It’s no secret that online casinos have been big business in the last few years. The industry has really been booming. Although the latest figures show only the slightest decrease in the year-on-year yield from remote gambling, it’s clear that this leisure activity still enjoys major popularity. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and the impact that the virus and the lockdown are having on the economy, however, the next set of figures could look very different, with more people in the UK potentially turning to online casinos for entertainment or to make a little money in these troubling times.

Of course, anyone who wishes to play at an online casino, they should be in mind how to keep their personal data safe when playing. Even though the operators take major steps to protect the data of their customers, customers can — and should —take some of their own precautions. This article is all about how players can protect their data at online casinos to play more safely.

What type of data should players be protecting?

Personal data refers to details such as names, addresses and dates of birth. Since the player is gambling, they should also be taking care to protect their account number and any information on their credit cards or debit cards. Online casinos will ask them for this type of data so that they can allow the customer to play at the casino.

Data encryption is one of the major measures that online gambling operators take to protect their customers. This method of data protection, one which banks also use, scrambles information that is transferred over the internet and only someone who has authorised access can access the data. Players should only use sites of which they’re sure the security on the site is a high level. If they’re not sure and would prefer to play somewhere else, they can visit sites such as www.scams.info, which has conducted online casino reviews and can recommend safe casinos for players.

How can players keep their data safe?

Online casinos are immensely careful when they handle their customers’ data. It’s a big responsibility and if they don’t perform the task adequately, they can end up in legal hot water. There are several things a player should do to protect their own data when it comes to playing on the site:

Check the company’s security policy

Many online casinos will have a section in which they set out all the steps they take to protect their customers’ data. If the customer can’t find it, they should contact the live help on the website and ask them to direct them to the section. If there’s no such section on the website at all, the player should avoid using the site.

Ask about the data encryption

The data encryption on the site should be to a high level. A lot of casinos will use 128- or 256-bit SSL encryption. Both create a ‘key’ to which both users in a secure transaction have access, a key of which there are trillions of trillions of different possible combinations. The 256-bit SSL encryption creates even more trillions of trillions of combinations than the 128-bit and anyone without authorisation would have to wade through them all if they were to crack the key.

Note that the key for a secure transaction expires after each session. Even if a hacker comes the slightest bit close to cracking the key, they’d have to start all over again if the session expires before they’ve done so. Any player looking to use an online casino should check what type of encryption the operator is using and can feel safe playing there if the operators responds that they’re using 128- or 256-bit.

Check for a seal of verification

Online gaming operators are aware that their customers must be able to trust them and many will provide some seal of verification. Often, this seal comes following an audit by a third-party company who will review the safety and security of the website and/or of the games the operator offers. If these third parties find anything wrong with the site, they’ll refuse to award a seal or certificate of verification until the operator has followed their recommendations to the required standard.

Be mindful of details when setting up an account

When setting up an account, the customer will have to create a username and password. They should use a different password to that of any other online account and this password should contain a string of letters and/or numbers and characters that’s difficult to guess. If they need to write down this password, they should store it in a secure place which could even on an encrypted folder on their computer. Be careful that children can’t access the information either and misuse your data.

Avoid relaying personal information to casino staff unnecessarily

Casino customer staff will have received the training to operate discreetly and will only ask questions relating to personal data if strictly necessary. When dealing with a customer service agent by email, phone or live chat, customers should only provide the information the agent requests. They should never feel tempted to volunteer more, especially if the agent doesn’t ask for it, and they should avoid disclosing their password. There is real money at stake when playing at an online casino, so a customer shouldn’t reveal any information that they don’t need to.

Data protection is massively important to online casino operators and any breaches of data protection can create serious legal problems for them, so they’ll always take the utmost care with their customers’ data. Customers can also play their own part, however, by being cautious when they visit an online casino. By checking the operator’s security policies, observing whether there are any seals of verification and, generally, exercising discretion, customers can protect their data and, if they don’t feel safe on the site, click away to play on a more secure website.