The iGaming market, which consists of online casinos and sports betting platforms, is booming worldwide. In 2022, the market was valued at 63.53 billion USD. From 2023 to 2030, this sum is expected to continue rising at a compound annual growth rate of 11.7%. The popularisation of the market has been felt in South Africa, where players can access betting platforms offered by any operator issued by the relevant provincial government. However, there are several factors that the public must take into consideration before signing up for one of these sites as listed below.
Check their licence
The first step players should take before signing up for a gambling platform is to check for a licence. A gambling licence is a legal document issued by a gambling jurisdiction. In South Africa, any online betting operator must be licensed by one of the gambling and racing boards in the nine provinces. The Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board and the Gauteng Gambling Board are some of the entities issuing these types of permits.
A licence means that they are a legitimate business with the right to operate in a given territory. Usually, a casino or sports betting site will display its licence on the bottom of its home site.
Read reviews
Reviews tend to be an integral part of the user experience as online statistics reveal that 95% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase and 58% claim that they are willing to pay more for products by a brand with positive testimonials. When it comes to gambling, there are numerous sites like Strafe, Sportsadda and Timesofcasino that specialise in reviewing sports betting and casino sites. Reading online reviews and ratings can help a potential player make an informed decision regarding which platform to sign up for.
Review the terms and conditions
While about 77% of consumers fail to read the terms and conditions of a product, service, or website, this is against their best interests. By reading the “fine print”, an individual can educate himself about the company’s management and processing of their data, their rights in the event of a dispute and, overall, whether he would like to proceed with the company.
Online casinos and betting sites have different terms and conditions, which rule that might vary starkly from others. It is in the player’s best interest to familiarise himself with how the platform manages deposits, withdrawals and bonuses in order to avoid potential problems or disappointments.
Assess the website’s security
Whenever a player signs up for an online casino, he or she must provide some sensitive personally identifiable information (PII), including full name, mailing address and financial information. In the wrong hands, that information could be used to commit identity theft and financial fraud. Hence, it’s crucial to sign up for platforms with strong IT security, which typically includes an encryption system and secure data storage. Sites with an extra layer of security such as two-factor authentication are better.
Consider the payment options
A reputable casino or sports betting side must provide a variety of safe payment options to facilitate deposits and withdrawals. Typically, these options include debit and credit cards, bank transfers, e-wallets like PayPal and even cryptocurrency. A player should review the available payment methods on the platform and make sure they are suitable.
Ensure that the games are safe and fair
A reliable online casino offers games that are provided by reputable software developers like NetEnt, Microgaming and Rival Gaming to name a few. Such developers test and get their games certified to ensure their fairness. After signing up for the platform, however, it’s important to always read the description of a game, which is always listed on the platform like in the following example: https://bitcasino.io/play/crash-games/aviator. This will help the player familiarise himself with the game and decide whether it is suitable for his taste.
