How to Choose an Online Casino

How to Choose an Online Casino

For players who want to know how to choose an online casino, this article takes them through the salient features that you should check when looking for a casino. Take your time and choose a reputable website to avoid losing cash when gambling.

The internet is home to hundreds of online casinos. It may be hard for any gambler to pick the best among them from just the look of the casino website. Remember, the choice of the casino plays a significant role in the quality of your gaming experience and your chances of making money. Therefore, it is important that you take your time and pick the best fit before spending your money. This article takes you through some of the things that you should keep in mind when selecting a casino website.

The License

The license is probably the biggest contributor to the reputation of a website. When casinos are established, their owners pick a gambling jurisdiction and a watchdog under whom they operate.  A single casino may have multiple licenses from various watchdogs to serve players in different areas of the world. 

If the casino does not have an operating license from your country, it is good to check what other countries have licensed it. A casino licensed by reputable bodies is likely to be fair, transparent, and make payouts as it states. Some reputable licensing bodies include the MGA (Malta Gaming Authority), UKGC (Unite Kingdom Gambling Commission), Kahnawake Gambling Authority, and the Curacao eGaming Authority.

Reputable casinos put their licensing information at the bottom of their homepage. This information includes the license number and the registered office. If you have a dispute with the casino that cannot be resolved amicably, the license provider can help.

Security

There are hackers all over the internet who intention is to gain access to people’s account, steal their biodata and banking information and siphon their money if possible. Some also gather data to sell to marketing companies. A reputable casino protects you from these risks through several security measures on its website.

First, the casino should have a password policy that dictates how you should create a password, automatic logout if the account remains open for some time without any activity. The casinos should employ SSL technologies to prevent tapping of the information as it leaves your device.  We also recommend checking if the casino has any customer complaints regarding payment security or any other fraud. 

Besides, the platform should be a member of at least one professional gambling body such as eCogra, Gamestop, and GamCare. These organizations work to ensure the safety of gamblers on their member platforms, making such platforms low risk casinos.

Reputation

There are rogue online casinos that look for ways to earn from their customers through cheating. Such casinos will either use pirated software, have restrictive terms and conditions, keep changing terms of their offers, or engage in the form of fraud. Here are other hallmarks of a casino with a poor reputation.

  • Manipulating games to lower the payout ratio and lower the chances for a customer win
  • A casino that withholds their pay or a win with no valid reason keeps changing the pay dates.
  • Casinos that do not accept a player win. Such casinos claim that such wins are software errors, and the player is not entitled to the money. Others may try to push a payment of a smaller percentage.
  • Casinos with unreasonably low withdrawal limits. This means that you will take so long to withdraw a huge win
  • Casinos that keep asking players to verify themselves every time they make a withdrawal request in a bid to hold onto their cash.

Check customer reviews for any of these complaints. If you find that the casino did not resolve such complaints, this is a red warning that the platform is not reputable. Keep away from such casinos.

Games

You will be coming to your favorite casino to play games. Therefore, you need to pick a casino that offers a wide choice of games in as many categories as possible. First, the games should be provided by reputable, verifiable software providers. The casino should provide the details of the service providers on its platform.

Take a look at the type of games provided. Is it easy to search for a specific title? What games are in each category? Does the casino allow you to try the games for free? Do you have problems when trying to load the games? If you get favorable answers for each of the above questions, the casino is good to go.

Bonuses

Bonuses are a way that the casino attracts players to their sites and encourages them to keep depositing and playing.  On the other hand, bonuses increase your earnings without having to deposit more cash into your account. 

It is important that you look at the bonuses available on the casino website before signing up. Does it have a welcome or free spins no deposit offer? Are there offers for existing customers? What are the general wagering requirements for the bonuses? 

Pick a casino that offers regular bonuses with terms that are not too restrictive. Besides, view bonuses as part of the entire casino offering so that you are not just attracted by high bonus amounts yet the other offers are not worthy of it. Besides, some casinos restrict bonuses to a particular geographic location. You may want to check if offers are available in your location. For example, in the USA, you may check for USA casinos with no deposit bonus.

Support

Generally, a casino should have easy instructions and terms so that you are able to complete various procedures with ease. However, there are times you need a helping hand to complete some of the procedures. For example. You may have problems using a payment method or understanding no deposit casino bonuses. This is where support comes in.

