You probably consider several factors before signing up and depositing at an online casino. For example, you may value bonuses, game selection, and live support above all.
However, one aspect that you might overlook is a casino’s reputation. After all, a gaming site’s reputation isn’t completely transparent when browsing their website.
Instead, you need to dig deeper to uncover a casino’s credibility. Below, you can see seven reasons why it’s crucial to know an online casino’s reputation before depositing.
Reputable Online Casinos Make Payments on Time
The biggest fear with real money online gaming is that you won’t receive a requested payout. Fortunately, you don’t need to worry about this nightmare in the majority of cases.
Most internet casinos fully realize that failing to honor cash outs will obliterate their reputation. Nevertheless, certain online casinos do fail to deliver payouts.
In this case your money is going down the drain. Rogue gaming sites may use any one of the following reasons to not honor withdrawals:
- Claim that you violated one of their terms and conditions.
- Label you a bonus abuser.
- Allege that a game malfunctioned and you didn’t really win.
In some cases, these are valid reasons for not paying out. For example, slots do occasionally malfunction and deliver jackpots when they’re not supposed to.
Overall, though, you should be wary of casinos that fail to consistently honor withdrawals. They may be struggling financially and just looking for ways to keep your winnings.
On the same token, you should be concerned about gaming sites that don’t pay on time too. An online casino shouldn’t need 2-3 weeks to process a payout. Instead, they should meet the industry standard in this department.
Much like gaming sites that fail to pay out at all, a gaming site that doesn’t make timely payouts could also be struggling. They might hold onto money longer so that they can stay solvent. In the end, though, they could just close up shop and never pay anybody at all.
Quality Internet Casinos Offer Fair Gaming
The house holds an edge in every internet casino game. Therefore, you must be prepared for the chance that you’ll lose money.
However, most online casino games offer fair return to player (RTP). The average online slot delivers around 96% RTP, and the average table game offers around 98% RTP.
Long story short, internet casinos must be fully aware of the providers they’re dealing with. They don’t want to ruin their reputation by using shady developers that provide unfair gaming.
The latter has happened in the past, with some software developers running faulty games. In turn, online casinos that used these game providers suffered a blow to their reputations.
The Best Gaming Sites Have Knowledgeable Customer Support
If you play at an internet casino long enough, you’ll eventually need to contact support. When doing so, you’ll no doubt want to speak with knowledgeable reps.
Unfortunately, not every gaming site features knowledgeable and friendly support reps. In fact, certain sites are seriously lacking in this area.
Choose the wrong casino and you may deal with rude customer service that knows little about common issues. Luckily, though, you can avoid this issue by doing a test run of customer support yourself.
A good way to test out customer service is by asking them a simple question through live chat. Alternatively, you can also send an email.
This method gives you an opportunity to judge the support department’s friendliness, timeliness, and knowledge.
Trustworthy Casinos Have Fair Bonus Terms and Conditions
The vast majority of online casinos feature bonuses, such as free spins, VIP rewards, no deposit bonuses, and deposit bonuses. You can use these offers to give your bankroll a serious boost.
For example, you may qualify for a 100% match bonus worth up to $1,000. In this case, you’ll have the chance to earn up to $1k.
However, gaming sites don’t let you withdraw anything from a bonus until you’ve met terms and conditions. The T&Cs can vary based on the casino, but here are the main terms that you’ll come across:
- Playthrough – You must wager a multiple of the bonus before cashing out.
- Playthrough time limit – Casinos typically give you 30-90 days to meet playthrough.
- Maximum bet – Gaming sites cap how much you can bet (e.g. $100) with an active bonus.
- Game restrictions – Some games are restricted from meeting playthrough or may have higher wagering requirements (due to their high RTP).
- Deposit restrictions – You don’t normally qualify for bonuses after depositing with Neteller or Skrill.
Assuming you meet all of the T&Cs, then you should receive your bonus. Unfortunately, though, some internet casinos feature ambiguous terms that can disqualify you from an offer.
If a casino has bonus T&Cs that are hard to understand, then you should investigate the matter more. You’ll know to avoid the gaming site for sure upon seeing lots complaints about them not honoring bonus terms
Reputable Online Casinos Provide Secure Websites
Internet casinos hold sensitive information. After all, their registration forms ask for personal info. Casinos also require you to use a credit card or other online banking methods to fund your account.
The last thing that you want is for some stranger to hack into your account. A hacker would gain access to your personal info and potentially be able to withdraw your funds.
SSL encrypts data so that hackers can’t access any of your personal or banking details. Provided the casino uses SSL, then you can trust their website.
When using Google Chrome, for example, you could check for a padlock next to an online casino’s URL. The padlock indicates that the site is indeed protected.
Quality Gaming Sites Feature Plenty of Banking Options
You shouldn’t need to struggle to deposit at an internet casino. Instead, you should enjoy access to several different banking methods.
The good news is that plenty of online casinos offer an adequate number of deposit options. Here are some of the most-common methods available in the gaming world:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Paysafecard
- E-check (ACH)
- Wire transfer (e.g. Western Union)
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Prepaid card
I strongly suggest that you check out a casino’s banking section early on. You want to ensure that the sites feature both deposit and withdrawal option you can use.
You might also consider the deposit and cashout limits. If you hope to win big, then you’ll need a casino that features large weekly withdrawal limits.
Licensed Online Casinos Must Uphold Certain Standards
Most internet casinos obtain licensing in one or more jurisdictions. They must meet a jurisdiction’s qualifications before receiving a license.
Of course, you can’t blindly trust an operator just because it has one or more licenses. But you can at least be assured that a casino has taken the right steps to secure approval.
The same online casinos must operate by certain standards to keep their license(s). If they treat players poorly and pull other shenanigans, then the relevant gaming governing body could crack down on them.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), for example, is one of the strictest jurisdictions. They’ve issued multimillion-dollar fines towards operators for violating their standards. They’ve even revoked licenses in some cases.
That said, you should definitely make sure a casino site holds licensing before playing there. If they haven’t even bothered to obtain approval from a gaming jurisdiction, then you’ll want to move on.
Conclusion
Gaming sites use bonuses and flashy games to draw your attention, but you should take care when choosing an online casino. Assuming you like the game selection and deals enough, then you may be tempted to deposit right away.
However, you should look further beneath the surface towards a casino’s history. A gaming site’s reputation needs to be at the top of your list.
After all, reputable online casinos make timely payments, offer fair gaming, and feature quality support, deliver plenty of bonuses, and provide secure sites. If you choose a reputable gaming site from the beginning, then you’re almost guaranteed to have an enjoyable experience.
