A common concern associated with live casino gaming is one of privacy, specifically, can the dealer see what you are doing through your own webcam? Mercifully, the answer is ‘no’. However, it’s worth delving into this topic a little to see just where these worries come from. Can a webcam really serve as a privacy nightmare or is the Internet getting over-excited about nothing at all?

The public’s collective knowledge of cybercrime hasn’t always been very strong. In fact, it’s fair to say that our appreciation of threats like ransomware, phishing, and miscellaneous malware tends to grow following major breaches, like the one that took the NHS offline in 2017, costing £92m. In fact, an NHS trust in Oxford is still struggling to fend off a different cyberattack that began in August 2022.

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Unfortunately, incidents of this size and renown can fool the average Brit into believing that cybercrime - and cybersecurity - is something that only businesses and the rich and famous have to think about. While this isn’t completely false, as high-value targets tend to attract the most envious eyes, there’s potential for anybody to fall victim to cybercrime, whether that’s identity theft or a computer virus. 

This brings us back to our original point, namely, the trouble with webcams. Mark Zuckerberg caused a minor stir a few years ago when he (accidentally) revealed that both the microphone and camera were covered on his personal laptop. This seemed more than a little ironic to some people, given that Facebook had been recently accused of violating its users' privacy.

Webcam Covers

You can happily ape Zuckerberg’s caution without affecting your enjoyment of casino games. The Mr Q website stresses that the dealer’s stream only goes one way. Put another way, you can play at a range of live casinos without anybody knowing who you are. The only aspects of your activity that the host is privy to are your bets and any messages that you’ve exchanged with them. 

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The Washington Post recommends that everybody covers their webcam when it’s not in use. This is to thwart cybercriminals who may try to record everything that it sees. This might seem like a rather dull hobby on the face of it but illegally recorded videos can be used to all sorts of nefarious ends or, in the workplace, to steal information that might be sitting on your desk or on your person. 

The obvious question to ask is what should you use to cover a laptop camera? Electrical tape is usually recommended but it can cause damage to the lens if it’s kept on for a long time. As many workers now use Zoom and Skype to attend work meetings, this method is unwise. Hardware webcam covers are sold online but, for brief disappearances, a clean sock can serve much the same purpose.

So, in summary, you should never need to use your webcam when playing at a licenced casino. Players may choose to use video feeds during private poker matches, for example, but your preferred device doesn’t even need a camera to take part in live casino games. All it needs to do is meet the minimum hardware requirements for streaming video. 

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