Online Casinos Directory

A growing concern in the market is online theft. Though the past concern was casinos ripping off a customer that has turned around now that online gamers have gotten more sophisticated. One of the most common ways thieves scam casinos is by manipulating their credit cards. Some thieves try to deposit funds without the necessary limits on the cards and then withdraw the funds before a casino is the wiser. Another tactic is to charge back transactions so they are never billed to the actual credit card company and then withdraw funds from the casino’s website. Both approaches are dependent on the relationship between the credit card company and the online casino they are working with. Due to the problems, a growing focus of the market is on software that can more quickly detect fraud and in turn, prevent it. The elimination of this problem could end up saving online casinos millions of dollars not only in losses but also in the cost to recoup the misappropriated funds.

One company that is leading the fight against online fraud for casinos is GTECH G2. It now has s division called Iovation and the company is set on deterring fraudulent companies from benefiting. Their specific product is called Margin Maker and it is software that helps to manage risk for fake transactions. It also comes with a database of device based fraud actions. The system does complete checks with every credit card or debit card and then identifies the numbers used against the database. If there is a match, then the software connects the user with the fraud that was committed and attached to that number. Casinos are then able to cancel the transaction immediately instead of having to wait for a few days to find the problem—after it can no longer be rectified. Overall this is a great software for the casino companies to use. Just like in real life, criminals are getting smarter and it is forcing police forces to be smarter. So in the world of casino gambling the same is happening. It is pushing software companies to remain vigilant and determined to use the latest technology to come up with solution for prevention of online credit card and debit card fraud.

Every company that enters its market wants to do so in style. Business owners everywhere have a vision of customers knocking down their doors on that first week of operations. If all the promotions and advertisements went right, that is exactly what should happen during a good launch. Normally online operators spend months putting together a good launch. It comes along with organized print, television, radio, billboard and email campaigns. A team of advertising experts put it together with the best of their skills and hope for the best. Unfortunately, though they worked hard the launch for Play Now was not what it should have been. In fact, it was referred to as a “debaucle” by more than a few online gambling critics and reviewers.

What happened with the Canadian market was an example of how things should not go for a successful launch. First of all, the country has for the most part been lax with implementing gambling law and regulation. It has left that to the wayside despite financial repercussions of a depressed world wide market. Due to the huge growth in online gambling, offshore companies moved in on the Canadian market quickly. They took over and collected millions in gambling dollars that for all accounts should have been kept in the country. Now, Canada is trying to play catch up by writing laws that rework the old ways of ignoring gambling. The country made a quick move of changing law and launched the self-operated Play Now online casino. It was supposed to be a Canadian option for gambling and offer a viable option for gamers within the country. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. A few hours after opening its online doors, Play Now was found to have serious security issues. It was almost immediately hacked and customer’s information was stolen. The casino was immediately shut down and showed how the country was not ready for online gambling or managing it adequately just yet. The hack was difficult and is going to be hard to turn around. Not technically– that part can be fixed relatively easily with better encryption and focus by programmers. It is the reputation that is going to suffer. People are going to remember the problems they had with the country’s one gambling casino launch and may opt for offshore companies just because of their sure fire security over the past few months.

If you are a fan of sports betting, you are going to have a huge variety of options online. Recall that online gambling is a relatively new business. Twenty years ago, it was unheard of to be able to wager online… in fact, “online” didn’t even exist. Sure the world was experimenting with various ways of using satellites for information sharing, but it was mostly segregated to the government and NASA. No one could predict what a few decades would do to the market. Once the internet was born, it took off slowly. Technology for the most part dictated what happened with the market, but once the world realized what a prolific tool it was, they all glammed on. Not only individuals, but businesses started to use the internet as a means of having a storefront to sell and promote their individual products and services.

One of the biggest growth markets has been online sports betting and sportsbooks. If you are looking for a safe location to bet on sporting events and horses, then you want to look for a few key ingredients. First of all, you want a caisnio that has top-notch encryption where your information is sent via the internet just once. When you initially open up your account is the only time your personal information should be shared. The casino should have a secure server and you should find that prominently displayed in the Terms of Service and/or About page. While you are at the Terms of Service page, it would do every gamer well to read it. You just want to make sure that there aren’t any odd wording structures and that basically everything is readable and transparent. Of course in a lot of situations you aren’t going to know if a casino is trustworthy until you test it, but there are general things you can look for when finding a new casino. Until every country has a clearcut regulation of online casinos, gamers are left to protect themselves. Always check out a new casino for the basics of online safety. You want to protect your information and have a great gaming session at the same time.

Online casinos sometimes have problems. The casino world is huge and has been around for years. That means that it has worked out a lot of kinks. Now there is more of a growth period coming because of the popularity of online gambling. That means that online casino operators have to brace themselves for even more problems to work out. One was the recent problems of PlayNow.com. The website is run by the B.C. Lottery Corp and the company is now trying to solve problems. Back when the casino was first launched it initially was thought to be a blueprint company for how to manage a gambling website in British Columbia. Unfortunately there was a security problem with the software that caused the website to be immediately shut down just a few hours past its introduction to the market. That caused a big problem because of all the hopes that were set on the casino and its performance. It was hoped to be the first of many other casino gambling companies in the country and was set to show other gaming companies how to manage. In addition, legislators were taking notes to know what to do with future companies as they entered the market.

