Why Online Gambling Security Is So Important
Imagine that you are a client of one of the largest poker sites on the Internet…
You log into your account to check your balance.
You see that you have $2,576. You smile because you remember that $1,500 of that amount came from a good score in the game of Double Two you played last Sunday.
You think you're running well. You play good. So why not try to score again next Sunday? Your poker room always has a busy tournament schedule. But you don't want to invest all the money. Some of these tournaments are expensive.
So you decide - on Thursday, April 14, 2011 - to play some satellites the next day (and Saturday if necessary) to see if you can win the more expensive tournaments.
You go to bed early. You want to be fresh the next day.
You wake up on Friday morning. You press the power button on your laptop. While your computer is booting up, you grab a cup of coffee.
Then you click on the poker room shortcut on your desktop... and what you see next gives you goosebumps.
Because you have just learned that the US government, specifically the Department of Justice, has charged the biggest poker sites on the planet with multiple criminal offenses.
The bad news is that you cannot play online poker. And you have no idea when or if it will change.
But the good news is that you have played on one of the biggest online poker sites. And their biggest competitor sends bankrolls to all their US customers as fast as requests come in.
You breathe a sigh of relief. You place your request and expect it to be processed and sent quickly.
But… payments take time.
Don't worry, you tell yourself. They have a lot of withdrawal requests. Yours will come soon. And reps assure 2 2 and PTP players that their payments will be sent as soon as possible.
This goes on for a couple of months. Every day you worry more and more. Then another bomb falls.
On June 29, 2011, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission suspended Full Tilt Poker's license. Full Tilt is being accused of a pyramid scheme... and not having the money to return the money to the players.
Your $2,576 balance - your entire poker bankroll - is in your Full Tilt Poker account.
An extreme example proving the importance of online gambling security
What happened on April 15, 2011 - the day the poker community calls "Black Friday" - is a prime example of why online gambling security is important.
Why you need to research and only join the best sites.
Why you need to know what scams scammers are pulling so you can spot them early...before they steal from you.
Why you need to practice common sense and basic internet security, click to read.
Why is it important to play on licensed and regulated sites rather than offshore sites if/when possible. And if not, why is it so important to diversify your bankroll.
In a word, it is important to educate yourself.
To be honest, Full Tilt Poker is an extreme example. The exception to the rule, really. It's not the player's fault - not really.
The players were stunned by their own kind. Other poker players posing as businessmen.
And instead of being upset, we need to focus on getting better. Getting better at detecting fraudulent gambling operators before they take our money. The question is how do we do it?
An hour of research makes a big difference
Much of your security - or lack of it - depends on the work you have done before joining an online gambling site.
We recommend that you spend an hour or two researching as you compile your short list of online gambling sites that you think you want to join.
Most casinos, poker sites, etc. have similar games, bonuses, and banking options. Some of them are bigger or better than others, of course, but not so much that they need to be paid attention to. Not at the beginning.
Also, scam sites make these things meaningless. If they rob you, what good will this fancy deposit bonus do for you? Or that banking option with a lower commission? No, you should always think about safety first.
Read also: UNDERSTANDING TECHNOLOGIES BASED ON ONLINE GAMING