You for sure asked yourself at least once the question and now we will try and answer it… Are online casinos safe? Well, some are, some are not. And we will teach you what to look for! Nowadays, online gambling is in its boom and everybody plays. From slots through table games, to daily fantasy and other types of betting, the online gamble is widely popular worldwide. And since the niche proved itself to be profitable, many not-so-safe websites crawled out. They have many faults, many shady small texts and they succeed in their internet casino scams. In this line of thinking, we figured that it will be useful for you to know how to recognise such sites and stay away from them. After you read our article you can give a check on the following page and find safe online casinos.

Security Standard Tips – What You Should Look Out For?

The very first thing that you must check when you enter a website for online gambling is whether the operator is licensed or not. This is an averagely easy task. Usually, the operators list their licences in the footer of the page, so you can just scroll down and give a check. There are many authorities that can certify safe online casinos. The most reputable and renowned one is the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. Another common one is the Malta Gaming Authority, followed by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner. For your comfort, we listed the logos of the most popular ones below. If you see one, or more, of these seals on the website which you chose, it means that the very first leap forward your safety was taken.

Licensing is taken seriously by every casino that doesn’t plan to scam its customers. It proves that the business is legit. Don’t forget that there is a lot of sensitive information that you must disclose to an operator! You would like this data to remain confidential, right? Well, that is the priority of all those authorities that you see above! We set the foundations of your knowledge about safe casino operators, so let’s move on and give you more insights, shall we?

Certificates That Prove a Point

It is common in the digital era to search for a reliable institution that can take care of you, let’s say. Be it for protecting your data or granting you services when it comes to refunds, we always search for a higher responsible body. Governmental licensing is a top priority but there are many other agencies that are reliable and work closely with safe online casinos. Some are national, others are completely independent. But the presence of all on a certain website stands as a standard for high security and good service. When they lack though, it means that the site can hardly be called fair and safe.

Responsible Gambling

There are many ways in which a customer can potentially become a victim of internet casino scams. From private data manipulations to refused withdrawals, an operator can really turn the life of a player to hell. Another way to do so is to count on gamble-related problems. While many people out there disregard it, you should know that a website that is all-in for responsible gambling is always safer and more correct than one that simply does not care… There are several organisations that are fighting with gamble addiction and they work with trustworthy and safe online casinos, among which are BeGambleAware, GamCare and GamStop

Self-Limits Coming to Rescue

The operators, on another hand, provide players with different options for self-regulation. This is as important as the organisations above since if properly used, these features can prevent the problem before it could turn into one. Usually, you can set your limits and preferences from your profile, once you log into the website. The possibilities that you will have include:

• Setting a Maximum Deposit Limit – Daily, Monthly or Annual
• Setting Something Like a Chronometer, Which Announces the Time You Spent Playing
• Setting a Cool-Off Period – From 24 Hours to 6 Weeks
• Self-Exclusion – A Period of Six Months or Above, During Which You Will Not be Allowed to Play

In all means, you should know all the tools you might use, and it is even more important for the operator to comply with your request. Unfair and unsafe casinos do not have all of those options and their main goal is not to help you spend less, but to force you to spend more.

Fair Games Against Unfair Games

A safe operator and an unsafe one have one main difference when it comes to their games. If safe online casinos aim at having a catalogue with only fair RNG games which don’t give an edge to the house, an unsafe one wants exactly this from the games. Because if your chances of winning are close to the zero, then internet casino scams are, after all, successful.

There are several agencies which are completely independent and whose job is to test games. They run test after test to make sure that a certain game is not benefiting the casino in any way. Preferably, the seals of such agencies must be listed on the website of the operator. This is a warranty that the operator doesn’t try to pull some online casino scam on you, nor tries to take advantage of you and of your money. The most famous and trusted one is called eCOGRA and is a London based lab established back in 2003.

High-Tech Security Encryptions

Where would a casino stay in the ladder of safety if all the information, all the personal and financial details were exposed to every single human being that understands technologies just a bit? The correct answer is that it wouldn’t be on the ladder at all! Exactly because of this, safe online casinos that want to ensure the security of their customers utilise a number of measures, among which is also encryption. The most popular one is the 128-bit SSL encryption which is also considered to be the most secure one. It is perfectly okay if that doesn’t ring a bell so we will try, as good as we can, to explain it to you.

