Introduction
It’s one thing to walk through casino doors and get a feel for the place. You can see if it’s hustling and bustling and if people are having fun. You walk around and note that slot machines abound or your favorite Wheel of Fortune game is over $1.2 million, or a dollar Blackjack table is available.
Honestly, you can tell if it’s a place you want to stay just by the vibe. If people are laughing and excited, there’s either a lot of money being won or people are just having fun and you want to join them.
When you’re looking to make some bets online, however, it’s an entirely different story. All of those things you can see, hear and touch vanish into the virtual world, so you have to rely on completely different criteria to decide where you’re going to wager your hard earned cash.
Our Reviews
Getting Started
So, where do you start and how do you do it? Well, you’ve got one of two choices. You either have to be prepared to fill out a lot of registrations and deposit money into numerous casinos until you find one you prefer and that feels comfortable, or you need to rely on other people’s experiences and the reviews that are published.
If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet, and we’re sure you have, or you wouldn’t be reading this, you know that it’s difficult to decipher what’s accurate or not. People tend to be overly positive, wanting you to try something out, or they’re uncomfortably negative and nothing makes them happy, so they use the anonymity that online provides for venting.
With online gaming, you’re talking about people risking their money so, the winners are happy and, those who can’t cash out will not typically provide a glowing recommendation. That’s not to say there isn’t validity in looking at player feedback because you will note patterns.
To get a more objective point of view, though, reviews are essential, especially if they’re non-bias and provide you with the good and the bad. After all, a casino may offer a limited number of games, which is something that one player may not want but, for you, it has your favorite slot machine and quick payouts, so you’re on board. As long as you have the full picture, you can then make your own decision.
You Can Tell If The Reviews Are Unbiased
How is it that you can go on one review site and read a glowing recommendation and go on another and see a rogue report for the same casino warning players to stay away?
There could be several reasons. The casino review site may be tied in with particular casinos. Some online operators put out their information and blogs, so you may be reading something that will skew toward one site or multiple sites that are under one ownership umbrella.
Another could be that they simply don’t care and just want to post content. We’ve seen information out there promoted as being accurate, that in no way resembles the casino they’re reviewing. If you do a search like “Bitcoin casinos,” in probably 50% of the cases, the Bitcoin casino recommendation is for a site that doesn’t even accept that currency.
Traits Of Good Review Sites
Information will be accurate and up to date – you don’t want to read a review of a casino that closed its doors a year ago.
Feedback primarily in line with other sites – it’s a red flag if everyone else has rogue casino reports posted and but this one particular site gives the casino a glowing recommendation.
Substance as well as style – details are important such as specific games that are provided, financial options, bonuses rollovers, etc. Generic impressions without anything backing them up, don’t serve you.
Recognition that there are areas that could be improved – unless the casino is just top-notch in every way, it’s helpful to know where its service can be bettered. It provides a more accurate overall picture.
Not relying too heavily on individual player remarks – consistency, again, is critical in this area. You don’t want a review regurgitating what a disgruntled player puts out there. You want to be aware of patterns. One non-pay may be attributed to a player’s misuse of a bonus. A dozen non-pays within a short amount of time is something you’ll want to know.
Using Reviews To Help You Make Your Decision
By reading through some reviews that you would consider to be more accurate, you can get a good feel for the sites that provide overall proper service and the ones that may not be worth your time, especially if you note similar feedback in multiple reviews.
Launch Date
When a provider started its operations may be something you wouldn’t see up front on a casino’s homepage, but it’s handy to know how long it’s been in business. It’s extremely favorable if it has ten years under its belt and no big payout or other issues.
Financial Options
Review sites typically provide the deposit and withdrawal information as well as any fees assessed or mention of extended payment processing times.
Software
You may not be familiar with gaming software, but there are a few prominent providers like Microgaming or IGT as well as numerous boutique companies. You may want a casino that utilizes several, so you have more variety, or you may prefer just one company that offers your favorite game.
Bonuses
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, welcome bonuses are here to stay and, if you enjoy the benefits that they provide, you’ll want to know what’s available as well as those pesky rollover requirements or other stipulations that are attached. Review sites should include play through information as well as the bonus programs.
Game Selection
You would think this would be number one on everyone’s list, but there’s so much more to online betting to consider that game selection is not always the top priority. You are there to play, though, and you want to make sure you have the choices you enjoy and whether or not they’re available on your smartphone or tablet as well. Good reviews should include categories as well as a few examples.
Customer Support
Many times reviewers will have had one to one interaction with service agents or have feedback from players who have needed assistance. At the very least, you should find contact information.
Ownership
It may not be necessary for you to know who holds the LLC for one site or another, but it is important to understand the relationships and affiliations. If one ownership company has proven disreputable business practices and then launches a brand new site, you may want to steer clear. On the other hand, if it’s a big company like Paddy Power-Betfair, you can figure that it has enough backing to keep your money safe.
Just the Highlights
If you’re looking at numerous casinos and don’t have time to read through everything, the review site should be providing you with an at a glance look at the casino. That way you’ll know if it accepts US players or if it takes Bitcoin, what the welcome bonus is, or does it have a live casino that is important to you.
Everything is subject to opinion, and we know that everyone’s viewpoints are different, but good subjective remarks about the site, in general, are probably the most important things that should be provided:
- Is the site easy to navigate?
- What games take top billing?
- Are jackpot slots available?
- Is there a live casino?
- What about a sportsbook, racebook, or poker room?
- How many games transfer over for mobile play?
- Is the site slow loading?
- Is there full disclosure of financial options and bonus requirements?
- Are explanations clear and concise or do you need a law degree to decipher?
Things You Should Look For Before Registering Your Account
Player feedback and glowing recommendations aside, you’ll want to pull up the casino’s site and go through things yourself before you register and initiate any deposit.
Licensing and Registration
Casinos that are fully licensed and have an overseeing authority that regulates gaming practices will adequately disclose this information. You should see the particular license they hold noted at the bottom of the homepage. Some licenses are better than others. The UK Gambling Commission holds its licensee to strict compliance including independent fair gaming certification annually.
Financial Information Front and Center
A complete list of player funding and cash out options is an important factor, in our opinion. Players considering staking real money with a casino want to know, up front, how they can transfer money to a player’s account. The majority of websites are transparent and offer concise tables of deposit and withdrawal information that includes their options, minimum and maximums, fees (if any), and turnaround times. Then, there are other sites that, for whatever reason, feel that it should be under lock and key and don’t offer it up to potential players, only to fully registered ones. It’s your call, but we appreciate full disclosure.
Mobile Use
A review may provide information regarding mobile casino availability, but not all games may be accessed on smartphones or tablets. It’s a good idea to pull up the website on your phone and make sure your favorites pop up for you.
Your Overall Impression
You may not be walking into a brick and mortar casino, but you can still get a feel for what an online service is all about. If it has a design that isn’t your cup of tea, or you’re finding it difficult to pull up individual pieces of information, then you may just want to trust your gut and move on to your next choice. Just as you’d want your slot machine to be clean and not have cigarette ashes all over it or not have to walk a mile to get to your preferred Pai Gow table, you want your online games to be appealing, easy to access, and fun to play.