Reputable Online Casinos: How Do You Know If a Casino Has Worth?
It’s certainly one of the most difficult questions. When I start reviewing an online casino, I want to know that my surmises about an operator are correct. While there is a lot of technical information to study and explore, and I do, I usually want to know what the reputation of a casino is. And this takes some research. To establish the credentials of a brand, I make sure to take a closer look at what you, players, think about the online casino. I have several channels of research.
Usually, these include regulatory authorities in the United Kingdom, Malta and other regional watchdogs, rating agencies, reviewing services such as my own website, and public boards. Now, I don’t take any opinion at face value, but I pay close attention to what everyone is saying. Of course, I have found many biased opinions, but I don’t let those cloud my judgment about an online casino.
I will look into the most positive opinions coming from a position free of bias and then take a closer look at the vituperative claims that tend to dismiss a casino altogether. These extremes don’t often correspond to the truth. What I like is to see some resolved past issues. No online casino avoids confrontation, but to build a reputation, each operator tries to resolve such conflicts with tact and in a fair manner. If you are quickly running out of patience to check everything yourself, I will help you out. Just pick a review from my list.
Is an Online Casino to Be Trusted? Definitely, Maybe
In determining the reputation of an online casino, I always try to be in the middle. If a casino means well, the support staff will resort to an issue and clarify why a certain action was necessary. Of course, you sometimes get casinos that threaten to sue you if you help players get the word out. However, those are the ones that are run as fraudulent websites and are usually slammed shut by the community. So, to sum up, how do you tell a reputable casino from the rest? I have prepared a brief walkthrough for you.
In the following five-step guide, I will give you five specific things to look for in any online gambling operator to guarantee yourself a better gaming experience. Let’s start from the top, and I am sure that by the end, you will be able to tell the good casino sites from all the bad apples yourself. Now, you know you can always trust my reviews, but let me walk you through the process.
#1 Have Your Own Opinion
The important thing is to be able to read into the available information and subject it to a close examination. If a user says they have had a problem with withdrawing funds, was it because they really did or because they tried to withdraw funds with active bonus funds? If the player fails to specify this detail, they are trying to turn the truth again to the casino. I wouldn’t trust such players nor their opinions. Instead, I will keep looking for someone who can show me with facts that a certain aspect of the gameplay at a casino is true.
#2 See What the Rating Is
There are many websites where you can vote on the rating of an online casino. Usually, it’s good to trust these ratings, but always take a look at the comments left by players. There are certain websites that seem genuine and others that seem to be inflating the ratings. For example, even a trusted website may have had an influx of “bots” which have left fraudulent comments, inflating the casino’s ratings. How do you spot these? It’s simple, just read through the comment. They are usually written very poorly, not only grammatically, but also in argumentation, not to mention punctuation.
#3 Run a Google Search
Yes, something as simple as a Google search can reveal a lot of information. That is a common practice in “Due Diligence” searches when companies are planning M&A, and yes, it works just fine for determining the reputation of an online casino. If there is something really bad – or good – it will usually show up in a quick search. Don’t hesitate to conduct one, or just let me sort this out for you.
#4 Who Are the People Behind the Online Casino?
Now, an online casino is not just something random that comes out of nowhere. Usually, the people developing your online gambling experience for you are industry veterans. Question is, are they the industry veterans whom you entrust to build trustworthy casino sites. Thankfully, this is rather easy to check. What you need to do is check the operator and run another Google search. If the company is new, there may be less information available, but the biggest and most ambitious brands have usually been in the industry for a long, long time now so you can always find what you need.
#5 Check the Technical Details
Now, I mentioned that the technical information is not the most important, but it plays a key role as well. After all, you want to know what payment methods you can use and if the wagering requirements are transparent. Is there a live casino and can you rely on customer support at a given online casino? All of these details are usually and very quickly established by a review such as the one I tend to prepare for your convenience.
Legit Online Casinos: How Do I Know They Are Legitimate Operators?
