How We Rate and Review Online Casinos - A Complete Guide

Most online casinos offer a minimum of a deposit match bonus to new players, either as a standalone offer or as part of a free spins package. The exact terms and conditions of the bonus will differ between casinos, but all will come with varying wagering requirements and a time limit. 

Far more elusive are the no-deposit and wager-free welcome bonuses. Typically lower in value than deposit match offers, these promos do as the name suggests: the first offers a free-of-charge welcome bonus for signing up (with no deposit required), and the second will award your winnings wager-free.

All bonuses have strings attached. The T&Cs ensure the casino doesn’t lose money when dishing out bonuses. There are a few industry standard conditions, such as 35x wagering requirements and 30-day expiry dates. Other common T&Cs include maximum win caps, excluded titles, and reduced wagering contributions on games other than slots.

A good bonus has reasonable T&Cs, and the best will offer lower-than-average terms. No matter the terms, the casino must be transparent about its terms and conditions.

Loyalty and VIP programs are a way for online casinos to reward returning players. The more you play, the more points you receive, and the higher up the loyalty levels you’ll climb. Typical loyalty rewards include free spins, cashback percentages, and extra bonuses, while VIPs get rewards like account managers and exclusive event invites.

Online casino deposits are a straightforward process. You can find all the deposit options within your account's ‘Cashier’ section. From there, simply select your desired payment method and deposit amount, then input your details. Many players prefer using e-wallets or bank transfers because you don’t need to enter your private banking details into the casino itself. Licensed casinos only partner with reputable payment providers, so you can rest assured that any transaction is secure.

Online casino withdrawals can take longer than retail casinos, but that’s not to say there aren’t sites with fast payout speeds. Many of the casinos we review can process payouts within 24 hours. The time it takes to receive the withdrawal will then depend on the method you choose, with e-wallets and Interac taking up to a few hours and credit or debit cards taking around three to five days. To speed up the process even more, you can verify your account in advance with the necessary documentation before requesting a withdrawal. 

E-wallets and cryptocurrencies are perhaps the fastest way to make deposits and withdrawals. E-wallets are accepted at almost every online casino, with Neteller, Skrill, PayPal, and Interac being the most popular. Internationally regulated casinos often accept other e-wallets like ecoPayz and Trustly, alongside cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin.

Slots make up the bulk of most online casinos. From three-reel games and Vegas-style classics to modern Megaways and Slingo, many different variants make for interesting and diverse gameplay. The best casinos offer a wide variety of slot features and bonus rounds, plus a decent network of progressive jackpots from leading developers like NetEnt and Microgaming. Casinos that let you test games for free in demo mode will inevitably receive extra points from us. Of course, slots aren’t for everyone. To earn a high Covers BetSmart Rating, a casino needs to offer a well-rounded selection of table games and live dealer tables. This should include a few variants each of roulette, blackjack, video poker, and baccarat, all at different price points to accommodate bettors of all budgets. 

You can often tell the quality of a casino by looking at the software developers it partners with. Collaborating with reputable providers not only gives players a wide collection of top-quality, tried-and-tested games but also proves that a casino is safe enough to be trusted by these developers. Brands as highly regarded as Evolution and Playtech wouldn’t risk their reputation by partnering with untrustworthy casinos.

Live dealer games have become a vital part of the iGaming landscape and, as such, are available at almost every online casino. These games use a real croupier and are live-streamed from remote studios. Most live casinos offer multiple variants of blackjack, roulette, poker, baccarat, game shows, and Asian games like Sic Bo and Dragon Tiger. Live dealer games typically offer wider betting limits than their RNG counterparts, making them ideal for high rollers.

Every secure iGaming operator uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology to facilitate online transactions. By scrambling the data into a format only authorized parties can understand, SSL encryption protects the confidentiality of the information while in transit between the client and the server. Producing a valid and up-to-date SSL certificate is essential to the online casino licensing procedure. Most online casinos use 128-bit SSL encryption, one of the strongest and most secure encryption standards available today.

