How U.S. laws help protect your data at online casinos

US residents are in luck as more states are legalizing online casinos in response to the wave of economic perks that these sites offer to jurisdictions that allow their operation. As such, more online sites have been offering their services to the US, and this number is set to grow in the coming years. What’s more, sites like Bestcasino.org have been instrumental in pointing players towards reputable operators who meet the industry standards. But with this increased number of online casino sites and players, is your data safe? We look at how the current US laws play a part in keeping you safe.

How US Laws Protect Online Players

The US online casino market has been projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, especially in the next decade. But online transactions carry a degree of risk – not only can cybercriminals intercept financial transactions but they can also access personal data. So, what are US lawmakers doing about this?

1.   Each State Gets to Set Its Rules

The online gambling industry does not fall under federal law but rather state laws. As such, the federal government delegates data protection to the state level. For example, a site like Pennsylvania that allows online casino operations must also set out the laws that the casinos must follow to maintain their licenses. While these vary per state, they usually include the following:

• Cybersecurity requirements. Most states require casinos to meet the cybersecurity standards, which often emphasize data encryption. As such, most casinos find themselves integrating SSL or TSL encryption to ensure that the data in transit does not get intercepted by unauthorized parties.
• Regular security audits. For online casino operators to maintain their licenses year after year, they must prove that they do not slip up in protecting their players. Most states ensure this by hiring independent organizations that can run regular security audits to look for vulnerabilities. These random checks keep the site operators on their toes as they also have to be wary of any loopholes that may cost them a license.
• Comprehensive data policies. Players have the right to know who has access to their data, how and where it is stored, who can use it, and whether they can have it deleted. Most states enforce this, ensuring that players can make informed decisions when signing up to online platforms. Moreover, this assurance ensures that online operators cannot use players’ data as they please and must, instead, comply with the industry standards that call for player protection.

Is delegating this role a good thing? Why, yes! While cybercrimes are usually similar, each state is subject to different market conditions. The ability of the states to define the laws per their needs assessments makes it much easier for them to maintain good relationships with the licensed sites while tailoring the data requirements to meet the needs of their residents.

2.   All States Follow the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)

States have the ability to crack down on sites that are either not licensed or those that are operating outside the confines of the law. And they achieve this by collaborating with financial institutions. How?

The UIGEA was enacted to ensure that financial institutions would not serve as intermediaries in unlawful transactions. As such, where a state determines that an online casino is offering its services without the proper licensing, it can intercept the financial transactions, thus cutting off the payments.

This financial check ensures that financial institutions only work with licensed sites which have the necessary measures to protect player data. It would be quite hard for an unlicensed operator to turn a profit if they were unable to process payments.

The Future of Online Casino Laws in the US

So far, states have been successful in regulating online operators, which has increased consumer confidence in this growing industry. Moreover, their emphasis on data security has increased public awareness of the value of personal and financial data. As things stand, projections show that as the industry continues to spread throughout the states, more laws will come up to address the changing data security landscape.