Playing at an online casino is not as easy as doing an online search and clicking on the casino website you find on top of the search results. There’s the need to carefully choose the site you sign up on. Not all casinos online are created equal. There are many scammers and run of the mill sites that are put up for the sole purpose of taking advantage of those who want to enjoy some gambling online. To find a safe and secure online casino that can be considered the best choice for you, go over the following pointers.
Ascertain that the casino is legal
This is one of the most important things you have to ensure. Playing at an online casino involves money. You certainly wouldn’t want to place bets at a casino that ends up defrauding you with manipulated games and confusing terms of service. That’s why you need to verify the legitimacy of the online casino you want to play at.
This comes hand in hand with the need to make sure that online gambling is legal in your area. You can’t expect to find legal online casinos in your state or jurisdiction if online gambling is not legal in your area in the first place.
It’s important to play at an online casino that legally operates to make sure that you can seek legal remedies in case you are defrauded. In case the casino refuses to pay your winnings or prevents you from withdrawing the balance in your account, it will be easier to hold the casino accountable because you know who runs it and where to contact the legal operators. Contrast this to playing at a dubious casino that even refuses to publicize its contact information and business address.
Choose an online casino that offers provably fair games
Provably fair games are basically games whose results can be proven to be untampered or not manipulated. It’s a technology that makes it possible to test the outcomes of a game. Casinos that offer provably fair games usually provide instructions on how players can test the results of their games. They present “seeds” and a tool for processing these. For a more objective evaluation, however, it would be better to use third-party testing provably fair tools using the seeds provided by the casino.
Some casinos present Random Number Generator or RNG certificates in lieu of provably fair games. These RNG certificates serve as proof that the games are truly random and not manipulated. These certificates, however, cannot fully guarantee the fairness of the games. In fact, there are many casinos that present RNG certificates from a decade or so ago. Some also present fake certificates. If you want to make sure that the casino games you are playing are fair and free from manipulation, it would be better to choose a casino that offers provably fair games.
Be wary of bonuses
Online casinos typically entice players by offering a multitude of bonuses. It’s important to thoroughly examine these bonuses, though. Generally, bonuses come with wagering or playthrough requirements. You need to fulfill these wagering requirements to be able to withdraw your bonuses and the winnings associated with these bonuses. The failure to complete the wagering requirement prevents you from withdrawing your bonuses and any attached winnings. In some cases, the failure to complete the wagering requirement prevents all withdrawals.
If you think you can’t complete this requirement, it would be better to just forego the bonuses. Wagering requirements range from 5x to as high as 50x (the sum of the amount deposited and the corresponding deposit bonus) or even more. A 5x wagering requirement, for example, means that you need to use the bonus you obtained plus the corresponding deposit five times. For instance, if you made a deposit of $10 and you get a bonus of $10, you need to wager a total of $100 ([$10+$10]x5) so you can withdraw the bonus and the winnings associated with it.
A preferable online casino imposes only minimal wagering requirements. It would even be better if you can find an online casino that does not have wagering requirements for their bonuses.
Optimized website/app and ease of use
Another feature of a good online casino is its optimization. Its website should have good page loading times. Likewise, the app (mobile or desktop) should be highly responsive and require minimal use of computing resources. No player wants to play at an online casino that is sluggish and heavy on computing resources and RAM. Moreover, a good online casino should be intuitive and easy to navigate.
You don’t have to choose between playing through an app or playing browser-based. Usually, the app and browser-based interfaces of online casinos are comparable in appearance and performance. However, there are those who think that browser-based playing is better since you no longer have to download, install, and update anything. You can just sign into your account through a web-based UI and proceed to play.
Moreover, it would be better if the online casino you choose is well optimized for mobile device access. Most casinos already have mobile versions but not all of them are that easy to use with smartphones or tablets. Being mobile-friendly is not just about changing the layout of the keyboard to be more suitable for smaller displays. It’s important that the mobile site is easy to use and responsive. It should have large enough buttons and clear navigation elements.
Good customer service
Responsive customer service is something every online casino is able to provide. Also, customer service should be provided through multiple channels: email, live chat, telephone, social media, or through a ticket system. An online casino is worth choosing if it promptly responds to your inquiries or addresses your complaints and concerns.
Finding the best online casino is a subjective exercise. However, you are more likely to find the online casino most suitable for you if you find one that is legal, able to provide fair and unmanipulated games, has low wagering requirements and is able to provide excellent customer service. It’s moreover a major advantage if the online casino’s website and app are well optimized.
