It's easy to forget that fraud can be all around us and that mobile casinos have to tackle it everyday. You're probably thinking: “Wait, but I thought they had measures in place to tackle this?” Well, they do.
It's just that fraudsters will always find a way around them. Doesn't mean we shouldn't make life difficult for them though. And doesn't mean fraudsters do not make life difficult for mobile casinos. A recent study has shown a worryingly large portion of them do struggle with fraud, perhaps more than they should have to.
The CASEXE Report
All right, so first of all the numbers. This aforementioned report was published based on the research taht was conducted by CASEXE. They approached 50 gambling operators and asked them a series of questions about the running of their business. All of these casinos were in European countries, so the data was varied and unbiased. It ran between June and July of this year and some of the results produced raised a few eyebrows.
According to the survey, a staggering majority (94%) of the casinos selected had regular problems within the area of fraud. And there is one specific kind of fraud that they're concerned with — bonus hunting. Out of all the respondents, 85% of that majority reported that this was the biggest issue they faced.
The figures also showed that 75% of the participants reported it as a secondary issue. 31% indicated that they had what could be considered “severe” fraud troubles. That number is a little alarming.
What Are Bonus Hunters?
For those unfamiliar with the term, bonus hunters are exactly who they say they are. They hunt for the best bonuses on any given mobile casino. While this on the surface may not sound like a bad thing, in reality it's quite a problem. They are the very reason why mobile casinos have to implement wagering requirements.
Fact of the matter is that many bonus hunters think they can cheat mobile casinos out of money by trying to take free cash giveaways off them without spending a single penny of their own. This kind of fraud is damaging to the industry as casinos make money off people who, you know, actually gamble.
So, the fact that so many of these casinos reported that they are having a hard time dealing with these people should be a cause for concern. Drastic action needs to be done if the mobile gambling industry throughout Europe doesn't want this to become a serious epidemic.
What Can Mobile Casinos Do?
If nothing else, this survey should put a fire in their belly and make them want to enhance measures to prevent fraud from growing into a larger problem than it has to be. After all, 94% of casinos is extremely worrisome. While we recognise the fact not not all fraud can be eradicated (someone somewhere would try anything to swindle anyone out of money), extra steps can be taken to reduce that number.
They could start by building more effective payment systems. A third of the mobile casinos that partook in the survey confessed that their wagering requirements for bonuses were unreasonably high. If they reduced these, less people are likely to commit fraud. A further 19% said their bonus protection systems failed and did so persistently.
Basically, mobile casinos shouldn't slack off when it comes to fraud. It's a serious topic and shouldn't be taken lightly. The more fraud there is, the more damaging it is to the mobile gambling community. After all, we already have to face the stigma of being ‘gamblers.' Helping to reduce it will break stereotypes and heighten business.
