Is your favorite online game room a hoax?
It seems as if scams have evolved right along with the internet. Many of them use email as a platform, preying on new users who were initially elated to receive a message from anyone. Scams then involved to community forums, surveys and eventually blogs and popular social networking sites. These deceptive ploys became so widespread that internet authorities and users alike started to catch on, practicing sound methods of prevention.
One scam that was hardly recognized upon it's introduction revolved around gambling. Online game rooms were an instant hit, eliminating the noisy, smog filled atmosphere of the casino while offering similar benefits to players from the comfort of their own homes. While this was certainly a plus to gambling fanatics, many drawbacks existed as well - particularly, the rising threat of online gambling scams.
Gambling scams usually involve a particular service refusing to pay winnings to players. Some will go as far as constructing a system that is impossible to win at. The probabilities of winning are absurd, and when you decide to pull out, the remaining cash is inaccessible.
One way to elude these scams is knowing how to recognize them. Below we have listed two of the most common gambling scams that you need to be aware of. After reading this, you will find that they are fairly easy to detect.
Fake Bonuses
Every gambler loves the "bonus." This may be offered in a variety of games from online slots to poker. It usually consists of free money or complimentary plays. The best thing about the bonus is that it gives you an opportunity to win even more money. In many cases, it is nothing more than an elaborate scam. Some services are even bold enough to invite clients who they've previously scammed. They may present themselves in an apologetic manner, explaining how terrible they feel about your last experience with the service. From there, a bonus is offered to regain your trust. After accepting this apology, you resign and play a new game. When it comes time to claim the promised bonus, you learn that for some reason you are not eligible.
To avoid the probability of being scammed twice, it is wise to never fall for these types of offers. If a particular service swindled you once, more than likely they're prepared to do it again. Even if you haven't been schemed, bonus offers are very tricky. If it requires you to pay money up front or reach a certain amount of plays or wins to receive it, the bonus is probably bogus.
Gambling Piracy
You can learn the legitimacy of an online casino by checking into it's memberships and affiliations as many of them are registered with the IGC (Interactive Gaming Council). On the other hand, logos and letterheads provided by these organizations are easy to duplicate. Many gambling scam artists will copy this material and pass it off as their own. It is a wise idea to investigate any online casino on the members list of a trusted organization. The IGC and other entities typically provide an easy to use search engine that allows you to browse their members list.
Another way to protect yourself against gambling scams is to type the name of the service into a popular search engine such as Google. When results are returned, read up on them and keep your eyes peeled for any controversy or negative reviews.
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