Safety and Trustworthiness

In the online gambling world, the safety and trustworthiness of a site come first. A trustworthy casino means that you can share your personal and banking information without the fear that it will leak or be shared with third parties. We want to ensure that you are playing at a regulated, trustworthy casino that follows all the rules to the letter, so the licensing and security of online casinos are our top priority.

Licence from a Reputable Licensing Body

The first thing we check when rating a casino is the licencing. Just like all other companies, casinos need to be registered in a particular jurisdiction to offer its services. Most countries have a gambling watchdog that sets the rules of the game. Casinos with operating licenses from reputable jurisdictions are trustworthy as they follow this strict gambling code.

Some of these reputable jurisdictions include Kahnawake, the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta e-gaming commission. There are also several second-tier reputable gambling jurisdictions, such as Sweden, Denmark and Curacao. We check the jurisdiction in which the casino is licensed, along with information about the registered company and office. Ideally, reputable sites provide this information on their websites so that their customers can verify or contact relevant bodies if they need to.

Regulated by an Independent Authority

An independent authority is an organisation that is not manipulated by a third party or government. It makes its decisions based on their set rules and regulations.

We rate casinos that are regulated by independent authorities highly. It is a statement that the casino indeed follows the highest standards in the industry and has not been favourably rated due to some business connections. An independent casino review team guarantees fair and unbiased assessment, so any gambling site regulated by an independent authority actually makes a statement that it has nothing to hide and takes pride in its services.

SSL Encryption

An SSL certificate encrypts communications between the user device and the website. This prevents hackers from tapping into the information in transit and using it for malicious purposes. Every trustworthy website should have a valid SSL certificate.

You can check if the site has a valid certificate by checking the lock symbol just before the URL in the address bar. You will get information on the insurer and the serial number of the certificate.

All our favourably rated casinos have a valid SSL certificate, so you can be sure that your information is safe.

Privacy Policies

The privacy policies detail how the casino will use your data. Your data may be stolen or sent to third parties by the online casino if the privacy policy is not robust enough. Our highly rated casinos have watertight privacy policies, few or no restrictive terms and no gaps in their data security plans. They also have no history of data leakage or claims of fraud filed against it.

Bonuses and Promotions

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Most online casinos offer different bonuses and deals in order to attract more players. The number and type of promotions and bonuses on a casino are a significant factor we take into account when we rate online casinos. We check the potential win for each of the casino's bonuses, the terms of the offer, and any restrictions that the casino has placed on players. Let’s explore some of the main areas we check when rating casinos based on their bonuses and promotions.

Available Bonus Offers

We check the number of offers available in a casino. We expect a reputable casino to have several bonuses for new and available customers. Here are some of the popular casino bonuses:

Bonus Terms & Conditions

Bonuses come with various terms that you should meet to be allowed to withdraw the winnings. These terms and conditions may include:

  1. Bonus Limits
    This is the maximum amount of bonus you can get from a promotion. The amount is usually fixed. For example, if a casino gives you a 100% bonus up to £1000, It means that the maximum bonus is £1,000. We check this limit when evaluating casinos.
  2. Time Limits
    This is the validity period of the said offer. You should have met the terms of the offer before the expiration of this period. Ideally, the casino should give you a reasonable period to meet the bonus terms and conditions. If the bonus is very large, it may be divided into various deposits or extend the validity period. We check this when evaluating the bonuses.
  3. Eligible Games
    We would like to see the games players are allowed to play with the bonus. In most cases, the casino will allow you to play a specific category of games with the bonus. A reputable casino has a longer list of eligible games or sets a higher game contribution percentage for most games.
  4. Minimum Qualifying Deposit
    The minimum qualifying deposit is the least amount of cash that you should deposit to play with the bonus. If this amount is very high, it will cut off layers who are working on shoestring budgets. We rate casinos with a low minimum qualifying deposit highly, as they take such players into consideration.
  5. Wagering Requirements
    The wagering requirement is the number of times you should wager the bonus before you can withdraw it. A high wagering requirement puts your bonus at risk of being wiped out by wagering. We look for casinos with reasonable wagering requirements when making recommendations.
  6. Caps on Winnings
    Some casinos place a cap on the amount you can withdraw from your winnings. It may be a fixed figure or a percentage of the deposit amount. For example, a winning cap of 4x means that you can only withdraw four times your deposit. This slashes your potential winnings to the said figure.

