Are you looking for a safe online gambling platform? This guide helps you avoid scams and provides you with a live casino blacklist! (Photo by Kevin Ku on Unsplash)
In this guide, you will find out exactly how to sidestep gambling sites that are out to scam their members.
Stay up to date with this live casino blacklist guide and find out why they are on our list of brands to avoid.
This page will help you with five key areas as a live casino player:
- Avoid signing up to live casinos via our blacklist
- Learn the scams fraudulent live casinos use
- Find out how to test a live casino is not a rouge platform
- Learn how to report fraudulent casinos
- Add your comments to this page to help other members avoid rouge gambling platforms
Is the live casino industry trustworthy?
Overall, the live casino industry is safe and trustworthy if you stick to online gambling platforms that come highly recommended and those that have paid for licensing. If a casino has not gone through the added expense of justifying itself via licensing authority, it probably isn’t in a fit financial state.
While there are some casinos that are simply there to allow you to deposit and continue to do so until it comes to the time you want to withdraw. This is where most people find out there was never a chance that a casino was going to allow you to get your money back. These are just a few examples of how choosing the wrong casino without doing your research can end up turning from casino entertainment into a casino nightmare.
How to choose trustworthy live casinos: The best place to learn how to choose a trustworthy live dealer casino online is via the step-by-step guide to choosing an online casino found on the Livecasinocentral best online live casino page. And use the list below and this guide to avoid the bad ones!
The Current Livecasinocentral Live Casino Blacklist
| Name | Suspected | Casino License* | Software** | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Pharao | Payment Issues |
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Do not play! |
| Mr Ringo Casino | Malta license suspended | |
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Do not play! |
| 77Jackpot Casino | Suspected of using fake online slots and adjusting RTPs to extremely low win rates |
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Caution advised! |
| CasinoMGA | Probably fake slot machines from Novomatic and Merkur online / possibly no license | Possible Master Licensing No. 547894MTA – MGA under the supervision of Curacao | |
Caution advised! |
| Golden Palace Casino | An extremely low withdrawal rate of just €3000 per month. |
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Caution advised for high rollers! |
| BlueLions Casino | The T&Cs are not clear giving the casino the ability to interprupt these T&Cs in its favour if players complain |
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Caution advised! |
| Play7777 Casino | Under the same operator as BlueLions / Questionable T&Cs |
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Caution advised! |
*Casinos should always have a link in the footer allowing you to check the licensing each one operates
**All T&Cs should be clear and never left open to interpretation
Which live casinos do we blacklist? As Livecasinocentral concentrates on English-speaking markets, we blacklist live dealer platforms targeting the UK, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, India, New Zealand, and Australia.
How do we assess whether a live casino should enter the blacklist?
The table below lists some of the most common issues blacklisted rouge casinos causes to qualify them for the live dealer online casino blacklist. Read some tricks these casinos try and learn them so you can spot which brands are out there to scam their clientele.
| The Scams | Explanations of How Some Gambling Platforms Cheat Members |
|---|---|
| Not processing withdrawals or refusing withdrawals |
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| Unfair Withdrawal Policies |
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| Suspending or closing your account after a big win |
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| Some casinos without licensing host fake games |
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| Unresponsive customer services |
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| Unclear terms T&Cs that are open to interpretation |
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| Refund your deposit after a big win after cancelling the win |
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| Unfair bonus terms and conditions |
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| Fake licensing or misrepresentation |
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Leave your comments below: The table above offers just a few examples of problems caused by rouge online gambling platforms. If you would like to add to this list and warn other players, please feel free to leave a comment below. I guarantee we will answer your query.
How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of These Live Casino Platform Scams
You can do your due diligence in several ways to avoid any of the above scams. In fact, they are simple steps that should put your mind at rest.
- Step 1: Checking that the casino says it operates under a licensing authority
Before you even consider signing up and depositing to an online casino, your first port of call is to check the licensing. In other words, do not play at a casino without licensing or you have no support from a licensing authority. We’ll get into how to open casino disputes with licensing authorities after this section.
