How to Check If a Casino Is Safe: My 10-Step Process

Why I Check Every Casino Before Depositing

I test casino welcome bonuses using real money. So with every new casino I try, there is a risk that my deposit will disappear and that I will not get any of it back. Not because it is uncommon to lose at slot games, but because there is never any certainty that the casino will behave fairly and that my deposit, and winnings, will end up in my account.

When I first started with SpinAudit, I had a notion that casinos listed on review sites would be relatively reliable. After auditing 5 casinos so far, my trust has been completely decimated. 1 Casino had a very professional site, but the terms of the promotions were very badly biased to the casino and it was nearly impossible to actually cash out any winnings. 1 Casino's support was just an automated chat bot, and 1 Casino had a particularly egregious term that was hidden in the fine print regarding their wagering requirements – only wagers made with REAL money counted.

I'm still following the same 10 checks as before, but now I do them on every site for every deposit. If a casino fails more than 2 of them, I will not deposit at that casino. It now takes me 30 – 45 minutes to do my checks.

You don't have to be a casino busting, card counting professional to apply these 10 principles to your game. Whether you're thinking of joining up at an online casino or just want to get more out of your gaming experience, these tips will help you to improve your play and have a better time.

Step 1: How to Check If a Casino License Is Real

Every online casino should display some sort of license. It's usually easy to find, but I've usually seen it located at the bottom of the website homepage. Displaying it front and center is a good start, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's real.

So here is what I do: 1. Find the casino's license number on their website 2. Find the list of licensed operators from the regulatory authority 3. Search for the casino's license number and find out if it exists in the list. If a casino has a Curacao license, I find out if it exists in the Curacao eGaming public register, if a casino has an MGA license, I find out if it exists in the Malta Gaming Authority database. It is important to see if the license is active or if it has been expired or revoked.

From the 5 casinos I have tested, here is what I found:

If a casino does not provide a license, or if they provide a license number which does not match the information we have from the jurisdiction, do not deposit. This is a very simple red flag to spot.

Step 2: Read the Full Bonus Terms Before Signing Up

This is where most players skip ahead, and that is exactly where the problems start. I read the terms and conditions of a bonus before I deposit. Not while I join a website, not as I fill out the registration forms – always before I put real money into an online casino account.

What I look for specifically:

• Wagering multiplier: How many times I have to wager the bonus amount. At PlayAmo it was 50x the bonus only, at Slotimo – 25x the deposit + bonus, at FastBet – 30x deposit + bonus but only real money bets were counted towards the wagering condition.
• Max bet rule: The max bet should be around 5 euros per spin in bonus play. If this limit is exceeded by accident, e.g. by using the auto play feature, all wins might be voided. More information can be found in my bonus terms guide.
• Win cap: A win cap is a restriction imposed by the casino on the maximum amount that a player can win from a particular bonus. We discovered a win cap of 10x at Slotimo. We deposited 714 euros and when we attempted to withdraw them, the casino only allowed us to withdraw 500 euros.
• Time limit: At Wild Tokyo we were given just 3 days to meet a 50x wagering requirement. That was way too short. Despite our best efforts, we only managed to wager about 14.1% of the required amount before the bonus balance ran out completely.
• Game restrictions: Not all games count equally towards wagering requirements. Some games contribute 0%, meaning your bets on those games will not help you clear the bonus at all.

A safe casino shows the terms and conditions on their website before you become a member and start playing. If you are forced to register and deposit in order to get to read the terms and conditions, this is a red flag.

Step 3: Check Payment Methods for Deposits and Withdrawals

A characteristic of many gamblers is that they often look only at the deposit methods of an online casino. However, the withdrawal methods are often different.

Here is what I check:

• Are the withdrawal methods the same as for depositing? Not always. While most casinos accepting credit card deposits will allow you to withdraw to the same credit card, there are exceptions. Withdrawal methods differ between casinos, and you can withdraw to a bank account, e-wallet, prepaid card, instant payment account or mobile payment system. Even if a casino accepts credit card deposits, you should verify that you can also withdraw to the same credit card, as withdrawals to credit cards can take a few days, which adds to the time you need to wait before you can use your winnings.
• Is there a minimum withdrawal amount? Always check the terms. FastBet had a minimum withdrawal of 100 euros. In our case, after clearing the bonus we only had a small balance left, and it was not possible to withdraw it because we did not meet the minimum.
• How long do withdrawals take? I wanted to track the time it took for the withdrawals to clear. My Slotimo withdrawal was confirmed 2.6 days after requesting and they do have a full KYC (Know Your Customer) process, although the casino also confirmed this had been done before releasing the funds. At Wild Tokyo my withdrawal was confirmed after 1 day and 25 minutes. There's quite a variation in between.
• Are there withdrawal fees? It's always good to know, so be sure to check. Some casinos charge a fee for every withdrawal, and others will hit you with fees if you withdraw too many times in a month.