Now, when it comes to legitimate gambling operators, they are always very easy to find. That’s because each casino has a license displayed on their footer. Whether this is a license in the United Kingdom or Malta, you will be able to find the licensing number. A licensing number you may ask; why would you need that? Well, it’s simple, the licensing number is the quickest way to check if a casino really has a permit to operate.
There is another thing I find very handy. By having a quick look at the register, you can actually see if the casino has been fined in the past or in any way breached the terms of its licensing agreements. It’s definitely a very powerful and quick tool to check the reputation of any online casino. Now, there are several main licensing authorities that make sure you can always play safely and know your funds are protected.
The UK’s Watchdog
The first one is the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) which is one of the strictest operators. The commission controls every aspect of licensed online casinos, from the available casino games to the free spins, deposit bonus options, and even payment methods. Furthermore, the regulator will expect all casino sites and their affiliates to comply with the measures mandated by the regulator.
Remote Gaming License from the MGA
That is done to ensure that players get access to the safest online casino solutions available online. Another respected casino operator is the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) which specialises in the issuance of remote gaming licenses. Most online casinos today that want to operate remotely procure an MGA license, which allows them to offer online casino games virtually anywhere where the permit has weight.
Of course, an online casino will most likely have to have a license from a local gambling authority as well, and the best online casinos definitely do.
Testing an Online Casino for More Than Reputation
Now, to be absolutely certain that an online casino is a respectable venue, you must make sure that they are tested by the best in business. Players often worry about provably fair casino games, i.e. will the slots you play produce honest, unbiased results. In the past, land-based casinos used to be trusted over any online casino, but this has changed thanks to established testing agencies, such as eCOGRA, GLI, iTech Labs, and TST.
This quarter of testing agencies will guarantee that the casino games operate based on verifiable and honest Random Number Generators (RNG). Each casino game will be operated based on this RNG to make sure that the outcomes you get are fair. Now, it’s up to the companies that test online casinos to guarantee fairness and most top brands will always commission the services of such testing agencies as an additional reassurance for players that everything is fair.
This is certainly a reputation-building decision as players would love to have another confirmation that the casino games they get to experience, whether that is table games or online slots, are all marked as reliable. The best part is that these agencies run the numbers constantly. The RNGs are tested hourly or at least once every 12 hours and no foul play can be covered up. Don’t worry, I test these things myself before I recommend a casino.
Best Online Casinos: They Are Everyone’s Favourite
The best online casinos have gone a long way in establishing their reputation, that’s for sure. They have been able to successfully incorporate desirable features such as a great welcome bonus, transparent wagering requirement, free spins, e-wallets payments, and a live casino. The availability of features isn’t necessarily a sure-fire sign that the casino is the best one you can play, but it’s a very good start.
Now, what I always advise readers is to keep an open mind. There isn’t a single online casino that qualifies as “the best.” You will find many reasons to change casinos and even participate in a few at once. Every casino is capable of offering slightly different and beneficial features.
For instance, a deposit at some casinos could come with a better free spins bonus and daily drops whereas another casino could have a much better selection of slots, or perhaps even a loyalty program. There is always a lot of comparing to do to make your mind before you deposit.
Why I Look at the Deposit Bonus to Determine Reputation
One thing I really appreciate about casinos is honesty and more importantly – transparency. A casino that puts their terms unequivocally is really my favourite. You can go to the deposit bonus section and glance through the T&C’s and understand everything at once. Now, some casinos do make the rules a bit more complicated, but this doesn’t mean they are dishonest. It simply means the nature of their bonuses is different. For example “Flexi bonuses” in casinos are released the same way as in online card rooms, you get a portion of the bonus cashed out as you go along.
You can see how telling if a casino’s T&C’s are fair if you are new to online casino gaming. However, the best will always have the same thing. They will be well-structured and will have answers to all you need to know. Can you use credit cards to cash out and if so, what are the minimum and maximum limits.
