Online casino gambling is hugely popular all over the world and is in fact the second or third largest ecommerce sector on the internet at the moment. There are hundreds of online gambling sites which includes online poker rooms, online casinos sites and sports betting sites and even simple online gambling sites for bingo (yes, your grandma’s favorite game went cyber), scratch cards and many others.
As most of us already know, it is not always sunshine and roses online and there are plenty of dubious, dodgy and potentially very dangerous online sites, waiting to catch naive or unsuspecting internet users. The potential for children to get caught up in these dangerous sites is alarmingly high and there are plenty of horror stories online of underage children using inappropriate websites for their age group.
What about online gambling? Is it possible for your child to create an online account with a gambling website and gamble online? We explore these possibilities as well as give you some useful insight into how online casinos work, what you can do to ensure your kids safety online and more.
What you need to know about online casinos
There are hundreds of casinos operating online right now and not all of them are absolutely above board. This is why expert industry sites that understand local laws such as the Casino Canuck legal experts have been created to ensure that anyone who wishes to explore online casino gambling, can do so legally, safely and in total security. These sites gather only the best, most reputable and safe online casino sites together, virtually eliminating the dangers often associated with online gambling. Of course there are illegal online casinos lurking about in the shadows of the internet which are not controlled by any official regulatory authority. After all, the internet is vast and there is only so much these organizations can do. This is why it is also important to combine these resources with others as well as reading other people’s experiences and gambling stories. The following section offers more ideas and advice on keeping your children safe online.
Handpicked online casino must pass certain strict criteria and this includes have responsible gambling policies in place. Responsible gambling covers a wide range of aspects which include the early detection and prevention of gambling addictions as well as ensuring that underage (under 18 years) users are unable to create an online casino account to begin with.
How easy is it for your child to gamble online?
In the early days of internet gambling it was a bit like the Wild West, just about anything was possible which made it a fairly dangerous place for minors. The internet has come a long way over the past two decades and there are plenty of internet and gambling watchdogs in particular, keeping a watchful eye over the industry.
All reputable online casinos have very strict policies and mechanisms in place to prevent anyone under the legal gambling age from signing up with them and creating a legitimate player account. There are also a number of watch dogs and associations such as the RGA (Remote Gambling Association) that are designed to ensure that no one under the age of 18 years is allowed to create a player account with a reputable online casino that is a part of this or other regulatory bodies.
Visit an online casino resource site such as casinogamesguide.ca and you will quickly see that all of the online casinos that their experts have vetted all contain links to regulatory bodies. These regulatory bodies such as the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission), MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) and eCOGRA (e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance), are all designed to ensure that none of these online casinos allow underage persons to sign up for a personal player account under any circumstances.
5 things that you can do to keep your child safe online
We all love the internet and it can be an incredible tool for learning and exploring things that are completely new, especially for kids. While parents often stress about what their children are being exposed to on the internet, according to experts, there are a few things that you can do to keep your children safe online. Here are 5 tips to do just that:
- Set up clear and simple rules: Setting up a few simple and clear rules for your children which tells them what they can or can’t do on yours (or their) devices is key. Another point is to educate your child as to why they have a device (smartphone or tablet) in the first place and the main functions that you expect them to be using it for.
- Communication is key: Talking to your kids about the dangers of the internet and visiting potentially unsafe sites is a priority. You should also make discussions about the internet, how to use devices safely a regular activity with your whole family.
- Check out internet sites together: Visiting child-friendly sites together with your kids is a great way to bond and a great way to show your kids all the great sites that are made especially for them (based on their age group). There are tons of useful and safe websites that are perfect for kids of all ages including teens.
- Show a fair degree of trust in your kids: Your kids will also need to feel that you do trust them to make good decisions regarding which sites they visit whilst online. It is a good idea to let them use their devices independently but also ensure that they are willing to show you what they find online whenever you ask them to. This also includes access to their browsing history as well as their recent searches. Finding something that they shouldn’t be seeing or visiting is best done sooner rather than later.
- Use parental control options: Most tablets, computers and smartphones come with a range of parental control options which you can activate as you see fit. However, it is important to note that on most devices you will need to actually go into these settings to activate various levels of parental control (based on what the manufacturer has pre-installed).
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