As you embark on your search for the best online casino, you will come across tons of review sites, each touting some casino sites as the best. But what criteria are they using to decide on which sites are best for players? How can you be sure that a casino will meet your needs? The best way to gauge the credibility of these reviews is by independently evaluating their suggestions. This guide will show you the determinants you cannot afford to ignore:

The Licensing

Is the casino licensed? Who is regulating it? These two questions might seem like the same thing, but they are hardly the same. You see, you must first understand if a casino has the licensing to provide gaming services in the market. Any top casino site will have such licensing and will display the same somewhere on its site. So, what’s the importance of licensing? It ensures that the casino abides by fair play and will hold up its end of the deal. It means that if you win, you get your earnings without being taken for a ride. That brings us to the second point- who is regulating the site? Not all commissions are equal- some can even side with the casino when it is wrong. So, do a deep dive into the regulating authority and decide if it’s the right fit for you.

The Reputation

What a great thing to live in a digital age where information is essentially free! Almost anything you want to know is available online. So, you can pick a casino, go through reviews, and understand its history well enough to gauge its credibility. Don’t hold back on researching casino sites. You might find out that there is more than meets the eye. But also be objective when reading reviews- some people may not be forthcoming. The rule of thumb is to go with the general opinion. For example, after reading through fifteen reviews, what does the higher percentage say? A rating of 4.5 out of 5 on average should be a green flag.

The Site Security

Are you playing for money? If yes, you cannot afford to ignore the aspect of safety and security. First, you’ll want to understand how a casino processes your data:

• Are they backing up the data?
• What information do they store?
• How about their cookie policies?
• Does the casino share the data with anyone else? If so, do you have any say about this?

Secondly, you want to check if the site has SSL encryption. That ensures that your transactions occur in a bubble, and you can keep your financial details hidden.

The Payment Options

Most casino sites now allow you to deposit and withdraw cash using means other than wire transfers. Of course, this has been a blessing to people who could otherwise not bet for fear of having their loan applications declined. That said, what should you concern yourself with when choosing a casino? Find out how many deposit and withdrawal options it offers. Can you use digital currencies? Just how much of your data does the site require to process your payments? Also, find out how long the payments take and how much the site charges per transaction. You want to work with a site that pays out winnings almost immediately and charges minimal fees on the same.

The Site Experience

Online casinos must work hard to match the vibe of land-based casinos. Is the casino interface exciting? Do you feel encouraged to keep playing, or are you put off by the graphics? Also, look at how easy it is to navigate the site and land on the games you want to play. The easier it is to use the site, the more fun you can have on it. It’s easy to overlook this factor at first, but it always comes back to haunt you after you’ve used a site for a while.

The Customer Support

You will not be playing in a casino where you can call on the dealer or management to solve any issues that arise. That means you will only have customer support to help you when things don’t go your way. Is the site customer support reliable? How many channels of communication does the site offer? Here’s an idea- contact the customer support on each one and see how long they take to respond. Are you satisfied with the response speed and answers? That should inform your next move.

The Game Variety

It seems funny that we would include this factor so far down on the list. But here’s the thing. A good game variety does not do you any good if the site is not reliable. For example, if the site has hundreds of games but the graphics are off, how can you enjoy the games? So, if a site checks all the boxes above, you can then start checking out its game variety. Is it extensive enough? Then you may have found yourself a winner!

Oh, don’t forget to factor in the bonuses and rewards- all the best of luck!