Crypto is all about speed. And I guess it can also be applied to casino deposits. My ETH deposit was credited to my account in 24 seconds. On the other hand, crypto withdrawals – like all other withdrawals at PlayAmo – have to go through the KYC procedure and are manually reviewed by the support team, thus negating all the benefits brought by the speed of the crypto transactions on the deposit side.

Bad casinos may only accept deposits through obscure means or they may fail to clearly indicate where to find the withdrawal page.

Step 4: Test Customer Support Before Depositing

This is a very basic check that almost no one does, but it is quite telling. Before I deposit any money, I send a question to the casino's customer support. Nothing complicated – just something like “What documents do I need for KYC?” or “What is your current welcome bonus?”

What I measure:

• Response time: How long before a real human answers?
• Is it a real person or a bot? Not always! Some casinos use chatbots that will only give you a generic response.
• Does the answer really help? A rapid response is not helpful support if it does not deal with your question.

Here is what I found when testing support at my 5 casinos:

If a casino doesn't have a live chat, or the live chat is answered by a bot that refers you to the FAQ section, be cautious. You will need real support in case of any issues arising during withdrawal or KYC.

Step 5: Look at KYC Verification Requirements

KYC is the abbreviation for Know Your Customer. The identity verification procedure carried out by the casino before the payout of winnings. A safe casino explains the procedure of a KYC check clearly on the deposit page. An unsafe casino will only tell you about the KYC procedure when you try to withdraw.

Before I sign up, I check if the casino explains:

• What documents are needed (ID, proof of address, payment proof)
• When verification is triggered (first withdrawal, specific amount, or immediately)
• How long the process typically takes

The KYC in my real life was not at all like I thought. In total, I had my KYC verified by 3 operators. FastBet managed to get it through in a staggering 17 minutes, where my ID documents were accepted and verified in no time at all. For Wild Tokyo, it took 1 day and 15 minutes, and here I had to send all my documents in one single step. Slotimo on the other hand needed around 62 hours to do the KYC. I got 3 e-mails, asking me to upload only one ID document each time.

I went into detail in my KYC verification guide about how casinos perform KYC verification and how you can prepare for the verification. In a nutshell, the purpose of KYC verification at casinos is to prevent crimes related to terrorism, money laundering and other illicit activities. In this page, I will be focusing on the specific documents you should prepare in advance and how to deal with them if they are not accepted.

The key thing to check is this: if a casino does not mention KYC anywhere on the site before you sign up, and there is no information about which documents you will need, be careful. They might use the verification process to delay or block your withdrawal later.

Step 6: Search for Real Player Complaints

I search for the name of the casino along with terms such as "withdrawal problem", "not paying out" or "scam" to see if other players have run into similar difficulties. I also have a look around the casino forums, casino complaint sites and online casino communities.

What I look for is not the number of complaints that are made against the casino, because every casino will have a few disgruntled patrons. What I look for is the pattern of those complaints.

• Is this customer complaining about the same thing? Ten customers complaining about the length of time that their withdrawals are being processed is a trend. A single complaint about losing money at the slots is not a trend.
• Does the casino respond to complaints? Some casinos actively reply to complaints on public forums. That is a positive sign, even if the answer is not always what the player wanted. If a casino completely ignores complaints and never responds, that tells you something about how they treat their players.
• When was the player's complaint lodged? A casino with complaints 2 years and longer, but none in the last 12 months, may have corrected the problems. On the other hand, a casino with new complaints lodged each week, may be a casino to avoid.
• No complaints regarding withdrawal holds after KYC. That's a pretty serious warning sign. If there are any complaints about players being unable to cash out their winnings after they have gone through KYC, we would advise avoiding the casino.

Casinos may say what you want to hear and competitors may make up lies to try and rubbish out the competition. So it is always good to check the quantity and consistency of the complaints. We do not just believe everything that is written in one forum.

Step 7: Check If the Casino Has Responsible Gambling Tools

A safe online casino should give you the tools you need to gamble safely. And that means more than just having a page with a phone number for a gambling helpline. I mean real tools, and I mean tools that are built right into your account settings.

Here is what I check for:

• Deposit limits: Can you set daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limits?
• Loss limits: Can you set a maximum amount you are willing to lose? Some casinos let you set these limits yourself, while others do not offer this option at all.
• Casino session time limits: Does the casino alert you if you have been gambling for too long?
• Self-exclusion: Can you temporarily or permanently close your account?
• Cool-off period: Can you take a time out from gambling for a certain period?

In particular, FastBet excelled in this category. In addition to the well-known reality checks, which every self-respecting casino uses to warn gamblers about excessively long periods at the slot machine, the operator has included all common account settings for the protection of their customers. From deposit limits to loss limits or session limits, all common measures to limit the risk of addiction can be adjusted in the account settings, and FastBet even offers a self-exclusion option – a bit late, but still a good effort, especially for a rather young casino like this one, which only obtained its Anjouan license in 2017.

