Live casino games are the new big thing in online casino entertainment. In the past five years, the live casino game market has exploded and is now one of the most popular sections of many online casinos. At Lord Ping, we have a growing library of live casino games from top developers like Evolution, Pragmatic, and Playtech. However, as with any upcoming trend, you’re bound to have questions. So, in today’s article, we’re answering the question ‘Are Live Casinos Safe?’ Keep on reading to learn more.
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What is a live casino?
First things first let's clarify what live casinos include. A live casino is an online casino platform which hosts games for players which are played live in real-time with a real dealer and against other players. All the action is live-streamed to your chosen device, and you can interact with the host and the other players via a live chat feature.
Live casino games can come in a broad selection of variants. The largest genre found at a live casino is your iconic casino table and card games like blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and so on. Live game shows are also highly popular with players, and more experimental genres such as dice games like Craps and Sic Bo, as well as slots, have been given the live casino treatment.
While they may classed as live casino casinos, sites such as Lord Ping also host a massive selection of online variants of games seen at a live casino, as well as jackpot games, slots, scratchcards, and much more.
How You Can Ensure You Stay Safe at Live Casinos
Live casino games hosted by recognised and established online casino brands (such as Lord Ping) are safe because they strictly adhere to both legal mandates and are accredited by recognised regulatory bodies. Alongside this, there is also a selection of less formal checks you can use to receive a good indication of whether or not the site you want to play at is trustworthy.
Regulation and Licencing
If the casino in issue has certain security measures established, then typically the security of the live casino can be trusted. All legit live casinos must be licensed and regulated by a recognised authority. A trustworthy site will display this information on its home page and will include information such as registration numbers, which you can use to check with the mentioned authority to ensure this accreditation is up to date.
At Lord Ping, you'll also find this information at the bottom of every page on our site. Online casinos are governed by a broad range of gambling authorities worldwide. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Malta Gambling Authority (MGA) are the most well-liked proprietors, but accreditation from Gibraltar, Curaçao, and Macau is also common. In general, make sure the regulatory body mentioned covers your region of play to make sure it is adhering to the specific gaming laws of your country.
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)
For players in the UK, accreditation by the UKGC is the gold standard. In order to maintain this licence the casinos' operations are consistently monitored by the UKGC to ensure the live casino adheres to all legal requirements and operates in a fair and transparent manner. The regulatory body is also in charge of issuing and revoking licences and even levying fines. The UK Gambling Commission emphasised the phrase "Keeping gambling fair and safe for all" more at the 2017 "Raising Standards" conference. By working with these regulatory organisations, casinos make sure that their terms and conditions are as detailed and unambiguous as possible for players. As a result, when playing online, players who choose a casino with an up-to-date UKGC licence will be fully protected.
At Lord Ping we hold a gaming licence with account number 39326 issued by the Gambling Commission of Great Britain, the status of which can be viewed at their website.
Reliable Money Transfer Options
While technically not illegal, some of the less reputable online and live casinos will be limited in the banking options they provide. For example, a casino may offer multiple choices for making deposits but very limited choices for withdrawals. This makes it easy for the casino to take your funds, but challenging for you to receive any winnings back. Poorly operating casinos will also be slow with their transaction times.
In general, look for a live casino with a relatively equal quantity of both deposit and withdrawal methods. Check for popular banking options (not just bank transfers), especially those like PayPal, and E-Wallets like Paysafe and Skrill which offer their users additional protection from their platform.
Detailed Promotions
You can tell a lot about live and online casinos by the promotions they offer. For example, if a casino has multiple welcome bonuses but little else, then it may indicate that said site is interested in making a quick buck from new players but is not too interested in retaining returning players.
You should also think about the games you like to play. For example, if you love live casino games, you probably aren’t going to want to play with a slots-focused casino, as you’ll find promotions that cover the live casino games you love are few and far between.
Lastly, make sure you check the terms and conditions for the promotions offered. This information should always be upfront, clearly displayed, and easily found. It should also be comprehensive, confirming and outlining elements such as eligible games, permitted wagering values, as well as any wagering requirements (WR).
Also sometimes called a ‘playthrough requirement’, a wagering requirement stipulates the value of wagers a player needs to make before they can receive any winnings gained through utilising a promotion. For example, a promo which awards players £10 and has a 10x wagering requirement will need to player to have wagered £100 before they can make withdrawals. In general, unless a promotion is particularly extensive (such as offering a year of rewards), common wagering requirements range between 15-35x. Anything higher than this and you might want to take a closer look and consider your options before proceeding.
Trusted Game Providers
There are tons of game providers out there, but the big names (in the live casino world these would be Evolution Live, Playtech Live, and Pragmatic), are discerning when it comes to the sites allowed to host their games. After all, if their game appears on a scam site, it looks bad on the brand.
Therefore if the site you’re looking at doesn’t seem to feature big names in the industry then its legitimacy should be called into question. Other recognised game providers across online genres include Games Global (formerly Micograming), Big Time Gaming (BTG), Red Tiger Gaming, Slingo Originals, Barcrest, Yggdrasil, and Blueprint Gaming; though this is by no means exhaustive.
Reliable Customer Support
This is a pet peeve of Lord Ping’s, and even some casinos which meet the already mentioned criteria can overlook this. If a site is capable of hosting multiple HD live streams across its live casino games selection, then it should be technically capable of offering live chat customer support.
While the best sites will offer 24/7 support, smaller sites that operate live chat during busy hours are also acceptable. Alternatively, a site that offers phone support should be considered - so long as the number advertised is a free pay number. Sites which only offer an email form with responses promised within ‘three business days’ are so far behind the times that it can be construed that they do not value their customers and their queries.
Safer Gambling on Live Casinos
Safer Gambling precautions are paramount for live casino games, due to the real-time element which is so essential to gameplay. To play live casino games your device must be connected to the HD live feed, and if this information isn’t protected by factors like encryption and firewalls it could leave your device open to cyber criminals.
How Lord Ping Advocates for Safer Gambling
At Lord Ping we are proud advocates of responsible gaming because we care about the wellbeing of our players. Live casino gameplay should always be viewed as a recreational entertainment option and not a method for making money. Before playing, always set a time limit and a budget, and cut your session short if you start to chase losses or become frustrated.
At Lord Ping, you can keep up with your expenditure by viewing the ‘My Balance’ page under your account. All questions and queries you have can be quickly and conveniently addressed by our dedicated customer service team.
Alongside this we give our players the option to set play or deposit restrictions; these tools, which are available in the casino's My Account area, can assist you in maintaining control over your gambling. We also provide links to external resources such as Gamstop, Reality Check, and Safemate. You can learn more about safer gambling practices here.
Experience Safe and Secure Casino Gaming Online at Lord Ping
At Lord Ping, both our online and our live casino are expertly designed to ensure you can have lots of fun enjoying your favourite games without any worries regarding safety or security as we take care of everything by using encryption technology and advanced firewalls. We are licensed and regulated by the UKGC, and tick all of the positive points mentioned above; so you can focus on what really matters; having epic online and live casino experiences.
Sign up and play today.
