Online gambling is massive today. Online casinos often have thousands of games and are innovating ways to make the iGaming experience more immersive. Online sports betting is now the preferred way to place bets worldwide. New types of iGaming games are being created, like crash games and new varieties of Slingo and scratch cards.
As the iGaming industry has grown, scammers have become more sophisticated. Their attempts to take advantage of unsuspecting players have certainly not stopped, even as people have become more aware of the potential for scams.
Learning about scams is easier than ever thanks to social media and podcasts. Social media sites and dedicated forums let players share their experiences, warn others and get advice about how to deal with the fallout. Podcasts hosted by experts and dedicated amateurs bring light to lesser-known scams and give people a platform to talk about their experiences with iGaming scams.
This article will explore how players are using podcasts to avoid iGaming scams. We’ll look at some of the common scams to look out for today, how podcasts are helping players stay safe and suggest some iGaming podcasts to listen to.
Common types of iGaming scams
Many of the most common iGaming scams are the same types of scams that we see in other types of online gaming. These are scams that are used by individuals outside of the casino or sportsbook to take advantage of players.
Phishing scams are a huge concern in every industry. In iGaming, they are used to steal the login credentials of players. Fake online casino apps are another serious problem. These fronts resemble real online casino platforms on the surface but are simply tools for stealing personal and financial information. Keeping yourself safe from these types of scams requires you to follow basic internet safety protocols, such as using a strong password, keeping your information private and enabling two-factor authentication.
Spyware and ransomware that steal information from players is unfortunately a common type of scam. The recent claims that shopping apps like Temu were installing spyware on their users’ devices exposed how widespread this issue is. Online casino apps are another culprit.
Online casinos require the correct licenses to operate. Many online casinos operate as offshore establishments and advertise themselves as international sites. Some of these are not operating legally. Operations such as these give players no protection if something goes wrong. Since they have no regulators to report to, these sites can rig their games, offer impossible to claim bonuses and sometimes steal player information.
The scam that most players worry about are rigged games. All slot games are meant to have a standard Return to Player (RTP) rate at all online casinos. This is the average rate that players can expect to win back. In some cases, the rate is lowered on a disreputable site or decreases over time. In others, the RTP is programmed to fluctuate depending on how well the player is doing or how long they have been playing.
How podcasts are helping
Podcasts are one of the most diverse types of modern entertainment. Anyone with a microphone and access to the internet can start a podcast, which has led to a huge selection of podcasts being created by people who are passionate about a topic.
Gambling and video games are both popular hobbies that many people are passionate about. As a result, there are many podcasts dedicated to both of those topics. iGaming podcasts cover the overlap between the two. There are also many podcasts hosted by iGaming brands, such as online casinos, online sportsbooks and casino affiliates and reviewers. These shows cover all aspects of the industry, not just scams.
Players use these podcasts to protect themselves from scams in several ways. The first is simply by listening to them to learn about any new scams they haven’t heard of or to learn the names of iGaming companies that have been accused of being scams.
Players can also interact with the hosts of these shows, by either writing in or attending a livestream to raise concerns. When players suggest iGaming businesses for podcast hosts to investigate, they contribute in a big way to keeping other players safe. Sharing information is how people learn about scams they might have been too embarrassed to talk with their friends about.
iGaming podcasts
When it comes to iGaming podcasts, players have plenty of options. Some of these shows focus on interviews with experts or on game reviews and only deal with scams as an occasional topic. Others make scams one of their primary topics of discussion.
The CasinoMeister podcast grew out of the site’s long running mission to educate and protect players and focuses primarily on helping players. CasinoMeister describes their podcast as one that discusses “player problems, warnings, concerns, tips on playing safe without getting ripped off, and much more”.
iGaming Daily and The iGaming Leader both cover a wide range of iGaming topics. The shorter episodes make these podcasts an easy listen for players who want to stay up to date on all types of gambling related news, not just information on scams.
AskGamblers Podcast is created by the team behind the review site. The site is all about educating players, so the podcast has the same goals. They cover all aspects of the iGaming industry, with an emphasis on giving players an inside look at how it all works. This occasionally includes covering scams and scandals but they aren’t the primary topics.
Conclusion
The combination of podcasts and iGaming makes perfect sense. Both are modern forms of entertainment that allow interested people at every level get involved. Podcasts relating to specific interests are great educational tools for anyone who shares that interest.
The ease of finding and accessing podcasts make them one of the first sources that people turn to when they want to learn about a new topic. With the prevalence of iGaming scams, podcasts are a great way for players to learn how to stay safe when playing games online.