As with many things in life, when it comes to finding what suits you best, it can take a bit of patience and research to pick your top choice. For example, finding the best restaurant in your area for the tastiest carne guisada or the most stylish hairdresser in town for quality cuts and value for money could take a certain extent of trial and error.
The same goes when it comes to picking a top online casino that best suits your needs; there are numerous options to choose from and several factors to consider. But with the market so saturated, and new casinos popping up nearly every day, how do you go about making sure you’ve selected a legitimate site that offers great games, genuine bonuses, and fast payouts?
Licence and Regulation
One key factor to picking any online casino is to check its licensing status, as this indicates whether the site is operating legitimately or not. Casinos that pay real money in a timely fashion, offer achievable bonuses with clear terms, and top games from respected software providers are licensed and regulated.
Their licence is issued by a trusted gaming authority such as the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, or the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
Games and Software
Top casinos offer a wide range of games, from slots to table games, live dealer, and instant wins. These are powered by leading iGaming providers such as Evolution, NetEnt, Play’n GO, Games Global, and Big Time Gaming.
The library should be regularly updated with new releases and popular choices. At many sites, you will be able to demo the games for free prior to placing real money bets.
Bonuses and Promotions
Most online casinos offer welcome bonuses to attract new customers to their site and regular promotions to keep their existing clientele engaged. The best casino sites make these bonuses achievable by offering lower wagering requirements that can be completed within a reasonable time frame.
Terms and conditions should be clear and jargon-free. Typical promos include deposit bonuses, free spins, cashback, reloads, and loyalty and VIP programs.
Fairness and Security
At a regulated casino, you can expect high levels of security, such as encryption technology, firewalls, and ID verification to protect all data and financial transactions. In addition, policies are in place to ensure that all site activity is legitimate, with an emphasis on deterring underage gambling, fraud, and money laundering.
Games are regularly tested by third-party auditors such as eCOGRA to monitor the Return to Player (RTP) stats and Random Number Generator (RNG) outcomes. They guarantee compliance with fair gaming.
Payment Methods
You will have a wide range of trusted payment methods to choose from, such as debit cards, e-wallets, mobile pay, and bank transfers. Popular providers include Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay, MuchBetter, PayPal, and Skrill.
Transactions into high-ranking casinos are typically fee-free, with deposits being instant and withdrawals taking around 3-5 days to clear. However, some sites are able to offer even faster payouts, ranging from instant to a matter of hours.
Mobile Compatibility
It goes without saying that most of us have succumbed to the convenient usage of mobile devices where access to the digital world is at the touch of our fingers. The majority of online casinos now offer fully optimised platforms that adapt to the size of your screen and are compatible with popular operating systems such as iOS and Android. In addition, many sites now offer a dedicated mobile app for an even better experience.
Responsible Gambling
At a respected casino site, player safety is of paramount importance, and to ensure the site upholds this, a responsible gambling policy will be in place. This policy gives players access to a variety of online tools which can help them maintain control over their spending.
Tools include deposit, wager, loss, and time limits, reality checks, timeouts, and self-exclusion for short periods or indefinitely. Alongside these tools, you will often find questionnaires for self-assessment and links to organisations that offer support with gambling-related issues.
Customer Support
Customer support isn’t just there in case of an emergency, it’s a core part of your casino user experience. Top casinos offer multiple support channels, such as email, telephone, contact form, social media, frequently asked questions, and live chat, all of which can be accessed 24/7. You can expect email responses within 24 hours, and live chat operators should be able to answer questions in real terms, not just reciting from the website.
You can expect the team to be knowledgeable and responsive with a polite, ‘can-do’ attitude. It’s always a good idea to browse the FAQ pages, plus the site’s terms and conditions, for any additional information like fees and/or withdrawal limits.
Reviews and Reputation
As we know, the internet holds a great deal of information, and this can prove extremely advantageous when choosing between different online casinos. Online, you will often discover player forums and reviews for your chosen casino site. These will highlight any complaints or ongoing issues with a particular operator, and how these matters are resolved, whether in a timely fashion or, unfortunately, never.
However, do take heed that some reviews can be a little overzealous, rather biased and indeed, slightly misleading. It’s just like when you’re looking at other well-known review sites, e.g. Tripadvisor, you need to sift through reviews with a certain degree of common sense and pinch of salt.
Summary
Picking a top online casino without all of the confusion is quite a straightforward process as long as you take into consideration the key factors we’ve mentioned above. It’s not just about seeing a dazzling welcome bonus and ploughing all of your hard-earned cash into some random site. It’s about spending a little time researching and dipping your toe in the water before fully committing.
If the casino offers free games to play in demo mode, do it. This way, you can find out how the platform compares with others, if there are any loading or lagging issues to be aware of, and what games are available to play, all without spending a dime.
