In this article we’re going to discuss the pitfalls of gambling online and it scams, and what to do should you become their latest victim.

The banners flash, the promotions are being advertised, it seems just like any other internet casino, beware it’s not! It’s a rogue, and unless you’re wide awake, you might just end up becoming a member of the not-so-elite list of players who’ve learned the hard way that things are not always what they seem, especially when it comes to internet gambling.

Consider the following example which was posted online by an unfortunate player who got scammed by a rogue gambling site:

Please Help!

I tried to withdraw $700 (name deleted) and instead received an e-mail that notified me that requested to remove my funds were rejected, since they stated that I manipulated the games in order to win. This is preposterous! I play Blackjack and Craps online all of the time and like other players sometimes I win and sometimes I lose.

Initially I thought there was some error in the communication of the internet casino. I ended up phoning their customer service to find out the problem. They told me there was no mistake-and that they have proof that I was manipulating the games and that they would not pay out any winnings or even release my original bank roll  To be honest I never manipulated any games and considering the amount was hardly a large sum. Any advice would be appreciated.

 Unfortunately, there’s very little that could be done to help this player. When it comes to rogue internet casinos, even the most experienced internet player could easily be fooled. A rogue casino operator’s income depends on the ability to deceive their players into believing that their site is a legitimate one. And many have become experts at deceiving unfortunate players who register accounts with them.

Let’s refer to the player who has been conned. Unfortunately this particular internet casino is no longer in operation today. It’s difficult to predict whether this company will rear its ugly head again under a compelling new name brand name. Who knows? You may already be a registered player. The only time you’ll know whether or not an internet casino is reputable is when you try and cashout your winnings.

Irrespective of their creativity and diabolical schemes players still navigate the treacherous waters of internet gambling safely and avoid falling prey to these con artists.

Virtual Piracy

Have you ever walked out of a department store, the proud owner of a new surround sound system, wondering if you haven’t been ripped off? Of course not, you’re fully aware that the department store is a reputable business and would never stake its reputation just for a few of dollars.

Unfortunately the same principle does not apply to internet gambling. In today’s competitive internet gambling industry it’s common practice that certain companies open up phony gaming sites, defraud their players, disappear, register a new URL, and start their devious cycle all over again. By all means this is criminal, these gaming sites come and go every year leaving thousands of angry and disgruntled players in their wake. One of the most common fraudulent practices mastered by dishonest internet gambling sites is stealing the intellectual property from legitimate gaming sites.

These rogues are fully aware that your average player decides beforehand to wager online before they visit a site. They also know that if they want to entice players in signing up they must first convince the player to wager at their site/s. In order to do this they have to look “safe”.

To accomplish this feat without having to spend thousands of dollars rogue online casinos simply copy information from established websites and then they start with their diabolical schemes. Graphics, general design, HTML, even banners could easily be duplicated and used to create a professional-looking rogue site.

Rogue operators even go as far by copying the “Winners” and “Testimonial” pages of reputable sites making them look authentic. Only experienced players will notice this deception. At times, the URL’s even look similar, so that a player who often wagers at a genuine site may sign up accidentally at a rogue site without even realizing it.

Until it was discovered by leading watchdog site Casinomeister.com in October 2001, the rogue casino, Casinoxclub, no longer in operation did just this. The site hijacked the identity of the popular and legitimate Pharaoh’s Casino-including its licensing certificate from the government of Antigua. Although management apologized for their misconduct many patrons began to realise just how corrupt the industry can be.

Some rogue casinos take matters to a whole new level by claiming that their software has been certified by the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC). The Interactive Gaming Council is a non-profit organization. Although it can’t intervene in casino operations, this group is beyond reproach and recognized as a very influential organization within the online gaming community.

Taking into account the ease with which rogue casinos can steal the appearance of an established site, players must always be cautious when they sign up at a new site. Visit discussion groups (gambling forums) and enquire about a specific operator.

Ask yourself the following questions. Was the casino’s software up to standard? Was customer service good? Did you receive your money? If you have trouble finding a specific casino or online sports book at a casino forum, just enter the name of the site in any search engine and type in “review”. This will dredge up any site that offers a review of the casino in question. Always realize that most site reviews are NOT a reliable source for determining if a casino or sportsbook is reputable. Many casino portals simply write a lot of “fluff” reviews for the sites they promote. Some online casinos even have their own portals to promote their own sites!

One of the quickest ways to determine the legitimacy of an internet casino or sports book is to visit the IGC site itself (http://www.igcouncil.org/) and to do a member search.

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