Staying safe online is one of the main aims for virtually every internet users on the planet, with all of us knowing, in one way or another, the dangers of the world wide web. And yet, when it comes to online gaming, so many of us can be blind to the risky services of some so called “genuine websites”. This is why it’s vital for all bingo players to know what to look for when browsing a newly discovered site; if you’re viewing a brand and feel there’s something amiss, 9 times out of 10 you’re likely correct.
Fortunately for most of us, the gambling laws of Europe ensure that the majority of sites we engage with are only accessible due to them legally abiding by the law. We can spot this in a number of ways, those one of the easiest is the games license a bingo brand holds; if a website fails to show a valid license, or the information related to that license, then it’s a good indicators that the site is unsafe. But of course, it takes more than a gambling license in order for us to trust a bingo label, as we’ll now demonstrate.
Security and Protection
Any website that is highly acclaimed by its peers, has garnered such support due to the care and consideration taken in terms of protection. One of the first signs of a trusted bingo sites is that the security details of that website are presented upon at least one webpage, if not more.
Start by looking for the license information, usually found at the bottom of all the sites’ pages, followed then by visiting the about us page. If you can’t find any mention of a license, that is a huge red flag, and a sign that you should leave that website immediately. From there on in, there should be a privacy policy outline, terms and conditions, and several other links that you can investigate in order to feel completely comfortable with using such services. If you happen across a brand that fails to detail any one of the matters we’ve just mentioned, we’d advise avoiding that website at all costs, as poor safety measures can leave you vulnerable to all sorts of internet scams and fraud.
Trusted Bingo Sites
This section will offer a handful of bingo sites we believe are particularly trustworthy, however please don’t mistake this as a comprehensive list, as there are in fact far more brands to add to the list. Our mini guide is designed to simply give you an idea of where to start looking.
Moon Bingo
Read Moon Bingo Review >>
Mira Bingo
Read Mira Bingo Review >>
Viking Bingo
Read Viking Bingo Review >>
Hunnie Bingo
Read Hunnie Bingo Review >>
Banking: Deposit and Withdrawal Options
It doesn’t take much to work out that iGaming involves the convenience of online banking, regardless of whether you love or hate that innovation, banking online is one part of society that we all rely on. The only issue with this however, is that it means users are normally presented with a vast mix of payment options after signing up to a bingo site, or, in contrast to this, they find that a certain site fails to offer their preferred method of choice.
To list every single banking option available would be pointless, as few bingo platforms actually provide that level of choice. We’re not saying that variance isn’t provided, simply that more obscure payments, such as EPay, may not be permitted as an option. The main reason for this is that bingo sites tend to list the most commonly used methods of the general public, which include Skrill, PayPal, credit/debit cards, and bank transfer. Before you get too excited however, please keep in mind that while many deposit options may be mentioned, not all of those methods will be able to make withdrawals. Luckily for us, safe bingo sites explain this throughout their banking pages.
Active Gaming Population
Moving onto the online bingo population, it would appear that the figures support the idea that this type of iGaming is largely dominated by women. The stereotype of bingo has always been that it is a woman’s game, specifically that of older women, usually aged over 60, and yet recent reports have shown that while women do love the game, the average age is between 18 and 35 years old. To give set numbers, a staggering 70% of bingo players, online that is, are said to be female, although some reports have claimed that the actual number is even larger than that.
In regards to whereabouts this population is active, that would be the UK; while it’s true that other countries enjoy the game, it’s still a beloved pastime within the UK. This isn’t to say that Great Britain has the largest active bingo audience, but more that UK users are undoubtedly the most active of all other demographics associated with online bingo.
Large Game Selection
When we move away from the gamers themselves to what these safe bingo sites offer, you’ll find that bingo platforms offer a great deal more than a handful of 90 ball matches. In fact, more often than not, there’s well over a hundred activities to choose from, though of course, not all of these are bingo based. Not only will there normally be a bingo variance, such as 90, 75, and 80 ball bingo, but there’ll also be slot machines, arcade titles, and other such features. For all intents and purposes, most trusted bingo labels are like a mini online casino, which could be argued as why they’re so popular. Moreover, across this diverse mix of games, users will normally find that both play for fun and play for real cash options are permitted.
Good Customer Support
Another good indicator of a respected, reliable, and safe bingo website, is that the support on offer is second to none; even if the services aren’t 24/7, there’ll be so means for customers to reach out to members of the support team. What is more, trusted websites will always present more than one customer service method, such as emails and live chat, to ensure that more of their customers feel comfortable contacting them. Then, on top of this, there’ll also be a FAQs page or something very similar. If any one of these facets are missing, you’re likely dealing with a below par bingo brand.