Online Gambling is a growing industry, but you should be aware of the risks associated with it. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of fraud.

First of all, you should ensure that you are legally permitted to gamble online in the country you live in. In addition, you should set limits and never play with money that you can’t afford to lose.

You can find out if gambling is legal in your area by contacting your local authorities. If you’re found to be gambling illegally, you can face a fine or even jail time.

Once you’re legally permitted to gamble, you can open an account with an online casino. You’ll need to provide personal information, such as your name and address. Once you’ve registered, you can deposit funds into your account using a credit card, e-check or wire transfer.

In 1998, credit card associations developed a coding system that merchants must use to distinguish between gambling transactions and other types of financial transactions. This has helped protect the public from rogue merchants, but it’s not perfect and many unscrupulous businesses have been able to get around it by entering the wrong code for their business.

The United States government has taken a tough line on online gambling, including the prohibition of credit card transactions at Internet casinos. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed in 2006, but it’s important to note that this law does not apply to foreign merchants and payment processors.