How to Review and Rank an Online Casino
As experienced slot players and card game fans, we’ve played at our fair share of different online casino sites. When reviewing and ranking web casinos, we look carefully at several different parameters. Does a casino offer good value for money, a variety of popular games, and reasonable welcome offers? Here’s everything we look for when researching and writing our best online casino reviews.
Reputation and Trust
All casinos start somewhere, but player feedback, industry plaudits, and word of mouth are extremely important ranking factors. Does a casino have a strong reputation, according to industry experts? Is it fully regulated by the Gambling Commission? Are security certificates up to date, and is your money safe to spend through the HTTPS protocol?
Casino Games
We look for both a variety of different casino games and quality names that UK customers love. Microgaming, Red Tiger, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, and Quickspin are just a few studios worth looking out for. Sometimes, online casinos provide a quantity-over-quality selection. What’s the RTP and volatility of a casino’s top games? Are these titles you can play in demo mode? Are there table and instant win games in the catalogue, too?
Bonuses and Offers
You should never judge a casino on its welcome bonus alone, but looking closely at the terms and conditions is key. Does a casino offer restrictive wagering terms? Are there winning caps or withdrawal restrictions? We look at ongoing promotions and VIP clubs, as well as welcome deals. Are there weekly offers or exclusive deals for new customers? Do bonus offers give genuine value – or prevent players from cashing out?
Deposit Choices
Most online casinos should support British debit cards, but what about e-wallets? Are Neteller, PayPal, and/or Skrill accepted? Can you use prepaid cards such as Paysafecard?
With a recent boom in cryptocurrency casinos, we also check if sites accept multiple digital currencies. Can you cash out the same way you pay in? Are there any fees, and what are the minimum and maximum deposit limits?
Paying Out Methods
Will a casino let you withdraw to a card, via bank, or e-wallets? What’s the minimum withdrawal threshold? Is there a wagering ratio that you need to fulfil before cashing out? We also carefully consider that payout methods are lawful to use. For example, online casinos in Britain can no longer allow users to use credit cards.
Withdrawal Options
We look carefully at what UK players need to be able to quickly and safely withdraw their winnings. For example, do they need to provide a photo ID in the form of a passport scan? Or, will they need to supply a scan of a utility bill?
Fast Payments
Some payment methods, such as bank transfers, will take a few days to process. However, we also look at the speed of processing for cards, e-wallets and prepayment options. Is there additional time applied to processing on behalf of the casino? How does processing time compare to other casino sites? Does wagering heavily impact payout speed? Will players need to provide any additional information to speed up the withdrawal process?
Customer Support
We look at the number of customer care services available at a casino, as well as response times. Can players get in touch with casino representatives through live chat? Is there a telephone number they can call for direct action?
Email support speed will vary from site to site. Therefore, we look carefully at player feedback and test sites to measure responsiveness. Can you expect a response within a couple of days or a week? Is a given casino’s customer service team friendly and knowledgeable? Is there an extensive FAQ section available to help resolve problems before the need for contact?
Usability & Mobile Friendly Casino
We thoroughly test online casinos for speed and functionality. For example, we analyse navigation layouts for practicality and availability. We also measure how long it takes us to find and access specific features of a site. Are the colour scheme and layout pleasant to look at – and do they make a given casino easy to navigate?
More importantly, is the casino in question mobile-friendly? Does the main site and game catalogue morph into smaller screens and devices? Is it easy to find menus and features and to scroll up and down? How do casino games perform on mobile – are they quick to load and easy to play?
We also consider apps alongside mobile sites. Does the casino have a native app, or does it not require one? Does the mobile site provide ease of access and much the same online gambling experience on the app? Can you download the app through a trusted store, or do you have to download it via the site? We believe all online casinos should be mobile-friendly as a priority. We praise casinos highly with interfaces that are designed purely for mobile use and are not simply afterthoughts.
Responsible Gambling Facilities
In line with keeping players safe while enjoying games, good casinos should be taking responsible gambling seriously. These may be as simple as clear links to gambling care networks or services, such as GAMSTOP.
We also look carefully for new casinos that provide self-limitation tools. These options allow players to restrict how much they deposit into and play via casino over set periods. Some casinos also allow players to permanently delete their accounts and all activity. Responsible features offer players the opportunity to take control if they feel they’re spending too much. Casinos that fail to provide these features often score fairly low. However, you should always play responsibly!
Security & Safety
Can you be sure your chosen casino processes payments securely? Does a given casino have a privacy policy and clear data usage terms? Does a game provider regularly update its security protocols? The more checks a casino asks of you, the more secure and safe it is.
We Provide Casino Reviews You Can Trust
We make sure to test and analyse all the casinos we review and rate. You’ll get a genuine hands-on experience broken down into clear sections. What’s more, we have over a decade of casino-testing experience between us. We know what people look for in casino games and have reviewed hundreds of sites over the years.
Ratings and Player Reviews
Player ratings often provide a lot of insight into how sites and games operate from device to device—while useful, taking some reviews with a pinch of salt is good. Some players may leave bad reviews if they have broken casino rules, for example. Carefully weigh player reviews and balance them with expert opinions before testing yourself.
How Do You Select the Best Casino?
Look for the following at any online casino before you register. Here’s a quick breakdown of typical casino-goers questions.
- Is it regulated by the Gambling Commission?
- Is it secured through HTTPS?
- Is it a well-known brand?
- Does it have a secure payment processor?
- How many games and providers are on-site?
- Does the casino work well on mobile?
- Can you start playing games in demo mode – or do you have to pay in?
- Does the site offer multiple payment and withdrawal methods?
- What are the terms and conditions of welcome bonuses and promotions?
- Will you need to provide an ID to register and play games?
- Are there responsible gaming tools or links to charities and organisations?
- Are there obvious customer service options?
- How quickly does it take for withdrawals to be processed?
- Are there any fees or winning caps applicable?
- Is it quick and easy to start playing games?