How we test casinos

Game selection

When it comes to games, it’s a matter of both quality and quantity. An online casino should have a decent number of games so that players have lots of variety and plenty of options. But having said that, the games have to be of good quality. In other words, they should come from top providers.

There are hundreds of companies that develop gaming content for online casinos. Some of them produce better games than others. An ideal casino should have a large collection of games and most, if not all, of these should be from leading providers.

A casino’s games layout should be well organised. The games should be arranged into several categories (Popular, New, Video Slots, Table Games etc.) with a handy filter so you can display games by select providers. New games should be added regularly so that players always have the "what's next?" buzz every time they play.

Payment methods

When you spend your hard-earned money at an online casino, you want to make sure your money is in good hands, right? That’s why we only promote casinos that can be trusted with your money. The best sites accept plenty of common payment methods for both deposits and withdrawals. These include bank cards, e-wallets, prepaid cards, bank transfers and cryptocurrencies.

The top casinos also process payments quickly. This means that deposits are pretty much instant; as for withdrawals, they should be on their way to you after a few hours or less. Essentially, you should be able to do your banking smoothly when at an online casino. Payments should be quick and hassle-free.

It’s also worth mentioning fees and limits. Most online casinos don’t charge you anything for deposits or withdrawals. As for limits, the best casino sites don’t have limits that are too restrictive. If you’re lucky enough to win big, you should be able to cash it out all at once.

Bonuses

Online casinos are very competitive, especially when it comes to bonuses. For many players, one of the most attractive aspects of gambling online is claiming bonuses from special offers. But here's the reality: sometimes, they're not quite what they're cracked up to be.

You see, every kind of online casino bonus comes with terms and conditions. These are rules that spell out what you have to do to claim a bonus; they also determine how you can spend your special reward. To claim a bonus, make sure you agree to these conditions when you tick that box, because if you stray from the line, even without realising it, you risk seeing that bonus disappear.

Most of the time, the terms and conditions are fair, but you should keep an eye out for dodgy offers. We're talking about very high wagering requirements hidden in the small print. Our job is to sift through the jargon and help you avoid the pitfalls and get the best bonuses.

Safety and security

OK, let's get down to business. If you're going to play at an online casino, it has to be safe. You're depositing your hard-earned money, so 24/7, top-notch security is a must. There's no point in betting on a casino that doesn't take security seriously: you risk getting ripped off! Here's what to do: stick with us and we'll point you in the direction of the most honest casinos, the ones you can trust. All the online casinos we recommend are casinos we would play at ourselves.

When we review online casinos, we check for a licence. If a casino doesn’t have one of these, it might not be safe to join. Some of the regulatory authorities that hand out licences to gambling sites include the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority and the Government of Curacao. We encourage players to only join casinos that are licensed.

We also attach great importance to fair play. A casino must have a random number generator (RNG) that makes the results of games as random as a throw of the dice. And we don't just take their word for it: we want proof that an independent body has checked their payout rates.

Lastly, we make sure the casino is taking steps to prevent gambling addiction and help those who are suffering from it. We check for the presence of all the necessary tools, such as limit setting or the possibility of taking a break. If a casino’s responsible gambling page has a lot to offer, we can tell it’s serious about promoting responsible gambling.

Mobile use and apps

Mobile gambling is huge and if we’re going to promote an online casino, it’s got to have a top-notch mobile site. Navigation should be smooth, loading and running speeds should be fast and the site itself should be very user-friendly. And if there's an app in the mix? Ripper!

Both mobile sites and apps should be fully responsive and offer the same gambling experiences you would get on the desktop site. Most online casinos have great mobile compatibility, but we always like to check, just in case.

When you’re playing at a mobile casino, whether it’s a browser-based site or an app, you should be able to enjoy gambling on the go with ease. So long as your device has a steady internet connection, you should be able to play all the games you like with no hassle whatsoever.

Customer service

Even at the best online casinos, things can go wrong. It’s important for a casino site to have a top-notch customer support team in place. Ideally, a top-rated casino should have a 24/7 support team on standby, and there should be multiple ways of getting in touch. Live chat is regarded as the most convenient, though we also like to have a phone number handy for people to call. Sometimes, speaking with a real person is better than typing messages for a chatbot to reply to.

Summary

You should now have a good idea about how we review online casinos. Our aim is to lead you to the best online casinos, which is why we put each casino through the wringer, looking at a whole range of elements. We're tough critics and we go through these sites with a fine-tooth comb to make sure we're only serving the cream of the crop. We put in the hours doing the research so you don’t have to.