Casino.org’s 25-step review process
What does it take for a casino to be featured on our website?
At Casino.org we want you to have fun and play smart while gambling responsibly online. That's why we comprehensively test and review all of the casinos featured on our site with a 25-step process. On this page we’ll take you through each step so you can see what we're checking and how we put each casino to the test.
How we rate the top casinos
How We Rate The Best Online Casinos - Casino.org
Security and trust
We kick off the 25-step review process by assessing a casino’s security and trustworthiness. We understand how important it is that your funds and personal data are always in safe hands. To ensure that a casino is running a secure, fair and legitimate service, we check for the following:
It’s crucial that casinos display a license from a legitimate licensing body on their site. Possession of a license means that a casino can operate legally. Examples of the trusted authorities we look out for include the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Kahnawake Gaming Commission, along with many others.
Casinos must also display evidence that they are regulated for security and fairness by a reputable independent authority, such as eCOGRA. If we can’t find this, we instead check that the games are fair by ourselves. To do this, we run the games thousands of times to make sure that the results really are random, and that a Random Number Generator (RNG) is in use.
When it comes to security, we always look for a valid SSL encryption certificate on the casino sites we review. Encryption ensures that any data being exchanged between the player and casino is not at risk of being stolen and means that a site is safe to use.
Games and software
Having a good selection of games is a must for a top quality casino site. We want our readers to be sure they're playing the best titles from the top providers at any casino we recommend, which is why we look for the following:
When it comes to the games, a great selection is key. We always look out for a good mix of slots, table games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker, live dealer and bingo/keno games. We also like to see a wide range of variants of each game too. As we wouldn’t want to recommend something we haven’t tried for ourselves, our team also try out a few titles with real money.
Progressive jackpots are a must for serious slots fans. These thrilling games often pay out the greatest winnings of all online casino games and will be featured in all good game catalogues. We always check for the big names such as Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune and the Age of Gods series, and of course we like to see a substantial total jackpot.
The option to play free games is always high on our list. Free games give you the chance to test new games, practice their strategy and simply have fun with no risk! We always try out a few different free games ourselves to again ensure quality and variety.
Casinos are distinguished by the software they use, and the best will source their games from top software providers such as NetEnt, Playtech or Microgaming. The best software providers are known to offer seamless graphics, high-quality sound and exciting animations along with other impressive features.
As some players prefer to download casino software to their device, we also like to test this out for ourselves. This way we can be completely sure that the software is easy to install, won't be harmful to the device and will provide just as good an experience as the online version of the casino.
For those preferring to play via a web browser, high quality no-download software is essential, along with a quick and easy sign-up process. Again, we check that the website interface is easy to navigate and that everything runs smoothly. The best casinos will also have fully responsive mobile websites capable of playing most of, if not all, games in their collection, which is always something we consider.
Bonuses and promotions
Everyone loves a bonus offer to give that extra boost to their bankroll, and you’ll find them available at most online casinos. Our experts asses and compare each offer to make sure you are getting the best deals and bonuses available. The top casinos will tick all of the following boxes:
An impressive welcome bonus is a must for all top casinos. We're always looking for the most generous casino bonuses online, and strongly suggest making the most of any sign-up bonuses when you register. Whether it’s a deposit match, free spins, cash-back or no-deposit offer, a good bonus can make all the difference to your game.
For a bonus to be truly beneficial, it's important that the terms and conditions aren't too complex, and that there are no extremely high wagering requirements. As such, we always read through the fine print and highlight any potential complications with claiming a bonus so you can make an informed decision.
Promotions shouldn’t just be for new joiners. We are constantly keeping an eye on how frequently each casino offers new bonuses, gifts and promotions to their existing members.
In addition to promotions, top casinos will offer a well-structured loyalty scheme. This allows you to earn additional benefits from each bet you make. VIP perks may also be awarded to high roller players who wager a lot of money with the casino. We take a look at what's offered with each tier of a casino’s loyalty program and assess whether the rewards really make it worth your while.
Banking and money
Arguably the most important part of gambling online is how secure and speedy transactions are. That's why we go through the process of depositing and withdrawing funds ourselves, letting us find the flaws and failings a casino might have when it comes to handling your money. We then report back to you, giving you a true impression of the casino's performance in the following areas:
As part of our review process, we'll see how easy it is to sign up to the casinos ourselves and make a deposit. The things we look out for here include the number of payment methods available, the currencies accepted and whether there are any minimum or maximum limits.
