Anonymous gambling has been a dream of many players for a long time. Gaming in public is still a stigma for some. Players don’t want to be seen playing casino games, and many don’t want to leave any traces of such an activity behind. Crypto casinos have finally brought that dream to reality thanks to their decentralized nature.
Many cryptocurrency casino sites advertise themselves as fully anonymous. Whether it’s Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Tron online casinos, such a claim is pretty big. Are crypto casinos 100% anonymous? You might be surprised by the answer. Read on to learn more about the myth of anonymity at crypto online casinos.
Is Anonymity Invisibility?
When casino fans read about anonymous crypto gambling, they immediately think they’re invisible while playing their favorite games. The reality is different. Despite the fact they’re advertised as fully anonymous, cryptocurrencies offer pseudonymity instead of invisibility. However, things aren’t as they seem.
It’s true that with crypto casinos you’re playing under an alias and not sharing a shred of financial data. This alone can make a player feel anonymous and untraceable. However, all crypto transactions are still stored on the blockchain. Without any names, of course. This transparency ensures fair play and prevents fraud. However, anyone with blockchain access can see all your activities. Tracing a transaction back to an individual is possible via e-wallets. It’s not easy and requires a high level of technical expertise, but it is imaginable.
This drowns the idea of full anonymity at crypto casinos. It’s almost impossible to stay completely invisible – that requires more than a digital alias, and the use of high-tech hacking equipment and software.
On top of that, there’s another obstacle to fully anonymous crypto gambling in the form of KYC checks.
What is KYC?
KYC stands short for Know Your Customer. This is a set of regulations that are designed to keep things legit. This procedure requires sending personal documents to the casino site which will later be verified by its team.
Every crypto casino promises the ultimate transparency when processing the documents. They’re transferred over private servers and no third party can get access to them. While you can believe a legit casino, the fact that your data is just sitting there on its servers it’s a bit concerning.
Once your data hits a server, anonymity goes out the door. Even if you’re playing under an alias and you’re using crypto to cover up your finance deals, KYC kills all of that. Of course, it has advantages. Casinos are legally obliged to verify the identity of their players, and in this way, they weed the bad guys out. While it’s a bit of a buzzkill, it’s there to keep things fair.
The key to playing anonymously and—to a certain point—is choosing a casino with top-notch security and privacy policy. For example, some crypto casinos promise to sweep your data off their servers once they verify your account. It’s even better when the casino uses top-notch security software to keep third parties out and your data safe and sound.
The Potential Risks of Crypto Gambling
Cryptocurrencies and crypto casinos are still new. Just like with anything new, it can be hacked. No matter what the ad banners say, crypto casinos can be hacked too. In this case, the personal info you left while verifying your account may be stolen.
Take industry leader Stake, for example. The popular casino was hacked by hot wallet hackers from North Korea who stole $41 million in total. And that’s just the financial side of things. The most concerning thing is that the group also stole personal data. This was just last year, and has prompted many reputable crypto casinos to up their security.
However, to stay completely safe when playing casino games online, you must do some things on your own. If you learn how to stay off the grid, you’ll feel much safer at crypto casinos.
Enhancing Anonymity
There are certain ways to enhance your anonymity and stay safe while playing casino games online. Sure, there’s no way to achieve 100% full anonymity. But, you can at least try and shift the privacy perspective in your favor.
First things first – it starts with the coins. If you want full anonymity and don’t want any gambling transactions on record, you should choose privacy coins. Instead of Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, or Tron, you should go for Zcash or Monero. Zcash gives its users various levels of privacy, while Monero uses stealth addresses and ring signatures to ensure safe transactions.
With these coins, you’re shielded from third parties and hackers much better than with, say, Bitcoin. Using these coins means that your transactions are much harder to trace. They’ll give you peace of mind to have fun at the casinos of your choice, without worrying that your money will be stolen.
By choosing the right crypto casino, you can count on keeping your data safe. No matter how hard the industry tries to keep unsafe casinos out of the mix, some may slip through the cracks. The key to staying safe is choosing casinos with airtight security. Always choose licensed casinos that prioritize user privacy and security over everything else. Many casinos offer that, and if you want to stay safe, you’ll need to go with a casino like that.
Using VPNs is another way to protect your data. However, many casino sites ban it as VPNs are often used for malicious activities. While they can scramble your transactions, the quality of VPNs is not always the same. If you want to use one, pick a reputable software. Similar to fashion items, the pricier it is, the better the quality.
Conclusion
Playing at crypto casinos may not be as anonymous as many players think. However, it beats the alternative of showing up your face in public or playing under your real name. Crypto casinos have numerous advantages beyond the somewhat anonymous gameplay, including instant transactions with no fees, and a whole world of crypto games.
If you want to ride the brand-new wave, don’t miss out on them.
