Playing online and live casino games like online Blackjack is fun and rewarding. These days gaming software is so sophisticated that Blackjack, Roulette and Video Poker pop out right out of your gaming device. High-resolution 3D imagery is mesmerising. With mobile gaming, you can gamble from the comforts of your home.

Along with the countless positives of gaming online, it also has a dark side. Pirated software is invading cyberspace and unethical operators with big casino bonuses bling are a dime a dozen online. Rogue casinos are becoming more and more audacious in their bid to lure gamblers by deception.
Keep reading to know what is a rogue casino site and how to spot one.
What is a rogue casino?
A rogue casino is one that adopts unfair practices in dealing with their customers. They don’t follow the basic ethics of online gambling, such as transparency, honesty and fair play. These casinos are dangerous because when you gamble with them, you are basically handing over your money to them without the guarantee of being treated fairly and giving your due returns.
You don’t need to dig deep to find out why a casino would cheat their customers. The simple reason is greed. The internet gives a degree of anonymity to rogue casinos and it is difficult to catch someone if they defraud you online.
How to spot a rogue casino
There are several indicators which help determine if the casino is a rogue one. Casino reviews can also help you with this to a great extent. You should check the things listed below before gambling in an online casino.
1. Check the license
Most casinos are licensed and controlled by regulatory bodies, such as the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gambling Authority. If the casino claims it is licensed by the gambling authority but you are not convinced, head over to the website of the licensing body in question and take a look. All authorities maintain public databases of their license holders so you just have to find the casino’s name. Don’t play games on the casino site if it doesn’t appear to be licensed by the authority.
2. Look for content theft
The content on the casino site must be unique and not copied from other sites. If you spot pictures that feature another casino’s name or text, then you might be looking at content theft. You must always do research before joining any online casino. Some sites copy content from other sites and leave a reference to the original site somewhere. While this does not influence the gambling experience, it speaks about the kind of casino operator. If a casino can’t even make a website with their own content, what makes you think that they will offer fair gameplay?
3. Peruse the terms and conditions
You should never gamble in an online casino before reading the terms and conditions thoroughly. This will help you avoid problems while you play games. Reading T&Cs is important if you suspect the casino is not legitimate. Keep an eye on acquisitive terms as reputed casinos never use blanket terms while advertising. Make sure that there are no unclear wagering rules and the withdrawal timeframes are reasonable.
4. Look for the quality of the website and software
To test the overall condition of the casino site means to look for things like broken pictures, copied logos and domains hosted in unbranded locations. Working of the software speaks much about the casino. The software is the gambling firm’s most valuable investment. If the software isn’t good, the games offered by the casino will be crap too.
You can check whether or not the site features popular graphic design trends. If you can’t visit a site on a smartphone, you might have a rogue site on your hands.
5. Check the customer support
Another major area where you should take a look at is customer support of the casino. Imagine you sign up at an online casino and find that it doesn’t really care about you after registration. One way this manifests is through the response time that its customer support team takes. If a casino takes a day to respond to your query, it’s not worth playing at it.
How to avoid gambling at a rogue casino
With online watchdogs, it is now possible to avoid playing at a rogue casino. There are several online watchdogs who specifically track and lists rogue casinos. Some of them are Casino Advisor, Wizard of Odds and Casino Meister. Sometimes a rogue casino may not make to the blacklist of a watchdog simply because it has not met the parameters set out by the watchdog sites. In such cases, you would still be at risk playing at the casino.