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How Do Gamble with Ethereum (ETH) Online?

Mon 15 Feb 2021 ▪ 13 min of reading ▪ by Nicolas

Nowadays, it is possible to play at online casinos using Ethereum. However, there are a few small differences when compared to playing at traditional casinos that should be noted.

In this guide, we are going to give you a quick overview of what Ethereum casinos have in store for you to help you master this new way of playing for real money online.

What is the best Ethereum casino?

There are tens of thousands of online casinos. If we talk more specifically about the operators that allow you to play with Ethereum, there are hundreds of them. That’s a staggering number so it makes sense to look for the best Ethereum casino to play at.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell you which site is objectively the #1 best to play at, because all establishments have their own strengths and weaknesses. However, it is possible to rank the serious sites you can play on without the risk of having your Ethereum stolen from you.

In our list of Ethereum casinos, you will only find establishments that stand out from the crowd. All sites payout to winning players and offer promotions and great bonuses for their players.

Of course, we don’t claim that this list is exhaustive, as there are far too many platforms out there for us to analyse in depth. However, our selection of reliable Ethereum casinos is already substantial, and you will be able to choose an operator who best meets your expectations.

The first step: buying ether (ETH)!

The first step before you can play at an online casino with Ethereum is actually to get your hands on this cryptocurrency. If you do not have some, we suggest you visit our list of the best exchanges to buy crypto (link).

Reasons to play with ETH at an online casino

There are tons of good reasons to gamble with ETH at an online casino rather than with fiat money that could be mentioned. The main reason is that no one will know about your gambling activity, since no trace of it will appear on your bank statements.

What about the legality of gambling with ETH?

The laws on ETH casinos can differ from place to place. In some countries, Ethereum is not considered a legal method of payment; therefore, local law on online gambling does not apply.

In 2016, UK Gambling Commission licence holders were given the green light to accept cryptocurrencies. It’s no secret that the UK Gambling Commission is extremely strict and licences are very hard to acquire for casinos and gambling platforms. This is done to reassure players that they are dealing with a reputable site.

If you are reading this from outside the UK, it is important that you check the applicable laws in your country regarding internet gambling. In some cases, the law may explicitly prohibit this activity, allow it or say nothing about it. If nothing is said clearly, it is a legal grey area, and online gambling with ETH is therefore not clearly prohibited.

What are the pitfalls to avoid?

There are many scams in the online gaming world, especially when the market is unregulated, or at least not fully regulated. For example, for our neighbours in France, there is a law on sports betting, poker and horse racing, but none regarding online casinos. For this reason, almost all of the scams seen over there usually pose as this last group.

In addition, as you know, the cryptocurrency industry is still very young and poorly regulated. So, there are also a lot of scams out there and you have to be very careful.

If we add the fact that there are many scams on online casinos and in the cryptocurrency industry, we wouldn’t be out of our rights to think that by combining these two sectors we could face a very high risk of being fooled. Unfortunately, that’s the sad reality.

In order to avoid falling into the traps and never being able to recover your winnings by playing on a dishonest Ethereum casino, we advise you to be particularly careful and not to play on a platform that has negative reviews from other players. If you want to play safely at a Bitcoin casino, we recommend that you register only with one of the operators that makes it onto our list of reliable ETH casinos.

How many different games can you play at an ETH casino?

The range of games available at an ETH casino varies significantly from one establishment to another. If this is a traditional operator that has simply added the option of paying with Ethereum, then the games in the library will be very similar: think slot machines, table games, Video Poker, virtual sports, scratch cards or even live streamed casino games.

There are, however, a few ETH casinos that have games that run on the blockchain. These are only accessible on these platforms and will give you a fun, new experience. Generally, though, the choice is quite limited and you will need to switch between several establishments to keep things fresh and exciting.

Are there any bonus offers or promotions?

There are three scenarios when it comes to bonuses and promotions at an Ethereum casino.  Here they are:

  • No special bonus: It’s unfortunate, but it’s the choice that has been made by some platforms. In exchange, the commissions taken during the games are lower. It’s all swings and roundabouts, as they say.
  • The same bonuses as players who stake fiat: On this type of site, your cryptocurrencies are automatically converted into a traditional currency for your games. Any winnings can then be exchangeable for digital assets when you withdraw. You benefit from the same offers as the other players.
  • Special bonuses for users who deposit with ETH: Some bonuses and promotions are only available if you deposit Ethereum. It is not possible for our fiat buddies to take advantage of these offers, so you have the upper hand.

