You should thoroughly check out an internet betting firm before depositing any money with them. Check that a site is authorized to operate in the country where you are living. Look for a site that has a good reputation. There are lots of gambling forums on the internet where gamblers discuss their experiences about internet betting. Try to get personal recommendations for companies that other people have used without problems.

There are also many sites that give blacklists of companies that have failed to payout or to treat customers fairly. There are some basic checks that you can do. Via an internet search engine perform the following searches, substituting the name of the company for ‘company name’:

blacklist ‘company name’

forum ‘company name’

reviews ‘company name’

complaints ‘company name’.

You will then find out if the company is blacklisted for failing to pay or other scams. By checking gambling forums you can find out what other gamblers are saying about the company. They may not be blacklisted but could, for example, be slow to pay winnings. Be cautious if you find no mention of a company. It could be a new company that has just started in business. Join a gamblers’ online discussion group and ask the other members if they have tried out the site you are proposing to bet with.

Ideally, you should look for a site that is government regulated. Some governments have introduced strict controls for sites operating in their countries. You need to ensure that your money is protected and that the sites are fair. UK firms are strictly regulated and licensed. The major UK high street bookmakers have internet sites. Those companies that have built up a solid reputation over the years are more likely to play fair.

Find out where the company is located. If a company is located in a foreign jurisdiction you may have great difficulty in getting your money back if something goes wrong. Be wary if just an email address is given. A legitimate company will display contact information that will include a bricks and mortar address and telephone number. If the firm claims to be a member of a professional association, verify its claim.

You need to ensure that the site has adequate security. In particular, you need to ensure that it is keeping your personal details safe. How safe is your money - is it kept in a ‘ringfenced account’. What is its privacy policy - does it divulge information about you to others? Are personal details and payments made over a secure connection? When you give credit or debit card details check that the site is secure. There should be a closed padlock symbol at the bottom of the screen.

Ensure that a site has had its software independently audited by a trustworthy company. You can test out a site’s software by playing its free games and seeing if the results are realistic. A quick test is to play roulette for free. Place bets on red for 200 spins and look at the results. There is a 50 per cent chance that red will be spun. If red comes up, for example, 75 per cent of the time, the software cannot be trusted. This casino is trying to give the appearance that it is easy to win.

Look for a site that gives 24-hour support, seven days a week. This ensures that if you have any problems you can contact a member of staff, no matter what time of day it is.

Keep your password secret. Anyone who has access to your password could place bets and withdraw money from your bank account or credit card. If you use a computer that is accessible by more than one person, don’t save the password so that it can be automatically entered by the computer. Another person using the computer would be able to access your account.

Keep as little money in your online gambling account as possible. If you get a big win withdraw the money immediately. It is also a good idea to have a separate bank account for your gambling activity. If you do become the victim of a scam, you can keep your losses to a minimum. When you open an account with an online gambling firm, it is also a good idea to open a separate email account. If you start getting spam in this account, you will know that your personal details have been given to spammers. This way you avoid having your personal mailbox full of spam.

Ensure you use a site where personal information is encrypted. As you may be giving personal details, bank account information and credit card numbers to a site, you will want to be sure that this information is securely transmitted and safely held so that it cannot be accessed by a third party.

A poker room should have its card shuffling software independently audited to check that it is fair. Ensure that the site actively checks for colluders and has a policy of barring anyone caught. Also, look for a company that has a policy of limiting the number of all-ins. This will stop cheats taking advantage of the all-in rule. Before you deposit money with a company, check it out thoroughly. There are lots of gambling forums on the internet where gamblers discuss their experiences about, for example, online poker. There are also many sites that give blacklists of companies that have failed to payout or that treat customers unfairly.

If you suspect that you have received a phishing email report it directly to the site. Do not click on any of the links posted in the email. Instead, go directly to the site and log on from the site’s home page. Government agencies and online gambling sites are actively working to combat this fraud. The site will often quickly be aware that a fraud of this type is being attempted and will send a warning to members or post a warning on the site.