I love playing blackjack and poker online but I've been a little too scared to play cash games on my iPhone. How safe are iPhone casino apps? What happens if my phone is stolen or lost?
Good question. If you use an iPhone I think it is vital that you enable the "Find My iPhone" feature that is free but it is not activated by default. This allows you to track (via Google maps) or completely wipe your iPhone or iPad remotely if you lose it. Adding a password is also an option but it is a real nuisance if you use your smartphone a lot like me.
Hi Playing real money games like blackjack, roulette, keno, slots or anyother casino games on your iPhone is just as safe as playing online via your laptop or desktop. Many people would argue that playing casino games on your iPhone is safer than playing on your Windows PC or Apple Mac because there is less chance of your phone getting infected by a virus or trogan. Most security problems occur because people's computers become infected which results in passwords get stolen. Thankfully iPhones are largely immune to getting infected since they are closed systems, only Apple approved applications can be installed on the iPhone (jailbroken phones may be different). Of course it is always advisable to play at reputable mobile casinos. We compiled a list of the Best iPhone Casinos that have excellent reputations for security, safety and customer support. Hope this helps Sebastian
Providing you take some basic safety precautions like not storing your password on your ipad or iphone, I don't think you will have any problems. I've lost a couple of phones over the years that had gambling apps installed and I've never been in the slightest bit worried because I know without my account details there is nothing they can do. Remember that if you go to a regular bricks and mortar betting shop or casino there is also a chance that you may get robbed, pickpocketed or just loose your cash. Everything you do comes with a risk so I wouldn't sweat it too much. Just use some common sense.
If you are very concerned about your phone being stolen, another option would be to use a deposit facility like Ukash instead of a credit card. Ukash act like a temporary credit card. Once the value of the voucher has been claimed when you make a deposit it is then completely valueless.
Another option is to use Neteller. Once you have an account you can create temporary credit card numbers that can only be used once. This means that even if your account is hacked, the credit card number listed in your account is invalid. The only downside is you need to create a new temporary number every time you want to make a deposit.
Unfortunately Neteller isn't available for United States gamblers. Bitcoin seems to be growing in popularity so that is one option for U.S. gamers although investing in Bitcoins is a little like gambling because their value changes so much from month to month.
I don't blame you for being skeptical about the crypto-currency. A couple of weeks ago the Mt Gox Bitcoin exchange went bankrupt and now the BBC are reporting that another Bitcoin bank called Flexcoin is closing its doors after losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a hacker attack. We all like to take a punt or two but the security systems employed by these digital currency banks will need to improve substantially before I'm going to start using it to play poker or blackjack.
I think it's important to note that at least half off all Bitcoin transactions are for online gambling. This means than tens or maybe hundreds of thousands of poker/casino players are using Bitcoin everyday to fund their player accounts. Despite all this activity I have yet to read a report about online or mobile gamblers loosing any money at these Bitcoin poker sites and casinos. For this reason I think Bitcoin gambling is pretty safe so just use some common sense and you'll be fine. Rather than depositing large amounts of money using Bitcoin, it would be wiser to transfer smaller amounts until you fully trust a particular operator. Similarly, if you win big then you should probably withdraw most of you winnings immediately just as a precaution.
i've been using bitcoin to play texas hold'em at a number of poker sites for the past year and i haven't experienced a single problem. deposits and withdrawals generally process in a fraction of the time.
For casual gamblers I think Bitcoin is a godsend because you don't lose 5% of your deposit on exorbitant credit card processing fees.
Bitcoin casinos generally allow you to withdraw your winnings in a couple of hours. I've often waited more than two weeks for a payout from regular internet casinos. You also don't have to pay any tax when you play at bitcoin online casinos because it's not considered to be a real currency. We've compiled this list of the best bitcoin iPhone and Android casino apps to help get you started.
They are pretty safe but remember not to leave too many dollars in your account. If I have a big win at an iPhone casino, I usually make a withdrawal and leave about a hundred dollars to play with. This stops me gambling and losing it all again instantly and I don't have to worry about the online casino stealing my money either.