8 Signs of a Trusted & Safe Bingo Site

Patrycja Knows ins and outs of Bingo, Casino & Specials Betting

Updated: January 18, 2020

Online bingo is a ballooning industry in the UK with many choices of sites to choose from. Learn the signs of a trusted and safe online bingo site before signing up.

Playing online bingo with real money is considered safe and trusted by millions. Even so, nobody can say that 100% of all online bingo sites can be trusted.

Simple precautions, common sense, and a quick read through the signs of a trusted and safe bingo site listed below will eliminate any potential risks and make your bingo experience enjoyable and worry-free.

Access the full list of trusted UK Bingo operators here

1. First Impression: Look & Feel Of Site

The goal of an online bingo site is to get its visitors to register, deposit funds, and play their games. Visitors have plenty of choice among online bingo sites and with competition being so fierce, it is expected the presentation and content of the site to be spot on.

First impressions are so powerful and these sites only get one chance at it. A bingo site that wants your time and your money, should, in turn, invest its own time and money into creating an attractive, inviting, easy-to-navigate website. Here are some things to keep in mind when considering whether an online bingo site should be trusted:

● Spelling – the most trusted bingo sites are not in business to show off their impeccable English skills. But they are in the business of attracting and retaining users. If you go to a bingo website and every third word is misspelt, that just leaves a bad impression, subconsciously or not. Especially that they have time to read and proofread the content before making it live or editing it after.

● Minimum errors – all images and pages should load, all links should work, navigation should be smooth and easy. Don’t expect perfection all the time. Sometimes there may be server issues or other technical difficulty that causes some errors for a period of time. But if you constantly see that images don’t load and this page keeps coming up as 404 error, that’s a sign that the site is not well maintained or cared for.

● Transparency – it is always good to know who you are dealing with online. An ‘About Us’ page to learn about the company makes things more personal and transparent. A ‘Contact Us’ page with Live Chat, email address, phone number, physical address goes a long way to earn your trust.

● Up-to-date information – the main page should catch your attention with bingo games and promotions available to you now! If the main offer on the page is to join, add £20.00 and get £20.00 bonus, dated from 3 years ago, it’s time to move on.

● No advertisements – trusted online bingo sites want you to be their player and play their games. They want to keep you on their site for as long as possible. Advertisements do the opposite: they take you away from their site. So if you come across an online bingo site filled with advertisements and pop-ups, carry on.

2. Money Security

When you put money into bingo sites you know there is a chance you might lose it all. That’s gambling for you.

“Gambling is the great leveller. All men are equal at cards.” – Nikolai Gogol

You would expect to lose your money playing online bingo because that’s how you decided to spend the money. But what if the online bingo site you use goes bust? Are you aware that your funds are not 100% guaranteed if that were the case?

All trusted online bingo sites in the UK that hold customer funds are required by law to clearly specify in their terms and conditions what level of protection they offer. There are three different broad categories of protection.

Not Protected	Basic Protection	High Protection
If the bingo site you use goes bust, your funds are considered part of the business and you will likely not recover them Some big names here: William Hill, Betsafe	This provides an insurance agreement to protect the accounts that hold your funds.If the site goes bust, you will get paid by a third party. Examples: 888 Bet365	All your funds are held by an independent person or external auditor and they are legally separate from gambling site. 3 companies have this level: Betfair, Coral, PaddyPower

In case you’re surprised or in disbelief that the likes of William Hill has no protection, keep in mind the following. In the case an online gambling site goes bust, it is still very unlikely to lose your funds. It will likely be taken over by a competitor and the funds kept in your account. The database and loyalty of the users is much too valuable for other companies to let it go to waste.

3. Customer Service

On most trusted bingo sites, there isn’t really much motive to contact customer service. Even so, a trusted bingo site should provide easy access to its customer service department. The more information provided, the better the impression. Some useful information that should be included:

● Ways to contact customer service: be it live chat, email, phone, or on-site contact page.

● Hours of operation

● Response time

4. Responsible Gambling Control

Trusted online bingo sites will provide help and assistance if you need to control your gambling. Gambling is risky and can quickly get out of control. All trusted bingo sites understand these risks and make it their responsibility by making sure you too are aware of these risks. Responsible gambling control tools can include:

● Self-assessment test to see if you are at risk of developing a gambling problem

● Reality Checks to show you how long you’ve been active

● Set a deposit limit for a day, week, or month

● Self-exclusion if you feel that you need to take a break

5. Online Reviews

Internet is an impressively powerful tool when used right. If you want to join trusted bingo sites in the UK for example, do a search for online bingo sites in UK reviews and browse through the reviews to get an idea. While bingo reviews published as an article on a website are long and informative, also pay attention to message boards, social media, and blog comments. Be realistic and don’t expect only positive reviews because there is always that customer that can’t be pleased no matter what. But reading through online reviews will give you an idea about the most trusted bingo sites.

6. Licensed And Regulated By A Legitimate Governing Body

All trusted bingo sites in the UK are regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. They must go through rigorous procedures, paperwork, and money to get the commission’s stamp of approval. Information about licensing will be displayed as part of their Terms & Conditions or even on all pages in the footer.

7. GDPR Compliant

As a player on an online bingo site, you are sharing a great deal of personal and financial information: address, phone number, name, date of birth as well as your debit/credit card details. Trusted online bingo sites take steps to be GDPR compliant. For example, your card details are most likely stored through an encrypted algorithm.

8. Honesty And Fairness

The trustworthy online bingo sites are responsible for ensuring their customers are pleased with the services and products provided. Such as:

● Realistic promotions

● Quick Pay-outs

● Games variety

● Easy access to account history (deposits vs withdrawals)

● No hidden requirements, or none at all, to qualify for a bonus or promotion

Conclusion

Bingo is one of UK’s greatest national pastimes, with bingo halls that sprung out in the 1950s and 1960s. Now those crowded bingo halls from the 1950s have found a new environment, online bingo sites. Players can enjoy the fun and experience of playing bingo and be social with other players, from the comfort of their own homes! No need for transport and to waste time getting to and back from a bingo hall.

The online bingo industry in the UK is expected to keep growing due to keep up with the demand. More and new bingo sites and bingo games will surely be launched. While most online bingo sites are legit, it is recommended to do a little research, use some common sense, and the steps above to filter out the most trusted and reputable sites for you.