Beware of Rogue Casinos

Blacklisted, or rogue, casinos are all over the internet and it’s important that you learn how best to avoid them before you ever begin gambling online with real money. A rogue is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as a dishonest, knavish person or as something that deviates from the norm. How I usually think of it, in terms of gambling, is by thinking of a rogue espionage agent. A rogue agent is a spy that turns against the person they’re spying for while still pretending to be legit, and who uses their association with their employer to gain certain advantages. In the movies this works out pretty well because often the government the agent is working/spying for turns out to be a corrupt one, and when the agent defects from their assignment they are actually doing something better than what they were doing before. Wiki uses Jason Bourne from the Bourne Identity movies as an example.

However, in gambling what it means is that the online casino is pretending to be legitimate so that you provide both your personal information and money. Should you win, they will refuse to pay you or may refuse to respond to your inquiries. Often they’ll give you some pretense for doing so, and fool you into thinking it was your fault in the first place. This keeps many players from outright distrusting them, even after having their withdrawal denied. Should enough public outcry finally reveal their criminal behavior to others, they’ll simply disappear from the virtual world, and the operators will likewise. What likely happens is that the rogue operator re-emerges in the guise of yet another new online casino. It’s impossible to know, because so few of the individuals behind these enterprises are ever caught.

Always, ALWAYS, check the credentials of the casino site you are thinking of registering with BEFORE you deposit any money. Look to see what other users have said about them- and don’t just trust in the hype. Remember, this casino is run by some person(s) who may only pretend to be offering you fair games. You’re placing a lot of trust in them by providing information that only select other organizations have (your personal information and bank codes). When you give them this information and pay real money to play with them, you are contractually bound to them. If they turn on you or defect on their agreement, there may be nothing you can do about it after the fact. Have fun, but play safe!