Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
It could be argued that, since time immemorial, humans have had a mercurial relationship with gambling. We seem compelled to do it, to bet that we can be faster, louder, righter (is that a word?), or any other competitive action we can consider. When we play games, even as small children, we want to win. Many people argue that it is that competitive spirit that has led to so much innovation and advancement. Gambling is about taking a chance and "putting our money where our mouth is". We love the thrill of the win, but we can feel poorly done by when we lose.
It's complicated
Few countries have such a stark divide of opinions, laws, history, and reality as America. The colonies were built on the back of lotteries. Las Vegas is the self-proclaimed gambling capital of the world, and yet for decades (and still to this day), many American citizens are unable to gamble in their home state legally. However, gambling is now legal in some form or another in around half of the US states. In the five years following the legalization of sports betting, Americans spent around $220 billion on sports betting.
We sat down with gambling expert Alex Korsager to learn about the changes happening in the industry and the measures companies like Casino.org are taking to rebuild trust in the gambling sector.
An expert's view
"The irony is that it is not that people do not gamble", said Alex Korsager. "Sure, legislators might outlaw it, and moralists might proclaim against it, but people still do it. So, we want to make sure that people gamble in a way that is safe, fair, and minimizes any risk. That is why, we rate and review all kinds of properly licensed sites across the full range of real-money, social, and sweepstakes casino sites."
We asked him how they go about doing that, his answer was pretty unequivocal,
"We play at the USA's best online casinos, try them out, and our experts stress test them from all angles. We've been doing this for over 30 years. We only recommend legal and regulated casinos that offer high-value bonuses with substantial cash-out potential, instant banking options, and payouts of up to 98%. If that doesn't make them trustworthy, I do not know what does".
He added,
"We do not take payment from online casinos to let them get a better place on our rankings. They cannot show up at industry events and strong-arm us into working with them – we are fiercely independent. Our recommendations are genuine and based on our data-driven research methods. As Chief Gaming Officer, I understand what people are looking for and know that trust can be lost more easily than it can be gained. We always have the players' best interests at heart".
"While gambling businesses are there to make money, players are there to be entertained and want to have fun. The trust is built on balancing these two sides. I always try to make sure that players know what to do about getting the best out of their online experience and are realistic about what to expect. For example, I often hear users complain that a casino is slow to pay out. Nine times out of ten, it's the verification process that delays the payment. As such, I recommend submitting all necessary details and documents as soon as possible. Do it as soon as you sign up, and you shouldn't run into any issues when you want to withdraw cash."
Casino.org specializes in online casino gambling, and therefore, its focus differs from that of more generalized betting sites. Korsager explained,
Online casino gambling is still relatively niche in the US
"Online gambling for real money is still only available in a handful of states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, West Virginia, Delaware, Michigan, and Rhode Island. However, in the USA, those who love casino games have plenty of alternative options. Whether they're playing real-money games or trying them out for free at a social casino, each type has its key advantages and drawbacks. Social casinos might appear to be free to play, but these can also be data-harvesting scams, so we audit those as thoroughly as we do the real money sites." reported Alex Korsager.
"We are never afraid of telling people which sites they should avoid, as well as those which we think are excellent. We rate the sites across a wide range of criteria. While a site needs to have the type of games a player wants to spend time on, before we even get to test out any games, we check out all the 'boring stuff' - which, trust me, is not boring at all! It is often what makes the difference between a truly great, trustworthy site and one that is just average, or decidedly below par!"
We asked Alex how Casino.org checks that sites are trustworthy, and he explained,
"We have a robust review process that considers important factors, including win rates, bonuses, payout speeds, deposit methods, and security. We conduct background checks, ensure licensing is up to date, test games, and evaluate mobile and app experiences. We do not just take the operator's word for it either. We use the online casinos as a player would and go through all the steps that they would have to take."
"We are really hot on reading the terms and conditions of bonuses and promotions. The problem is that some less reputable websites (and even the big-name ones) make promises that sound incredibly attractive. However, when we consider the wagering conditions attached to the offers, they can sometimes be unattainable and unrealistic".
"So while your first thoughts about online casinos might be about what games you want to play, at Casino.org, we think about whether the games are safe to play. After all, people are sharing huge amounts of data and financial information with the sites, and it is essential that operators hold the correct licenses. State governing bodies play a key role in regulating fair gaming across the US. For example, the Engineering Unit of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement's Technical Services Bureau tests games, and all reputable sites are hot on responsible gambling ."
Keeping the wild rides to the slots
Trust in the gambling industry is being rebuilt by ensuring that the only wild ride gamblers have is on the 'wilds' on the slots. Regulation, enforcement, and expert review structures ensure the system cannot be gamed.
