REVIEW ONLINE CASINOS.co.uk
HOW WE PICK OUR FEATURED CASINOS
O.K., you now want to decide which Online Casino is best for you. Any of the sites featured at ReviewOnlineCasinos.co.uk will be a safe choice, but how did we pick these ones in the first place?
Of the hundreds, possible thousands of online casinos, a huge majority of them are risky to you in one way or another, and all the sites we recommend have gone through rigorous scrutiny by ourselves, and had to meet a number of qualifications before being added to this site.
Here, in no particular order, are the main tests that a site has to pass. If it fails on one, it doesn't get featured.
Software
Most casinos use 'off-the-shelf' software, so they buy it in from a software developer, who license the casino, and adapt it to include the casinos' logo, game selection, special features etc. Software development is so expensive that it rarely makes sense to use your own, but some of the biggest sites, like 888.com have done so. Software platform vary in quality, and we tend to recommend casinos using Playtech, Wagerworks, or Microgaming software, but there are others that we have included, because they still offer all the features of the best ones.
Bonuses
Some bonuses are not as good as they look, and many casinos offer huge amounts that are not really possible, or practical to qualify for. We always look for evidence that bonuses are achievable, and have been achieved, before featuring a casino, but remember that a $10,000 bonus is never going to be awarded for a $50 deposit. It's often the percentage that is more important, and we usually look for at least a 100% New Player Bonus up to $100/£100.
Licensing
Online Casinos tend to be licensed 'off-shore', due to prohibitive taxes, or gambling laws of thier 'home' countries. For example, casinos that appear U.S. based, are always based elsewhere, as U.S. law prevents them from operating in the States. Major licenseing authorities include The Antillies, Channel Islands, Malta and Gibraltar. These authorities all ensure that the casinos operating from thier territories are up to very high standards. If one of them started to allow poor casinos to operate, the others would quickly pick business off them, so you know that your chosen Casino is strictly monitored. This leads onto the following tests, which should automatically be met -
Security
The best online casinos use 128-bit digitally encrypted security. You can be confident that any casino using this will keep your account details safe from potential fraud, misuse, or publicity.
Fair Play
The software developers and licensing authorities ensure that our casinos adhere to strict fair play rules, and do not fix the odds in thier favour. Software is licensed out, so any casino using it incorrectly will have that license removed, to protect the developers reputation.
Audits
Reputable online casinos are audited several times a year by reputable auditors. This includes the licesning authority, and external auditors such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers. They will look at software, security, fair play etc.
Payout Speed.
Does your online casino pay your bonus and winnings in a sensible timescale? We look for a 48 hour turnaround, some are quicker, but any casino only paying at the end of the month will not be featured here.
Customer Service
It's a must that Customer Service is top-quality. It must be free to access, by e-mail, phone, live chat, fax, or all of the above, and the the casino customer care department must be knowledgeable, helpful, quick to reach, and polite. We always pretend to have an issue when signing up to a new casino, to test them out, and have rejected many sites simply because customer service was not up to standard.
Industry Bodies
Our recommended casinos will need to be members of at least one reputable industry body, such as e-CGRA (e-Commerce Gaming Regulation Association.
So please look at our recommended sites, safe in the knowledge that they all meet these qualifying tests, and will provide you with many years of fun.