Do Casinos Cheat?
The regulators make sure that the games on offer are fair so that players can enjoy their gaming experience without worrying about being ripped off. Before you pillory an operator, make sure that you are familiar with the different basic aspects of games of chance.
First, you should know that there are games that require a higher amount of skill than others. While pressing a button at a slot machine does not require a special ability, games such as Poker do. In both cases, however, it is advisable to get to know the rules of the games before you start playing with real money.
Even if you play “low skill” slot machines, losing from time to time does not mean that the casino did something dodgy. There are some games that offer higher chances of winning than others.
Make yourself familiar with terms such as house edge and return to player to understand which games could be more to your taste. Spanish 21, for example, is much kinder to players than Keno, which chances to win are slim.
While playing games like blackjack and roulette, a strategy might be a good way to boost your chances to win. Do casinos cheat at blackjack? Once again, the answer is no, if you are playing at a reputable casino. In this case, your knowledge of the rules, statistical chances to win and the strategy applied are what will lead you to success.
How Casinos Cheat
Once again, I would like to point out, that licensed and regulated casinos do not cheat. There are authorities that keep them in check. Having said this, there are a few tricks casinos use, to make you play more and ultimately lose more.
Dealers might advise you to place a bet that is not favorable to you but the casino. Free drinks make cloud your judgement and the overall set-up of a casino makes you lose track of the time while promoting a continuous play.
None of this is illegal. Since you are an adult, you can make your own choices and inform yourself about the tricks being used. Moreover, once you know the games well enough to make educated decisions, you will be less likely to be fooled into a bet choice. Knowledge is therefore key to combat any “cheating” players might perceive.
How Online Casinos Cheat
While it is unlikely that you will stumble into an unregulated local casino, online casinos are a different story. The world wide web is vast and dark sheep are lurking in its corners, trying to trick you into spending money on their unregulated casino sites.
Therefore, you should always make sure that the operator you want to use is legit. Gaming authorities, such as the Malta Gaming Authority, can make sure that you will be treated fairly while enjoying a safe gambling experience.
Dodgy websites have at best rigged games on offer, that are unfairly in favor of the operator and will not provide you with many chances to win. Should you win, it could happen, that your money will not be paid out. But in the worst-case scenario, such operators will use your personal and financial details to do a lot of mischief. If you want to avoid any nasty surprises, make sure that the casino you want to play in, is regulated by a trustworthy authority.
But even reputable online operators sometimes try to cut corners and treat their players less favorably than they should.
Delayed withdrawals
Pending time for withdrawals is commonplace in online casinos. This has to do with both regulations (casinos need to check withdrawal request for any signs of e.g. money laundering) and the option for players to cancel their request.
Should operators, however, delay payments for an unreasonable amount of time, they are probably aiming at players cancelling their withdrawal requests. This in turns means that players would continue playing and losing their winnings, providing the casino with a higher profit.
Confiscation of player balance
Do not get me wrong, there are often justifiable reasons as to why a casino confiscates the balance of a player. It could be because the money was not real but bonus money and therefore did not belong to the player in the first place. However, some online casinos cannot provide a good enough reason why they removed a player’s balance. In this case, a complaint by the player might lead to a payout of his/her money on a bit by bit basis.
Complicated bonus rules
Once again, it is commonplace that bonuses are not being given away without rules being attached. However, there is a difference between reasonable and unreasonable bonus conditions. The aim of such rules is to avoid bonus abuse.
This, however, does not justify overly complicated rules that would put any player off from using the bonus in the first place. If you are not careful an operator might bind your real money to the bonus money and remove both once the offer expires. No matter how well you might know a casino already, do make sure to read the terms and conditions of each bonus you would like to take advantage of.
How to file a casino complaint
Should you come across a licensed casino that is not playing by the rules, you can file a complaint at the respective authority. Before taking this step, I advise you to always talk to the casino first. It might be a mere misunderstanding.
However, should this step not result in a satisfactory agreement, contacting the iGaming authority should be your next step. Please make sure to find out which license the casino holds and only contact the regulator with plenty of evidence to prove your case, including the attempt to find a solution with the operator.
Your contact partner is most likely the primary authority, such as the Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Gambling Commission, or Curacao eGaming.
Links to file a complaint
- https://www.mga.org.mt/support/online-gaming-support/
- https://www.gamingcommission.ca/feedback.asp
- https://www.curacao-egaming.com/#footer
- https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/finance-gaming-and-regulations/gambling-commissioners-advice-complainants
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