How 2FA Works in Online Gambling

No doubt you've heard of two factor authentication before. It's known as 2FA for short - thankfully - and the idea is to improve security by adding another layer before you can access something that uses it.

Let's look at an example to see how this works. Let's say you want to log into your PayPal account. Usually, you'd have an email address and password to get access to it. However, 2FA would ask you to verify your identity via other means before completing your login. This would typically be via text message, where they send a six-digit code for you to type in. Get it right and you get access to your account. This saves your account being accessed by someone else, as they wouldn't have your phone to get the code.

Do online casinos use 2FA - and should they?

While two factor authentication is coming into play on many websites, it hasn't yet been seen at lots of online casinos. However, we suspect that it may only be a matter of time before this becomes more routine.

When you think about it, it protects your casino account from being hacked by someone else. If you have a credit balance there, anyone who gets into your account can potentially use it and cause major issues for you. Sure, lots of casinos do - and should by law - ask you to verify your identity before you can withdraw anything. However, 2FA would be another layer of protection you could rely on at such casinos.

How easy is it to set up 2FA at an online casino?

You should find you can do this by changing your login settings once you have set up an account with an online casino. You'll need to download a 2FA app to your smartphone or tablet before you can do this - Google Authenticator is a good example but there are other trusted ones out there, so do your research first.

You'll usually need to scan a QR code and then enter a security code on the casino website to complete the process. If you're using a casino that has this facility, it should have instructions on how to go through it. Most are much the same, but there could be slight differences between them.

Which casino currently offer two factor authentication?

We can name Bovada and BetOnline among many others, but not all casinos currently have this availability. Since this feature is one that has many advantages, casinos that use it are keen to promote it. It helps promote their site as being a much safer one to use, after all. So, we'll keep you updated with the latest online casinos to add 2FA to their roster of services and features.

Final point: Don't forget to choose a super-safe password

While two factor authentication is a good step to take to make your casino account even more secure, it doesn't bypass the need to use a safe password. Choose a complex one, use fingerprint access for your password if you have a smartphone that uses it, and make sure you change that password frequently. This will all help keep your online casino account more secure. And if you can add 2FA as well, so much the better.