1. Safety & Licensing
You should never compromise on safety when gambling with real money online. And that is why we start all our casino reviews with in-depth safety checks. Licensing is the key to identifying safe and reliable operators. Licences from reputable regulators, such as the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal, verify that a gambling site operates legally and according to strict standards.
As well as checking for verified licences, we assess other key safety criteria. We check for independently audited games and payouts, to ensure that they are fair and in no way rigged. We also analyse technical security to ensure a gambling site encrypts payments and protects your privacy.
1.1 Licence from a Renowned Gambling Authority
Gambling regulations vary from one country to another. For instance, in Portugal, gambling sites must hold a licence from the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ). So, we ensure that a casino holds the necessary licences to operate legally in any given jurisdiction. Licensed operators must adhere to the strictest standards of security and player protection. So, playing at a licensed online casino guarantees a safe gambling experience.
1.2 Independent Regulations for Fairness
As part of licensing regulations, legit online casinos and gambling sites must be checked for fairness. Trusted independent testing agencies, including eCOGRA, GLI, and iTech Labs verify the integrity of games and payouts. They perform rigorous RNG testing to ensure that game results are truly random and cannot be rigged. These testing authorities also produce reports detailing the payout percentage across all games. This regulation for fairness ensures that you have a fair chance of winning when you play at licensed online casinos.
1.3 Technical Security
Every reliable gambling site should guarantee technical security. They use SSL to encrypt any sensitive data that you share with the gambling website. This ensures that your personal data and your payment transactions are completely secured. To make sure that your shared data and payment details will be safe, we check that the site is protected with a trusted SSL certificate. You can do so yourself by click on the padlock icon to the left of the URL in your browser. Secured sites also include https:// at the beginning of the URL.
2. Games & Software Requirements
Games and software are an important part of our ranking process. We check for a rich variety of games with enough diversity to cater to all types of players. We look for quality and quantity when it comes to game selections. A good casino will offer games with excellent graphics and exciting gameplay features. Reliable software is also essential to ensure that games run smoothly on both desktop and mobile devices.
2.1 Available Game Variety
Game selection is one of the main considerations in choosing which online casino to play at. The best casino sites offer diverse game selections with games from various top software developers. This means you can expect crystal-clear graphics and exciting features from the games.
You could play slots, roulette, blackjack, video poker, and more besides at top sites. By reviewing the games that a casino offers, we can rank the
best slots sites and the best casinos to play other popular games.
2.2 Renowned Software Developers
Every trustworthy casino features games from well-known software developers. By partnering with top casino software developers like Playtech, Microgaming, and NetEnt, an operator can make sure that their game selection is filled with high-quality, popular titles. It is preferable that operators offer games from numerous software developers. This ensures plenty of diversity across the entire selection, with many top-notch games to choose from.
2.3 Free Demo Games
When rating an online casino’s game selection, we check for the availability of free demo games. Most reliable online casinos offer demo versions of their games that you can play for free. Playing for free is a great way to get to grips with the rules, gameplay, and features before you risk your own money. So, practice play can help prepare you to play confidently with real money. Not every gambling game has a demo version. This is usually the case with live dealer casino games. Still, you should consider taking advantage of free play games when they are available.
2.4 High Quality Gambling and Casino Apps
Most players prefer to play casino games on mobile devices. So, mobile compatibility is an essential requirement for all online casinos and gambling sites. All reputable operators offer players the option to play on the go. Most casino sites are mobile responsive, so you can play directly in your mobile browser on most devices. Some operators have also developed native apps, tailor-made for optimum performance with iOS or Android operating systems. You could find a slightly smaller game selection playing on mobile. Still, the best mobile casinos keep the differences to a minimum.
4. Payment Options for Deposits and Withdrawals
If you want to play real money casino games online, you will need to make a deposit. Most online casinos accept several payment options that allow you to deposit safely. These include debit cards, e-wallets, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and pay by mobile services. Keep in mind that not all payment options are available for withdrawals.
We check the accepted payment methods as part of our casino review process. We also check deposit limits and processing times to rate the banking options. The best real money casinos offer quick and easy deposits as well as convenient and hassle-free withdrawals.
4.1 Fast and Secure Deposits
Each legit online casino should offer a fast and secure deposit process. There are usually several deposit options to choose from. All payments are protected using SSL encryption at trusted gambling sites. Still, some deposit options offer better security and privacy than others. For example, e-wallets such as PayPal and Skrill allow you to deposit without using a bank card. This adds extra protection to your payments, as you do not need to divulge your sensitive banking details.
4.2 Efficient and Reliable Withdrawals
You need to be confident that the casino offers fast and secure withdrawals when the time comes to withdraw your winnings. Most online casinos offer several withdrawal options. You will normally be required to withdraw with the same method used to deposit. Yet, if you use a deposit method that does not support withdrawals, you would need to select an alternative. Withdrawal times can vary depending on the operator and the payment method used. So, you should always check that the online casino offers fair terms for making withdrawals when deciding where to play.