Once the company was shut down, the immediate problem was addressed. Players signed up but were turned away when they wanted to log back in and were met with a sign on the home page telling then the casino was halted. No further information was provided. It took a few weeks for the specific problem with software to be located and fixed. The software used was used by other casinos successfully, so it was difficult to diagnose. Once it was, the casino reopened. The casino announced that during its 34-day hiatus to fix the problem, it lost approximately $150,000 a day. That is a huge amount for the company to miss out on—especially at the beginning of their lifeline online. Fortunately now the company has fixed the security breech and you can log in if you are in the UK and play games. There are special features here like you can see how long you have been playing and the total amount of money you have bet at the casino on all the games.

Play Now is a British Columbian company that was eager to enter the market. Operators were ready to take advantage of the huge growth in online gambling and bring a capitalize on the billion-dollar business. Over the past few months, gaming has proven how lucrative and reliable it is. Though other businesses have suffered considerably since the recession, online gambling has proven its resilience. Despite people not having the money to wager at a land-based casino they do have the cash to wager online. The reasons possibly could be because online operators have the ability to create deeper discounts in the market. Consider that land-based casino shave large overheads to struggle with. They have to worry about maintenance, wages, managers, cashiers, and landscapers…not to mention huge utility costs and repairs. When their bills are covered, operators don’t have the resources left to then cut prices in half. Unlike land-based casinos, online casinos don’t have anywhere near the same amount of overhead to deal with. They have to pay programmers and developers, but that cost isn’t as much of a strain. Add to that that their market seems to be growing at exponentially and the outcome is a positive one. Despite Play Now operator’s hopes however, there are some issues to deal with.

It seems that the BC-based company is up against some criticism for their internet security protocols. The company was set to run a state lottery that would be akin to the normal lotteries of the states. It was a good idea, but then problems occurred. The company suddenly was under attack for breaches of security and internet safety for customers. The company is being tight-lipped on what actually occurred, but assuring customers that they are working hard to fix the issue. If you look at the website of the BC Lottery Corporation you can see how they are down playing the entire incident and don’t ever even explain what exactly happened. It may take some time to sort through issue but according to the company-released papers on the incident, they are going to move forward quickly with new rules and regulations that dictate how they deal with customer’s personal information.

One thing that online gaming has brought is a new need for security. Remember that for the most part, the online world is anonymous. That means that a company can set up, take your money and then disappear at any time without paying out what it promised. In particular with the global market, it is easy for unscrupulous operators to set up shop and then disappear into the night. A lot of operators are set up offshore and tracking is virtually impossible. Of course the issue has not fallen on deaf ears. Watchdog organizations came together quickly to come up with safeguarding applications to protect new players.

Now that the market has had a few years to develop, there are a lot of new strides in the industry of internet safety. Player Verify is a new company that is now entering the market and it is promising to be premiere in safeguarding players. The application targets companies though—it promises to limit the number of casinos players can sign up for. That, in turn, should shore up rules and safety protocols for avoiding identity theft. What thieves have done in the recent past is steal identities and then open up accounts at online casinos. The danger is that people who have their identities stolen, are then used by thieves as new users. They bet with people’s funds and then disappear.

For the most part Player Verify is a tool used by online casinos to protect themselves, but there is still an advantage to players. Players, who are working with casinos that use the tool, know that their identities are being protected. One of the biggest things to look for when picking a new online casino is the amount of security it has to offer. Again—playing game online is not always carefree. Be sure you do a security check of the tools each casino uses. You want to make sure there is top-notch security encryption and additional security in terms of your information. Be sure to read through forums and see what casinos are the best ones to trust and what issues an individual casino has had in the past. See how they have resolved it, if they have and then consider how many people have issued complaints on the same issue. You want to pick a casino where all your information is going to be protected at.

Secondly, there is Impulse Pay. This is another watchdog service that is set to help people with the verification process when it comes to online gaming safely. Each online casino has to include the “Impulse Pay” button on their website for players to use it. Players then click the button and have to enter their cell phone number. Once they do, a text message is sent to them that gives them a unique PIN number. This PIN is then entered into the application online and this verifies their identity and their age. The biggest protection here is that the cell phone number has to be registered to an of-age person. If they aren’t then the user is not allowed to gamble, but rather sent to a “Help Page” set up by the website. On the other hand, if they do pass the security check then the player can enter the online casino and play like he or she normally would at any other casino.

The value of the Impulse Pay website is to thwart underage gamblers from dangerous online activities. It is illegal for the underage to wager, but there has been a growing surge in those who are trying. This is a way to help police the issue and keep young players safe when gaming online. With the increase in online casinos, it is clear to see how more and more crime is set to enter the market. It is only logical that the more casinos out there, the more problems may occur. It is a good sign that more companies are coming out with various ways of monitoring gambling activities online and providing a watchdog service to gamers worldwide.

