When you are gambling online it is really important to make sure that you are doing it safely and that you are not exposing yourself to risk from fraudsters who want to take your money. Equally, you need to know that you are placing your bets with operators who are licensed, regulated, and legal. While it might be tempting to go to a site that is offering enormous pay-outs and prizes that seem to be too good to be true, the truth is that they may very well be just that; too good to be true.

Protect Yourself

So, first things first if you are gambling online you need to make sure that it is legal to do so where you live. If you are in the USA what you can and can’t do very much depends on which state you are in.

Legislation

A couple of pieces of key legislation changed the legalities. First of all, in 2011, the Department of Justice allowed states to pass legislation to decriminalize online gambling. Up until this point it had been overseen by the 1961 Wire Act which was about antiracketeering laws drawn up before the internet existed. Then in 2018, the US Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting and this is now regulated on a state-by-state basis. The DoJ has recently concluded that the 1961 Wire Act does cover online legal wagering in the United States and therefore you have to reside in a legal state in order to place an online bet there. What that means, in reality, is that you have to be inside the relevant State to place a bet there.

Online Casinos & Betting

If it is online casinos that are what you are interested in you need to be in either Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia.  Then to keep yourself safe, make sure that the online casino has a license to operate. One of the safest bets is to play with the big-name brands that have been operating globally for many years. You can check out what different companies offer on comparison sites like looking at the Bet365 review here and getting a feel for the games and options available. Online sports betting is legal in eighteen states with more likely to legislate in favor of it in the near future.

Now you know where you can bet legally and safely there are a few more things you should take into consideration when gambling online to maximize your security.

Protect Your Passwords

First of all, make sure that your data is secure and scammers and phishing websites can’t easily access your information. If you are visiting online gambling sites, you will be sharing payment information and you don’t want that to be accessible to fraudsters. Use a password manager that generates a unique password for every single account. A good one will sync between your phone and computer and help you identify weak or duplicated passwords.

Protect Your Finances

When giving out financial information make sure that you have two-step authentication turned on. After logging in using your email and password, you will be sent a number that only you can access to confirm it is actually you. A very good example of this sort of safety standard can be found when using an app like PayPal and many of the online betting sites offer this as a payment option. Other digital wallets like Apple and Google Pay also hold your details securely so that you can explore online safely.

Protect Your Hardware

Install anti-virus software on your computer. Malicious hidden programs can cause all kinds of problems and slow your computer down. macOS protect their users with built-in security but PC users need to be a bit more careful. If you are running Windows 10 then use the built-in Windows Defender. Older versions of Windows need a package like Malwarebytes Premium to keep users safe.