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. What it does is to create a link between a server and a browser. This link is the encrypted part. And the entire manoeuvre grants you that the information passing between the abovementioned server and browser is going to be safe, sound and confidential. The number of bits (like the 128-bit SSL) represents the number of ‘keys’ used to encrypt the information. Other options are the 192- and the 256-bit.

Now you might be wondering why we are occupying you with some strange nerd-ish things about bits and encryptions… Well, exactly these prevent people from taking your bank details from the provider whose website you chose to play at. And if an operator has not utilised this technique in its security it means that it is not worthy to look at and, for sure, is not among the safest online casinos!

Illuding Tactics and Internet Casino Scams

Think about the first things that catch your eye when you enter an online casino. Glamorous banners, promotions with high amounts, number of games, tournaments, jackpots… Flashy and sparkly… Many players are intrigued by all these things and forget to check the basics – security. And once you enter, you find yourself in a closed spiral – with the time you understand that it is unfair and unsafe, yet your money is already in, so you play them. In case of loss, most people try to gain it back, so they deposit more. In case of a win, the casino refuses your request for cashing out, or has outrageously long timetables for it.

These are the strategies of operators worldwide that are pointed at online casino scams. They try to pull you in and not to let you get out with your cash. Remember that no matter how amazing the welcome offer sounds, if the operator doesn’t have the security measures and licences that we talked about, you will most likely not see a coin of the bonus, nor of your own deposit.

Final Overview and Last Reminders

We did everything possible to write about all the measures and precautions you must take when entering the world of online gambling. And since our article comes to its end, we would like to underline the things you must search in an operator’s site for determining its safety. Please, note that the list you see below is the ultimate guide for you to follow when choosing your safe online casinos.

• Licences
• Responsible Gambling
• Option for Self-Limitations
• Fair Games
• High-tech Security Protocols

An operator that has all the boxes checked is not just safe, but also fair, transparent and user-friendly. In such a casino you will not have troubles with withdrawals, you can be calm that the games of chance are random, and you shouldn’t worry that your sensitive data will land in the wrong hands.

We strongly hope that you will find our article useful and that you will try to follow our recommendations when choosing your next favourite gambling site and that it will also be one of the safest online casinos around. We wish you luck and lots of wins too!

In this blog post, we explore the top cities in Belarus for gambling. Now, you might be wondering why we’ve chosen Belarus of all places in the world, but we have a surprise for you – Belarus offers great gambling facilities in various cities and at relatively low prices. High- and low-rollers alike will love the currency conversions from UK pounds made into the Belarussian rouble. Considering that the average duration of stay of foreign tourists in Belarus in 2014 and in 2013 was an average of four days, you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with the country’s casinos and possibly also explore some of the other cultural and historical tourist attractions.

A Brief Overview of the Casinos

At present, only one city in Belarus offers gambling facilities and this city is the popular, Minsk. It has a total of 11 legal gambling facilities in total as well as 95 table games, 667 gaming, slot, and video poker machines. Belarus allows for legal gambling, which includes casinos and sports-betting parlours. The largest casino in the country is the Opera Casino Minsk, which as the name suggests, is located in Minsk. It has a total of 24 table games as well as 153 gaming and video poker machines. But Minsk isn’t the only city offering gambling. In addition, there are six casinos in Brest, five in Gomel, three in Grodno and Mogilev, and more in other cities.

The Top Five Casinos in Minsk

Belaya Vezha Casino

Not only a casino, the Balaya Vezha Casino is also a complex which features the Grand Bellagio restaurant. In addition, for further entertainment, you can enjoy the karaoke room, hookah rooms, and a summer terrace. However, we know you’re not there only to eat. You want to gamble. This casino offers a total of 77 slot machines and 13 table games which cater for a variety of card games. These games include Blackjack and its different varieties, Poker and its different varieties such as Russian Poker, Texas Hold’em, Punto Banco or Baccarat, American Roulette, Big Five, and Bony Dolls. As poker is a popular sport in Minsk, the minimum bet is $5, while the maximum is $2000. The roulette’s minimum is $0.50 and the maximum is $500.