Along with encryption software, online casinos will implement a range of data protection measures to ensure your personal information is inaccessible to third parties. These measures include firewalls, KYC verification and anti-fraud procedures, secure payment options, background checks, responsible gambling initiatives, advertisement restrictions, two-factor authentication, and more.

While not every online casino will have a mobile app, almost all will be optimized for mobile browsers. HTML5 technology allows you to access the site on any sized mobile device, be it iOS or Android. 

HTML5-optimized mobile sites will include additional features like jump buttons, collapsible menus, and banners displaying the most important sections of the casino. The technology also ensures the casino is easily accessible on the screens of mobile devices, decreasing the number of games on display so as not to clutter the screen.

Casinos with a compatible mobile app can offer a few additional benefits over an optimized website. Security is increased through biometric login (TouchID and FaceID), and payments are streamlined with Apple Pay or GPay, allowing you to deposit with a double tap. There may also be mobile-only bonuses up for grabs. Plus, you don’t have to log in each time you load the site, and you can turn on push notifications for news on the latest games and bonuses.

Every player must complete the sign-up process before depositing real money and playing at an online casino. It’s an unavoidable part of the online gambling experience, which is why we believe it’s important for a casino to make the process as straightforward and hassle-free as possible. The less time you spend filling in details at registration, the quicker you can start playing.

Offering geo-specific content is important when an online casino caters to players in multiple jurisdictions. For example, let’s say an online casino offers a welcome bonus with free spins on a specific slot. If that slot has been released in New Jersey but not Michigan, this promotion will be useless to MI bettors. Instead, the best casinos will offer unique offers and features for specific regions.

Geo-specific content is also important for promoting responsible gambling. A casino must offer responsible gambling information relevant to players in that area, such as local support phone lines and counseling services.

Having accessible and reliable support channels is of the utmost importance. You shouldn’t need to go searching for email addresses or live chat links. Instead, they should be clearly grouped under an easily identifiable 'Help' or 'Support' tab.

You can encounter problems at any time of day or night, which is why a casino’s support team must be able to offer quick and knowledgeable responses to all kinds of queries — sites with live agents on hand 24/7 score the highest. 

Having a well-stocked FAQ page is a win-win for both the casino and its players; while you get a swift answer to your query, the support team doesn’t get bombarded with easily solvable questions. Therefore, a casino without a decent FAQ page causes unnecessary work for all involved. Similarly, the terms of service need to be easily identifiable for players so they can see exactly how the casino works before committing to playing there.

A valid license is crucial for a casino’s credibility. It proves that they uphold the strict security and privacy measures enforced by the licensing body. It also shows that it partners with reputable game developers and payment providers to offer a secure gambling platform to its users.

Global regulatory bodies:

?? Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
?? Alderney Gambling Control Commission
?? Curaçao Gaming Control Board
?? Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
?? Isle of Man Gambling Commission
?? Kahnawake Gaming Commission
?? Malta Gaming Authority 
?? UK Gambling Commission

U.S. online casinos operating in one of the country’s seven regulated iGaming markets must have a license from the state’s official regulatory body.

U.S. regulatory bodies:

Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
Delaware State Lottery Office
Michigan Gaming Control Board
New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Rhode Island Division of the Lottery
West Virginia Lottery Commission

Alongside holding a legitimate operational license, the best online casinos are independently audited by third-party testing agencies. These audits ensure fairness by testing games for Random Number Generators (RNGs) and require each site to publish accurate information on the odds and payout percentages of its games.

Global auditors:

• eCOGRA
• QALab
• iTech Labs
• SQS Group Limited
• Eclipse Compliance Testing
• Global Lab Ltd
• BMM Test Labs  

Just as we expect casinos to be transparent with their terms, we hold ourselves to the same standard with our reviews. Our experts don’t glaze over the negatives of a casino, nor do we exaggerate the positives. We work hard to present our findings objectively to ensure you’re not getting sold on an unsuitable product.

Every casino game has a Return to Player (RTP) percentage. This is the theoretical amount a game will return over time, calculated over thousands of spins or rounds. For example, a 95% RTP means that the game will — theoretically — return $95 for every $100 wagered. As per licensing agreements, online casinos must publish the RTP of their games. The average is around 95%, so anything less is considered low.