Online Casinos to Avoid – 2023 ’s Guide to Unregulated Online Casinos

With online gambling legalization in the US expanding faster than ever, online casinos have been growing like trees. With an influx of new players available every day, untrustworthy offshore online casinos have muddied the mix with unfair practices designed to take your money.

At PlayUSA, you count on us for up-to-date online casino coverage for a reason – because we report with you in mind. In this guide, we’ll show you which online casinos to avoid, how to spot a unregulated online casino and why playing at a legal online casino is so important.

Casino sites to avoid – Untrustworthy casinos 

How do we add casinos to our list to avoid?

We’re not just adding any new online casinos that launch to this list. It’s not a guilty-until-proven-innocent situation at all. Instead, we look at very specific problems that these casinos present.

Rigged Games and Software

The most common regret of players who were scammed at offshore casinos? “How did I ever trust that game?” Unregulated operations are consistently being flagged for rigging online casino games and rules and in 2023 alone, many offshore casinos have already been exposed for offering house-slanted, second-rate games.

Consider: In the decade since the first US online casino launched in 2013, players have finally trusted online gambling the way they were accustomed to brick-and-mortar casinos. But at offshore casinos, nothing about the games can be trusted – from online slot metrics like RTP to real money blackjack odds.

Banking – Withdrawals and Deposits

Offshore casinos operating as bad actors have been known to apply confusing practices to players’ payment methods. Make sure the US online casino you’re playing at provides communicated transactions which prove confirmation – and be especially wary if your deposits are available from multiple accounts.

Offshore casinos should never have your money at their disposal – Untrustworthy online casinos have been exposed by using players’ funds to pay out other players’ winnings and even company operating expenses. If you can’t easily trace your money moves, consider what motive an unregulated offshore casino may have.

Licensing and Regulation

Our experts who rank the best US online casinos ask a quick qualifying question before writing every PlayUSA casino review: Is the casino licensed by a government-affiliated body in the state it operates in? If so, we’ll be glad to get into the less important but much more fun information like online casino games, bonus offers, and finding the best VIP/loyalty programs.

If not, then our experts will get back to you when you’re licensed. Without the stamp of state-regulated approval, we won’t even waste our time getting into the fun stuff. Simply put, offshore casinos without state licensure can’t be trusted with your real money online gambling, as far as we’re concerned.

Customer Service

Sometimes, the easiest way to spot an offshore casino to avoid can be easy to overlook. Simply scroll to contact offshore casino customer service page and see how many steps it takes until speaking with a representative on the phone or through live chat. Generally speaking, offshore casinos operate far more limited customer service options.

Offshore casinos can be untrustworthy for providing deceiving customer service support or giving players the runaround. The longer players chase their winnings or account balance and the more confusing the casinos make the process, the more likely players will give up, and online casinos keep their money. The bottom line: If you can’t get a hold of an online casino in a few minutes or fewer, you probably shouldn’t trust online gambling with them.

Security and Trust

When online gambling for real money at an offshore casino, know that you won’t be provided with the protection and peace of mind of playing at a licensed US online casino. The difference in player security, trust, and fair play practices is realized with every single click or touch at an online casino.

Offshore casinos do not implement the same kind of operating technology, geolocation software, and encrypted firewalls used at licensed casinos. Why? Those platforms cost millions of dollars, the companies that develop them are often reluctant to risk their business relationship with major US online casinos by providing for offshore casinos and most importantly, unregulated casinos don’t think that kind of technology is worth the money it costs.

Predatory Bonuses and Promotions

It’s the oldest trick in the book and has been cautioned to kids for years: Don’t fall for a company’s bait-and-switch methods … and if an online casino bonus seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Offline casinos are notorious for receiving a strike by offering unrealistic bonuses and promotions with unfair terms and conditions.

These offers are designed to scam players in two parts: First, with an excessive number – free spins, match deposit bonus, no-deposit funds – to draw you in; Second, with razor-sharp legal language somewhere in the small print terms and conditions you likely won’t take the time to read before agreeing to.

Did we miss any casino sites?

Even with a team of experts focused on flagging unregulated casinos unfair play, new offshore casinos are being launched everyday – we can’t always catch every bad actor before they scam or stop untrustworthy sites from scamming again.

So if you or someone you know has knowledge of unfair business practices at an offshore casino, PlayUSA wants to help. Let us know about shady offshore casinos we should keep an eye on by messaging our casinos team today by emailing [email protected].