Online security is a serious issue and should be dealt with by both the player and the bingo site to ensure everything is being done to have a safe bingo experience. There are things players can do to protect themselves on their computers and when choosing a bingo site.
For the player at home here’s a guideline of what they should be doing
1. Install and run firewall and anti-virus software on your personal computer before you go on the internet. The firewall stops any attacks on your computer’s hard drive from hackers or remote third parties and the anti-virus software checks for any harmful software applications that you may have downloaded unknowingly. If you don’t have adequate protection any information stored on your computer is vulnerable when you connect to the internet.
2. Do not let other people see your bingo usernames and passwords. If your financial details are already on a website and a third party can log in as you then they can use your funds to play. Do not let you computer “Remember my password for this site” if you share the computer with any one else.
3. Using a credit or debit card which protects you against online fraud is the safest way to fund your account. Ask if your bank offers an internet-friendly online payment method such as ”˜verified by Visa’ and Mastercard CardSecure.
4. Before giving banking or card details read your chosen online bingo site’s security policy to make sure all sensitive data will be encrypted and transmitted securely. Systems like SSL Secure Socket Layer technology that turns all confidential data into code before it leaves the site and ”˜retranslates’ when it reaches the online bingo sites server, so even if someone hacked into the transaction they would not be able to open it, read it, download it, understand or translate it.
5. Only play on bingo sites that are 100% reliable and trustworthy. Choose sites recommended by Online Bingo finder or read the licensing information of the site.
All online bingo sites in their small print will give information on who they are licensed by and all the sites must operate in accordance with the laws of the countries who have given them that licence. The most common countries to license bingo sites are Malta, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Curacao and Kahnawake. Each county’s licensing authority has their own rules and regulations and standards for the operators to reach before licenses are granted, but most gaming commissions will insist that;
1. Bingo site organisations operate legally and ethically
2. Games on the site will be proven fair and tamper proof. To achieve this online bingo sites use gaming software from expert developers rather than creating their own.
3. All information provided by the player will be transmitted and stored in a secure way.
4. Organisations will take care to ensure that all players are of legal age.
5. All key staff employed within the organisation are properly licensed, to ensure standards and prevent use by a criminal fraternity to launder money.
6. All financial records and premises of the bingo organisation are available for inspection as and when the licensing body requests it.
7. The organisation can prove sufficient funds to operate the online bingo site
8. Players should be able to withdraw their funds as and when they choose
As a rough guide the hardest license to get is the UK license so you can be sure that companies with a UK licence will be extemporary in its conduct. Both Malta and Gibraltar also have high standards for licensing and companies may have opted to be licensed by them rather than the UK for tax reasons, so you can as a rule also trust any company licensed by those two companies. Kahnawake has lower levels of auditing and the Curaçao islands (in the southern Caribbean sea) lower still so these sites should be played with some caution. Licences can be rebuked at any time if the bingo organisation fails to keep the terms of the licence, and licences need to be renewed even if there have been no breach to ensure standards are maintained.
There are other online bingo regulatory bodies out there like eCONGRA (e-Commerce Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance) for the industry and its gaming software and their seals of approval usually adds weight to the credibility of the site as you will have a higher body to take any grievances or disputes to.
This post currently has no comments, be the first.
Leave a Comment