Withdrawal Process

Good real-money casinos have a smooth withdrawal process. We check the withdrawal conditions the casino has set for customers to make withdrawals. Some casinos may ask players to verify their name and location. Others may restrict withdrawals to specific methods or the ones the player used for deposits.

Then we look at the withdrawal limits - the amount you can withdraw at a given time. The limits are usually daily, weekly and monthly. A low withdrawal limit means that your big winnings will take a long time to reach your wallet, which can be a disservice in case you win a jackpot. We check this when evaluating the withdrawal process.

Finally, we consider cash-out times - the duration it takes to have your money. We recommend casinos with shorter withdrawal times. Our team evaluates the wait periods for each category of payment method, whether cryptocurrencies, bank transfers, e-wallets, cards or individual providers, to make an accurate recommendation.

Games Diversity and Quality

The type and quality of casino games offered by an online platform are of uttermost importance for a superb online gambling experience, so we only recommend casinos that offer a wide variety of games of high quality. There are several game categories and tons of game developers. When we review online casinos, we consider their game selection and the software providers they work with. We check several aspects of the games and the reputation of the game developers, as explained below.

The Variety of Games

An ideal casino is one that offers a wide variety of games to its players, so every gaming style and preference is catered to. When looking at the available games in an online casino, we consider popular categories such as slot games, table games, live casino games and poker. We check of the casino offers free demo games as well. Needless to say, our top rated casinos offer not only a great game selection, but also very high quality games.

In each category, we check the number of titles and their variety. A casino that works with several software providers is able to provide a greater number of titles so that players can easily find their favourite online casino games, have fun and enhance their winning potential.

For example, in the slots, we would check for subcategories like classics, jackpots and video slots. On the live casino, we would check for the variety of blackjack, roulette, game shows and poker titles.

The Game Software Developers

We also check the number of software providers that work with a given casino. The higher the number of game developers, the more likely it is that the casino is offering a diverse number of titles. This gives players the advantages discussed above.

Besides, a high number of software providers open up the casino to more bonuses, tournaments and network-based features such as jackpot titles. We check if the casino works with reputable companies and the quality of games for each provider. Ideally, the casino should have a mix of renowned brands and upcoming industry disruptors so that there are diverse games.

Progressive Jackpot Availability

We check to see if there is a progressive jackpot section and the number of titles available. Progressive jackpots are titles where the cash prize is pooled from all the casinos that feature the said title. It keeps increasing until there is a winner.

Progressive jackpots offer an opportunity to increase players' earnings and go home with life-changing amounts. We consider both high- and low-win progressive titles and make the appropriate recommendations to our customers. Casinos with several progressive titles rank highly in this section.

Free-to-Play Options

You can play your favourite casino games with real money or for free. Unfortunately, not all casinos have a free-to-play option. We look for specific casinos that offer free-to-play options across major categories. Ideally, these categories include slots, table games, provably fair games, poker, bingo and the lottery. Live casino tables are usually not available for free games, as the total win is based on the amount wagered by all the players. We recommend casinos with a free-to-play option and encourage our readers to try various titles there.

Live Casino

When gambling online, a live casino is what can make your experience feel real. The live casino is a table games and live show section of the online casino where human dealers deal games. Random number generator software runs the rest of the sections. It gives online players a chance to enjoy the feeling of a land casino from their devices. We check to see if the casino we are looking at has a live casino.

Our team explores the software providers who offer games in the section, along with the variety of games there. We recommend casinos with an extensive live casino section with diverse titles, several software providers and bonuses that can be used in the section.

Mobile Gambling

Over 60 percent of people game on their mobile devices. Therefore, every serious casino has a mobile casino. We want our readers to be able to enjoy casino games on the go, so we evaluate the mobile casino for each casino brand we pick.

Good online casino sites are optimised for use with small screens. It means that you will not need to zoom out or change the orientation of your mobile screen in order to enjoy games on your device. Besides, it is easy to click tabs and navigate from one page to the next.

We actually use the mobile platform to ascertain these features. Our team is also keen on the user experience, the number of games available on the mobile casino and if there are features that are available on the main casino that you would not enjoy on the mobile casino.

We also check if the casino has any apps. Apps enable you to play on the go on your mobile device without having to first search for the casino in the browser. Most casinos develop apps for Android and iOS operating systems. During evaluation, we check the user experience of each of the apps.

The availability of mobile bonuses - the offers that are only available to players who use mobile devices - is also important. Casinos offer these bonuses to encourage players to use their mobile devices for gaming. Any casino with a mobile bonus is a testament to its commitment to mobile gaming. It is also likely to offer quality user experiences on the mobile platform. This is the reason why we are always on the lookout for such offers.