Most casinos have the basic components we consider important, but all too often in a form that makes you wonder if they really care. So how do we determine that a casino isn't serious about making gambling safe for gamblers? A casino isn't serious about keeping gambling safe for gamblers if they do not have any responsible gambling tools built into the casino, or if they make them very hard to access (i.e. you have to dig deep into the Support area, and then need to get them to send you the information via an e-mail or a telephone call).

Step 8: Look at Which Game Providers Are Available

The reliability of the casino is often determined by the game provider. In other words: if a casino works with several trustworthy game providers such as Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Evolution, BGaming and the like, then it is unlikely for the casino to be unregulated. What we mean is that if the provider (game provider) chooses to work with the casino, then the provider has most likely checked the casino and its operations in some way.

Here is what I found:

If you’ve never heard of the game providers at a casino, or there are not enough games from popular providers, you should be concerned. It could mean the casino does not meet the standards that established providers require from their partners.

Step 9: Check the Casino Website Quality

This has nothing to do with design. Rather it is to do with whether or not the site actually works, and whether or not basic standards of quality have been observed:

• Does it use HTTPS? Check your browser for a padlock icon. Most casinos do use encryption these days, so having HTTPS alone doesn't make a casino safe. But if you see a "Not Secure" label in your browser, do not enter any personal or financial information on that site. That is a basic standard every real-money casino should meet.
• Are all pages active? Click on terms and conditions, privacy policy and about pages to check. If you get an error page or just a load of placeholder text, the site is not yet fully open for business and you should not attempt to deposit any funds.
• Is there a real company name? A safe casino reveals the name of the company behind it, along with a business registration number and a physical address. This information is usually located in the footer of the website or in the "about us" section. If you can't find any of this, that's a bad sign.
• How old is the casino? A brand new casino is not dangerous by default, but it has no track record. Since a new casino has no history at all, you are taking more of a risk. Spartans was launched in 2025 and I also tested FastBet, also launched in 2025. Both worked fine so far, but I started with smaller deposits at both just to be safe.

Launched in 2016, PlayAmo is a casino that has been around for much longer. Although a longer existence at a casino doesn't always mean the casino is trustworthy, it is very rare that a casino that pays out winnings to players on a daily basis manages to exist for so long without being shut down by authorities or having its license revoked.

Step 10: Start With a Small Deposit to Test the Casino

Even if a casino passes the first 9 checks, I still don't deposit a large amount on my first try. I always start small. My first deposits at online casinos have so far always been between 20 € and 50 €.

The reason is quite simple. No matter how many reviews you read, you won't really learn how a casino works until you actually try it. That means opening an account, making a real deposit, playing with real money, and eventually trying to withdraw your winnings.

Here is what I deposited on my first test at each casino:

The small deposit test is your last line of defence. It is a test of how the casino will handle your money, from your first deposit and up until you make a withdrawal. If something goes wrong with your first deposit, for instance if the deposit is not registered, if the terms of the welcome bonus is changed or if the support is bad, then it is probably not worth to continue to try to play at the casino. Read more about the tests and the procedure and see all the actual tests we have made in our casino reviews by clicking here.

What My Safety Checks Revealed Across 5 Casinos

I've taken every casino I've ever come across and tested them out for compliance with the 10 steps outlined in my previous post, here are my real world observations of how you can identify a safe casino.

No casino is perfect. Some pay out more than others. Some have terrible live chat. Some have confusing bonus terms. Some take ages to get you through KYC. For example: Wild Tokyo's live chat is just a bot, which isn't any good at all. FastBet's wagering terms were very misleading. And I had to sit through 62 hours of a one-document-at-a-time KYC process at Slotimo. These are just a few things I've noticed so far, and I only found them out by depositing real money.

The license alone told me very little. All 5 of the casinos I've tested have a Curacao or Anjouan license, and they're all open for business. However, the licenses don't do much in terms of dispute resolution, and with Curacao and Anjouan being smaller countries they're less equipped to deal with any issues should they arise. In the event of a dispute with a Curacao or Anjouan licensed casino and they refuse to pay you out, you'll find you have fewer options than you would with a casino that holds an MGA or UKGC license.

The bonus terms are the most important safety feature. We generally found the casinos with the most transparent bonus terms to be safer, than those that forced you to open up a separate document to find out the terms and conditions. Of course, if you want to be able to actually read the terms and conditions for yourself we have a step by step guide on how to do that. For example, Spartans Casino has an extremely simple rakeback.

Support quality varied the most. Of all the tests we carried out, it was the level of support that varied the most. Time from request to first response ranged from just two minutes to over a day. The pre-deposit support test (Step 4) was perhaps the most revealing of all our tests. This was the test that would give us an idea of what we could expect from the casino before we had to part with any of our own money.

You'll be able to see the full breakdown of each casino site from when we first deposited right through to when we made our withdrawal, as well as my scores for each and my final thoughts. You'll find links to each of the individual reviews and verdicts down at the bottom of my welcome bonuses hub page.

Frequently Asked Questions