4.3 Diverse Payment Methods
Most legit online casinos offer several payment methods. You should always check that there are sufficient payment options to choose from. All online casinos accept major debit cards, such as Mastercard and Visa. Many casinos accept e-wallets, such as PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill. You could deposit with prepaid cards, such as PaysafeCard at many gambling sites. Plus, some accept mobile payments through Boku or Apple Pay, which is particularly convenient for depositing on the go. Let us once again remind you that some payment methods cannot be used for withdrawals.
4.4 Fast and Secure Transactions
All reliable online casinos should offer fast transactions that are completely secure. Trusted gambling sites encrypt payment transactions. This protects your sensitive payment details from unauthorised access. Players should be given the option to make instant deposits and fast withdrawals. Still, differences can be found from one operator to another. At reputable casinos, deposit and withdrawal terms are clearly listed. So, you can check the accepted payment methods, limits, and transaction timescales.
5. Reliable Customer Support
When you play at an online casino, there will occasionally be times when you need to get in touch with the operator. You could have an account query, a question about a game, a technical issue, or perhaps an enquiry about available bonuses. You can tell a lot about an online casino by their customer support services.
We check for quality customer support when we rate online casinos. Reputable operators offer reliable support options. They provide various channels to get in touch, such as live chat, phone, and email. Plus, they invest in thorough training for their customer service agents, to ensure that they are fully qualified to handle any queries quickly and efficiently.
5.1 Available Live Chat
Most trusted online casinos offer live chat customer support. And most operators prefer their players to get in touch through this method. Live chat is the most convenient way to contact a casino. Queries are responded to quickly, making it ideal for urgent issues that require immediate attention. Live chat agents are trained to be able to handle most types of queries. So, it is the quickest way to get the help you need.
5.2 Reliable Email Address
Most online gambling sites allow customers to contact them via email. They could provide an email address on their website or a contact form for you to get in touch. Email is a good option when you have a general enquiry that does not need an urgent response. It is also ideal for important or complex issues that require lots of detail from you and investigation by the support team to resolve.
Various reputable casino sites provide phone support. Many trusted operators provide a phone number to call and talk directly with a customer service agent. In a similar way to live chat, customer support by phone is a great option for urgent issues that need a quick response. Sometimes, you could find it more convenient to talk to an operator than typing to them. This is when a phone call is the best way to contact customer service.
5.4 Polite & Informed Customer Advisers
There is nothing more frustrating than lacklustre customer service that is more of a hindrance than a help. So, when we review an online casino, we contact the customer support team to assess how they handle various queries. Reputable casinos have polite and well-informed advisors that can efficiently handle a wide range of issues. Whether you have a general enquiry or an issue related to your account, you can be confident that the support team will be able to help.
6. Responsible Gambling
Social responsibility is an essential requirement for online casinos. For many players, gambling is fun and entertaining. Yet some players could develop problem gambling behaviours. All online casinos should promote responsible gambling. They partner with various agencies and charities that specialise in the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction.
All reputable online casinos offer various tools to help players stay in control of their gambling habits. They offer options to set limits on deposits, playing time, and losses. They will also give players the option to self-exclude, which is an important step for anyone experiencing difficulties controlling their gambling behaviour.
6.1 Organisations That Help Prevent Gambling Addiction
Most online casinos collaborate with several responsible gambling organisations. Operators provide funding to such organisations as part of their commitment to promoting responsible gambling. Some of the leading responsible gambling organisations include GambleAware, Gambling Therapy, GamCare, and the Responsible Gambling Trust. These organisations specialise in the research and treatment of problem gambling. They provide help to anyone affected by gambling-related harm. All trusted online casinos list contact details for responsible gambling organisations on their websites to assist their players.
6.2 Self-Exclusion
Reputable casino operators do not aim to profit at the expense of their player’s health and well-being. Promoting responsible gambling behaviour is a requirement for all licensed casinos. One of the most important self-help tools that online casinos offer to players is the option of self-exclusion. By opting to self-exclude, you will not be permitted to deposit and play at the casino. It is an important tool for problem gamblers to help take back control, and a key step in recovery for gambling addicts.
7. Become a Part of the Best Casino Sites!
We are constantly on the lookout for top online casinos to recommend to our visitors. If you are a casino operator that matches our criteria, you can become featured on our list of the best casino sites. To get your casino listed on our website, we will carry out a detailed review, covering all key categories.
We will check your casino site’s licensing and security credentials. We will assess the games you provide and bonus offers. In fact, we will check all of the criteria we have covered on this page to rate your casino. If you think that your site is worthy of attention, then head over to our dedicated page to get your casino listed.