Although there are a number of factors to consider when choosing a South African casino, safety should always be your number one priority. That is because, whilst most casinos are perfectly respectable, as in most industries there are a few bad apples. The last thing you want is problems when it comes to claiming your winnings or any pay-outs to which you might be entitled.
The specialized site casinoadviser.co.za provides a glossary of information related to the best casinos in South Africa, but here are some useful pointers to bear in mind when assessing the safety of a casino.
Licencing
A casino – whether it be bricks and mortar or online - should have a gambling licence. Check on their website to make sure that they are regulated and who has issued the licence. Not all licenses are the same.
As a rule of thumb, licences issued by a reputable country such as the UK, Gibraltar, or Malta are better than those issued by places such as the Cayman Islands or Curaçao because of the degree of regulatory oversight and requirements imposed on a casino operator are greater.
If you can find no mention of a license on their website, you can draw your own conclusions and you are advised to stay away from it.
Online Reviews
Particularly when considering an online casino, read the online reviews and feedback from existing customers first, and see if they have been given a favorable rating on a reputable site.
A reputable site should have a number of reviews, the large majority of which should be positive.
Games Library
Another way of assessing a casino’s reliability is to look at the games that they offer. If their portfolio consists of well-known brand names (NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech Casino…), then it is a valid assumption that they are a safe operator.
Games providers do not want their reputations besmirched by being associated with disreputable operators.
Customer Service
Another thing to consider is what customer service options casino offers. Are there multiple ways to contact them – live chat, email, telephone – and does their website offer a help section and FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)?
In addition, is support available 24/7 or is it strictly time-limited? If you have questions or issues, you need to be able to access a live person to help you immediately, not when they next open for business.
Deposit and Payment Options
Before playing through any casino, it is worth considering what deposit and payment options they offer. The best will offer multiple ways to deposit funds – bank transfer, online payment solutions like PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill, and increasingly cryptocurrencies. Equally important, though, are the options for withdrawing funds. If these are too limited and restrictive, then this should raise red flags.
Terms and Conditions
It is also worth reading through the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of a website first, particularly when it comes to bonus offers and promotions. For example, if they are offering free spins, is there a requirement to have deposited so much money beforehand? Equally, is there a minimum pay-out level i.e. you need to have accumulated a designed amount in winnings before you are entitled to your money.
The more transparent a casino is, the more you can trust them.