Can hackers steal my online casino bonuses?

Online Casino bonuses security
11th Oct, 2021
Simon Colmenares Author Profile Photo Simon Colmenares

Websites get hacked on a daily basis. It does not matter what type of website it is, most likely, it has gotten hacker attacks at least once or twice in its lifetime. 

With that in mind, it is difficult to think that any platform could actually be free from the malicious intentions of professionals that are in search of some way to either to entertain themselves or run away with anything that may be stored on the site that they are hacking.

Sadly, the iGaming industry has been one of the favorite targets for the hackers worldwide. There are many reasons why this is the case, but surely, one of the main ones is the simple fact that most of the iGaming platforms contain valuable and private information that could be sold or used for illegal activities.

Managing a Casino

Managing an iGaming brand is definitely not an easy task to do. The operators have to work at all times to make sure that all the information provided by the players remains locked and private to everyone, even themselves. 

Gambling operators must keep the players’ data private at all cost. Any leak of information could lead to an immediate closure of their operations and a potential trial that could leave the executives with some serious debts. 

Most online betting sites request important personal information in order to get registered on them. Some of the details they request are:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Postal address
  • Payment information
  • Location data
  • IP address and device information

The hackers can do wonders if they get their hands into such valuable data, so the betting sites must be up-to-date with the best security tools and measurements. 

Apart from the information that was already described, the hackers also love to get their hands in the bonuses and rewards granted to the players.

As a matter of fact, it is estimated that more than 3.3 billion online casino players store more than $48 billion in bonuses and loyalty programs across all the online betting platforms that are available worldwide.

Why hackers want my bonuses?

This is surely the question that popped up on your mind a few seconds ago. The truth is, there are multiple reasons why the hackers may want to get a grip of your bonuses and rewards. Some of those reasons are:

They are easy to steal

Sadly, not a lot of online casinos have improved their security protocols and privacy measurements. In most cases, it happens because it is too expensive for them and doing so may jeopardize the flow of their operations.

Because of that, many hackers get to enter online casinos easily without even getting noticed and seize the opportunity to get as much data as they can in a short period of time.

The bonuses are some of their first targets because a lot of them contain high sums of money. Especially the loyalty rewards programs. These interesting schemes are usually created and developed for the most dedicated players.

Those are the players that invest extremely high amounts of money on betting sites, looking for an even bigger reward in exchange.

These players tend to invest more than $500,000 monthly on online casinos, and the loyalty programs encourage them to invest even more of their funds.

A lot of money in a single second

Since the loyalty programs and other bonuses require a determined investment. The hackers consider them to be the easiest and most simple way to get away with money.

In addition to that, they rarely get caught red-handed since the players and the operators are more focused on the deposits and the games that are being played on the platform. 

Therefore, the hackers are free to transfer the funds invested in bonuses quickly and disappear. Once the players and the operators notice, it is simply too late to actually recover any of the stolen investments put on the bonuses and loyalty rewards.

The rewards and bonuses tend to be more than just cash

Thanks to the high number of active players and daily investments, plenty of betting companies have the possibility of offering incredible rewards and prizes to their users in the shapes of flights, appliances and expensive devices.

Given how expensive and difficult-to-find, these ultimate rewards can be, the hackers feel more than motivated to take the risk and get their hands on them quickly. 

In addition to that, these awesome rewards tend to require great investments so not many players can actually participate to have the chance of acquiring them, making it even easier for the hackers to locate the few users that are able to win the prizes and transfer them to an encrypted account. 

New encrypted banking platforms do not help the cause

The hacker attacks on iGaming brands and any other sites that contain financial data have increased in the last decade, and it is not a coincidence that it has happened at the same time that the new encrypted payment methods rose to fame worldwide.

Encrypted digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin allow the users to transfer funds privately to anyone in the whole globe. It is a great initiative that has represented more security and safety for many people. 

Sadly, they have also been used for wicked endeavors. This is because most hackers make use of these platforms to transfer funds illegal without getting caught. 

These are the primary tools that the hackers utilize to get away with theft. Many bonuses and loyalty rewards have gotten stolen through the use of these new encrypted digital currencies.

What the players can do to stop the hacker attacks 

As a regular user registered on an online casino, the best you can do to provide your bit to this constant battle is speaking up about any conspicuous activities that may be happening on the betting platform that you are part of.

You can raise your voice by sharing your opinion with other players, sites and iGaming spokespersons. That way, your particular case can be analyzed by experts and hopefully be prevented or stopped before it is too late.

Hacker attacks will certainly keep on occurring no matter what, there is no doubt about that, but by working as a community, it is possible to diminish the attacks and push the online casino operators to utilize the latest security and privacy tools that exist nowadays.

  • Ways to protect yourself from hacker attacks

While speaking up and raising your voice for the whole iGaming community, there are two tips that you can use to make it impossible for hackers to get your information:

  • Use strong and long passwords

Forget about accessing your account easily. What matters the most is your safety, so create a strong and long password that contains lots of numbers, special digits and capital letters. It will make it harder for the hackers to access your account.

  • Use two-factor authentication if it is available

If the online casino you are part of offers it, use it. When activated, you will have to provide your password as well as an additional method such as an SMS text or phone call in order to access your account. Doing so will help you prevent any future hacker attacks.

11th Oct, 2021
Simon Colmenares