Gambling has always been a popular pastime in and of itself, and over the last few years, the popularity of online casinos, specifically, has really exploded. Thanks to this increase in popularity, there is also now an abundance of choices when it comes to choosing an online casino.
Although, as a novice, the choice can be a little overwhelming at times, there are a lot of factors that you will need to consider. This is why we have put together the following guide, so let’s take a look.
The Practicalities
There are several practical elements that you will need to consider when choosing an online casino. Firstly, there is no point in exploring or researching the casinos any further if they have limits on where their players need to be. Some online casinos have an eligibility criterion tied to location.
There are also countries that have outlawed gambling, and as such other casinos are legally not allowed to accept players from those countries. Some people simply prefer to play with casinos that are based in the same locale as them too.
Reading through the terms and conditions listed on the sites can help because sometimes these disputes are only revealed after a big win when the casino refuses to release the funds to you. Although, if you remain unsure, it might be worth trying to get in touch with the casino; most of the sites tend to have a chatbot; ask your questions and make sure that you take a screen capture of the answer to keep for your records.
Next, you will need to make sure that the casino is regulated and licenced as appropriate. Every casino will have its physical base somewhere, and as such, it will need to be licenced by the local regulatory authority. The regulatory body will change depending on where the casino is based; for example, PlayLive is a South African based casino, and there they are licenced by the Curacao Gaming Authority.
Before you commit to signing up for one casino, it would make sense to ensure that they are properly licenced. It would also be advisable that you do your research into the regulatory body and what this will mean for the casino. In all likelihood, you will not need to make a complaint or go to the regulatory body, but if you do, you should be confident that they will help you and the steps that they will take to do so.
Personal Preference
The next thing to consider is your personal preferences. What type of casino games do you want to play? Obviously, it makes sense to choose a casino that offers this game. For example, if you want to play slots, then why not look for casinos that offer a wider range of slot games for you? Think about what you want to get out of the casino.
You might also want to think about the amount of money that you have to dedicate to this new hobby too. Some casinos offer safeguarding measures like playing time or a limit to how much you can have in your wallet at any one time. You need to think about how you can protect your funds too.
The Casino Itself
After you have narrowed down your list using the practical considerations and your personal preferences, you need to them weigh the casinos against each other. Start by thinking about the size of the casino.
Smaller casinos are much more likely to experience cashflow disruptions should their players receive big payouts, which would mean that it is more within their interest to withhold wins from players.
On the other hand, bigger casinos tend to benefit from a higher revenue and a better cash flow, which means that a big payout would not affect them, and therefore they have no reason to act dishonestly. So while it might be tricky, you should do your best to assess the size and the subsequent financial robustness of the casino.
You should also take into account the reputation of the casinos too. Check out the reviews to see what other consumers have had to say about them and whether they have ever experienced an issue when cashing out, et cetera.
Consumer reviews can be incredibly beneficial in that regard, although it is worth considering the source; if the reviews are listed on the casino’s site itself, then you might want to take them with a grain of salt because they may be embellished or even completely fabricated.
You could also check out a professional review too. There are a number of sites online dedicated to reviewing online casinos. The writers play as any normal player would anonymously, often without the knowledge of the casino, in order to have an authentic customer experience. They can also be great a great resources when it comes to learning more about the different strategies used.
Finally, you want to make sure that your choice of casino is going to benefit you as much as possible. Most online casinos will offer some form of incentive to new players in order to draw them in. The incentive might be in free play, bonuses or cashback, et cetera. Make sure that you are making the best use of the incentives offered to you.
However, again when accepting any incentive like a bonus, you should be sure to double-check the terms and conditions to ensure that there are not any strings attached.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to choosing an online casino, you do need to put some thought in because your choice can affect your likelihood of winning. There are a lot of options out there to consider, which can make it more difficult to choose. Luckily, the tips mentioned above have a universal application regardless of your personal profile.
Think about where you are based versus where the casino is based, the efficacy of the regulating body, the games that you would like to play, the casino’s reputation, the incentives offered and the financial strength of the casino too.
