Choosing an online casino – what you need to know

When it comes to choosing an online casino, there’s a whole lot to look out for. But, learning about the red flags and how to spot them, as well as the positive signs will help you to turn the search from a chore into a pleasure. 

Whether you’re looking for a mammoth games catalogue, a slick mobile app, or just some player-friendly bonus terms, we will help.

A good casino is only as good as its selection of games

A casino can offer the quickest payments, fanciest interface and best customer support in the world, but if the games selection is rubbish, you won’t catch us recommending it. 

When you’re searching for an online casino to sign up to, spend plenty of time scoping out the game library, keeping in mind the following things.

Number of games

Most casinos nowadays offer a catalogue of around 1,000 games. Some of the mammoth ones get well into the thousands and some of the more niche sites only scrape together a few hundred. 

Generally, looking for a casino with more than 1,000 games will mean you’ve got more than enough choice - and no chance of getting bored!

Look for a range of games – established classics, new and ‘out there’

Looking into the variety of games is just as important as the number. We all have favourites that we know and love. Finding classics like the Big Bass Splash or The Book of Dead series is a good sign that this casino knows the slots that people want and is likely to get access to new releases from big studios.

Speaking of which, checking out the selection of new games is well advised too. You’ll usually find a whole ‘new’ section as a filter option. Having a quick browse will let you know how often this catalogue is updated and whether its taste is the same as yours.

A good casino will add new games regularly

Even the casinos that already have thousands of games should be adding new ones every now and again. New games bring innovative new mechanics, exciting new graphics, and novel gameplay experiences that you wouldn’t want to miss out on.

Making sure the catalogue is getting updated regularly means that whenever that brand new blockbuster slot gets released, there’s a good chance you’ll get to play it quickly.

Excellent customer support is a must

While we hope that nothing goes wrong when you’ve chosen a new casino to use, sometimes there are hurdles you need to overcome. When that happens, a solid customer support team quickly becomes your best friend.

Contact should be easy, and timely

Finding a great customer support team requires three things:

• Availability: Can you contact the team through at least a couple of different channels, ideally including live chat?
• Responsiveness: Will the team respond around the clock within a reasonable time frame?
• Helpfulness: When you get a response, is it actually helpful?

To work out if a casino fits your needs in terms of customer service, try out the live chat and send in an email. Then, take a moment to think about whether they answered your question thoroughly and quickly.

Does the casino have a good reputation?

A casino’s reputation can tell you an awful lot. The first place to start is with professional casino reviews. Professional sites are more likely to be objective about a casino and tend to have thorough criteria for reviewing them. 

Once you’ve had a good look through a couple of professional reviews, see how the casino fairs with individual reviews. 

Remember to take personal reviews with a pinch of salt, sometimes people have a negative experience, or make a big loss and leave a negative review. However, if there’s a slew of negative reviews, it’s probably a sign there’s something wrong.

What’s their record like when it comes to complaint resolution?

If you find those negative reviews, then check to see how the casino responded to them. If their customer support team were polite and offered a genuine solution to problems, then it’s likely they’ve got a good complaint resolution service.

As well as this, check whether they’re registered with IBAS (Independent Betting Adjudication Service). This is a quick way of working out if this casino is committed to fairness.

Functionality, platform, design and usability

You’ll know pretty quickly whether a casino fits the bill in terms of usability. The easiest thing here is to look for areas where the casino doesn’t meet the mark.

If there are long load times, faulty filtering, a clunky layout or poor mobile compatibility, then you know it’s a site that isn’t worth your time.

Website functionality and searchability

There’s nothing more frustrating than a website that’s hard to use. Whether it’s a filtering system that throws a thousand table games in together, or endless load times for live casino games, reliability is a must.

It’s worth mentioning that mobile compatibility is a given nowadays, with more than 85% of casino players favouring mobile. Casinos don’t necessarily need a native app, but a strong mobile site is a must.

Platform & software

Ever signed up to a new casino and felt like you’d been there before? That’s probably a white label casino. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, it simply means the casino runs on a pre-built platform. This can be a big bonus if you already like other casinos that use that same platform.

On the other side of the coin, you might be looking for a more exclusive experience. This is where custom built platforms come in. These can offer some clever features and a fresh new look.

Attractive design and graphics

This last point is a bit of a personal one, but it’s important. Sometimes a site just looks great. Whether it’s clever graphics, a real personality of its own, or even a cinematic intro, there are some bits of design flair that deserve celebrating.

