Spotting and Avoiding Blacklisted Casinos

The way online casinos operate their business should critically influence your decision about whether to use their services for gambling. While the majority strive to uphold certain ethical standards and work hard to be reliable and safe for their players, some operate with questionable ethics and are best avoided. Read on to find out what blacklisted casinos are, how you can avoid them, and what you should do if you’re already playing at one.

What Is a Blacklisted Casino?

A blacklisted casino is an online gambling site that has been flagged and listed as being untrustworthy or having engaged in practices deemed unethical or against the standards of fair play. But why does this matter to you? Well, for starters, playing at a blacklisted casino means that the odds are stacked against you from the start—not just by chance but by design. Games may be rigged to ensure you lose more than you should, and it’s no secret that these sites also often have lax security measures, putting your personal and financial information at significant risk.

Why Do Casinos Get Blacklisted?

Currently, no official casino blacklist exists under an authoritative body in New Zealand. As a result, you might encounter various lists featuring different brands – some frequently noted, others less so. Casinos are typically blacklisted by players and affiliate sites, based on various firsthand experiences and industry reputation. Here are the primary reasons that casinos get blacklisted:

Licensing Issues

Working under a legitimate regulatory body is the basis of fair play and security in an online gambling site. Some unscrupulous operators might display fake or expired licences to appear honest and mislead players about their compliance with industry standards. Others may opt for jurisdictions with lax regulatory requirements.

While these licences are technically valid, the regulatory bodies behind them do not enforce strict operational guidelines and the casinos operating under them may still engage in questionable practices with little oversight. The UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gambling Authority are two examples of reputable licencing bodies.

Unfair Terms And Conditions

A definite red flag for us is when casinos embed clauses in their terms and conditions that significantly disadvantage the player, such as excessively high wagering requirements or unusually low withdrawal limits. These often include lengthy, convoluted procedures for claiming winnings, or they may have strict rules that make it nearly impossible to qualify for bonuses or promotions.

Additionally, some gambling sites reserve the right to close accounts or confiscate funds based on vague or arbitrary reasons—undefined ‘irregular play,’ non-specific ‘breach of terms,’ or unspecified ‘security checks’—which they stipulate in the fine print to minimise disputes and accountability.

Poor Customer Service

This issue often arises from the absence of a strong regulatory body equipped with an alternative dispute resolution provider, leading casinos to believe that players have limited options for escalating complaints.

Consequently, bad casino operators might strategically neglect customer support to cut costs and minimise staffing, which leaves players hanging for days or weeks when trying to address urgent issues. They may also have inadequately trained representatives who provide inconsistent information or fail to effectively resolve the players’ problems.

Trouble With Withdrawals

Upon seeing multiple corroborative disputes and complaints about overly complicated withdrawal procedures we promptly place casinos on our blacklist. We’ve often seen operators setting excessively high minimum limits, restricting the frequency of withdrawals, or unjustly withholding funds without valid evidence of cheating, bonus abuse, or incomplete fulfilment of promotional terms.

Bankruptcy And Non-Payment

Casinos facing financial instability are an instant red flag. They may delay or outright deny payments, citing various administrative reasons or temporary cash flow issues. Such tactics are often employed to buy time or avoid payouts altogether, especially when the operator is on the brink of bankruptcy and trying to minimise financial losses.

Rigged or Unfair Games

Casinos suspected of offering rigged or unfair games manipulate the odds or software to decrease the likelihood of their players winning. This can involve configuring games to pay out less frequently or altering the randomness of the game outcomes that should be determined by RNG and other provably fair methods. The reason? Short-term profit. This behaviour most commonly seen in less regulated environments where oversight is minimal or nonexistent.

Risks of Using Blacklisted Casinos

We don’t want to mince words – gambling at blacklisted casinos is an absolute disaster waiting to happen. Here are some of the main risks that players will face if they opt to play at such casinos anyway:

• Severe financial losses due to unfair game manipulation and withheld winnings.
• Privacy breaches risk personal data exposure to unauthorised parties.
• Frustrating withdrawal delays or denials of legitimate payout requests.
• Deceptive practices with rigged games that ensure frequent player losses.
• Misleading advertisements that promise rewards and conditions that are never met.
• Diminished entertainment value as stress and distrust overshadow gameplay.
• Potential legal issues from involvement with unregulated gambling activities.
• Increased risk of identity theft with misuse of sensitive personal information.
• Emotional distress caused by the unethical operations of rogue casinos.
• Potential malware threats to the device used to game on.

