How we rate casinos

First impressions of a website are very important and often we can tell whether a website is good or not within the first few seconds. These first impressions will give our experts an understanding of how user-friendly the site is, and they’ll also see how aesthetically pleasing it is – seemingly small things, but they can really make a difference to your gaming experience.

The way we evaluate an online casino starts with registration. Doing so gives us access to the entire site and allows us to understand how it works. We inform you how easy the registration process is and whether the site gives new player bonuses or not. Also, we deposit money so you can quickly check what payment methods are available and how quickly the money is deposited.

When we deposit money, we don’t cash out, we use it to play different games, testing each one to see how good it is. We then provide feedback on the quality of the games, as well as inform you about the range of games. We also collect information about various software developers, as well as how much you can win when playing games, especially progressive jackpot slots. As you can imagine, this is one of the most important things in how we evaluate online casinos, and we spend a lot of time gathering information.

The impressive game sections includes the following criteria:

• Wide selection of games. When it comes to casino games, the key is a wide selection. We are always looking for a good combination of slot machines, table games (blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker), live dealer games, and bingo/keno games. Also, we like to see a wide range of variations of each game listed. Since we don’t want to recommend something we haven’t tried ourselves, our team tests a number of games, even with real money.
• Impressive progressive jackpots. Progressive jackpots are very important for serious slot machine fans. These exciting games often offer the biggest payouts of any online casino game and are available in every great online casino. We always check to see if the games on offer include any of the best Jackpot games – “Mega Moolah”, “Mega Fortune” and “Age of Gods”, and of course we like to see a significant overall jackpot amount when evaluating any casino site.
  
• Free games. According to our criteria, the opportunity to play for free is always highly valued. Free games give the opportunity to test new games, try out strategies and just enjoy the fun without added risk. We always try different free games to make sure the quality of the casino.
  
• Game software from TOP developers. Casinos differ in the software they use, and the best sites offer games from such well-known developers as NetEnt, Playtech, and Microgaming. The best software developers are famous for their great graphics, high-quality sound, and great animations.
  
• High quality, downloadable software. Since some players like to download the casino software to their devices, we’re testing it as well. This way, we can be absolutely sure that the software is easy to install, not dangerous to the device, and provides as good an experience as the online version of the casino.
  
• Good online experience without software downloads. For those who prefer to play directly on the casino site, high-quality, non-downloadable software and a quick and easy registration process are important. We make sure that the interface of the site is clear, the navigation is simple, and that everything works well.
  

When creating a review, we evaluate various bonuses and special offers. We check the new player bonus when signing up, as well as what other bonuses are available and if there are any loyalty programs. Of course, bonuses and special offers change over time, which is why we regularly check our reviews to make sure the bonuses they mention are up to date. You can find more information about the bonuses available at a particular online casino in our article on casino bonuses.

• New player bonus. An impressive new player bonus is what we expect from leading online casino sites. We search for the most generous casino bonuses online and always recommend checking the bonus offer when registering. New player bonuses are often deposit bonuses, free spins, a refund, or a no deposit offer – a good bonus makes a great difference to any game.
• Reasonable terms and conditions. For the bonus to be really beneficial, it is important that the terms and conditions are not too complicated. We always read the rules in small print and point out the potential difficulties involved in receiving the bonus.
  
• Offers for everyone. Special offers should not only be available to new players. We regularly monitor how often each casino offers new bonuses and gifts to its regular players.
  
• VIP & loyalty rewards. In addition to special offers, the best casino sites offer well-structured loyalty programs. This allows you to earn extra benefits from each bet you make. VIP offers can also be awarded to high-stakes players who play with a lot of money in the casino. We examine what is offered in the casino loyalty program and evaluate whether the rewards offered are really worth it.
  

Of all the aspects in every review, safety is probably the most important. We have built a good reputation in the world of online gambling and we would never risk it by recommending a casino where you cannot feel safe. That’s why we check everything, both the regulatory body and the fairness of the games, to make player is always safe. If we believe that the site is not safe, we inform you about it and recommend not to play on it.

To make sure that casinos offer a safe, fair, and legitimate service, we check the following:

• License. It is important for the casino to display on its website information about the license obtained from a legitimate authority. Examples of such bodies are the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, etc.
• The casino is regulated. Casinos must display on their website proof that it is regulated by a reputable, independent body, such as eCOGRA. If we can’t find such information, we’ll instead test to see if the games are fair. We play games offered in casino sites thousands of times to make sure the results are determined randomly, as well as what random number generators are used.
  
• Appropriate SSL encryption. In terms of security, we always look for the appropriate SSL encryption certificate on the casino website during the evaluation process. Encryption ensures that any data exchanged between the casino player and the casino site is secure and cannot be intercepted or stolen.
  

We contact the casino through all available communication channels to see how well the site responds to questions and handles complaints. We don’t tell the site we’re doing a review so the team thinks we’re regular visitors and can give an honest review of how good the customer service is.

Mobile site availability

Because a large number of players choose to play on mobile devices, instead of playing on a computer, it is important that the casino is adapted to both. We visit every casino site via Android, iPhone, and tablets, focusing on the following:

• Optimization for a smaller screen. We test the quality of the online casino site on multiple smartphones and tablets using a variety of browsers. We evaluate whether the site works well and offers as good an experience as the PC version, with an equal range of games on offer. Also, we’re looking at additional bonuses and special offers only available to players using the mobile versions.

• Proper apps. The best casinos should also be able to offer downloadable apps on mobile phones. We test every aspect of them as hard as we test the casino’s main site, paying particular attention to speed, layout, and game selection.

Casinos are a global industry and by playing online you have access to a huge number of casino sites from different countries. We love to see that casinos are tailored to the needs of different players around the world to allow each of them to enjoy a unique online gaming experience.

• Location. For a better player experience, it is important that the casino is adapted to players in different locations and can offer the needed language and currency. To get a fair impression of how each casino can do this, we’ve expanded our team to cover several countries and languages.