Imagine the scenario in which your casino refuses to pay you out despite winning big money playing online slots. Actually, you don’t have to imagine anything – such things have happened many times in the past. And they keep on happening with unlicensed online casinos run by scammers.
This is just one in a long list of reasons you ought to do your research and choose the very best online casino. Although it’s not easy, investing a little bit of effort will surely pay off. To help you out in your quest for the best internet casinos, we’ve prepared a guide, telling you exactly what you should pay attention to. So, let’s start!
Step 1 – Checking the Casino’s Operating License
It’s fair to say that all the best online casinos have an operating license, issued by a legitimate gaming authority. Whether it’s issued by a US state or some of the island nations in the Caribbean, it doesn’t matter much. What matters only is that a real gaming authority has issued it.
This way, the casino is obliged to follow the rules regarding security and fair gaming. Otherwise, it may end up losing its license. Without a license, a casino might not be permitted to operate in your jurisdiction, facing big fines if it breaks this rule.
Speaking of fines, in some US states, gambling at an unlicensed online casino is considered illegal gambling. Legal ramifications for such actions can be pretty severe, which is one additional reason why you should stay away from online casinos without a proper license.
Step 2 – Reading User Reviews
The internet can be a pretty powerful weapon for the “small people.” One can get their voice heard about literally any issue. This includes those issues related to delayed/canceled payments and other problems casino players sometimes run into.
So, if there are many complaints about a certain online casino, you know what you got to do – stay away from it!
Step 3 – Checking Out Pro Reviews
User reviews are driven by the users’ own experiences with casinos. That means that they are often biased. For example, a player might be full of praise for a casino if they’ve won money many times on that platform. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the casino deserves credit.
This is the reason why you should always take a look at what professionals think as well. There are people out there who’s sole job is to do unbiased casino reviews that consider a variety of factors before giving the final verdict. Some of the things pro reviewers tend to focus on are the user interface, design of the website/app, and other technical stuff.
Step 4 – Checking the Banking
You can be certain that pro reviews are going to contain discussion about the casino’s banking options. Nevertheless, it’s always good to also check this on your own. The reason? If the banking method you’re using is not accepted by the casino, you’re not going to be able to make any deposits/withdrawals.
That’s the most obvious reason, but there are a few others. You should always check the banking T&Cs because some online casinos have processing fees that are just too extreme. For instance, you might be required to pay over $100 in fees for making a money transfer using a bank wire.
Then, there’s also the issue regarding processing times. Although deposits are almost always processed straight away, the same does not apply to payouts. They can sometimes take for days or even weeks. You surely don’t want to wait that long.
Step 5 – Taking a Look of the Game Library
Casino games are the soul of every casino, whether it’s online or land-based. The more games, the merrier – that’s the rule. However, this does depend on your own preferences. Some players love online slot games; others prefer classic table games. Then, there are those who love getting that real-life casino feel by playing against live-dealers.
Having a variety of games at the disposal of players is what makes an online casino great. Still, in the online gaming world, it’s not just about the quantity, but quality as well. In short, the games in the casino game library need to be good!
By “good” we don’t just mean that they need to be entertaining and pleasant to the eye. That goes without saying. What we also mean is that those games have to be generous toward players in terms of payments.
While checking the casino game library, you need to pay attention to the games you see in there to see how good their RTPs are. If you’re not familiar with the term, the RTP stands for “return to player” which is the percentage of the wagered money that is paid back to the players. The higher the RTP, the better your chance is to walk away with the money.
The good news is that if a casino ticks all the boxes mentioned in the four previous steps, it probably also ticks this one as well. The best online casinos have games with super-high RTPs.