Guides · 12 min · 2026-09-19 · step-by-step

How to spot a safe online casino

A checklist that does not depend on who paid for the #1 slot on a ranking page.

By Brent Henderson · TrustFacts Desk · Updated September 2026

The Gauge · how to cite · not a licence

You need

• Government-issued ID × 1Passport, driver’s licence, or provincial photo ID for KYC.
• Licence number from the operator footer × 1The number you will look up on the regulator’s own register — not a seal graphic.

Tools

• Regulator public registeriGO, AGLC, UKGC, or the state lottery list — the live page, not a screenshot.
• Operator cashierWhere KYC and the first withdrawal actually happen.

1. Step 1 of 5

   Start with the regulator, not the bonus

   If you are in Ontario, the only legal commercial operators are on the iGaming Ontario list, 19+. A Curaçao seal in the footer is not a substitute. Alberta is AGLC-listed brands only, 18+. British Columbia is PlayNow, 19+. Quebec is Espacejeux, 18+. Great Britain is UKGC, 18+. A United States file is 21+ and state-fenced. If you sit outside those desks, you are in a different legal regime — that does not make every offshore brand equal.

   Look up the licence number on the regulator’s own site. If the number 404s, walk away. TrustFacts publishes the number we used; we still want you to click through. Cite the review URL plus the integer. Do not cite a lobby banner.

2. Step 2 of 5

   Complete KYC on day one

   The most common they-won’t-pay story is actually they asked for ID at cashout and I was not ready. Upload documents before you deposit a meaningful amount. Sign-up without ID does not mean withdraw without ID.

3. Step 3 of 5

   Do a test withdrawal

   Deposit a small amount, play a round, withdraw. Time it. Screenshot the cashier. That single ritual is worth more than any Trust Gauge we can print. Instant starts after approval, not after the click.

4. Step 4 of 5

   Read the bonus like a contract

   Max bet while wagering, game weighting, expiry, country restrictions, and whether Interac deposits even qualify. No-wagering rewards are structurally safer than 40x packages. A welcome offer is not a licence.

5. Step 5 of 5

   Demand a dispute path

   Named ADR, or at least a regulator that answers. Email support@ is not a court. TrustFacts cannot recover a deposit. If the brand is iGO-listed, escalate through iGaming Ontario channels after the operator path.

This page is not a licence and not clinical advice. Ontario is iGO, 19+. Alberta is AGLC, 18+. Confirm the live register before you deposit.