You will find the licensing in the following places:
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- Footer of the casino as logo
- In the text at the bottom of the casino
- In the casino’s T&Cs
- Step 2: Confirming the casino’s licensing is legit
Just because the casino ticks all the boxes in Step 1 still doesn’t mean it has licensing. Adding the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or UK Gaming Commission (UKGC) licensing logo and a fake licensing number is an age-old trick. Even worse still, some operators set up their casinos with a similar name to the original and then add a clickable logo and legit licensing number claiming it represents their website. That’s why ‘Step 2’ is as important as ‘Step 1’.
Confirm the casino licensing with the licensing authority:
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- Click on the licensing logo in the footer and make sure it goes to the licensing authority’s website (check the website matched exactly)
- Make a note of the ‘operator’ running the casino brand (the company name will be in the footer or T&Cs)
- Head to the licensing authority’s website and find the page allowing you to check the operator
- Confirm the operator exists and also check the website URL for the casino is the same as the casino you are considering signing up to
Using the anchors on reviews here on Livecasinocentral: All the anchors here on Livecasinocentral live casino reviews, live casino bonus reviews, and on the live casino lists found on the pages across our portal lead to the ‘real live casino site’. You can then rest assure you are in the right place and signing up to the legit gambling platform.
- Step 3: Read and understand casino terms and conditions (Yawn!)
I know! Who wants to read boring terms and conditions? Actually, that’s my job here on the Livecasinocentral portal. When I test a live casino, I make notes of all the T&Cs, and if they are fair, plus the casino passes my tests, then I write a review. Therefore you can find many of the T&Cs for bonuses, deposits, and withdrawals in the live dealer reviews created by myself and the team. However, it also doesn’t hurt familirasing yourself with casino T&Cs yourself. The more you read the important points, the easier it gets to find what you are looking for.
Here’s some examples of what to look out for in our casino reviews and the casino platform’s T&Cs:
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- Deposit turnover: Check how many times you need to turnover the deposit before you can withdraw or qualify for free withdrawals.
- Minimum Deposit: Make sure the casino does not require a high minimum withdrawal.
- Withdrawal limits: Are they high enough for your bankroll? (Usually this applies to high rollers more than the average player).
- One Account Rule: In the terms of use under accounts, most casino will strictly state that you can have one account per household address, name, payment method, telephone number, IP address, and/or device. This is where Steps 5 and 6 below will become important too.
- Bonus Wagering Requirements: If you plan on claiming live casino bonus offers, then check the bonus T&Cs for the wagering requirement for each promotional offer that interests you.
- Step 4: Read casino reviews, real player comments and casino ratings
Your final step is to read reviews covering live casinos. This is the fastest and safest way to find legit online casino platforms. You will see comments at the bottom of the review from real players who either enjoyed their experience playing at the casino, or were dissatisfied with the service provided. Adding to this, you can find information covering the casino’s support team, responsible gambling tools, and the licensing authority the platform operates under. UKGC, MGA, and AGCO will all offer help in case of a casino dispute. Meanwhile, casinos operating under the Curacao eGaming laws are now being held accountable if they attempt to cheat players thanks to revamp of the country’s interactive gaming and financial laws.
Looking for casino reviews? Here on the Livecasinocentral portal you have access to 80+ reviews via the live dealer casino reviews page. Every one of them has been vetted by the our team. We have signed up and played real money games, tested customer services, and successfully made withdrawals. As a result, each one has passed our tests to make onto the casino reviews page.
Ready to sign up? Here’s something no other casino portal tells you to do to avoid being scammed!
There are two key steps I take every time I sign up to a live casino. As an added measure of safety, you can test the casino’s willingness to allow you to withdraw early on in your membership. Almost all live casino will not allow you to make a withdrawal unless you pass a ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) check. However, you can make a deposit and play real money or crypto games before the KYC check process. The mistake some players make is to leave the KYC check until it is time to withdraw.
Here are the advantages to performing a KYC check as early as possible:
- Step 5: Sign up and pass KYC checks before you deposit: If the casino refuses your documents during the KYC check process, it doesn’t matter. You saved yourself a headache later on down the line, so no harm, no foul. You also get to etch out casinos that refuse to qualify your KYC checks. Usually the operator will play this trick on several customers because keeping all that money builds up.
