Blacklisted Online Casinos

When new and professional gamblers alike are in search of a casino to play at, online casino blacklists can be an invaluable resource. With so many options available to players these days it simply makes sense to avoid those that for one reason or another have found their way onto a blacklist. For the most part, online casinos offer substantial bonuses, ongoing promotions, and competitive odds, all within the confines of a safe and secure environment. Why not benefit from the experiences of others?

It is important to note that not all casinos appearing on these lists are necessarily rogue operations. It is entirely possible that some claims are unfair and unwarranted. It is entirely possible that there are as many players who are looking to make a fast buck as there are crooked gambling sites, perhaps more. These types of players, often referred to as “bonus hunters” are gamblers who violate the casino rules by opening multiple accounts, providing false information and ultimately claiming multiple bonuses. When such player attempts to cash out their winnings and the casino’s fraud department freezes these accounts, the player will sometimes wage a war against the casino by posting slanderous comments in casino forums. Players have been known to try and defraud the casinos even by going so far as to create fake screen shots of winning jackpots. When the casino disputes the players “winnings” the player may then engage the assistance of a third party or “casino watchdog” to negotiate with the casino on the player’s behalf. The mediator may be unaware that the player is in the wrong, but even when these player’s actions are proven to be fraudulent, the damage to the reputation of the casino has already been done.

The best advice would be that one should not believe everything they read or hear about a casino, whether the comments are good or bad. The most important factor in determining where to play should be based on the source of this information. Forums can be helpful but they are not always the optimal place to commence a casino search. Forum operators can be biased and/or misinformed. The best course of action would be to begin with the blacklist itself. There should always be a reason given for why the casino was blacklisted. The best blacklists have strict criteria and ban online casinos for engaging in any one or more of the following practices

The gaming software has been programmed to generate unfair odds.

Legitimate casinos generally conduct monthly audits with established third parties and post the results on the website. A casino should only be blacklisted for fraudulent activity once the software has been tested by a statistical expert who can verify that the results are truly biased in the casino’s favor.

The casino withholds player winnings.

Online casinos that refuse payment based on unsupported claims should be considered for immediate blacklisting. When payments are proven to have been stalled intentionally and/or payment of winnings and/or original deposits are withheld for dubious reasons is unacceptable.

The gaming software has a fake seal of approval.

Some casinos have illegally copied “approval” seals when in fact the software has not been legitimately tested. Gaming seals should be linked to documentation that can be easily verified by conducting a simple online search.

The casino’s Terms & Conditions are unfair and/or misleading.

Bonus rules and eligibility are oftentimes the subject of many disputes. In such situations, most gaming mediators will support the notion that the act of seizing all of a player’s funds on the grounds of suspected bonus abuse is unwarranted. While it may be considered permissible to close an account entirely and to deny future bonus privileges, withholding a player’s deposits and winnings may be deemed as overreaching. Some casinos have been known to lay false claims of bonus abuse and consequently seized all funds.

Terms and conditions are enacted to protect a business from any legal liability for situations beyond their control. However, if a casino repeatedly uses their terms and conditions to rob players of their rightful winnings or unjustly prevents players from accessing their accounts, they deserve to be blacklisted for unethical business practices.

The casino abuses a player’s right to privacy.

There have been several cases in which casinos have provided (intentionally or unintentionally) a player’s email address and/or account information to unauthorized third parties. Whether the casino operators are also running these sites, or are being paid for this confidential information this practice is completely unethical and undermines the casino’s credibility.

The casino fails to address the charges against them.

If a casino fails to respond to player complaints or accusations by not returning emails and/or phone calls the casino should be blacklisted. This, however, should be carefully documented as emails and phone calls can be missed but should be easily traced and verified.

Always bear in mind that a legitimate blacklist should be fair and balanced. For example, if there was a misunderstanding or miscommunication between the player and casino and the casino sooner or later diplomatically resolves the dispute, they should be removed from the blacklist. However, if the operators are repeatedly involved in similar disputes it is better to err on the side of caution. Forums are a good resource for identifying such instances, especially if players get in the habit of reading more than one.