The Smart Gamblers Guide to Choosing a New Online Casino

The online casino market has grown rapidly during the last decade and there are now more than 2,000 online casinos that players can choose from. While it is always good to have multiple online casinos to choose from, it can become really difficult for amateur players to find the best online casino for them.

The best way to shortlist an online casino is to apply the parameters that we have listed below. This will significantly reduce your options and help you choose an online casino that works best for you.  Our list of featured casinos use the below criteria and hence we are happy to recommend them to you. You can further filter this list based on your needs and find one that gives you what you want.

1. No Restrictions on Your Country

There are many online casinos that look very attractive but sadly they don’t accept players from all countries due to gaming regulations in certain jurisdictions. This is the first thing that you need to check before you sign-up at any online casino and make a deposit. 

Most online casinos usually list the countries where they don’t accept players from. In case you have any doubt, it is always good to double-check with customer support. This is because sometimes an online casino will allow you to sign-up but when it comes to withdrawing your winnings, they will refuse to payout on the basis that it cannot make payments to players in certain countries. 

3. Approved by Reliable Regulator

Most online casinos boldly display their licensing information at the bottom of their homepage. It is important for you to find an online casino that has been approved and licensed by a reputed regulator who takes action against dodgy operators. There are many countries who rely on gaming regulators outside their jurisdiction like the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) while some countries like the United Kingdom get licensed from their own regulator, in this case, the UK Gambling Commission. 

The main reason you want to find an online casino who is approved by a reliable regulator is because in case there is a dispute, you can try and get the gaming regulator to mediate and solve your problem. If there is no reputed regulator involved, then you are left at the mercy of the online casino operator.

2. Market Reputation 

The online casino market has received a lot of negative attention due to unscrupulous operators. Many iGaming operators lure new players with false bonus offers and outlandish promotions that are far from true.

So, don’t waste your time with sites that list expired no deposit offers, its time consuming and irritating. There are sites that only showcase many types of match bonuses, no deposit bonuses and free spins bonuses that are active and meet a certain standard with regards to wagering requirements and actual value.

Always take the time to read a few reviews on the online casino you want to sign-up with. If the reviews are mostly negative, take it as a big red flag and stay away from this online casino.

 

4. Return to Player Percentages 

There are a number of online casino sites out there that have some crazy bonus offers which count on the player to succumb to greed and sign-up. Some casinos promise payouts that are more than 5000 times a players stake. The return to player percentages are unreasonably high on both their bonuses and certain games.

Easy to calculate

While this is certainly attractive as it increases one’s winnings significantly, you must also take into account the online casino’s reputation and market value as most of these casinos who make such incredible offers will struggle to payout these winnings. 

The best thing you can do is find an online casino that promises reasonable returns as it shows the casino is not trying to pull a fast one.

5. Do They Have Your Favourite Games

Before you sign-up at any online casino, check if they carry your favourite games. You can do this by checking their list of games and having a look at the software providers they have signed up with. If you like live casino games and the online casino does not have a live dealer section, it makes no sense to sign-up, even if there is a great bonus offer. Most online casinos classify their list of games, which makes it easy to find what you are looking for. 

6. Professional and Easily Accessible Customer Support

Always check the customer support section before you register at any online casino. If you struggle with English, do check to see if the casino provides support in your language. Also, check if live chat support is available and if the customer support team is available on a 24/7 basis.

7.  Seamless Navigation and Reliable Software

You want to sign-up with an online casino that has a user-friendly interface and is easy to navigate. Many players neglect to check out the software and run into problems later as they find it slow and difficult to load. 

One way you can do this is to check out a few free to play games and see if you like the experience. 

8. Mobile Friendly

Most of the top online casinos are mobile friendly having their own casino app available for download or allowing players to access their casino via their mobile browser. Do check to see if the casino is mobile friendly and will allow you to play on the go.

Two things you need to consider is whether the mobile casino is compatible with Android and Apple platforms (depending on which you use). You also need to check if the full suite of online casino games is available to mobile users and some casinos offer only a limited selection to mobile players.

9. Banking Options

Always check the banking options available before you sign-up. You also need to pay attention to withdrawal times and minimum withdrawal amounts. If they don’t have your preferred method of payment or one that you can use, there is no point registering for an account.

10.  Safety And Security 

Do take the time to check the online casino’s commitment to safety and security. You can do this by reading up on the FAQs or getting in touch with customer support. Top online casinos pay attention to this in order to prevent player data from being stolen and their casino from being hacked.