- Step 6: Make your first withdrawal as soon as possible: If you did pass your KYC check and make your first deposit, the next step is to make your first withdrawal at the earliest opportunity. Some casinos require you to play through your first deposit 1x, 2x, or 3x. Once you are through this amount, head over to the cashier and cash out. If this process goes smoothly, then great, your casino is working as it should be!
What about checking if the software provider is real? Check out the next section covering ‘fair game results’. Compared to virtual casino games, live dealer games are considered far more trustworthy, which is one of the reasons why this niche is so popular.
Fair Game Results
The live casino industry is one of the most trustworthy in the iGaming niche simply because everything is in real time. Real people as presenters, dealers, and croupiers. Real tables, real cards, and all the equipment is real. In other words, there is no computer code. However, you can also perform your own checks too bu checking the software provider’s licensing, whether the company holds an ISO certificate, and the type of game you are playing.
Here are some of the reasons why game results come with the upmost intercity:
- The results are non-computer generated and the action unfolds in front of your eyes over the webcam in real time.
- Reputable live casino software providers also hold licensing
- Game providers regularly check their equipment is working correctly. This works 2 ways.
- Equipment checks are performed for the integrity of results, but also so there are no irregularities players can use to gain an advantage
- All dealers and croupiers are fully vetted and monitored on camera
- You can also check to see that the live casino software provider holds an ISO certificate
Exceptions: There are RNG operated live dealer games that use CGI. Real Dealer Studios games and the Ezugi’s ‘Video’ games like ‘Video Blackjack’ use RNGs that play pre-recorded CGI videos of the live dealer producing that exact result. However, if you are worried about RNGs, try crypto games, which use Provably fair algorithms so you can verify the results by pulling the session records from the blockchain ledger.
Fraudulent Live Casino Software Providers – Be wary of the casino, not the provider!
The good news is live casino software providers are trustworthy brands with excellent reputations. So, the question now is, which party is acting fraudulently? It is the online casino platform operators that you will need to look out for when testing for deceptive brands.
When it comes to fake games, these are usually virtual table games and online slots. They are easier to copy because it is a matter of coding the game to look like the original. As for live casino games, it is extremely difficult to defraud players. That’s because fake a live casino studio would cost a huge amount.
Therefore, the first rule is to stick with reputable live casino brands. You will find a list of these and access to full reviews via our live casino game provider guide.
However, just because a platform hosts games from trustworthy live dealer casino software providers, doesn’t mean the casino won’t scam you. Remember in the table above in the ‘How do we assess whether a live casino should enter the blacklist’ section? The casino can still use many of these tricks to scam you.
For example, you may land a huge 10,000x bet multiplier playing a popular live casino game show like Crazy Time. Then you try to withdraw. The casino could refuse the withdrawal, refund your deposit using an excuse, close your account and keep your winnings.
How can the casino keep your winnings? The software provider will still pay the casino for the win. However, some rouge casinos simply keep that payment and close your casino account.
Important Points
- Live casino software providers are trustworthy
- The scam comes from the casino platform and not the game developer
- The casino may keep your winnings paid by the software provider to the casino
- It is the casino that refuses winnings, closes accounts as well as a number of other scams
- Live casino games are generally never fake (not heard of one yet)
Formal complaints – open a live online casino dispute
As long as you play at a live casino operating under a licensing authority, you have the option to complain if you feel you are unfairly treated. There are two main steps you can take in order to make a complaint to a live casino operator. It is important that you follow the procedure of step 1 and then step 2 to get your casino dispute settled as quickly as possible.
You can ask for our support: If you signed up to a live casino through Livecasinocentral, then you can email us or leave a comment and we can contact the casino operator on your behalf to mediate a resolution.
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Step 1: Use the casino’s complaints procedure
Every live casino that operates under a reputable licensing authority must offer a ‘complaints’ section on its website. You will always find this in the footer. This is your first port of call if you have any issues with withdrawal, KYC checks, payouts, bonus turnover problems and so on.
If communications break down via the casino’s complaints service, then you can proceed to step 2, which is to complain to the licensing authority.
Important: Never skip step 1. If you file a complaint with licensing authority without any proof of trying to use the casino’s complaints procedure, the authority will tell you to complaint to the casino first.