Both of these services are new to the market and it may take a few months for them to be adequately regulated and implemented by casinos using their services. The SGS service is more universal in that it can be used by individual gamers. Anyone wanting an additional protection when wagering should be able to easily create an account and then integrate it with their gambling session. It may take a longer time for Impulse Pay to take off because is a service that individual companies have to employ. It may take them a longer time to gain a market share that offers players the games and casinos they truly want to join in on.

Things are changing quickly in the online gambling community. A few short years ago it was dangerous to log into just any casino and start playing. By far the internet is “anonymous” and that opened the door for unscrupulous operators to take advantage of online players. They would offer great promotions but then when the player won, they would supply them with nothing more than a thinly-veiled reason why they were not eligible after all for the big payout. The players, who paid in a lot of credits to play the games, were left in the cold with no real recourse. The operators would either remain unreachable or they would disappear altogether. It was a difficult time, but slowly regulators stepped in and little by little problems started diminishing.

Expect coming years to be the same in terms of new watchdog systems to help players come together for safe gaming. In this past week two additional security services were announced to be entering the gaming market. First of all there is SGS, or Safe Gaming System. This is a service that promises to provide a way for gamblers to set their own bankroll limits well before venturing to a virtual casino table. It requests a user’s income and expenses to come up with an individualized budget for them to wager with. The strength here is that it will help users avoid putting themselves into financial disarray. The budgeting software is a first of its kind in the market.

Second, the SGS is promising to help people fund their online accounts. Once a player opens an account with them, it is funded by pre-buying their calculated buying limit. It is an additional safeguard for players to never go over what they cannot afford to lose when gambling. The agreement prior to using the service is that players will use SGS solely as an online funding option. This means that they won’t have other accounts to tap into when they want to continue gambling. It’s a way to monitor money going into gambling and keep from spending too much money on the hobby.

Part two coming next.

The world is connected. That is the main change the internet has brought. No longer are markets separate but rather a global marketplace has been created. In that marketplace, many consumers and businesses worldwide are worried about geo targeting. Google has just taken the helm at bringing the concept of SEO packages to the market as a way of giving businesses more information. This information in turn would give businesses more power in building their brand. Of course, there is a negative side to the addition: what are companies going to be allowed to do with the information they gather? Some of it may be important and it is a concern to safeguard it.

Due to rules being changing, new security issues are coming up. Quova Inc. has stated they will geo locate the players who are most apt to play with SEGA online and its casinos. Quova Inc and Sega are open to the idea because most online casino operators are under strict rules when it comes to operations. They have to follow those rules or risk losing their businesses. Almost every country has imposed its rules and regulations and casinos are making moves to stay in line with the new rules. The US, for example, is one country that is still toying with rules to try to find the right safeguards for players and still bring in millions of dollars to various government agencies. Quova operates with various government agencies, online casinos, banks, broadcasters and online retailers to help prevent various types of fraud and to offer protection to players. The crux of the company’s offering is showing a real time location for various IP addresses. That information is then stored securely– never sold or misused. It’s a great addition to the market now that there are security issues arising as a result of the growth in online gaming. The US most likely will find some way to regulate and legalize online gambling in coming months, and will need some ways to protect users as the market becomes more rampant. Quova is just one company that is taking a stand and offering viable options to the market of online security. Expect more companies to come up with online solutions as the market expands.

The European Poker Tour is one of the biggest events of the year. Over the years it has grown to become one of the heights of the poker world. Next to the WSOP, it is the number one poker event and is looked at as a great event to bring to light the best poker players in the world. The event is coming to Austria but unfortunately there are some concerns. In fact, Austrian police will take extra security precautions for the European Poker Tour. After the armed robbery of the EPT in Berlin earlier this month, the Austrian government has tightened security. The EPT in Austria will be held at the Hotel Alpine Palace Card Casino at Saalbach-Hinterglemm in Salzburg’s Pinzgau region next week. At the event, Austrian police will have plain clothed police officers sitting in as spectators. “The situation at the Alpine Palace Hotel is not comparable to what the situation at the Berlin hotel was. There will not be a large sum of money on hand. The hotel will be well protected” local police chief Arno Kosmata said.

Poker players do not seem to be concerned after the robbery in Berlin. None of the over 500 players have withdrawn from participating in the EPT Austria event. Locals have noted that this event will be held in a valley that would present difficulties to any armed gunmen. There are only a few easy ways out of the valley and police will definitely have those covered if anything happens. It is a sign though that poker is very important and gaining a lot of popularity. The game is bringing a huge number of security personnel to the mix. There was a time when tournaments only drew a few people. Now, thanks to the European Poker Tour and the WSOP, poker is one of the top pastimes of people around the world. Millions tune in to watch both events and both have major corporate sponsorship throughout their run. Tune in and see how many players participate and how much fun the games are. Although you will be sitting home watching, you won’t be able to ignore the excitement of a great poker tournament.