Whether it’s spinning the reels on an online slot or facing combat in a battle royale, playing games online is a very popular form of entertainment. The global gaming industry is worth billions of pounds and providers earn revenue in many ways, from subscriptions and customisation options to game enhancing add-ons and betting in casino games.
Therefore, many online players will need to make payments at one time or another. This could be to make a one off purchase or to deposit money into an online account for betting.
Cybersecurity is a growing concern for both gaming providers and consumers as cyber criminals and financial scammers become more sophisticated and find new ways to commit theft or fraud online. All online gamers need to take precautions and ensure they are doing everything they can to make transactions safely across the internet.
Here is a helpful guide for making sure the payments you make when gaming online are safe:
Use trusted third-party payment services
You do not have to make payments directly to a gaming provider. Most websites will now give you the option to make your payment through a third-party payment service. One popular choice is the trustly payment system, offered by most online casinos, which uses open banking tech to make secure and fast transactions between your bank account and the game provider. Another one you have probably heard of is PayPal.
Services such as these offer you some reassurance and an extra level of security. They have tight security procedures and ensure your personal data is kept private and encrypted.
Another benefit to utilising these services is the disputes process. If you would like to dispute a payment for any reason, they have a procedure that they must follow and you will be given an outcome within a set amount of time.
Multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) has been around for a few years now and has been a game-changer for secure logins and transactions. An example of MFA is when you log in with a passcode and then a digit code is sent to your phone or email for you to enter into the site, proving your identity.
If the gaming provider you have selected provides you with the option to enable MFA, ensure that you do it. This will help you to keep your account safe and make it less likely that a hacker will get into your gaming account and make transactions without your authorization.
You may have also noticed when making some transactions, your bank asks you to verify that you authorise the payment. This is another security feature that helps to keep you safe when online payments are being made.
Does the site encrypt sensitive data?
Check that the gaming provider has an up-to-date SSL certification. You can usually check this by clicking on the padlock icon next to the search bar in your browser. This shows that they encrypt your details, such as your card details, to prevent them getting into the wrong hands.
Check the site is correctly licenced
This is most relevant to online casino websites. Depending on where the gaming provider is, there will be the requirement for them to have a specific licence to be allowed to operate. For example, in the UK this is provided by the UK Gambling Commission.
This licence holds them to a certain standard and ensures that they are doing everything possible to protect you, the player, as you deposit and withdraw money from your gaming account.
Licensing information can usually be found in the footer of the gaming website.
Can you get in touch with customer services?
Any legitimate gaming website will make it reasonably easy for you to get in contact with their support team if you have a general question or query regarding payments. This could be a contact phone line, an email address, chatbot or online webform. Usually there are multiple options available.
If the gaming provider does not have this, this is a red flag and you should avoid making any online payments there.
Protect your tech
Ensure your phone, laptop, tablet or any other device you are using for online gaming has good security. You can pay for added security on a subscription basis, this is worth doing especially if you are someone who regularly makes payments online.
If in doubt, do not proceed
If you are new to a gaming site and feel uneasy about making a payment then you do not have to proceed. Only make online payments if you are 100% sure about the site’s security and how the payment will be processed.
By following these tips, you should feel more confident about making safe payments for gaming online and be able to protect yourself from fraudulent activity.
