Since the first online casinos hit the market in the 1990s, many subpar and low-quality platforms have come and gone in that time. However, it’s not always a question of poor user experience. In some cases, it’s down to questionable practices and even proven scams.
We want to inform you about blacklisted casinos, highlighting the dishonest ways in which they operate and what makes them unsafe to play at. Moreover, since there’s no unified blacklist to refer to, we’ll provide tips on how to spot dodgy operators so you can save yourself pain down the road.
What is a blacklisted casino?
A blacklisted online casino is a casino that has been flagged for unethical or even illegal practices, which might range from simple dishonesty to complete criminal activities.
Such practices lead online review sites and others to add these casinos to blacklists, hence the name. However, there’s no single centralized database of blacklisted online casinos. In many cases, it’s up to you to spot counterfeit gambling sites and avoid them altogether to stay safe.
Before we explain how to do that, let’s review the practices that lead casinos to become blacklisted.
Unfair gaming practices
One of the most common reasons is unfair gaming practices since this is the easiest for the blacklisted casino to pull off.
The platform owners may manipulate their casino games software to alter the return-to-player (RTP), rigging the odds in their favor. The manipulation is often subtle, with casinos adjusting the RTP just enough to tilt the odds in their favor without raising suspicion. Players may not notice the difference, but over time, it results in consistent player losses.
Online casinos might also impose unfair wagering requirements on seemingly generous welcome bonuses, exceeding 60x or 70x in some cases. New or unsuspecting players might not realize how difficult it is to turn these offers into real money. Likewise, some platforms create convoluted wagering requirement formulas to disguise high requirements.
Lastly, blacklisted casinos can look for unfair reasons to confiscate winnings, even when there’s no actual justification. They might point to obscure terms you’ve violated (e.g., a maximum bet limit you’ve inadvertently breached) just to take away your winnings, usually those made through bonuses.
Finance-related issues
Issues with withdrawals are widespread in blacklisted casinos. These casinos will find all sorts of ways to make it hard to cash out or even deny you payments, all to increase profits without regard for fair practices.
Blacklisted casinos often delay payments for weeks or even months, citing various audits or technical issues to stall the process. Their goal is to frustrate you into giving up or continuing to play until the winnings are lost. In extreme circumstances, they might refuse to pay you altogether.
Blacklisted casino sites might require unfair withdrawal limits. For instance, if the minimum withdrawal is $30 and your balance is just $20 after converting a bonus, you’d be forced to deposit again to cash out. As per the usual T&Cs, you’d need to play through this deposit at least once to make that eligible for withdrawal, too, with no guarantee of winning.
This is common with sketchy international sites, making choosing only reputable and vetted offshore casinos even more important.
Misleading and deceptive marketing practices
Online casino blacklist platforms can employ dubious tactics to attract new players and create a false sense of trustworthiness. This is usually done via marketing campaigns that promise unrealistic bonuses by exaggerating match deposit bonus percentages.
For example, a casino may advertise a huge 500% welcome bonus which, in reality, actually consists of five separate 100% boosts. This is misleading, as you have to deposit five times to get the full welcome package, plus you don’t receive five times your deposit as bonus funds.
They might also claim to be regulated by highly reputable bodies like the Malta Gaming Authority without proof or even create fake certifications and licenses from regulatory organizations or third-party auditors.
Another common practice is mimicking reputable casinos by creating websites almost identical to popular brands with different domains.
List of blacklisted casinos
Here are some of the more notable online casinos blacklisted in the US so you know what to avoid:
- • Crazy Luck Casino
- • Tropica Casino
- • Grand Reef Casino
- • WinBig21 Casino
- • Captain Jack Casino
- • Euro Play Casino
- • Pelican Casino
Why you should avoid blacklisted casinos
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of why you should stick to casinos not blacklisted online. But let’s quickly review everything that can go wrong on blacklisted gambling sites.
Lack of a valid gambling license
Blacklisted gambling platforms often lack a valid gambling license or even fake their credentials. They show a license from a valid body in their footer, but once you go and check the official site of the regulator, there’s no information on that platform. Alternatively, some blacklisted casinos secure licenses from lax authorities that prioritize profits over player protection.
Poor site security
Online casinos may have poor security standards, either intentionally or unintentionally, such as a lack of quality payment processors, account security measures, and privacy policies. Worst of all, the platform may be missing a valid SSL certification, opening the site to cyberattacks.
Delayed or denied withdrawals
As mentioned, blacklisted casinos often delay payments or deny them. This happens frequently on these sites, so you can rest assured that you’ll likely be affected at some point, especially if you win more significant amounts from a bonus.
Rigged or non-certified games
Blacklisted and fake casinos often source their games from trustworthy providers but rig the software in their favor. If they can’t do that, they obtain pirated versions of popular games and increase the house edge to give themselves an unfair advantage over the long term.
Unfair or unclear bonus terms
You’ll often find seemingly valuable bonuses with high matched percentages and other favorable deals, but they’ll have unfair or even unclear bonus terms. This can make winning real money very difficult or even impossible.
For instance, there might be severe game weighting rules where many favorable slots are excluded while other high-RTP casino games (such as live blackjack or baccarat) contribute nothing. You might also find very low max bet limits, meaning a higher proportion of bets is needed to clear the requirements.
Hidden transaction fees
Blacklisted casinos will sometimes hide transaction fees on withdrawals, deposits, or both. They might not show these plainly on the payment page or hide the high charges in the terms. Over time, these costs add up and reduce the overall value of your winnings.
Changing terms without warning
Casinos occasionally change their terms and conditions. Reputable ones will inform you of this via email or when you log in, as per their license requirements. Blacklisted sites aim to do this without anyone noticing to justify an unfair practice. For example, they might change the bonus terms to make it harder to clear wagering requirements.
