Online casinos look fun, but a few simple habits keep your money intact. This short guide gives five practical checks you can run in under ten minutes before you deposit—no fluff, just actions that reduce risk.

Five quick checks before you play

• Licensing: Confirm the operator shows a UKGC or comparable licence and a visible licence number.
• Payments: Look for reputable processors (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Trustly). Slow withdrawals are the biggest red flag.
• Wagering terms: Scan bonus T&Cs for wagering multipliers, not just headline bonuses—these determine real value.
• RTP transparency: Legit sites publish return-to-player figures for games. If it’s missing, assume lower fairness.
• Responsible play tools: Make sure deposit limits, cool-off and self-exclusion are easy to find and implement.

When you’ve run those checks, use a small first deposit and treat your first session as a test—withdraw any winnings immediately to validate payout speed. Keep records: screenshots of T&Cs, payment confirmations and chat transcripts if you open disputes.

For a straightforward UK-facing option and a quick look at policies, visit F7 Casino uk to see how a site presents licensing, banking and support before you commit.

Takeaway: five checks + a test deposit prevent most problems. Protect your bankroll by verifying license, payouts, terms, RTP and safety tools before you play.