If you've ever heard the term "blacklist" when referring to online casino blacklist, you may have asked yourself, "what does it mean?". In the simplest terms, a blacklist is a list of sites that have been labeled as a bad influence, typically due to poor player treatment. If you can spot them, and you can save yourself a lot of frustration.

Then, what makes a casino go to the list? Typically it's a combination of serious issues. There are numerous blacklisted online casinos that have reported for not paying the winnings, altering the conditions upon the deposit of the player, ignoring complaints, and/or for no license. Some try to avoid bonuses due to their own stupid rules or lock accounts at the worst time.

The following are typical warnings:

There is no clear licensing information or license that cannot be verified.

Constantly delayed or denied withdrawals for no good reason.

Give vague and unreasoned terms as bonuses

Poor customer service — unresponsiveness or out-of-reach service.

There are a lot of recent players that have complained about the same thing with the same problems.

When you're doing research, a casino blacklist can be useful to get started. It provides you some fast and simple tools to help you assess a site's reputation before you provide any personal or financial information. It's not necessarily the ultimate, but it's a great first step.

Before registering any where, here is a simple routine to follow:

Look for the casino's name and keywords such as "withdrawal issues" or "complaints.

Look on the homepage for licensing information, and verify with the regulator.

Browse the conditions and terms, particularly the bonuses and withdrawal points.

Try out the site with a small deposit to see how it works.

Attempt a smaller withdrawal early, to get a feel for the process.

If it does not feel right, it's not right. If you feel under pressure to make a bigger deposit, if they ask for unusual documents or if they make promises that sound too good to be true, it's time to take a step back.

So if you've already had a bad experience what's the point? Take screenshots, save emails, store lots of transaction notes etc. Before contacting the casino's support, contact the licensing authority. Writing reviews can also assist other players from going through the same issues.

Fortunately, there are lots of casinos that do the correct thing. They're quick to pay, clear on communication and provide you with tools to stay in control. It's up to you to locate them, and a bit of prudence can go a long way.

As with all pastimes, play for the fun of it, set limits and never risk more than you can afford to lose. Players need to be a legal age in their province. Help is available if gambling no longer seems fun.