A reputable casino has support available around the clock to attend to customer needs day or night. It should also be available via various methods to make it easy for the customers to reach them. Go for a casino that has at least the live chat and email address. Where possible, pick a casino where support is available in different platforms such as social media, on the phone, and other instant messaging apps.

Mobile Casino Games

Unless you are always in the office, you are most likely to make your wagers on a mobile device. Therefore, you need to pick a website, which avails its casino games to the mobile casino. Most casinos will have a mobile website where players can access games via a browser. Please visit the platform and determine the quality of the games on the mobile devices if all features of the main casino are available on the mobile platform.

If you are a regular casino gamer, check platforms that come with an app for the mobile platform you are using, whether Android or iOS.  Apps make it easy for players to enjoy gaming on the go, as players do not have to search for the casino and log in every time they want to play. It also works well where the player has a few minutes at a time to dash to the casino and play.

Ideally, the mobile platform should be responsive. It should also be easy for players to use various platform features without zooming in for a better view. It is also good to check if bonuses such as free slots no deposit are available on the platform or offers specially meant for mobile users.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options, Fees

You have to transact with your account so that you can play with real money at the casino. The choice of payment methods determines how easy it is for you to transact with the account. You should go to a casino that accepts payments from the common methods available for online transactions, preferably the methods you normally use in your daily transactions. This saves you from having to open new payment methods and incurring costs of transferring cash from one method to another.

Check the deposit and withdrawal terms. How long does it take to have the cash reflected in your account after making a deposit? How long does the casino take to honor your withdrawal request? A reputable casino should enable instant deposits and take a reasonable time to process payments once requests are made.

It is also good to check the available currencies on the platform. Does it support your currency or any other currency you are comfortable using? If you are into cryptocurrency, does the platform support the e-currency that you intend to use? Are there any restrictions to the use of any currencies to claim a deposit bonus?

Finally, check the fees for making transactions at the casino. While many methods allow free deposits, some charge you a percentage of the amount you transacted. It is good to know how much you are going to pay to use such methods and the convenience that comes with them. Otherwise, go with casinos that do not charge for transactions or have very low fees.

Are there any other requirements that may affect your ability to transact with the casino? Some other restrictions include the maximum withdrawal amount, no withdrawal during weekends, and the number of withdrawals you can make per a given period. Check how these affect your ability to transact.

Other Things to Check

Does the Casino Accept Players from Your Country?

Ensure that your country is among the whitelisted countries on the platform. Otherwise, you may not access any bonus offer and some features on the platforms. Besides, the casino may ask for proof of residence when verifying your account. You do not want to have problems verifying your details and residence. If in doubt if your country is accepted, contact the customer service.

The Languages and Website Usability

Many casinos translate their casino websites to as many languages as possible. They also provide support in those languages. If you are not comfortable using English at your account, check if it supports the language that you intend to use. Go to the language tab on the top of the page or the settings section to check. Besides, confirm if you can understand the translated terms and conditions before signing up at the casino.

On the other hand, visit the website and determine how well you can use it. Is it easy to navigate from one page to another? What is the general ‘feel’ of its pages? Does it provide you with enough information to enable you to play comfortably? If you have problems locating different features on the site, it may not be a good platform for you.

Are you ready to gamble? Use the above tips to pick the right website for your gaming.

Where can I get website reviews when looking for a platform to sign up?

You can read user reviews on gambling platforms on the internet. Besides, you may visit sites such as this to read reviews of the most popular websites on the internet. You can also do a quick check on the internet by search the name of the casino with the word scam.

Can I access the casino terms and bonuses before signing up?

Yes. Most casinos will allow you to access every page of the casino before sign up. This allows you to check their offering and determine if they are a good fit. Avoid joining sites blind or where information is hidden from guest users.

Author:
Candy Adams

Professional author, editor and content writer. Expert in online gambling.

Last updated: 21 Apr 23
Meet Candy Adams, a seasoned writer at NoDeposit.org with over a decade of experience. An expert in online casinos, gambling, no deposit bonus codes, and casino reviews, Candy's insightful articles have engaged readers across numerous leading gambling platforms.

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