Play at these Legit Online Casinos in 2024

You've probably heard a lot about the dangers of playing casino games online, but you might be surprised to find out that such risks are often exaggerated. However, it is important to note that not all online casinos are created equal. When looking for an online casino, there are certain things you should keep in mind when selecting one. There are some key steps you can take to find legitimate online casinos so you can have fun without being ripped off or scammed.

Gaming Software

In the online casino world, having a software provider that is reputable and established in the industry is key. The best and most successful online casinos are powered by software from a small selection of high-quality providers.

If the casino you wish to play at uses either Microgaming, Evolution Gaming, Playtech, Net Entertainment, IGT, or a similar secure reputable brand of software,  it’s fair to assume that you’re at a legitimate site.

Microgaming

Microgaming is one of the largest providers of casino software worldwide. The company was founded in 1994 and has been providing the most reliable, secure, and trusted online casino gaming ever since. With their wide variety of online slots, table games, poker games, and more, they are sure to have something for everyone.

Microgaming was also one of the founding members of eCOGRA, which strongly reinforces its credentials as one of the most trusted and legitimate online casino software providers. If you see Microgaming games available at your casino of choice, you can be assured that it will be one of the best online casinos to play at for both safety and game selection.

Playtech

Playtech was founded in 1999 by billionaire Teddy Sagi, and in 2006, it became the first publicly traded gambling company on the London Stock Exchange. They are one of the most well-known providers in the industry, and they have a reputation for being very reliable. They are also an innovator in the field with a reputation for delivering high-quality products that combine creativity with technical excellence. Playtech is licensed and regulated remotely and non-remotely by the UK Gambling Commission.

Evolution Gaming

Evolution Gaming is a company that was founded in 2006. They have been at the forefront of online gambling innovation and are committed to providing their customers with the best possible customer service, security, and gaming experience. Evolution Gaming is particularly well known for its live dealer games. They are licensed by a number of reputable jurisdictions, including the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Evolution Gaming's games are also eCogra approved and have been tested by Technical Systems Testing (TST), an independent internationally recognized auditor. 

NetEnt

Net Entertainment is a Swedish company that has been in the online gaming industry since 1996. They are best known for their slots, which they release on an almost monthly basis, the most popular being games such as Gonzos Quests and Starburst. NetEnt has been listed on the Swedish Stock Exchange since 2007. They are licensed and regulated by several jurisdictions, including Alderney, Gibraltar, Malta, and the UK.

IGT

International Game Technology, or more commonly known as IGT, is a gaming company that has been around since 1975. Its headquarters are located in Las Vegas, and they have offices all around the world. Their focus has been mainly on land-based casinos, but they have delved into the online world in recent years. While IGT doesn't have the online presence of some of the other big-name software providers, they have some extremely popular video poker and slot games, including Monopoly Progressive Jackpot, Cleopatra, and Cluedo. According to their website, they have over 450 worldwide gaming licenses.

Safety Seals

Licensed casinos are proud to show their compliance by displaying some type of safety seal on their home pages, such as the eCOGRA seal of approval. The eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA), founded in 2003, is the leading regulatory body of the online gambling industry. Its mission is to promote integrity and fairness in the online gaming industry by regulating and monitoring standards of business conduct, player protection measures, game content quality control, and fair gameplay.

Transparency

A reputable casino has nothing to hide, and one should easily be able to find its history, credentials – i.e., which jurisdiction it is licensed under, list of software suppliers, contact details, etc. displayed on its website, for example, on an “About Us” page.

Player Forums

If you need additional reassurance about a casino you are interested in, there are many helpful player review forums where you’re sure to get some valuable opinions, especially regarding fair terms and payout reliability.

The rise of the internet has enabled people to gamble from anywhere in the world. This can be problematic because it’s hard to tell which websites are legitimate and which ones have rigged games or take advantage of players with unfair terms and conditions.

That’s where online casino licensing bodies come in. Online casino licensing bodies are organizations that regulate and license gambling sites and ensure players will have fair odds when playing games at these establishments. Licensing agencies usually require stringent requirements before granting a license, such as financials and annual audits from the casino company in question.

