A guide to finding a secure online casino: what steps to take, what things to check.

A secure online casino is the golden egg of net gambling. An online casino which uses proper 128-Bit Encryption for its transfers is essential, not to mention the methods with which they store and retrieve information on your computer. Finding an honest online casino to which security truly is a top priority is the real quest of many online players. Of course with the sheer number of options in places to place a bet these days, it's hard to do any proper research in finding a secure online casino. Advertisements mix with honest reviews, which mix with dishonest reviews by competition or individuals who feel they have been wronged. While forum postings from people who feel they have been wronged are valuable, don't necessarily take it as the end all and be all for that casino, always take into account that it may have been an isolated incident. Hearing that others have been paid promptly (it can take a few weeks yes) from the same casino may be reason to give them a chance, or at least dig a little deeper.

Researching what makes for a secure online casino isn't complicated; it just takes a healthy dose of common sense. First of all you can't be hesitant to give them a call on their 800 number (and oh yes, they better have an 800 number). Talking to one of their customer care people can often give you either a good or bad feeling about the place. If you can't think of anything to say just ask them about their latest promo, ask them to explain if there are any other promotions that might apply to you should you decide to make a deposit, and ask them about their security. You will most likely hear something along the lines of 'we use banking industry standard 128-Bit Encryption on all electronic transfers', which is a good thing to hear. If they don't say, or cannot confirm, that they use 128-Bit encryption, then you can tell them on the phone that they just shook the faith right out of you. You can also ask them if their software stores or retrieves any information to or from the windows registry, or any other pertinently unsecured areas of the windows operating system. The phone rep may not be able to answer this, but it's a very valid question on your behalf, just not one many people ask, because most people don't research thoroughly.

Beyond this important step of calling the casino, you should also try to find an independent review from an Internet resource site. An excellent place I know of which offer independent reviews is Winner Online.com.

Evaluation of the casino software is also important. Whatever you have more fun playing should contribute to your decision, and remember, you're not limited to playing at one online casino, you can try out as many as you like. Many people choose a different one each time they log on, others find one they like and stick with it. Finding a secure online casino, one which has paid you for a win and makes you feel it's trustworthy, is invaluable, so I do recommend you stick with it.