Poor or non-existent customer support
Blacklisted online casinos often have poor customer support systems where the agents respond rarely and give generic answers that aren’t helpful. Some even go as far as to ignore you entirely, especially if you ask a complex question or during busy periods.
To save money, some platforms rely on automated bots, which are of limited use if your query is more personal. Others lack 24/7 human support, with operating hours that don’t align with your time zone, making it difficult to get help when needed. They might also outsource support to external companies whose agents aren’t trained sufficiently in the casino’s rules and T&Cs.
How to spot a blacklisted online casino
If you want to stay away from blacklisted casinos, it’s not enough to know what they are and how they work; it’s also crucial to learn how to spot them. Here are ten expert tips to help you identify them:
No gambling license:
The most obvious sign of a dodgy operator is the lack of a valid license. You can always find licensing info in the site footer. If it’s not there, this is a major red flag.
Incorrect licensing info:
If the license is displayed on-site, check if the logo is clickable. It should direct you to the casino’s registration on the authority’s website. Alternatively, you can visit the licensing body’s official site and search their index. If you can’t find any information, it’s likely the casino is misrepresenting its license.
Lack of proper security:
Ensure the site has a secure HTTPS address. If the URL starts with HTTP only, there is no SSL encryption. Most browsers will warn you of this, but you can also check it yourself, just in case.
Unsecured payment methods:
Look for information on the available payment methods. If the site uses reputable payment options like Visa, Mastercard, Neteller, and Skrill, you needn’t worry.
Lack of withdrawal limits:
The casino can have a very different list of withdrawal methods compared to what you use for depositing. That way, you’ll rarely get to use the same payment method for both actions, making payments complicated. This tactic is used to keep your money locked in the casino account.
Outdated Promotions page:
Reputable casinos frequently launch new promotions, regularly updating their Promotions page with fresh offers and removing expired ones. In contrast, shady casinos often provide vague details with minimal T&Cs or fail to update expired promos altogether, indicating a lack of a dedicated team.
No Help Center or FAQ page:
Blacklisted casinos rarely make an effort to develop robust FAQ or Help Center pages. If they are present, they usually offer very little useful information.
Old game libraries with a limited number of providers:
Problematic sites often feature games from a limited number of providers, leading to smaller and outdated libraries. Even if there are elite suppliers, the games can still be rigged.
Check for signs of mass complaints:
Look at external, independent review sites to check for a high volume of player complaints. If any focus on delayed or denied payments, you’re likely dealing with a blacklisted online casino.
Clearly fake reviews:
Check online reviews of the casino. If most of them seem out of place with overly salesy language, it could be a sign they’re fake and likely paid for by the casino in an effort to look legitimate.
How do rogue online casinos appear?
It might sound virtually impossible for blacklisted online casinos to appear on the market, but the reality is much different. This is because anyone with enough starting funds can create an online casino, while even once-legitimate casinos can take a turn for the worse over time.
Creating a rogue site is also much easier if you’re starting one from a jurisdiction with lax or nonexistent gambling regulations.
Let’s review the most common methods these sites use to appear or stay on the market:
Fake license: Some non-US casinos may bypass the licensing process entirely, particularly those operating with cryptocurrencies in unregulated markets. This lets them avoid the know-your-customer (KYC) process, resulting in more sign-ups and making them seem more legitimate than they are.
Imitation and cloned site designs: Those with the means can create sites that mimic reputable brands to attract users. These imitation casinos often create similar layouts, logos, and promotional offers of trusted platforms, making it hard for players to distinguish them from the real deal.
Fake reviews: Blacklisted casinos employ various tactics to create fake positive reviews all over the web or partner with other dishonest affiliate sites in an effort to appear legitimate.
Unethical marketing: Blacklisted casinos often run aggressive marketing campaigns to appear legit, but their tactics are usually pushy and dishonest. For example, they might create a massive welcome bonus but impose harsh or hidden terms that make withdrawals virtually impossible.
Rebranding or relaunching: Once bogus casinos accumulate too many complaints and poor feedback, they typically lose players without attracting new ones. To address this, they often try to rebrand or relaunch. In the latter case, they reopen under a new name while maintaining the same practices and owners.
Why trust ValueWalk for online casino recommendations?
ValueWalk strives to provide users with expert reviews of reputable gambling sites. We only provide accurate and well-researched information, which allows us to assess every gambling site accurately.
Due to this, you needn’t worry about blacklisted casinos appearing in our recommendations. The platforms we support:
- Are fully licensed by reputable authorities.
- Offer games from a large number of established suppliers.
- Feature games certified by the likes of eCOGRA or iTech Labs.
- Offer helpful and responsive customer support that operates 24/7.
| Here’s more information on Why You Can Valuewalk. |
Conclusion
Unfortunately, blacklisted casinos can appear online, as plenty of casino owners are involved in unfair practices that make winning money and withdrawing winnings difficult, among other things.
You must learn to detect these unfair and dishonest casinos and stick to those we recommend at ValueWalk. We’ve made sure to vet all of our brands and only endorse the platforms that give you a fair crack at winning real money.
If you want to find the best gambling apps for real money on your own, use the tips we’ve provided to determine whether a site is safe and honest.
FAQ
What is a casino blacklist?
How do I find out if a casino is blacklisted?
What are the risks of playing in blacklisted casinos?
Is it illegal to play in a blacklisted casino?
What should I do if I find out that my casino is blacklisted?
References
- 2025’s Guide to casinos and sportsbooks to avoid (Casinos.org)
- Blacklisted Casinos (AskGamblers)
- Blacklisted Online Casinos (The Wizard of Odds)
- Preventing and addressing unregulated online gambling (International Association of Gaming Regulators)
