Safety is often one of the biggest concerns that new online bingo players have when considering a site to try. Pay to play sites can be especially daunting, as players need to deposit their hard earned cash in order to play, a factor that can be worrying if no security systems seem to be in place at the site in question.

With horror stories about unscrupulous sites that withhold players’ winnings and unreasonable playthrough requirements that are not listed anywhere, not to mention poor support and other problems, it can be hard to know when it is safe to deposit. With a bit of shrewdness and expertise, you can assure your safety when playing online; and with these excellent tips you should have little, if any problems:

1. Ensure that the website is legitimate. Does the site have any privacy policy or offer any security for banking and other transactions? Lookout for secure site logos, licensing and regulating information or anything else that tells you that the site is operating legitimately and ethically.

2. Be informed. Do your research before joining, lookout for any negative reviews or problems that other players may have had and read the terms carefully before you open an account.

3. Be wary of excessive offers and lures. While some sites do indeed offer excellent online bingo prizes, and huge progressive jackpots, others may use the promise of jackpots to lure players, when in actual fact these jackpots are never won once you join. Trust your instincts and don’t be won over by huge promises and offers.

4. Keep your password and sign-up information secure. Lost passwords or passwords that are too easy to guess could lead to security issues if your account is ever hacked. Ideally, passwords should be six characters or longer, and should contain letters and numbers. Keep your details somewhere safe and never give out this information to anyone.

5. Use an e-wallet rather than credit card. Payment options such as Neteller offer the safest way to fund your account when playing bingo. Rather than enter your credit card details at every site you play at, you simply need to enter your Neteller account number in order to fund your account and play bingo online.