There are hundreds of online casinos to choose when playing pokies or table games. Many casinos are good and some are bad. Bad in the sense that they might not be paying your winnings or are not licensed and therefore are not trustworthy. So it becomes quite difficult for a player specially a new player to choose the correct or trustworthy casino. But the question is what makes an online casino trustworthy. There are certain factors to consider before you sign up at any online casino to play games to prove its trustworthiness. Here are below the things you should know before you step in to play at online casino.
Things to Look for Before Playing at Online Casino
1. Licensing and Jurisdiction
You should first look into the licensing and jurisdiction of any online casino before you opt to choose to play. Many casino operators have the license with the jurisdictions like Alderney, Curacao, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Malta, Spain and others. In other words, these online casino sites are licensed in any of these countries and run legitimate businesses since they operate according to their guidelines.
So how can you know whether the casino is licensed or not? Normally the operator places a seal or logo of the jurisdiction it’s licensed in at the footer of its website. When you click on it all the licensing information is displayed.
Some operators go so far by displaying a bogus seal on their sites. They state that they’re fully licensed and compliant with the country’s laws they operate in but they’re not. If the operator does not display the licensing information on its website it’s best not to sign up with that casino. You can also read casino reviews and know about their license and jurisdiction.
2. Check out for game variety and auditing process
The online casinos offer extensive game variety powered by multiple gaming software like iGaming Betsoft, Bally, Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Play N’ Go, Rival, Realtime Gaming, Yggdrasil and many more. The larger the game selection the better the casino as most good casinos offer up to 800 games and covers the full gamut of online game play.
Another aspect you need to look at before you deposit is if the games are audited by a reputable auditing firm. The majority of web casinos state on their websites normally you can find at the footer that the RNG random number generator of their games is a fair play. Microgaming’s games are tested at least every 3 months by eCOGRA for transparency and safety. When players click on the eCOGRA seal it indicates the average payout ratio for the pokies, table and video poker games. Firms like Technical Systems Testing (TST) and iTech Labs also test the games to see if they’re above board. Overall the game listed must offer the player a fair chance at winning.
3. Look out for casino promotions
Almost all casinos offer promotions. You should look for the bonuses that the casino offers such s welcome or sign up bonuses. New customers automatically qualify for a match bonus once they’ve signed up. Whatever amount you deposit gets double instantly. Although the casino markets the bonus as a ”free cash deposit” it’s not. There are terms and conditions attached to it that must be completed first before any winnings associated with it can be withdrawn. Before you accept a bonus know and understand the minimum amount to qualify for it, the wagering requirements and what the casino demands. You can ask the customer support team of the casino in case you are in doubt as there are different wagering requirements for different types of games.
You can use the bonus to play pokies only since they count 100% towards the play-through. Table games and video poker contribute 5% to 10%. If you use the bonus to play these games the wagering requirement becomes virtually impossible to clear.
Besides the standard sign on bonus casinos also offer reload bonuses, comps on selected games, cash back on losses normally 20% and a VIP program to loyal depositors. The operator must reward regular game play by offering all kinds of incentives. The good casinos offer therefore generous offers.
4. Look for withdrawal process
Also check the withdrawal process offered at the casinos. A good casino process withdrawals within a few hours up to 5 business days. Anything longer than this is unacceptable and means the casino lacks credibility. Also many casinos delay the withdrawal process on purpose and for good reason. If you had a large win they ‘encourage’ you to play the cash you’ve won back into the casino.
5. Should have friendly customer support
A good casino offers great customer support which is available 24/7 and gives all the methods of contact like Skype, phone, fax, message, live chat, toll-free numbers, email and other methods. You should check all the methods of contact provided at the customer support of the casino. Bad casinos will either not have customer support, or they may not have any or least method of contact. So you need to check all this.