North America and Central America:

• Kahnawake Gaming Commission. www.gamingcommission.ca
• Nevada Gaming Control Board. www.gaming.nv.gov
• New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. www.nj.gov/lps/ge
• Panama Gaming Control Board (Junta de Control de Juegos). www.mef.gob.pa

Europe

• UK Gambling Commission. www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk
• ARJEL (France). www.arjel.fr
• AAMS (Italy). www.agenziadoganemonopoli.gov.it/portale/
• Spanish Gaming Commission (Comision Nacional del Juego). www.minhafp.gob.es/en-GB/Paginas/Home.aspx
• Gambling Supervision Commission (Isle of Man). www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/gambling-and-e-gaming/
• Malta Gaming Authority. www.mga.org.mt
• Alderney Gambling Control Commission. www.gamblingcontrol.org
• Jersey Gambling Commission. www.jgc.je
• Belgian Gambling Commission. http://www.gamingcommission.be/opencms/opencms/jhksweb_en/home/
• Danish Gambling Authority. https://spillemyndigheden.dk/en

Caribbean

• Curacao Internet Gaming Association. www.ciga.an
• DAC (Aruba). http://www.gobierno.aw/home-pap/departamento_47024/item/departamento-di-asuntonan-di-casino-casinowezen_13099.html
• Antigua Division of Gaming. www.antiguagaming.gov.ag

Asia

• PAGCOR (Philippines). www.pagcor.ph/regulatory
• FCLRC (Philippines):  www.firstcagayan.com

Australia/Oceania

• ACT Gambling and Racing Commission. www.gamblingandracing.act.gov.au
• Northern Territory Director-General of Licensing. https://justice.nt.gov.au/licensing-nt-and-nt-worksafe/licensing-publications-and-strategies/licensing-decisions
• Vanuatu Customs and Inland Revenue. https://customsinlandrevenue.gov.vu

The 5 Most Legit Online Casino Licensing Jurisdictions

As we have discovered, trusted online casinos will be licensed by one or several regulatory bodies. However, some licensing jurisdictions have an even more trusted reputation than others. Many of the top-rated gambling jurisdictions might not be in countries you expect. Below we have listed the leading five online casino licensing bodies worldwide. If you decide to play at any real money casinos that are licensed by one of these, you are guaranteed a 100% safe online casino experience.

UK Gambling Commission (UKGR) - regulates gambling in the United Kingdom. The commission was established by an Act of Parliament, the Gambling Act 2005, and came into operation on 1 September 2007. They have a responsibility to ensure that all gambling in Great Britain is licensed and regulated, and they are responsible for awarding licenses as well as regulating the industry.

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Committee (IGSC) - is a regulatory body that monitors the gambling industry on the Isle of Man. It was established in 1962 and has since been responsible for overseeing all aspects of regulation and licensing on the Island. It was one of the first gambling commissions to offer remote licensing for online casinos and poker sites.

Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) - the MGA was established on 1st July 2001 and has since been responsible for regulating the industry and overseeing a selection of licenses within the country's jurisdiction with the responsibility to issue casino licenses as well as controlling various aspects of gambling activity including the issuance of online betting licenses. This small European Island licenses and regulates some of the most well-known online casinos in the World. It is believed that the online gambling industry in Malta generates over 12% of its GDP. 

Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) - is a regulatory body that oversees online casinos, online sports betting, and online poker rooms in addition to three brick and mortar poker rooms in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. The commission was established in 1987 as an independent entity and operates as a self-governing tribal council. The commission has been an advocate for responsible gambling practices and created a code of conduct that is followed by all members who are involved with Kahnawake Gaming Commission casinos.

Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) - is the regulatory body for online gambling and betting operators in Alderney. It was formed in 2000 to regulate the licensing of online organizations offering gaming services. An English crown dependency, Alderney is a small island that sits just off the coast of Normandy. As an island with a population of around 2,000 people, it is an unlikely location for one of the most well-regarded online casino licensing jurisdictions in the world.

