What Players Must Know When Selecting a New Online Casino

Getting started at a new online casino might look like a straightforward process of choosing a licensed casino with various games to play. But in reality, players must make many critical considerations to enjoy the ultimate online gambling experience. Besides licensing and security, players must consider features like banking, customer support, mobile compatibility, and more. 

So, below is everything online casino players must consider before signing up.

Is a New Online Casino Licensed and Regulated?

The best online casino must be licensed and regulated in your country or state. For example, UK players should only consider a gambling site approved by the UK Gambling Commission. If you’re living in Ontario, the casino should be approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Things can be a little confusing in the US because the law allows independent state regulations.

So, why is casino licensing important? The regulatory body ensures that the casino meets all the necessary safety, security, and fairness standards before granting a license. These bodies also ensure that the website respects all the local gambling laws. Moreover, they can settle any dispute between the player and the casino before escalating to a court of law.

But what happens if gambling is illegal in your area? Don’t worry because many offshore casinos accept players from most countries without unnecessary restrictions. However, don’t go to an international casino that’s not legal in the UK, Canada, Malta, Curacao, and other gambling jurisdictions. 

How Reputable is the New Gambling Site?

After confirming the casino is legal, perform a thorough background check to ascertain its reputation. Ideally, you wouldn’t want to join an online casino that delays payments or voids jackpot wins. The thing is that there have been numerous cases of websites refusing to pay up, citing “game errors” and other flimsy excuses. Avoid such casinos!

Thankfully, platforms like NewCasinoRank should help you find scam casinos. These platforms have thousands of casino player reviews to help you make a wise choice. Read the reviews to confirm the website’s payout speeds, customer support quality, bonus terms, and more. This is an excellent way to know how the casino treats its players before joining. A rating of above 4.0 stars is preferable. 

What are the Website’s Safety and Security Measures?

This point is somewhat intertwined with the two discussed above. Online gambling is about using real money and sharing crucial financial information. As such, a reliable online casino must assure players of the safety and security of their data, like ID numbers, card numbers, phone numbers, home addresses, and more. 

The good news is that most licensed online casinos use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption technology to protect data and funds. This technology ensures that transactions and communications remain private between the player and the casino. In other words, no third party can access your banking details at the casino.

Here is how to confirm if the casino is safe and secure; encrypted online casinos usually have a “padlock” sign on the URL link. Click this icon to view the casino’s SSL certificate. Also, scroll down the homepage to view the SSL certificate providers. The most reliable options include Verisign, Comodo, DigiCert, AlphaSSL, and more. 

How can Players Deposit and Withdraw Funds?

Casinos offer different banking methods, depending on the website’s geographical location. For instance, top online gambling sites in Canada support payments via Interac, which links your credit/debit card directly to the bank. Put simply, Interac players don’t have to provide critical information like account numbers to make casino payments.

In the UK, Pay by Phone bills supported by networks such as O2 and Vodafone are commonplace. If it’s an international casino, Visa and MasterCard payments must be part of the menu. Skrill should also be an option if the casino doesn’t support PayPal or Neteller payments. And yes, payments via cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum are nice additions. 

But what about the payment speeds? Typically, deposits are free and instant in the best new online casinos. On the other hand, withdrawal times can vary depending on the casino and payment method. For instance, you’ll receive payouts on e-wallets like Skrill, PayPal, and Neteller within 24 hours, with some casinos supporting same-day withdrawals. Credit/debit card and bank transfers may wait for up to a week. So, use e-wallets for fast transactions.

Does the New Casino Run Frequent Bonuses and Promotions?

Freebies and gambling are conjoined twins. As you may already know, the online gambling industry is quickly expanding, with new casinos and players joining daily. This obviously means that competition for players couldn’t be stiffer these days. Casino operators must use all the tricks in the book to lure and keep players. And which other way than offering players bonuses and promotional offers?

New signees often receive a deposit bonus, which matches their first deposit to a specific percentage and amount. For example, if a casino gives you a 100% up to $100 match deposit bonus, a $100 deposit will attract an equal amount in bonus money. Other welcome bonus promotions include a no-deposit bonus and free spins.

Your loyalty shouldn’t also be taken lightly by the casino. The casino should frequently reward you with cashback bonuses like Monday or weekend cashback. Loyal players should also be enrolled in a VIP program where they collect points after spending real money. Then, they can redeem the points as casino credits.

But don’t claim all the new online casino bonuses and promotions that come your way. Always confirm if the wagering requirements are tenable. A $100 welcome bonus with a 50x playthrough requirement isn’t worth claiming. Other conditions include the validity period, qualifying games, and bet limits. Be careful!

What is the Quality and Quantity of the Game Library?

This is an often overlooked online casino selection criterion by most players. Game quality simply means the best game developers should power the casino’s library. Slot and RNG game fans should join websites powered by Pragmatic Play, Microgaming, NetEnt, Betsoft, Yggdrasil, Thunderkick, and others. 

But quality alone doesn’t cut it for avid online casino players. Ensure that the quantity of the game is enough to quench your gambling thirst. In other words, a slot library with 500 titles is always better than a collection of 100 titles. In addition, the library should have a blend of slots, table games, and specialty games like bingo, Slingo, scratchies, and more. 

In the meantime, an online gambling site without a live casino service isn’t worth joining. The casino should offer players a realistic gaming experience through online live casino games supplied by Evolution, Ezugi, Pragmatic Play, Vivo Gaming, among others. You can play live variants of blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, craps, and more. Evolution Gaming’s live casinos also offer live game shows like Monopoly Live, Crazy Time, Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt, etc. 

Is the New Casino Customer Service Reliable?

Online casino customer service is another important consideration that players don’t keenly consider. Most players would be satisfied when they see a toll-free number or email address. But casino support via live chat is a must in this modern age. This customer service channel is easy to use, and responses are often instant, unlike email responses, which might take up to 24 hours.

However, the best online casinos offer 24/7 support on at least one of their channels. Some gambling sites even offer prompt customer service on WhatsApp, Messenger, or Twitter. To find out if the new online casino customer support is reliable, contact them with a few general questions and gauge their response and attitude. Don’t settle for non-responsive or rude casino support. After all, there are many alternatives in the iGaming world. 

What About the Website’s Terms and Conditions?

Lastly, read the new casino’s fine print before signing up. Creating an account without reading this long and uninspiring page is like playing without any safety measures. As said before, some casinos can insert “cheeky” clauses in the T&Cs page, giving them room to deny players their winnings. This makes it critical to read and understand the conditions. 

Thankfully, you don’t need an attorney to read and understand this page. For example, the T&Cs page will clearly indicate the casino’s best practices and the situations that may lead to account suspension. The casino can also explain the deposit and withdrawal limits for e-wallets and credit/debit cards. And most importantly, read the “Promotions” clauses to know every detail of the bonus terms. 

The Key Takeaways

Choosing an online gambling website is more challenging than you might have thought. It even gets worse with the myriad of websites out there to pick from. But with what we’ve discussed here, choosing a reliable online casino is as easy as ABC. In most cases, it narrows down to licensing and reputation. Gamble responsibly!