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Step 2: How to report rouge casinos to a licensing
If your live casino operator is not willing to solve your issue and you believe you have a case then the next step is to contact your licensing authority. This is where the advantage of playing at a casino with licensing comes into play. Each one has a facility giving casino players a voice by providing a facility to report the operator to the regulatory authority. From here, you will receive a ticket number or an automated response to confirm receipt of the complaint.
Here on Livecasinocentral, we cover casinos operating licensing by the UKGC, MGA, AGCO, and CeG. They all have responsive casino complaints services. Admittedly, the CeG was once a little lacklustre in responding to player casino disputes or complaints in the past. However, thanks to a clean-up of its interactive gaming laws, it now also has a responsive complaints department.
Here are the links to the various complaints departments for each licensing authority:
- UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) casino complaints service
- Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) casino complaints service
- Alcohol and Gaming Commission Ontario (AGCO) casino complaints service
- Curacao Licensing Authority (CeG) casino complaints service
Free Mediation: If one of the UKGC, MGA or AGCO licensing authority cannot assist in resolving a dispute, it will provide free legal mediation services to settle the matter. This is commonly where the issues resolve themselves.
FAQ – Commonly Asked Questions about Rouge and Blacklisted Live Casinos
How do I open a casino dispute using Livecasinocentral?
If you read one of our reviews or used one of the casinos on the bonus live casino guide to sign up for a live casino, then we can help. Please send us an email, contact us on social media, or leave a comment at the bottom of this page. We can then mediate a resolution for you by lodging the issue with the operator’s complaints team. If this fails, we will assist you by opening a casino dispute with the relevant licensing authority.
What are the most common scams at rouge online casinos?
- Leaving your withdrawal request pending in the hope you reverse your decision and make more bets
- Refusing to process your KYC check and then suspending your account regardless of the accuracy of the information provided
- Adding in the small print of the terms and conditions high deposit turnover requirements to qualify for a withdrawal
- Refunding your deposit after a big win and keeping your money
What is the number one way to avoid a rouge live casino?
Check for valid licensing. This doesn’t mean simply checking the footer and T&Cs for licensing. You wouldn’t deposit your money into an online bank you have never heard of without doing your due diligence, and your live casino selection should involve the same due diligence. Check for yourself because the casino says it holds MGA or UKGC licensing. Head to the licensing authority’s website and type in the operator’s name to check the licensing is still valid.
What is the best way to avoid withdrawal scams?
- Read the deposit and withdrawal T&C sections thoroughly: Sometimes you will be surprised at what you find here. For example, some platforms require you to turn over your deposit at least 10x before you withdraw your hard-earned cash.
- Pass the KYC check before making a deposit: You can undergo the ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) check at any time during your membership. Therefore, to ensure you pass the test, contact customer support and ask to go through these checks the moment you sign up.
- Test your first withdrawal: Before you make any more deposits, make a first withdrawal at the earliest opportunity. This way you can confirm the casino is willing to pay out and gauge how long it takes for the finance team to process your cashout request.
What are the most trustworthy live casino platforms?
Every casino is different. However, a casino with licensing is going to be the most trustworthy. From this point it comes down to which online gambling platforms operate under the most reliable and safest licensing authorities, so here’s a tip. The more licensing authorities a platform operates under, the more trustworthy it will be.
Here are a few examples:
- 888 Casino Live: MGA, UKGC & AGCO
- LeoVegas Live Casino: MGA, UKGC & AGCO
- Conquestador Live Casino: MGA & AGCO
- Wheelz Live Casino: MGA & AGCO
- Wildz Live Casino: MGA & AGCO
- King Billy Live Casino: MGA & Curacao Licensing
Can I trust cryptocurrency casinos?
This is a good question. Most Bitcoin live casinos do not operate under any licensing. This is mainly because not many online gambling authorities allow crypto due to a lack of domestic financial laws and regulations. However, the Curacao licensing authority solved this situation long ago by adjusting its financial laws, making the small island country a cryptocurrency-friendly financial hub. Also, Malta has followed suit, and many MGA casinos are adopting crypto deposits and withdrawals. For more information, check out the crypto live casino guide here.