Loyalty programmes for VIP members

Depending on the Ethereum casino you are going to play at, you may or may not be able to sign up for a loyalty programme that will offer you additional benefits. Not all casinos offer a VIP club and the benefits offered by such a programme vary from platform to platform.  However, this is an important point to consider when choosing an Ethereum casino to play at.

Do Ethereum casinos need to be licensed?

Not all Ethereum casinos are licensed. Usually, when a platform operates without a licence, this is never a good sign and you should never register on the site. No regulatory body is checking the activities of the casino and it can therefore do whatever it wants with players’ money, such as refusing their withdrawals.

However, there are some 100% crypto operators whose security is provided by the blockchain. For these, you won’t need to check the licence because the blockchain guarantees the security of the games itself.

Is there sufficient security on the site?

Possession of a licence does not always guarantee security on the site. There are also other points to check to ensure that the ETH casino you choose is as secure as possible.

  • First, make sure you use a site which requires two-factor authentication. You should need a classic password that is complicated, as well as a code sent to your phone or the Google Authenticator app.
  • Players must be able to limit the amount of their deposits over a given period in order to be able to manage their game budget. In the most extreme cases, it must be possible for these same players to be able to blacklist themselves from the site at their request.
  • When browsing the site, you also need to ensure that an SSL data encryption protocol is in place to protect user data.
  • Unlike traditional casinos, if you deposit Ethereum at the casino, you don’t need a secure means of payment, since the blockchain guarantees the integrity of transactions.

Responsiveness of customer support

Most of the time, you won’t have any problems playing at a quality Ethereum casino.  The sites are generally well designed and everything is normally very clear to players who are used to the environment.

But sometimes you may have a problem that cannot be solved on your own. In this case, you will need to speak to customer support.

For it to be considered good quality, it must be accessible from as many different means as possible.  Generally, there are four methods to contact customer support: chat, email, phone, and FAQ.  Sometimes you will also have the option of writing a letter or composing a fax.

When it comes to opening hours, the best thing is to be able to reach an agent 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This will let you resolve any problem immediately so that you can continue playing games at the ETH casino.

Finally, customer service agents should be well trained and there should be enough of them to be able to answer your questions as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Deposits and withdrawals at an ETH casino

How you make your deposits and withdrawals at an ETH casino depends on how the operator works. There are mainly three different scenarios.

In the first scenario, if it is a casino that operates solely on the blockchain, you must deposit your money on the site by transferring your ETH from your wallet to that of the casino.  You then play your games only in Ethereum.

In the second scenario, you can play at a classic casino that accepts your deposits and you play with ETH on the site. The operation is similar to the first case, except that you have access to many more games at this kind of establishment.

The last scenario is a bit special. This is a traditional online casino that accepts your deposits with ETH, but automatically converts them to a fiat currency once on the platform. You must then play your games with fiat. When you want to withdraw your money, you will have to convert them back into ETH.

At regular casinos, you will normally need to send documents that prove your identity before you can make a withdrawal (KYC), even if you are playing with crypto. In the case of a 100% blockchain casino, you usually don’t need to send any documents.

Gambling online using ether (ETH): conclusion

Our explanation of gaming online with Ethereum has come to an end, we hope you enjoyed it. As you can see, the overall operation of crypto casinos is quite similar to that of the world of classic casinos with a few small differences.

As always, you should only play at a quality Ethereum casino if you want to be able to collect your winnings afterwards. To do this, you must therefore make sure to register on a trustworthy platform.

Analysing the reliability of an Ethereum casino takes an enormous amount of time.  That’s why we’ve tested multiple platforms for you so that you don’t fall for any traps if you don’t have the time to do a full scan. To play at serious and honest Ethereum casinos, we naturally recommend that you register with one of the establishments in our list at the beginning of the article.

Ethereum Casinos are just one facet of this cryptocurrency universe.  If you would like to discover more, do not hesitate to take a look at our Ethereum guides.

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Nicolas avatar
Nicolas

J'ai découvert le monde des cryptomonnaies en janvier 2018. Arrivé au pire moment pour investir, je n'ai depuis lors jamais cessé de me former et partage désormais mes connaissances afin de faciliter l'adoption des cryptos.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.