Online Casino Blacklist – Rogue Casinos
Internet gambling is meant to be fun, but not everyone is always out to let you have a good time. Just like in land-based casinos, we all know that the owners are trying to make a profit—after all, why else would they be there—but they should be trying to do so in a way that is entertaining, fair, and transparent. When a website breaks this trust, then they no longer deserve your business.
That’s why casino blacklists are a very important tool for you to use when you begin gambling online. Lists such as our own can help you stick to operations that can be trusted, while avoiding those that have proven to be actively cheating players out of their money.
What is a Rogue Casino?
A rogue or scam casino is any website that has taken steps to unscrupulously rip off customers, losing the trust of the Internet gaming community. You will rarely see these sites advertised by affiliates, as their reputations have become so toxic as to taint anyone who does business with them. However, these sites generally hope to get away with their schemes for as long as possible in order to make as much money as they can before getting caught. These sites are rare, but they can turn a player completely off of Internet gambling when they are scammed by one. UK players should only play at gambling sites which are licensed by the UKGC. Other gambling authorities include the MGA and Curaçao.
Our United States Blacklisted Casinos - Updated for November, 2024
Why to Avoid These Sites
The simple reason to avoid any blacklisted gambling site is the fact that they have done something in their past that makes it clear that they should not be trusted. Whether it’s an issue of the owners outright scamming their players, or simply one of incompetence, the issues are major enough that we do not believe these websites should be trusted.
The exact issues can vary. Below, we have collected some of the most common reasons why a site might end up on our blacklist.
Payment Issues
Even at legitimate online casinos, withdrawals aren’t instantaneous. Sure, some are faster than others, but there is processing time on both their side and the financial institutions they work with. Furthermore, the sites have good reason to ensure that all of their rules were followed and that the player’s identity can be confirmed before money is released. These delays can be frustrating, and it’s probably true that many sites could be a bit faster – but that’s not what we’re talking about here.
Some blacklisted operators are known for paying extremely slowly, to the point where players are waiting months for any withdrawals they make. This is a situation that isn’t just frustrating to players, but potentially fraudulent: these sites might be trying to pay out as little as possible, coming up with excuses to hold onto player money as long as possible. It could also be a sign that they are struggling with cash flow.
Even worse are sites that don’t pay out at all. These sites will pile on excuses, but in the end, never pay out. These operators will steadily lose customers, but the damage is already done; often, this could be the last gambit for owners who are insolvent and don’t want to admit that they can no longer afford to run their business. Beware of any site that asks you to deposit more to withdraw, cancels your withdrawal or asks for identity documents on more than one occasion. These are hallmarks of scam operations and should be a red flag that they are not to be trusted.
Game Integrity
Even in the world of untrustworthy sites, game integrity is a relatively rare problem (even though it is probably the first thing players suspect when their luck turns against them). Still, there have been cases when unscrupulous operators have ripped off customers by creating games that simply couldn’t be won by players because the results were not fair and random, but rather rigged against the player.
This problem can take on many forms, but all of them are enough reason to avoid these casinos. First, a site may make it too easy to win on their free slot games and table games, thus enticing players who may think the real games will be just as generous with their payouts.
More insidious are games that are designed to cheat the player. There have been cases of online craps, video poker, blackjack and other games that were rigged so that the results of each bet were tilted against the player: for instance, they might not be able to make big hands in video poker, or the pass line bet might pay out only a quarter of the time (instead of nearly half) in craps. Fortunately, this sort of cheating quickly reveals itself: experts can quickly look at even a moderate amount of data and know that the results players are seeing are mathematically impossible.
Poor Support
Simply not having the best customer support personnel in the world isn’t enough to become a universally untrusted site: most of us have had a bad experience with someone who worked for an otherwise good company at some point in our lives. But when customer service workers make it clear that they are actively working against player interests, then we get into a blacklisting situation.
The worst offenders are customer service departments that are set up to lie to players, such as by getting them to sign up for promotions and dismissing concerns about the terms and conditions that are attached to these offers. Other issues might include workers who are outright hostile to players who bring concerns to their attention, dismissing any complaints and refusing to help resolve them.
Other Problems
While the above examples might be some of the most common issues with rogue casinos, they are far from the only ones. Sites may end up on these lists for all sorts of reasons, such as playing fast and loose with their rules, or by having owners with a history of “fly-by-night” operations that disappear in a span of weeks or months.
But regardless of the reason, there is simply no reason to play at any site that is found on a blacklist. Instead, we implore you to try one of the many trustworthy casino sites that can offer you the same great action without any concern that you might be getting a raw deal. For the best of these, check out our casino reviews section.