All of these questions will have a quick answer available at the top online casinos you can play today. The bonus terms often help me determine the reputation of the casino, too. Well, that’s not entirely true, but a casino that tends to take care of its players by offering more competitive and fair wagering requirements, for example, surely tends to do a little better in the ratings.
What Games Can You Expect from Trusted Casino Sites?
The plain truth is you can expect all possible iGaming products known to the industry. You will most certainly have access to table games, live dealer options, video poker, and various other games, including slots. A good reputation is definitely not an easy task to maintain, but the best casinos know what they need to do. Accessibility is key here. Every game featured in a casino game portfolio should be up to speed with the latest consumer expectations, which means one thing – mobile compatibility.
The games must be accessible from an Android or iOS device and provide players with all the comfort a desktop device can. In fact, there are hardly any games these days, be that live dealer or video poker, that won’t work well on mobile. Sure, some older versions of popular table games or video poker might still need some catching up to do, but a casino with a great reputation will surely have added quite a few alternatives as well.
Test Customer Support
One of the ways I can tell if a casino is a real brand to look up to is to check their customer care service. Now, customer service isn’t always known for their best manners in general, but when you pick from the very top of the iGaming world, you can expect prompt solutions to even your most pressing issues. The best casino’s customer care agents are suave, and they have the right solution for you.
They know the T&C’s like the back of their hands and they are armed with patience to help you walk through every obstacle. Sure, there will be moments when tempers will get frayed, and you might feel even frustrated with a casino you have chosen to play at. But, this is where the customer agents come in to help you understand the situation and be able to tell for yourself if a certain measure is justified.
Payments: Reputation Matters, But So Does Your Money
Reputation will surely help you find the best operators, but to be able to trust them, you will want to know that they offer quick banking solutions. And by banking, I mean payment methods that allow you to make a deposit and cash out from the casino quickly.
I always prefer to work with familiar payment options that charge no fees, offer quick overall processing times, and grant you the ability to be flexible. Most casinos today will provide you with an instant or 24-hour cash out of your funds, which is always a big advantage to players – and the casino itself. After all, players today want to be able to move their money without any trouble. And I have always found it handy to play at the casinos that are capable of providing this feature.
Responsible Gambling & Protecting Players
There are some uneasy sides to gambling some people prefer to avoid talking about, but I feel everything should be out in the open. One of these difficult topics is problem gambling. In order for a casino to pass my criteria for a respected authority in iGaming, I demand to see some adequate measures taken to protect vulnerable players. After all, many people may feel tempted to play too much.
Now, what I expect to see from a casino that has a good reputation in the community is some safety mechanism. Generally, I insist on seeing self-exclusion measures in place. These self-exclusion mechanisms allow players to monitor how much they spend playing and to exclude themselves – as the name suggests – if a certain threshold is exceeded.
There are various ways to “exclude” one’s self. For starters, you can set a firm deposit limit. Some session limitations mechanisms have used in monitoring the time players spend. Now, just because fail-safes for vulnerable individuals like these exist, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the casino’s reputation is top-notch.
Yet, in my experience reviewing hundreds of brands, I definitely have a thing or two to say about such operators. And, usually, it has to do with their commitment to protecting the player base, which is definitely something I myself strive to encourage and promote myself. Hopefully, my reviews are here to help you figure out which the safest and most trustworthy casino sites are!
Conclusion
Picking a great casino is often a lot of hard work. Yet, I have found that after spending some time in the industry, finding the best casinos isn’t as much of a hassle as it used to be. Today, there are clear regulatory standards that force all online casinos to comply. Some operators may opt for a shortcut. However, the community and reviewers such as myself are quick to point out their shortcomings. As you choose from my list of recommended brands with a solid reputation, you will soon develop the taste and ability to spot the great casinos yourself. I am sure that you will be great at it. I have made sure that you only get to experience the safest online gaming portals out there!
Reference
- http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2014/11/005.html
- https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/for-the-public/Safer-gambling/Safer-gambling.aspx
- https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1040&context=nulr
