Online gambling is a popular pastime for over 19.3 million players in Canada. Considering the country’s entire population is 40.1 million, that means roughly 48% gamble online! Worldwide, there are an estimated 1.6 billion players. At the rate it has been increasing, this number will likely breach the 2 billion mark sooner than later.
One thing is common among all players, irrespective of location, is they trust the online casinos they gamble at to keep them safe through various security policies, extensive firewalls, and continuous security monitoring.
Despite this, leaving your security up to an operator may not always be enough. Fortunately, there are additional security measures you can take to stay safe when gambling online. If you’re curious about what these are, keep reading as we dive in.
Use Online Security Software
Although most online casinos have multiple security systems to defend against malicious software and attacks, using local security on your end is always wise. The most common approach is installing antivirus software on the device you’re using to gamble.
Almost all antivirus programs, from Norton to McAfee, come with online protection that monitors your web browsing and quickly identifies potential threats. Utilizing this software on your end means that, should you be compromised while gambling, you’ll quickly become aware of it and be able to mitigate the risks.
As a bonus, because this web monitoring usually forms part of a wider antivirus offering, the software can recognize whether malicious software has been downloaded or installed on your device, too. It can then work to quarantine or remove this software and keep you safe.
Use a Virtual Card
In recent years, several banks have rolled out virtual cards. These behave almost identically to physical Visa or Mastercard bank cards issued by a financial institution except for a few key differences—the most prominent of which is that they exist in a digital sphere only.
This digital-only existence means that access to these cards is only available via your bank’s dedicated mobile application or your online banking profile. Other safety aspects of virtual cards include unique card numbers that cannot be traced back to any physical cards, spending limits that can be set, and adjustable expiration limits (such as one-time usage).
Using a virtual card for gambling online can help keep your banking and card information private by only giving the casino information about a temporary virtual card that has strict spending limits on it. If you suspect a card has been compromised, many banks also allow you to quickly cancel it and reissue a new one without any hassle.
These virtual cards can also be suspended and reactivated whenever you’re just searching for cash offers available on various platforms and not actively making deposits or withdrawals.
Use a VPN
VPN usage has seen a steady incline in recent years as more internet users become aware of the need to stay secure and keep their information private. A VPN (virtual private network) does this by creating an encrypted, private connection to a server that connects to the greater internet. As such, all your traffic is seen as coming from the server, not your own device.
There are many security benefits associated with using a VPN when gambling online. For starters, all the data between the VPN server and your device is heavily encrypted. However, it should be noted that some online casinos don’t allow VPN connections. This is because VPNs can also be used to circumvent geographical restrictions to allow gambling from prohibited regions.
If you choose to use a VPN, you should also ensure that you understand its pros and cons—particularly as they relate to online gambling. For one, VPNs can sometimes slow down your internet connection, which could cause annoyance when playing fast-paced games like slots.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication, most commonly referred to as two-factor authentication (2FA), is one of the easiest ways to secure your online accounts—from banking to player accounts. Despite this, a 2022 study revealed that only 37% of websites require 2FA for those using their services.
Used as a secondary method to authenticate a request to access an account, 2FA often occurs after somebody has entered the correct credentials (username and password). The multi-factor authentication will then request an additional one-time code sent via text message, email, or generated through an authentication application.
Failure to provide this will restrict access to the account and often notify the account holder of a failed attempt to authenticate. Having this security measure active on your banking and gambling profiles can help keep your online accounts secure, even if your credentials are hacked or leaked online.
Do the Basics Right
While the above measures offer proven extra protection, many users are exploited because they fail to follow even basic security measures. These, if done correctly right from the beginning, can go a long way in helping users stay safe online.
Use a Strong, Unique Password
The most basic method of staying safe is using a strong password unique to your online player profile (in other words, not used anywhere else). This password should be more than 12 characters long, consist of upper- and lowercase letters, and contain numbers and special characters. It should also not be anything personal like a name or birthdate.
Taking Control: Additional Security Measures Every Online Gambler Should Use
Stay Updated
Another commonly overlooked security measure is keeping your device software updated to the latest version. Although some may avoid this because updates may cause issues, most updates won’t affect your device except to add new features and patch known security flaws. By updating, you can ensure that your devices are protected against loopholes most hackers may know about.
Don’t Share Information
Finally, don’t share any passwords or log in credentials with anybody. An online casino or bank will never ask for your account credentials. Therefore, if you receive a request like this, report it immediately—even if it carries threats like your account being blocked. Instead, verify the request using an operator’s official support channels, and never click on any links you receive via text or email.