All the best casinos make taking care of your money a top priority. We always check that all payments are made via trusted and secure means. This involves top tier encryption of your personal data, only requesting relevant details for the transaction to be successful, and partnering with reputable payment systems such as Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal.
We know how important fast withdrawal times are. That's why when we make a withdrawal, we not only check the range of banking options and currencies available, but how quick the process is in general.
In addition to smooth banking processes, we want to know that casinos themselves don't take too long in processing players' winnings for release. As such, when requesting a withdrawal, we like to see that they stay true to their word on processing times.
To be sure that a casino is offering its customers a decent payout rate, we check that the average return to player (RTP) is high, and also check those of the individual games. All good casinos will openly display this information on their site.
Customer care
No matter which site you play at, you’ll find that you may sometimes need a little help from customer support. We ensure that each casino we recommend keeps the best interests of its customers at heart in the following ways:
When disclosing personal information, you want reassurance that it will only be used for the purposes you intended. We only recommend casinos if we're confident that they won't pass on personal details to third parties without players' permission. To be sure of this, we always take a thorough look through their privacy policies and encourage all players to do the same.
Customer safety should be a high priority for any reputable casino. We thoroughly test and asses those offering any responsible gambling or general wellbeing features to ensure that they are offering genuine help and support. These options might include ways to monitor time/money spent gambling, self-exclusion options, helplines and more. If you do find yourself showing signs of problem gambling, it's important to get help immediately.
The best casinos offer customer support that's accessible 24/7 via a range of different options. When reviewing a casino, we are looking for telephone, email and live chat support, and an extensive FAQ section on the casino's website is always a big plus. Social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter can also be a great way to get in touch with casinos if you need support.
To establish the quality of the support offered by an online casino, we contact them via all possible means to see how well they respond to issues. Once approached, we're looking for a support team to resolve the problem quickly. They should also be able to communicate with players in their own language.
Mobile
With a huge number of players now gaming on their mobiles, it’s vital that casinos adapt to offer a top quality experience on these devices. We visit each casino on a number of Android, iPhone and tablet devices, with a particular focus on:
We test the quality of instant-play casino websites on a range of smartphones and tablets via different browsers. We’re looking to see that the site runs smoothly and offers just as good an experience as on desktop, with a similar number of games available. We also look out for any additional bonuses and promotions exclusively available to mobile gamblers.
Downloadable apps for mobile devices are also usually offered by top casinos, and we make sure to test every aspect of them just as thoroughly as we would on the casino's main website. We take particular interest in aspects such as their speed, layout, and game selection.
Localization
Gambling is a global industry, and when playing online, you’ll have access to a huge number of casinos from various countries. We like to see that casinos have adapted to the different needs of users around the world, to allow each of them to enjoy a truly incredible experience when playing online.
For the best user experience, top casinos will offer a tailored experience for customers wherever they are. This means providing a great experience for people in their own language and currency, with equivalent games and features if local regulations allow it. To get a true impression of how well each casino manages to do this, we've expanded our team over the years to cover a range of different countries and languages.
What happens when a casino isn’t quite up to scratch?
If an online casino is able to meet all of the above requirements, we'll happily recommend it to our readers. Should a casino fall that bit too short of the mark though, and pose a potential risk to gamblers, we'll add it to our list of sites to avoid.
There are currently over 90 casinos on our list, which we are constantly updating with further rogue sites to be avoided.
We understand how important it is to our readers that the casinos we recommend offer a secure and enjoyable gambling experience. As such, each casino on our list of sites to avoid has been thoroughly investigated by our team of experts, who warn against sites where you may be subjected to:
- Unjustified loss or confiscation of funds/winnings
- Unresponsive or generally poor customer service
- Slow processing and paying out of winnings
- Lack of site security and randomness of games
- Difficulties claiming and receiving bonuses
These untrustworthy sites may be spotted during our in-depth reviewing process, or as a result of the valued feedback we receive from our readers, whose complaints we go on to investigate ourselves.
View the list of sites to avoid >
With years of expertise in the industry, and perhaps most importantly as gambling fans ourselves, we have a strong understanding of what players are looking for in a great casino experience and take your security very seriously.
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