A regular dose of bonuses and promotions

We’ve got to the bit you’ve been waiting for - bonuses. It’s almost a non-negotiable that you’ll be able to get some sort of sign up bonus (and it’ll be a no wagering one if we’ve recommended it!), but the fun shouldn’t stop there. 

It’s important to look beyond the welcome bonus and see what you’re likely to be able to claim in the long term. If you’re a high roller then a cashback bonus could see you really save some money over time.

Perhaps you’re a slots enthusiast, in which case a regular bundle of free spins will be much more rewarding than an exclusive live casino deal.

Think carefully about your play style and the type of bonus that you get the most enjoyment from. Then, see if the casino you’re considering offers something similar.

Another great place to look is in the competitions and tournaments pages. These events can provide a little extra bang for your buck in terms of winnings, but a whole lot of extra enjoyment. Casinos that offer tournaments tend to have a better sense of community, something that many of us look for.

Check the bonus terms and conditions

Chances are, you already know what a big difference terms and conditions make – we’re all about no wagering bonuses after all! But, it’s still important to take a look at the bonus terms. These can tell you a lot about the general attitude of the casino.

If you find fair wagering requirements (or indeed no wagering requirements) that’s a great sign. If it accept low minimum deposits, gives you plenty of time to use your bonus, and doesn't have maximum win caps, then you know the casino understands the needs of its players.

Does the casino have fast and secure banking?

There’s nothing more annoying than making a big win and having to wait weeks for it to arrive. So, while banking might not seem like the most exciting thing to look into, it is really important.

Consider payment and withdrawal options

Take a look at the overall number of payment providers that are available, making sure you can spot a couple that you’re comfortable using. See what the minimum deposit and withdrawal amounts are - it’s always a good sign if they’re affordable. 

Next, take a look at how long payment processing takes. It’s great if a casino can get funds to you in as little as a few hours. 

Finally, check out the KYC process. For some casinos it can take days and days to be verified, all the while, you’re waiting for your withdrawal to be paid out. A KYC check in under 24 hours is ideal.

Regulations and compliance

Gambling online shouldn’t be risky, and there are steps that you can take to make sure the only thing you risk is losing your wager! Below we’ll take a look at a handful of things to check out to make sure the casino you choose is safe and secure.

Gambling Commission licence

First on the list is always a licence from the UK Gambling Commission. Even if you ignore the rest of our safety suggestions, this alone should be enough to ensure a secure experience.

ID verification – the KYC process

Make sure that Know Your Customer (KYC) checks are in place and try to find a site that lets you complete the KYC before your first withdrawal. Getting it done early will save you time in the long run.

Financial security

Looking for a list of trusted payment providers is your next task. Options like debit cards, bank transfers, and trusted e-wallets will ensure your money is safe and your personal financial information is secure.

Data protection

All casinos should use SSL encryption. Most of them will say so somewhere in the footer, but if you can’t find it, check the address bar. You’ll see a little padlock in the top left hand corner if the site uses SSL encryption. This lets you know your data is safe.

Responsible gambling

We always recommend responsible gambling and taking a look at what tools are available is a good way to find out how your chosen casino feels about it too. Finding tools you can set automatically and links to services that can help is a big plus.

Red flags and warning signs

We’ve talked lots about the good attributes to look out for, but there are plenty of red flags too. Below you’ll find a list of the most important points, but we have a whole guide to red flags if you want a bit more information.

• Vague terms and conditions
• Poor usability    
• Unclear licensing information
• Poor reviews
• Unresponsive customer support
• Lack of safer gambling tools
• Strict deposit or withdrawal limits
• High wagering requirements
• Heavy handed marketing
• Unrealistic bonuses
• Weak or illegal banking terms
• Obscure/unknown developers

How we rate casinos

As well as being thorough reviewers, we’re also keen casino players. That means we’ve not just got decades of experience sifting through terms and conditions and scrutinising design choices, we know what players actually look for. 

Whether it’s fair bonus terms, top slot developers, or a massive bingo selection, we leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding and reviewing the best no wagering casinos. We’ve got strict rating and reviewing criteria, so if we’ve recommended a site, you know you’re guaranteed a good time.

Here are some of our top picks:

Summary

There’s plenty to look for when choosing an online casino. At first, it can seem a little overwhelming, but having plenty of knowledge about red flags as well as green ones, will stand you in good stead. After all, knowledge is power.

Whether you’re taking one of our recommendations, or searching for your own casino to use, keep these tips in mind and you’ll find a good one.