The online gambling industry is growing at a colossal rate, and the seemingly simple task of counting the functional web casinos that are out there is practically impossible. In 2018, the national gambling association of the US, AGA, reported 2,800 active parlors. In 2022, the numbers could have easily doubled and are probably changing even as you read this. The question is, of these mind-boggling numbers, which one to go for if you simply want to play some slot games in online casino?
Personal preferences aside, there are certain ways to tell a casino that is any good from the one that is downright trash, and this is the subject of the present article. If you are completely new to online gambling, use the following sections as a checklist before settling for a particular parlor, and don’t neglect this check-up even if some friend told you that casino is the next best thing after sliced bread. Looks, like many other things, can be deceiving. The article is structured in a way that represents a preferable user behavior when encountering a new parlor.
Online Reputation
First things first, approach things in a science-ish manner and do your research. Your initial conclusions must be based on at least a dozen different sources, but ‘the more, the better’ rule applies. Stay away from paid review dumps – you will know one once you compare a couple of articles and see they are all touting the reviewed casinos like it’s nobody’s business, rarely even mentioning any disadvantages (trust us on this, there are no perfect online casinos, but there can be one acceptably imperfect by your standards). What you should be looking for is real user feedback – biased, imperfect, emotional and detailed. All these features are what makes it believable and genuine. Player reviews featuring screenshots to back up their claims are the best.
Interface
We have already mentioned that looks can (and, in many cases, will) be deceiving, but this still is an entry-level barrier. After all, this is what the casino owners wanted you to see in the first place, and if it looks like hot garbage, it probably is. From a purely subjective standpoint, why bother playing at the website that doesn’t please you visually? The casinos owe their players a nice (and convenient, for that matter) wrapping that holds everything else together.
License
Avoid the casinos that do not even have a license like fire, they are a blatant and brazen scam despised by gamblers and legal casinos alike. Unfortunately, the mere fact of having some sort of license doesn’t guarantee the complete absence of malignant intent. There are too many fraud schemes online that are half-legal, and we shall cover them in the Banking section. To wrap this up, let’s say that offshore casinos (certificates issued in Malta or a similar country) are more likely to be dishonest than those boasting a major gambling license.
Terms
Your head may be exploding from all the fine print, but you better invest in reading it through, stopping to mull over the most convoluted parts and doing your best to figure out what is actually meant. Your best strategy is immediately giving up on the candidate offering you the terms that seem incomplete, twisted or explicitly inappropriate. If the big picture looks fine, but something still bugs you, better contact their support and clear things up before giving them money or personal info.
Security
Any casino that is worth anything employs a know-your-client procedure, in the course of which you will need to part with some of your precious personal data – we mean copies of your ID, bills, or similar documents. The whole thing is standard for the industry, and if you’re not ready to do that, forget about online gambling for good. Otherwise, you should be looking for the security methods used on their website – safe connection protocols (HTTPS) and at least some sort of data encryption are a bare minimum.
Banking
A decent online casino would be looking for means of attracting as wide an audience as possible. A part of it is extending the list of supported payment methods and currencies. When it comes to deposits, it’s mostly a matter of convenience – just check whether your preferred system is on their list and doesn’t have outrageous minimum limits, accrual downtime or fees (instant red flag). With payouts, things get more complicated. Not a single casino will let you lay your hands on a somewhat serious jackpot. What they do instead is paying in installments. If you’re not okay with the offered terms (on average, it’s no more than $2000-$5000 per weekly transaction) – keep looking.
Support
It goes without saying that a modern online casino should have at least one 24/7 means of reaching out to the support team – the faster, the better. You are guaranteed to feel much more confident about a possible candidate by testing their communication lines. Most often, you’ll see a live chat and email on the website, sometimes accompanied by a phone helpline. Try out the method that you would prefer in the future and see how competent the customer care is.
Bottom Line
There are minor flaws in online casinos that can be excused if other factors are good or exceptionally good. However, you shouldn’t be too lenient to a parlor if something doesn’t feel right. There is a 100% chance of finding a better option, and you can always return to this article and subject the next candidate to thorough testing. Good luck finding the platform that will cater to all your needs without any major trade-offs – with the existing supply, it is perfectly possible but requires some effort.