How to spot online casino scams?

With the proliferation of illegal platforms, it becomes vital to know how to separate honest operators from scammers. Here is the ultimate guide to outsmarting illegal casino traps and keeping your funds safe.

The online casino industry attracts thousands of players every day, but it has also become a favorite hunting ground for cybercriminals. Every day, new sites promoting illegal platforms appear.

Falling for these malicious sites does not just mean losing a bet; it means risking the theft of your banking and personal data.

This is why we felt it was important to gather all the advice and tips that can prevent you from being trapped in one place.

The mirage of fake welcome bonuses

Extravagant promotional offers are unfortunately a very fast way to attract an inexperienced player. Who wouldn’t want to see their first deposit multiplied by 10 or receive 500 free spins in exchange for registering via itsme? Do not be trapped! These enticing bonuses always hide abusive terms and conditions.

In fact, there is a very simple golden rule for Belgian players on this subject: Belgian law formally prohibits the granting of bonuses, free spins, or welcome gifts. If a site offers you a welcome bonus while you reside in Belgium, it is absolute proof that it is an operator that does not respect current legislation.

Some Belgian casino operators have offers reserved for new players; these are generally boosts on the first bets, with fairly low maximum amounts. These bonuses are authorized because they do not fall into the category of free welcome bonuses.

Rule 1: Welcome bonuses are prohibited in Belgium. If there is a bonus that is too good to be true, it is a bad sign.

A license number that is difficult to identify or incorrect

All legal Belgian online casinos hold an A+ or B+ license number assigned to them by the Gaming Commission (KSC). This number must be clearly visible on the site; generally, it can be found in a few seconds at the bottom of the homepage.

Some illegal sites do not have a number at the bottom of the page; those are easy to spot. No Belgian license number displayed = a casino to avoid.

But others are cleverer; in the footer, they display a perfectly valid license number that they have simply copied from another casino or directly from the Gaming Commission’s website. If you have a doubt, take a few seconds to check.

The Gaming Commission website offers two lists: A+ licenses, which are linked to the 9 land-based casinos in Belgium, and B+ licenses, which are linked to gaming arcades. Each list records the license number and complete information, including URLs, of the casino.

Here are two concrete examples:

• You visit the PepperMill Casino website; in the footer, you find license number B+3864. On the Gaming Commission website, you find the following information: 3864 – www.peppermillcasino.be – PEPPERMILL CASINO.
  ✅You are indeed on a 100% legal casino.
• You visit the Super Casino Belge website; in the footer, you find license number B+ 3723. For this license number, you find the following information on the Gaming Commission website: 3723 – www.dice.circus.be – Circus Casino.
  ❌Problem! The site you are visiting is called Super Casino Belge and the URL is www.supercasinobelge.com. Nothing to do with Circus… It is an illegal casino that has usurped the license number of another casino.

Rule 2: the license number must be easy to find and must match the site visited.

Fraudsters clone official websites

Identity theft has become the formidable weapon of criminal networks. Scammers create fake sites that copy the design, logos, and colors of historical Belgian or international brands to the pixel.

Their technique relies on “typosquatting.” By changing a single letter in the web address, they hope you will not notice the deception. You think you are logging into your usual account with total confidence, but in reality, you are on a pirate platform designed to siphon your deposits or steal your personal information.

Many Belgian casinos have been victims of this identity theft in recent months, notably PepperMill Casino, Napoleon Sports & Casino, and Bwin. These scammers attack all kinds of casinos, from the smallest to the most well-known. Nothing seems to stop them.

To avoid this type of scam, always take the time to meticulously check the URL in your browser bar before entering any password. Especially if you used Google to find the address of your favorite casino.

Rule 3: always check the URL in your browser bar or, better yet, type the address yourself.

Advertising on social media? Prohibited!

In Belgium, the law is clear: advertising for online casinos has been prohibited since July 1, 2023. There are small exceptions, such as sponsored responses to a direct casino search on Google or Bing, but advertising (sponsored posts) on social media is completely prohibited.

Legal casinos have understood the message, and none advertise on these platforms, but illegal casinos are having a field day. They even go as far as usurping the identity of legal casinos to conduct aggressive advertising and promise the world (including welcome bonuses of €500 or more!).

Rule 4: do not follow advertising on social media; they always lead to illegal sites.

Unfairly blocking withdrawals remains the number one scam

The most common and painful scam hits at the moment you attempt to collect your winnings. Fraudulent casinos always let you deposit your money without any difficulty and may even let you win small sums to build your confidence.

The nightmare begins when you want to withdrawal. Customer service will suddenly stop responding or demand that you constantly provide new identity documents (KYC), claiming that the photos are blurry or incomplete. The goal is to psychologically exhaust the player until they abandon their funds or end up replaying and losing their balance out of frustration.

Some casinos like Stake have already gone as far as claiming cheating on the part of a player to avoid paying their winnings. This happened to Maurizio Loro after winning 3.9 bitcoin at roulette.

Rule 5: before making a large deposit, test the minimum deposit and make a withdrawal as soon as possible.

Infallible warning signs to unmask fraud

Here are a few additional warning signs that can help you detect illegal sites. Flee the platform immediately if you spot any of these elements:

• The absence of legal information in the footer: A legitimate casino always clearly displays the name of its parent company, its business number, and its physical address.
• Obscure payment methods: If the site refuses standard bank cards or recognized e-wallets to only accept untraceable cryptocurrency transfers, your money is in danger.
• Uncertified games: Legal casinos use random number generators (RNG) audited by independent laboratories. Fraudulent sites use pirated versions of popular games whose return to player (RTP) rate has been tampered with so that players are guaranteed to lose.

Anti-scam summary to keep at hand

Golden rule	Security tip	Absolute red flag
1. Welcome bonuses	Systematically refuse free offers	A huge cash bonus or free spins being offered
2. License number	Cross-check the B+ or A+ license with the Gaming Commission’s list	The site name does not match the one on the license
3. URL spoofing	Always type the casino’s web address yourself	A slight typo in the domain name
4. Social media	Ignore all gambling advertisements	A sponsored post promising easy money
5. Withdrawal test	Make a small deposit and withdraw it immediately	Customer service endlessly demanding documents

Belgian legislation only protects you on the regulated market

The Gaming Commission can only intervene with legal casinos in Belgium. If you are scammed by an offshore operator, the KSC will not be able to do anything to help you.

But there is some good news: thanks to recent rulings at the European level, victims of illegal gambling can assert their rights before national courts. It is not a guarantee of recovering lost funds, but it remains a possible solution.