Playing at online casinos has become a completely normal activity. There are no longer any confused looks when you tell someone you play cards online or when they see the slot reels spinning on your phone while staying entertained on a long TFL commute. Online casinos have transformed gambling into a form of daily entertainment, like how console gaming is so popular. The main difference is that you don’t need the newest console to play many of these games. Usually, any half-decent smartphone or computer will do just fine.
While a few funny looks never stopped us from playing, it’s an excellent development for players and the industry. Established land-based casino brands have launched their own online casinos to stay relevant, online casino studios have created great networks, and independent online casinos have sprouted.
The UK has a fantastic online casino market, giving players plenty of trustworthy options when creating a new casino account. The best online casinos range from independent boutique sites to the online branch of major international casino brands.
With all this success and industry diversity, it’s unfortunate that scam casinos and unethical casino sites are appearing, too. These sites take advantage of players’ excitement to try new online casinos. Then they either make it impossible for players to withdraw their winnings, close without warning, and keep all player deposits, or use the sites to steal player data and financial information.
To avoid these risks, you should only play at reliable online casinos. In this article, we’ll go over all the steps you need to take to find a reliable and trustworthy one.
Licenses
To operate legally in the UK, all gambling sites must be fully licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). This is a regulatory body that oversees all elements of the gambling industry in the UK. It is also responsible for investigating complaints and acting against any companies that violate its standards.
The UKGC is one of the most trusted regulators in the world, and it’s such an authority that most countries without their own regulators accept licenses from the UKGC. Any reliable online casino will hold a UKGC license and display its license information on the site, so look out for this when conducting your research.
Game selection
Most people choose online casinos based on the games that they offer. This makes perfect sense — playing games is the entire point of joining an online casino, after all. The best games will depend on the player. If you enjoy slots, you’ll want a casino that focuses on slots. If you only play table games, that’s what you should look for.
The biggest library isn’t always the best. The best way to compare the quality of casino libraries is to compare the games available across several sites. Some casinos have their own bespoke games, but most will have a lot of overlap.
It’s also a good idea to check the Return to Player rate (RTP) of a few games on a site before you make an account. The average amount a player can expect to win back over time is the RTP. Most games have an RTP between 94-96%. Untrustworthy casinos will only have games with much lower RTPs.
Software providers
The software providers an online casino works with are a good indicator of the site’s reliability. Dozens of legitimate game development studios create slot machine games and table games for online casinos. Some of these are massive developers who have been around for decades. Others are small indie studios.
Some good names to look out for are Pragmatic Play, Global Games, NetEnt, Play’n GO, Yggdrasil, Red Tiger, Hacksaw Gaming, Playtech, Evolution Gaming, Habanero, Spinomenal, Slotmill, Thunderkick, Booming Games, and ELK Studios.
Trusted payment methods
Making deposits and withdrawals from online casinos should be painless and secure. Reliable online casinos will only support trusted and protected payment methods. The most accepted payment methods are debit/credit cards, bank/wire transfers, e-Wallets, and payment apps. Some of the leading payment apps include PayPal, Skrill and Neteller and Paysafecard, which works as a pre-paid card.
There are also crypto casinos that allow players to make deposits using various cryptocurrencies. These sites are naturally safer because they rely on the blockchain. It’s essential to know current cryptocurrency rates since these sites sometimes charge much more than other platforms.
If you’re unsure about the reliability of an online casino site but still want to create an account, make your payments with a method that isn’t connected to your primary accounts. The most convenient method is usually a prepaid card.
Customer support
Customer support in any sector needs to be readily available and efficient. A reliable support team is a good sign that an online casino is trustworthy. Players should have at least one way to contact customer support. You’ll typically find an email address and a live chat option.
The live chat option is sometimes only available to players who have already created an account. This isn’t a significant concern, but it does prevent players from testing the feature in advance. Reliable online casinos will sometimes also have telephone numbers or mailing addresses.
It can also be a good sign if an online casino has a detailed FAQ or Help Desk. This allows players to troubleshoot minor problems. A detailed FAQ section is usually evidence that the casino takes customer concerns seriously to track and address them.
Responsible gambling tools
Responsible gambling isn’t just a buzzword. Responsible gambling is one of the most essential features of any type of gambling because it helps keep the activity a fun hobby instead of a serious problem.
The best online casinos will have a suite of responsible gambling tools for their players. These typically include deposit limits, single wager limits, time-out periods, self-exclusion options, and reality checks. All these tools help players control their gambling.
When online casinos take responsible gambling seriously, it shows that they care about their customers’ well-being. At the very least, any online casino should have deposit limits and self-exclusion processes to be worth your time (and money).
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