You can be confident that all the online casinos we recommend on this site have been checked thoroughly by our team of gambling experts to ensure that they are the real deal. In addition to having the correct licenses and certificates in place and games powered by the best software providers, we look at several other considerations. Not only do we only choose safe online casinos but those that offer the best bonuses, plenty of payment methods, and the widest selections of games.

Here are some of the other factors we take into account before recommending legit online casino sites to you:

Legitimate Online Casinos Must Be Secure

We've established that the online casino should be licensed and regulated by a government organization (e.g., Malta Gaming Authority). And an independent auditing team performs regular audits of their games, customer data, and financial records to ensure they are fair and secure for players (e.g., eCOGRA). 

Next, we check the casino's website for SSL and encryption. A valid SSL certificate indicates that data exchanged between the browser and server will be encrypted. This will ensure that they can store your information securely, including financial data like credit card numbers and banking information. If you are on an online casino site and you see "HTTPS" in the URL, then it's using an SSL certificate. You can also look at the address bar in your browser to see if there's a padlock next to the name of the online casino site.

Legit Online Casinos Should Offer Excellent Customer Service

Customer service is a very important aspect of any organization. It's so integral to a company that it can make or break them. Customer service in an online casino is just as important, if not more than customer service in a brick-and-mortar casino because there's no face-to-face interaction with clients. Ideally, customer service representatives should be available 24/7 to answer your questions or deal with your issues.

There should also be plenty of options to get in touch with the casino site. They should also be able to handle all complaints and concerns knowledgeably and professionally. A good example of a legit online casino with exemplary customer service would be Fair Go Casino who has professionally trained customer support staff available 24/7 via live chat, telephone, and email to assist players on their site.

Legit Online Casinos Will Have Clear Terms and Conditions

The best online casinos shouldn't have any hidden fees and be totally up-front regarding their terms and conditions and policies. While we have done much of the research for you to find the best legit online casinos available to play at, you should still do your own due diligence.

You should read through the terms and conditions of use before agreeing to them. If you find any terms that seem suspicious or don't make sense, you should speak to the online casino's customer support staff to clarify the information. If you still can't get a straight answer, it's best not to gamble with that website and go elsewhere. Terms of use may include the casino's policy on how they protect your personal information. It should also have information about how the casino handles deposits and withdrawals, including any fees associated with them.

The Top Online Casinos Have a Wide Choice of Banking Options

The best casinos online should also offer a selection of payment methods so you can choose what works best for you. Ways to deposit should include credit cards such as Visa, and MasterCard, debit cards, pre-paid cards, as well as other options such as Bitcoin and e-wallets like PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill. The more options available, the better.

While the features we mention next don't necessarily make the casino legit, the casinos with the best bonuses and the biggest selection of games are often those that are the safest and most secure.

Large Online Casino Game Selection

The best sites should also offer a variety of online casino games to suit your different preferences. Slots are usually the most popular game, but you may prefer card games such as poker or blackjack. Other casino favourites include roulette and baccarat.

All the casinos we recommend have popular favourites from the best software providers, as well as new games being launched all the time. One of the most popular ways of playing casino games is with a live dealer. Live dealer casinos offer a real-time, immersive gaming experience as close to the brick-and-mortar version as you can get. You get to chat with the dealer and actually watch them spin a roulette wheel or deal your cards.

Generous Casino Bonuses

You might think what's the catch, but to compete in this tough industry where every site is vying for your business, even the legit online casinos must offer great bonuses to stay ahead of the pack. 

Online casinos offer many different types of bonuses, but the most popular one is the no deposit bonus. With this bonus, players can play with real money and win without having to make any deposits. Other types of bonuses include welcome bonuses for new players, free spins, reloads, and match-up offers. 

But, do remember to read the terms and conditions and check the wagering requirements for the bonus before you claim it. The wagering requirements are how much money in total that you need to bet before you can claim your bonuses. They will vary from one online casino to another.

If you still have any unanswered questions regarding legit online casinos, we'll hopefully answer them for you below.