How We Identify Blacklisted & Suspicious Casinos

To protect your gaming experience and ensure fair play, our team at BetKiwi follows a thorough procedure to identify blacklisted and suspicious casinos. The process is embedded in our established rating guidelines and applies to every platform we review, whether they reach out to us or we decide to put them to the test. Here’s a quick overview of what we do:

• We begin by confirming the casino’s licensing status directly with the regulatory body. Unlicensed gambling sites or those with questionable regulatory oversight are quickly rejected and will potentially end up on our blacklist.
• We assess all website security features, ensuring SSL encryption and other protections are in place against potential cyber threats.
• We gather and review complaints and testimonials from real players, paying close attention to recurring issues such as unpaid winnings or deceptive practices.
• We thoroughly read the fine print for any unfair clauses or conditions that could exploit users while ensuring terms are clear and reasonable.
• We check the transparency and reliability of the casino’s financial dealings, especially looking for delayed or denied payments.
• We evaluate promotional offers to confirm they are straightforward and fair, without hidden or misleading terms.
• We double-check that games have been independently verified for fairness by respected auditors like iTech Labs and eCOGRA.
• We look for well-known and trusted software providers. Any sign of unverified or pirated software is an immediate red flag.
• We jump on calls, live chat, and email channels to test first-hand the effectiveness and responsiveness of customer service and gauge how player inquiries are handled.
• We dig into the backgrounds of the casino’s management, looking for any previous unethical behaviour.
• We continuously monitor news and updates within the gambling industry to identify any emerging patterns or issues related to specific casinos.

Tips for Identifying Unsafe Casinos

Wondering how to detect a bad online casino? Here are a few quick methods to help you assess them by yourself:

• Verify licence information by checking the casino’s footer for a licensing number and cross-referencing it with the official regulatory body’s database.
• Scrutinise the website’s security features such as SSL certificates by looking for a padlock icon in the address bar.
• Examine the withdrawal policies in the terms and conditions for any unusual restrictions or excessively long wait times for receiving payouts which could be stalling tactics.
• Check the reputation of the casino’s software providers using reputable industry sources; it’s no secret that casinos employing unknown or pirated software often rig games.
• Read online reviews and player feedback, especially recurring complaints about unpaid winnings or unfair game tactics.
• Assess customer support responsiveness by contacting them with questions and noting the speed and thoroughness of the response. Remember that poor support often correlates with other service issues.
• Look for transparency in promotional offers where terms should be clearly stated; hidden conditions or too-good-to-be-true bonuses are often deceptive.
• Investigate the ownership and management for any past business practices involving fraud or other illegal activities.
• Check for for regular software audits which should be openly displayed on the casino site, confirming that games are fair and outcomes are not manipulated.
• Observe the layout and functionality of the website. A poorly designed or dysfunctional platform shows a lack of effort in creating a player-friendly environment. While it won’t necessarily mean that you’re dealing with a scammy casino, it does suggest that they are not particularly interested in investing in the best possible experience for their players.

What To Do If You’re Already Playing at a Blacklisted Casino?

First things first, don’t panic! Here’s what you need to do instead:

• Stop all gameplay immediately to prevent any further potential losses or breaches of your personal information.
• Withdraw your funds as soon as possible.
• Check your bank statements and payment methods used for unauthorised transactions; if you spot any, contact your bank or payment service immediately to dispute the charges.
• Update your payment security measures. Reach out to your bank or payment provider and cancel any cards you used on the casino’s site.
• Block the casino’s access to your eWallets and other virtual payment methods.
• Try reaching out to customer support first. If this fails, report the casino to relevant gaming authorities or regulatory bodies.
• Update your antivirus software and run a scan on your computer or device to check for any malware or security threats that may have been introduced during your interactions with the casino.
• Monitor your credit report for the next few months to ensure there are no unusual activities or unauthorised accounts opened in your name.

Alternatives to Blacklisted Casinos

Don’t let a bad experience deter you from enjoying online gambling. Once you’ve ensured you’re in the clear, check out some of the more reputable and dependable online casinos for a much better experience. You can check out our list of the best online or mobile casinos for to get started. And if you’re still worried about security and privacy, head over to our safe casinos page for some recommendations on the absolute safest online casinos around.