsbooks will release at least a couple of updates for their apps each year, and there’s no reason not to install them.
App updates do more than just make the app faster and less glitchy. Sometimes, the update will make the app more secure by improving encryption protocols. If you’re not sure, you can always read the patch notes of each update before downloading and installing. Still, most app updates do not take up a lot of storage, so there’s no harm in installing them even if you don’t know what they are fixing.
Ignore unsolicited messages
Because online casinos do a great job at protecting themselves and their customers, database hacks, password leaks and other major online attacks tend to be very rare in this industry. Instead, most attacks or threats will happen on an individual level, such as scammers trying to directly message or email you.
Many online casinos have chatrooms or social pages where players can discuss things with other members of the casino. Unfortunately, some of those chatting may have sneaky motives and will use leading questions to try and get personal info out of you.
You should never divulge any kind of info about yourself, your finances or your accounts to strangers online. It doesn’t matter how many technological safeguards you have in play; if you don’t follow this protocol, you’ll likely get into trouble.
As an extra tip, you should only ever gamble when you are in a stable state of mind, and preferably sober as well. Being in a proper state of mind significantly increases the chances of you spotting any attempts at scamming or phishing.
Additionally, never click on any links someone tries to send you, either via chatrooms or email.
Read an online casino’s FAQ and terms pages closely
Having a license isn’t always enough for an online casino to be considered top-tier in terms of safety. Online casinos also need to be headed by staff that care about responsible gaming and know how to enforce it whenever necessary.
As a rule of thumb, online casinos that take the best measures to protect themselves from external cyberattacks will also take their own policies quite seriously. This means having people who know how to work with and detect fraud, should it ever arise.
It can also manifest as including mechanics or protocols designed to help players should they ever feel they are going too far with their gambling. The most trustworthy online casinos will have a self-exclusion period feature and other similar functions, so that players have the option to lock themselves out of their account for weeks, months or even years.
