Online gambling has become big business in recent years, with technology transforming how people worldwide wager on their favourite sports or play casino games. The days where bettors were forced to visit land-based venues to wager are long gone, with sportsbooks and casino platforms offering their services on a 24/7/365 basis.
While the boom in online gambling is widely viewed as positive news for the industry, it also presents several challenges at the top of the list is digital privacy. With that in mind, we assess some of the key elements which bettors must consider to ensure their digital privacy is not compromised when gambling online.
Licensing and Regulation
One of the first things you should check before opening an account with a sports betting site is whether the operator holds the appropriate licenses. This information should be verifiable with the regulatory body in your jurisdiction, giving you peace of mind that the sportsbook is legitimate.
Licensing and regulatory requirements encompass numerous elements including ensuring that the processing of any digital data is done in a secure manner. By sticking to sites which are fully licensed and regulated, you will not have to worry about any of your personal information falling into the wrong hands.
Two-Factor Authentication
Two-step authentication (TFA) significantly reduces the chance of having your sports betting account compromised by unscrupulous individuals. When you enable TFA, attackers will need to know or guess your username and password along with an additional time-limited secondary password.
Many of the leading betting operators also offer customers the opportunity to set up text or email alerts to inform you when your account is accessed. This is effectively a back-up system designed to provide punters with an early warning if anything untoward has happened with their account.
Trusted Payment Options
Using reputable payment options is a surefire way to ensure you keep your personal details safe and secure on online sports betting sites. Debit cards are still popular with many sports bettors, although the new wave of digital payment methods are undoubtedly well worth considering.
PayPal and Trustly are among the leading digital payment providers in the sports betting industry and can be trusted to offer high levels of security. Many bettors have also started to use cryptocurrency to fund their betting activities, with their anonymity making them an alluring proposition.
VPN Software
Another excellent way to enhance our digital privacy is to download virtual private network (VPN) software on each of your devices. A VPN effectively acts as a buffer by masking your IP address and encrypting your personal data, thus increasing your level of digital privacy.
The software also has the power to unlock geo-blocked content, a factor which can be extremely useful if you travel overseas. Using a reliable VPN allows you to safely access your betting account wherever you are in the world, meaning you can place wagers whenever you want.
