Even as our technology continues to make things more and more transparent, trust levels in consumers are going down. In the online world in general, people are becoming more and more cautious than ever before of anything without an established name.
When it comes to betting sites, people are naturally even more vigilant still. These sites ask a lot of private information from us, and so we are always on the lookout to be sure they’re legitimate.
So, can you trust new betting sites like these at all? The simple answer is usually yes. That said, there is going to be a deal of research necessary on your part to make sure.
Let’s look into what to look for in new trustworthy new betting sites.
- Security
Firstly, you’ll want to look at the security features offered by the site in question. Are they robust, and accredited? Will they protect your information in the event of a leak or a hack? There are a few which are widely considered the best security.
Firstly, does the site encourage you to create a strong password? If it just lets you use any old simple phrase as a password, then their security isn’t really up to standard, and your account would be very open to hackers.
Furthermore, features like 2-factor authentication are really important for financial services. The betting site should offer these as a minimum in terms of protecting your account specifically. We will get into how the site protects itself as a whole shortly.
But if it doesn’t have these features, it may be less than trustworthy.
- Licensing
Probably the single most important thing, though, is whether the site is licensed by the official gambling commission. These will vary depending on where you are. Here in the U.K., though, the official Gambling Commission has issued licenses to about 2,600 operators, for use in around 3,500 different products and services.
If the site you’re looking at is not licensed by the commission, then it is operating illegally. If this is the case, then they are obviously not trustworthy at all. They may only be interested in harvesting your data, or even outright stealing your money and leaving you without recourse.
The site should clearly display their accreditation from the Commission, and you should be able to find them on the Commission’s official directory of sites. If not, it is certainly not trustworthy.
- Functionality
Once you’re sure they meet the basic security needs and are licensed by the regulatory body responsible for them, next look into the nuts and bolts of the site itself. Trustworthy sites will be well put together, with excellent functionality and little to no issues.
Try and browse the site for a while before signing up or depositing any cash. Does it frequently slow down, or even crash? Do any of its core functions seem not to work properly?
If so, then there could be any number of reasons not to trust such a site. It could even be a phishing site, masquerading as a true and reputable betting site.
If it doesn’t function right, it probably isn’t trustworthy.
- Data breaches
Finally, the big concern that a lot of us have in the modern online world—data breaches. They are now more common than ever, and even despite all our best efforts, major data breaches seem to continually occur. In a year, anywhere from 30-40% of businesses report attempted cyber attacks of their databases. This results in around 1,200 breaches a year.
If this happens on a site you are using, especially a betting site, then a lot of your personal data is at risk—and financial data, at that.
So, the first thing to do is look into the company’s history. If the operator has any history of major breaches, it’s best to give them a wide berth. It’s not worth risking such sensitive personal information, you will find a site without these issues.
Even if not, you still ought to verify that they take steps to prevent these kinds of breaches. They should be regularly updating their app or website, and use firewalls and robust cyber security to ensure there is no risk of these things happening.