Shangri La Casino

The inviting atmosphere of this casino is one of the reasons many people flock to it on a weekly basis. In addition, it offers some of the best slot machines in Minsk. In the slot lobby, there are 32 new modern machines that players can enjoy. Payment for games is strictly cash and is done directly at the machines. However, there are specialized cards that you can use at some machines, making the user experience seamless. As for minimum and maximum bets with start with $10 for Russian Poker, whose maximum is $3000. For American Roulette, the minimum is $2, while the max is $500. Finally, for Blackjack, the minimum is $10, while the maximum is $3000.

Opera Casino

This casino is one of Minsk’s finest, featuring the largest screen for viewing entertainment and sports events in the city. This is particularly important for sports enthusiasts who love to watch sports and also place bets on them. In addition to its great features, its location is also superb as it is conveniently situated near the Beijing Hotel. In addition to this, it has a large concert platform set to cater for music and entertainment by popular Belarusian and Russian stars. The casino features several lobbies, and some of the poker variants offered here are Russian, Texas, Oasis, Omaha, and Ultimate Texas. The minimum bet for Russian and Oasis Poker is $10 while the maximum payout is $300,000.

Victoria Cherry Casino

Victoria Cherry is a luxurious casino famous with Chinese gamblers. It is situated on the ninth floor of a high rise building and offers guests nine card tables for playing poker, blackjack, Punto Banco, four tables for American Roulette, and 45 slot machines. The casino offers five types of poker, namely Russian, Texas, Oasis, Ultimate and Open. The minimum bets start at $5 while the maximum bet is $500. As for Russian Roulette, the minimum bets are $0.50 to a high of $200.

Royal Casino

The Royal Casino, which is open 24 hours a day, is located in the city centre of Minsk at Independence Avenue in the Minsk Hotel. It offers visitors blackjack with bets between $10 and $500, American Roulette with a minimum bet of $1 and a maximum of $200, and poker with the value of bets ranging from $10 to $500. The casino also features over 100 slot games with large HD monitors.

Conclusion

As you can see, Minsk and the surrounds offer casino players a wonderful casino experience. From luxurious casinos located high in the sky to others based in hotels, which is efficient for tourists, you will find the right fit for you. So, which of our top five suits you the most? Trying out these casinos in Belarus is likely to bring you a host of entertainment and fun. What are you waiting for? Give them a try!

Short version – gambling is legal in Belarus.

A lot of fine print is set to follow, but that is the gist of it. Belarus offers legal gambling options as part of a bid to boost the tourist industry in the country. And to be honest, it has worked a charm so far. Belarusians don’t seem to have the same serious problem with gambling as Australians, so the influx of casinos has been more than welcome for locals and tourists alike. In fact, Belarus can now be considered one of the gambling havens of Eastern Europe.

The question is: are all forms of gambling allowed?

Well, no. Belarusian law recognizes four specific forms of gambling that are allowed:

• Slot machine play;
• Game tables;
• Sports betting;
• Box office sweepstakes

This means that casinos and bookmaker offices can operate freely, and many other establishments are allowed to host machines and counters in separate parlours. To run gambling activities, you need a license which is issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Licenses can be issued to firms or to individual entrepreneurs, but getting one isn’t easy. The cost would vary depending on the gambling activity, but you should expect something in the region of $5,000.

You may have noticed the omission of online games from the gambling type overview. Well, the truth is that things are very unclear there – because nowhere in the laws themselves are online casinos mentioned. However, considering that the wording is focused on permitting certain forms of gambling, it is safe to assume that online gambling is, in fact, forbidden. For that reason, you will not find any online casino registered in Belarus. Of course, this does not stop Belarusians from playing at casinos. They simply use offshore sites; finding one isn’t that easy, because for a long time there were attempts to block such sites. Still, most Belarusians find a way if they want to, and there has been a lot of noise about legalising online gambling anyways.

Running a casino or any gambling activity in Belarus is also tied to paying certain taxes, which vary according to the establishment. Most entrepreneurs have been grumbling against the 4% income tax that affects any gambling win. It overcomplicates things a little bit and is yet to be removed.

If you are visiting the country, then you should know that you will find the most casinos in the capital Minsk – as well as some of the best pubs in the country. When they hear of Minsk, most people expect something dark and gritty, still carrying the old Soviet spirit, but the city is actually very scenic and quite popular with tourists – just take a look at those sights! The city boasts no less than 8 casinos and many smaller parlours for a quick spin.

