Introduction
Security should be your utmost priority when considering online casinos to play. Whether regular casinos or Bitcoin casinos, this remains valid. This is because there is a lot at stake when you commit your personal information and hard-earned money to online casino operators.
For instance, there have been many cases of online gambling scams where players deposit funds and are unable to withdraw their winnings. In other instances, legit casinos may get hacked and have customers’ personal data stolen by malicious actors.
Scams are even much easier with Bitcoin casinos that require no identity verification or KYC. These casinos are also heavily unregulated, so you do not enjoy external protection from the authorities.
Ultimately, when playing at an online casino, you want to ensure you and your funds are safe, and you can enjoy a wholesome gaming experience.
Since security and privacy in crypto gambling are paramount, what are the security measures you can explore to ensure your funds and data are safe at online crypto casinos? Thanks to various technological advances, you can employ many measures to safeguard yourself. We highlight some of them below.
How to Ensure Safety and Privacy when Crypto Gambling?
Use a VPN When Online
One of the most common drawbacks to crypto casinos is their vulnerability to hacks. Blockchain technology is considered very secure. At the same time, many Bitcoin casinos have security encryption and other measures in place to prevent hackers from breaking into their websites. However, determined hackers can still find a loophole and find a way into their security systems.
For instance, one of the biggest crypto gambling sites, Primedice, was hacked many years ago. The hackers were also able to steal a whopping $1 million. In other words, not even the most reputable Bitcoin casinos are completely safe.
As such, one way to protect yourself when online or playing at online casinos is to use a virtual private network (VPN). Many people use VPNs to access websites blocked in their locations. But another thing that VPNs do is encrypt your data and protect your personal data from being leaked, monitored, or stolen.
Overall, a VPN provides you with additional security when gambling at crypto casinos.
Keep Your Password Strong
While casinos can employ various security measures at their end, you can also risk exposing your data or losing your funds without a secure account. The easiest and most common way to secure your casino account is by using a password.
However, not all passwords are strong. You’ve probably had a time when you were creating a new account on a website and were asked to create a strong password. Many of us often opt for passwords we can easily remember. Some people even use their names and dates of birth.
It isn’t exactly wrong to use such information as a password for your casino account. But it’s highly risky because anyone trying to break into your account will first think of the personal information.
So, what makes up a strong password?
The first thing is that strong passwords are long. The longer you make your password, the better and more secure it’ll be. In addition, a strong password is a mix of upper and lower case characters, numbers, special symbols, and no dictionary words.
In essence, the best password is long, and alphanumeric. It also contains symbols for an additonal layer of security. With such passwords, it will be almost impossible for someone with access to your phone or other devices to access your Bitcoin casino account. Neither can they steal your funds.
Use and Secure Your E-Wallet
One of the common payment methods at online casinos is payments via e-wallets. Virtually all reputable casinos partner with electronic wallet providers like PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller to provide their customers with alternative payment methods.
Like casinos ensure transactions are safe, these wallets allow users to deposit and withdraw funds from their gaming accounts easily. They also offer a high level of security and privacy.
In other words, when you fund and cash out your winnings from your crypto casino account using e-wallets, your banking information is safe and secure.
However, you can further secure your e-wallets from the user end. Since they are mobile app-enabled, you can set up two-factor authentication (2FA) for additional security. This includes creating a password and a different transaction passcode, verifying transactions via a second device, or using an authenticator app.
Choose Only Provably Fair Games Casinos
There are many casinos around, but not all of them offer fair results and winnings. Some casinos are built with a very high house edge that makes it extremely difficult for you to win.
In essence, when considering the best crypto casinos in terms of security, you should opt for casinos with provably fair games. This is because such casinos are transparent, and you are guaranteed your winnings or withdrawals.
But how do you determine a provably fair casino?
A casino with a provably fair system ensures a cryptographic key is available to players and the house. This key is used to generate random numbers that determine the outcome of your games. And with access to the keys, you can double-check gambling results to determine whether the numbers generated are genuinely random.
In other words, you’ll be able to see if the casino tampers with results or not. And at a provably fair casino, results are always randomly generated using a random number generator (RNG). So, when you play your favorite slot or blackjack game, you are certain what you see is what you get.
Moreover, secure crypto casinos partner with reputable casino game software providers like NetEnt, Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Gaming, Microgaming, etc. These providers build exciting, fair casino games that offer high return-to-player (RTP) percentages.