Transactions and Money

The ease of transactions is a vital consideration for online gamblers. The best online casinos allow players to deposit and withdraw cash quickly with low fees and few restrictions. So, when evaluating new casinos, we check on the following banking and money features:

Accepted Payment Methods

We determine the accepted payment methods at any given casino. Our team categorizes them accordingly into such classes as cards, e-wallets, cryptocurrencies, bank transfers, etc. Where different methods are available in particular regions, we note that too. This is because such casinos offer regional solutions to their players for added convenience. A casino with a huge number of popular payment methods caters well to the transaction needs of its players.

Many players can use the methods they naturally use for their online shopping. Besides, the choice enables players to pick the provider that serves them best. We always recommend casinos with many and diverse payment methods to players, along with other features we have discussed in this section.

Processing Times

We also check the length of time it takes to get your cash after requesting a withdrawal. Different methods have varying processing times. Besides, some casinos have pending times that further lengthen the wait period. Other times, random verifications further delay withdrawals.

Our team checks both the pending times and processing periods for each category of payment providers. We provide the average wait time and recommend the best methods. From experience, reputable casinos offer the fastest withdrawals via cryptocurrencies, followed by e-wallets and then cards. The processing time rating also counts when comparing casinos against each other.

Processing Fees

Sometimes, the casino charges a commission for processing payments. This lowers your deposits and withdrawals. We check if the casino  charges a commission for processing withdrawals and if the payment providers charge a processing fee. Where this is the case, we determine the amount. Casinos with low or no processing fees get a higher rating in this category.

Transaction Limits

A transaction limit is the amount beyond which you cannot deposit or withdraw. Casinos place transaction limits to protect customers from fraud or themselves from overdrawing in the case of withdrawals. We rate casinos as per their transaction limits and recommend those with higher limits. Where the payment providers set limits, we explore those with high ones for recommendation to our readers.

Security Levels

Your banking information is as important as your personal data. You should only play at a casino that adequately protects your banking data. We explore the security features that the casino has put in place to protect customer data as well as incidences of past fraud or data leakage. Our team looks for such features as an SSL certificate, an anti-fraud mechanism and the storage of banking data away from the rest of the casino data. We also check if the casino reviews its security features regularly and how it has handled past threats. Those with robust security tools and a solid past record get a high rating.

The RTP of the Casino

The RTP stands for return-to-player percentage. When rating casinos, we check the average RTP of the casino to determine what pay you can expect. Casinos with a high average RTP are likely to give higher payouts.

Customer Care

Effective customer service ensures that players get help as soon as they have a problem. It also enables the smooth operation of accounts, as the casino handles issues as soon as they occur.

We check how the casino handles and stores customer data. Our team researches possible loopholes where personal data may be lost or stolen in the customer support system and evaluates the risk to the casino’s players. Safety is of paramount importance, so we also check if the casinos have been accused of data-related issues in the past. Highly rated casinos have a strict data handling policy. They keep customer data secure and invest in tools to prevent unauthorised access.

We also check the methods that the casino has put in place and the length of time it takes to get help from customer service. Some of the popular methods we look at when making an evaluation include live chat, email, phone, social media accounts and the user community. Our rating takes into account the ease of access to customer care. Those that have speedy service across several methods get a higher rating in our review.

Ideally, customer support should provide answers to all customer needs and go out of their way to ensure that the customer is satisfied. We read customer feedback to determine if the solutions they get from customer service are efficient and workable. Our teams also seek to know how long it took to get the said solutions. Highly rated casinos offer speedy solutions and strive to solve each problem within a limited timeline.

Customer Experience

The customer experience depends on the overall service that a casino provides to its players. Here is what we check when exploring the customer experience:

Periodical Updates of Casino Reviews

Finally, at Casino.Online, we stive to update our online casino reviews every six months or so. As the gaming market evolves, we expect the casino to adjust accordingly and improve the quality of their services. This is witnessed by changes in the casino site and its communications across the internet.

So, we check for new features such as new games or new bonuses added to the casino, additional customer services methods and improvements in both navigation and quality of customer support, etc. We also periodically check the state of a casino's security features and reevaluate the banking policy of the operator. Our casino review team also carefully analyses the impact of such changes on customer experience.

This way, we make sure we always provide our readers with up-to-date, helpful information about online casinos. Our expert, honest reviews can be trusted and used to find the best online casino for every player.

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Jacob Evans Written by Jacob Evans