Many gamblers who consider playing online, often wonder about the security of online casinos – whether sensitive and important information such as credit card details can be trusted in the hands of these websites. Surely noone wants their identity to be stolen, so making sure that one's information is safe and secure is quite important.

The basic idea is that if a casino spent a lot of time and efforts in ensuring safety and security, it will definitely tell you. So a quick look at the casino's website can give you a rough and basic idea. Look for sites that have secure encryption technology, such as, 128 bit SSL digital encryption, which means that all financial transactions are done using modern technology that does not allow hackers to discover any sensitive information from your online casino session. Some sites use encryption that is stronger than 128 bit, which is even better, but 128 is good enough and it's the most commonly used SSL certification.

SSL encryption is not only used by casinos, but also by major banks, online shops and credit card companies all over the world. This means that if you already use ATMs or make other purchases online, you should not have a difficulty in trusting casinos. The safe ones that is.

Most casino websites have an account history function – where you have records of all the financial transactions done from your account. So if you ever have any have any doubts, you can check everything just by logging in your account.

Apart from SSL encryptions, casinos need to further ensure their users that the data will not be sold or abused in some way. Safe casinoa are bound by law to provide this assurance, so make sure to look out for this information before you start playing. It takes only a couple of minutes, but making sure you're protected is worth the attention.

The first thing is the licensing; casinos must be licensed by a particular jurisdiction. This means that a local jurisdiction (usually a country or a state) has given an official license to the casino and it also has the capacity to monitor them legally. If a casino doesn't posses such a license, close the window and never play there.

The second thing is reputable software, check if the online casino uses software from a major provider. A casino that does not have the proper licenses will not be allowed to use software from the biggest software providers such as PlayTech, Water Logic, Cryptologic, MicroGaming, Odds-On, RTG, Boss Media, and iGlobal Media.

Last but not least, you can find information about payouts being certified. Online casinos often publish reports on how much of money they give back to players in winnings, often going a few months back. To make sure that these reports are credible, check the producers and see if they're independent accounting firms, such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers.