Choosing Your Online Casino
What are you looking for in a casino? This is the first and the most important question that you have to answer when you start your search for an online casino. Are you mainly interested in the size of the casino’s new player bonus - or do you want to play in a casino that has the best slots? Is it the high payouts that attract you? For some it may be the look and feel of the online casino software that is the most important thing.
I personally enjoy the online casinos that offer multiplayer games where I can chat with the other players. My friend has a special favorite casino game he looks for when he is choosing an online casino.
Here are my criteria for choosing an online casino in order of importance:
License:
Play only at online casinos that are licensed in
a jurisdiction that offers gambling licenses. This
offers you some protection. The Internet is a vast
wilderness with little control and there are many
online casinos out there that do not have a genuine
license. Take a moment and check to see if they
are licensed or not by finding out what casino
software they are using. This is because online
casinos cannot receive licenses unless they display
the type of software they operate on their site.
All the online casinos using software from the
major casino software brands always have a license
because the software manufacturers simply do not
sell the casino software to a casino if they do
not have a proper license to operate an online
casino.
Support:
Check on the casino site you have selected to see
if there is a phone number for you to call if you
run into trouble. Find out if the casino offers
real time chat mode support or if the player support
is handled only via email? You should choose an
online casino that offers several convenient ways
for you to contact them. Don't be afraid to call
their toll-free support line, just to see that
it is working. Check out their response time to
customer support queries before you risk your hard
earned money. In a sound reputable online casino,
support staff should be available 24/7.
Software:
Make sure the software that the casino is using was
developed by a reliable online casino software
provider. Be cautious of online casinos that use
software that isn't common or up to par with industry
standards. There are many different software companies
out there and it is difficult to keep up with all
of them. Several of them are excellent companies.
Some of the industry's most popular and accepted are Cryptologic, Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Playtech, Boss Media, Random Logic and OddsOn. Look for them when you log into an online casino. My favorite online casino software developers are Cryptologic and Microgaming.
Other Points Worth Noting:
Read the casino Terms and Conditions and make sure
you understand them.
Make sure you are allowed to make real money deposits before you choose your casino. US citizens, Canadians, Danes, and citizens from Eastern Europe or Russia are excluded at some casinos.
Check the casino’s promotions. It is important to read the fine print section to be able to comment on how good the promotion actually is. The offers are normally very good and genuine, but you should be aware that some promotion offers are not as good as they look at first glance.
Check the casino payout percentages: How much does the casino pay back on average to the players every time $100 has been wagered? The amount should be at least $95 (95%) or higher.
Casino bonuses – make sure you understand the rules. Almost all online casinos offer casino bonuses to new customers and some even make offers to returning customers. However, there are limits to the amount that the bonus may be. For instance, if they offer to apply a 20% bonus to your first deposit, make sure you understand whether or not there is a ceiling to the limit. Make sure that you are playing the casino games that the bonuses cover, or the bonus play may be forfeited.
Finally, check to see if the online casino website is working properly. If not - how can you be sure the casino program will work? If you have doubts, don’t hesitate - look for another casino.