In my next posts, I will be telling which the best casinos in Minsk are.

Да пабачэння, friends! Anthony

Minsk is a great place. I could talk about it in length, but many people have already done it, and much better than I can. So, you won’t hear me mentioning the Red Church, the Nezavisimosti Avenue or the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre. I will be focusing on the casinos, and there is a lot to talk about there. There are almost as many casinos in Minsk as there are in the whole of Russia. If you add all the smaller establishments and parlours, the number clocks up at 30+, but I won’t be covering most of those.

Without further ado, here are the casinos I consider as best in Minsk:

1. “Bela Veja” Casino Also spelt as Belaya Vezha, or simply White Vezha, the iconic Белая Вежа casino was founded in 2001 and is one of the oldest and grandest casino establishments in Minsk – and Belarus as a whole. It has a classic interior and something like an entertainment complex around it – with a prominent restaurant, a karaoke and some hookah rooms.

The strongest draw of the casino is that you can play many types of games. This makes it a preferred choice for locals. There are many slots – well, not as many as you will find in Vegas casinos, but still good by Belarusian standards – and a wide range of games such as Black Jack, Press Black Jack, Black Jack Switch, Oasis Poker, Russian Poker, Omaha Hold’em Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker, PuntoBanko ( Baccarat), Catch the Wave, BelaPoker , Ultimate Texas Hold’em, American Roulette, Big Five , Bony Dolls, Oasis Poker Gold, Russian Poker Gold, Texas Bonus Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker with Exchange and Split Poker.

2. Shangri La Casino Shangri La is smaller than Bela Veja, with about half as many slots and 15 or so gaming tables. However, it is very high-end. If you are looking for a pleasant stay and elite personnel, then this is the place to go. It offers a cosy restaurant and other activities such as billiard. For visitors to the city, there is also a casino tour that starts there.

Shangri La organises regular events, so I quite like it to be honest. There always seems to be something going on there, so Belarusian gamblers can often be seen there even if they usually prefer other casinos.

3. Victoria Cherry Casino The name does not sound much better in Belarusian than it does in English, but it is one of the better ones in Minsk. It is a little bit hidden, and you can find it on the ninth floor of the Victoria Hotel & Business Centre. Getting there can be a little harder, but it still a very scenic part of the city, and the casino offers a great view.

There are a lot of slots at the Victoria Cherry, but the tables can be a little bit crowded since there are only 9 of them. The casino is considered great for poker nights, and there are many types of poker you can play there.

And Others… The above are just my top picks of the Minsk casinos. They offer a good mix between new and old, and a wide variety of games. As a regular, I like to mix things a little bit, but any of these would be more than worthy of a visit. There are other casinos in Minsk too. The Opera and the Royal are two of the better ones, but I would be giving them a skip for varying reasons.

Да пабачэння, friends! Anthony

Hello there, friends! If you are reading this, then you must have SOME reason to be interested in the gambling situation in the wonderful country of Belarus. We’ve gained quite the reputation, since we have more casinos than Russia! If you are looking for a gambling heaven in the Eastern outskirts of Europe, then this is the place to be.

You can call me Anthony in the comment section – not the real name, of course, but I’ve always wanted to be called Anthony. This blog is aimed at helping people to get a clear picture about the gambling culture in Belarus. The country gets a lot of visitors every year due to the lax gambling legislation.

Of course, there are still a lot of things you should be aware of, both as a gambling fan and a potential investor in the industry. Belarus is famed as a gambling haven with lax regulations, but the laws can actually be very specific. The only ‘grey’ area currently are the online markets. Most Belarus citizens prefer to use offshore online casinos.

On this blog, I will be talking about the legalities, and the overall gambling culture in Belarus. I am based on Minsk, which is good news since most of the casinos are also here. If I have the time, I could even do some sort of reviews on the better ones.

I would work under the presumption that most of my readers will be foreigners looking to learn more about our country, so I will be looking to include a lot of cultural information about Belarus. I will apologise in advance to any of my friends are reading this – sorry. I will bore you to death.

Да пабачэння, friends! Anthony