Choose a Casino With Extensive Security Measures
Secure online casinos always have security measures in place to ensure players’ safety. So when looking to gamble at a crypto casino, it’s imperative that you research and find casinos with high-level security standards.
While regular casinos have a strict no-underage policy and require players to undergo a mandatory know-your-customer (KYC) process, this is not the case with crypto casinos. Bitcoin casinos are unregulated, and they allow anonymous gambling. So, players are not required to go through any form of ID verification or KYC.
Because of this, money laundering and other fraudulent activities are prominent in crypto casinos. However, safe crypto casinos record all transactions on the blockchain and ensure they are verified. In other cases, secure Bitcoin casinos comply with the anti-money laundering (AML) laws of the jurisdictions they are in.
Secure crypto casinos also partner with well-known gaming software and payment providers to ensure transactions are safe and games are fair.
Nonetheless, secure Bitcoin casinos employ high-grade encryption to protect their websites from cybersecurity threats or hacks.
Look at the Site's Privacy Policy
Another way to determine a casino’s security and safety is to read its privacy policy before real money gambling. Secure casinos always provide information about their privacy policy on their websites. Usually, you’ll find this in their general information section or among their frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Casinos with the information comply with data privacy laws. As such, your data, especially banking records with your credit/debit card or e-wallet details, are securely stored and not shared with third parties. A breach of this agreement is enough grounds for legal action by you.
Overall, from the privacy policy, you’ll understand how your information is used, processed, and stored in the casino’s database. You’ll also be able to determine the extent of the information required to get started at the casino and how much of your data is protected.
Security Measures of Crypto Casinos
As stated earlier, legit crypto casinos deploy various security measures to protect customers and their funds. Below, we highlight the two major security measures used by crypto casinos.
Encryption Systems
Since Bitcoin casinos are anonymous and unregulated, the most viable way to assess their security is through their encryption technology.
Casino systems store and process numerous data, and they are responsible for the sensitive personal information of their customers. It’s needless to say that hackers and other cyber criminals want access to this information. This is because they are valuable data that can be sold for money or used to access the owners’ bank accounts to steal money.
To mitigate the risk of cyber attacks, crypto casinos employ high-level encryption technology that prevents hackers from accessing clients’ information. So, even if a hacker successfully breaks into the casino’s systems, they will be unable to decode the stored data. This renders the sensitive information useless to hackers.
Apart from security, encryption technology aids faster transaction speed. This is because such casinos work with various tools that efficiently process encrypted data.
Use of Signatures
Another system for improved security at crypto casinos is the use of signatures. As the name implies, signatures are used by account owners to approve transactions or other activities. In the online gambling world, advanced electronic signatures are used similarly.
In crypto casinos, these signatures are a set of electronic data registered to individual players. In other words, each player has a data message that verifies them as the legitimate account owner. And for log-ins and transactions like withdrawals or funds transfer to be completed, you’ll be required to provide your unique signature.
Depending on the casino, the signature options include a one-time password (OTP) that you receive on your device to validate transactions. It could also be a biometric signature using the biometric data stored on your device. These include your fingerprint, face ID, or voice signature.
Some casinos also offer private keys known to you alone. These private keys are usually seed phrases that you must store and use for your transactions.
Ultimately, the use of signatures is a form of 2FA deployed by crypto casinos for additional security.
Final Verdict
With the rise in the global casino industry and crypto casinos by extension, the rate of scams and other cyber crimes will inevitably increase. Bitcoin casinos are unregulated. So, it’s vital that you gamble at casinos with stern security measures in place to protect your sensitive information.
We’ve reviewed the safety and privacy measures to look out for when considering a crypto casino to gamble. Some of them include high-level encryption technology, provably fair gaming, using a strong password and VPN. Ultimately, keeping yourself secure is the duty of the casino and yourself, and with these measures in place, your safety and privacy are guaranteed.
FAQs
To maintain provably in crypto gambling, choose a reputable Bitcoin casino with stern security measures. You should also secure your account with a strong password, 2FA, or a VPN.
Crypto transactions are safe and anonymous using blockchain technology. However, they are also susceptible to hacks or other malicious activities.
Crypto gambling is legal because there are currently no laws regulating Bitcoin gambling. In essence, it is not considered illegal in any jurisdiction.
Reviewed and Fact Checked by Vlad Hategan , NFT Gaming Specialist