How the Best Online Casinos Remain at the Top

Although we each have our own preferences when it comes to choosing a game, it seems that we have the same expectations when it comes to choosing an online venue. We’re certainly able to recognize when we aren’t being provided with the quality that we would expect. So what is it that makes the top establishments so much better than the rest of the competition? Well, to a large extent, it’s because they make everything so straightforward for their members. Their websites are really easy to navigate, and they ensure that the key information is readily available. The registration process is simple, and you’ll have lots of options open to you when you want to add some funds to your account. Moreover, all of the best casinos keep the games as their main focus, and so they have an outstanding selection of titles on offer. In fact, the biggest issue you’ll have to think about is deciding what to play!

Making a Choice Between the Top Online Casinos

Although the leading casinos all offer quality services, there will still be some noticeable differences between them. In order to choose between them, you’ll need to decide which factors are the most important to you. The regulating body might be a consideration, as you might prefer to join a venue that’s authorized in your particular location. The range of welcome bonuses differs greatly, as do the more regular promotions available. The banking options might also affect your choice. The level of customer service should be taken into account – you want to be treated well while you’re playing online. Some players like to have access to a loyalty club, too. Naturally, the selection of titles will have to be considered, but you should also think about the software. It needs to be powerful enough to provide you with seamless gaming, especially when you’re playing the live or mobile versions of the games.
 

One way to establish that you’re registering with a top casino is to read some independent reviews before you make any firm commitments. The reviewers usually have a defined set of criteria that they use to form their judgments, and this can be very informative. You could also check out a few of the online gambling forums. Many players like to share their experiences, and are quite happy to discuss both the good and the bad aspects of a venue. When you browse the net, it’s relatively easy to find this information, but as with everything that you come across on the web, some caution must be applied. Opinions are always subjective, so you’ll still need to do a little research of your own in order to get a proper overview.

Finding the Best Casinos for Welcome Bonuses

Whenever players are asked to evaluate an online casino, bonuses are mentioned in the reviews. It’s true to say that the majority of the websites will present you with a welcome package when you first join. For this reason, it’s a good idea to shop around before you make any definitive decisions. You should also be aware that there are likely to be wagering conditions involved. In most cases, before you can cash out any winnings, you will need to have participated in real money play for a specified amount of time. If you have a bit more money at your disposal, you might want to opt for one that is aimed specifically for high rollers. With these kinds of offers, you are required to pay in a larger sum, but you’ll receive a much bigger reward in return. In some cases, this is spread over several payments, and each one will be matched. When this happens, the percentages of the deal are often different. For example, you may be given 50% for the first two times you add funds, and 100% for the last occasion. Again, you should always check the small print before you sign up to anything.

Other Types of Special Incentives and Promotions

Most of the welcome incentives fall into the 100% match bonus category. This means that the cash you initially deposit is equaled by the casino, and so you’ll have double the amount to play with. In order to qualify for this type of promotion, you’ll have to meet the terms and conditions. For instance, there are minimum and maximum limits on the payment, and these can vary quite considerably. It’s always worth looking at what else is on offer on the websites, as well. The better ones among them aren’t solely concerned with attracting new clients, and so they provide their long-standing members with regular promotions. These can be very profitable for their players, and they’re interesting, as well. The venues are often quite imaginative with the design of them, and set them around a theme, such as one of the seasons, or a particular festival. Sometimes, these deals are linked to a specific game, and you’ll be awarded with a number of free spins, or another special prize when you play it. There are often bonus rounds built into the slots too, and some of these can be very lucrative.

Bonus Free SpinsFor something that’s rich with free spins, you should take a look at EggOmatic. This has a 5 reel, 20 payline structure, but there are a heap of other ways to win some cash. The game has a fun theme in which chickens on the reels produce eggs. These move along the conveyor belt that runs along the top. When the rooster wild card appears below one of the eggs, one of the bonus features is activated. The spreading wild turns the other symbols into winning combinations, and the coin egg adds up to 2500 additional coins to your balance. There’s also the chance of getting up to 50 free spins. During these rounds, the surprise egg can appear at random. If this happens, you are rewarded with more free play.

Bonus Mini GamesMicrogaming’s Hot as Hades is a 5 reel, 20 paylines slot. It’s set around a Greek mythology theme, and features Hades, the ruler of the underworld. There are two separate bonus features – the Super Mode and the Quest. The Super Mode is triggered at random during the regular game. When this occurs, you’ll get 5 free spins, plus three wilds that remain in position until the end of these rounds. The Quest for the Crystal Helm is a mini game, and this is activated when three or more scatter symbols appear. You’re playing as Hades during this round, and you have to select items offered by the other characters to determine your cash prize. If you manage to uncover the crystal helm itself, you’ll receive all of the prizes!

Bonus JackpotsMan of Steel is one of Playtech’s branded games, and is from the series that are based around the DC Comic superheroes. During play, Superman takes on General Zod, and the two characters also make up the wild symbols on the reels. It’s a 5 reel version, with up to 50 paylines, and 4 bonus features. You can take part in the Battle for Earth, with an unlimited amount of free spins that only come to an end when your hero has been defeated. As with all of the heroes titles, there is the bonus of being automatically entered into the DC Jackpot at no extra cost. This is a progressive prize fund, with four different levels of cash rewards available. These can all be won at random with any spin of the reels.

Which Banking Options are Available?

All of the online casinos accept different kinds of payment methods, so when you’re browsing through the sites, you should make a note of which ones they have listed. It’s best to be sure that there’s an option that’s suitable for you before you sign up with one of them. Most will take the more popular cards, such as Visa and Mastercard, and almost all of them have provision in place for a bank transfer. Additionally, many of the leading venues will allow you to add funds to your account by using one of the ewallets, like Skrill or Neteller. These tend to be popular with players because of the anonymity that they provide. The banking choices are often different when it comes to making a withdrawal, so you’ll need to check this, too.

The Newer Types of Payment Methods

• Prepaid Cards. There are a growing number of reputable online casinos that will take pre-paid cards and vouchers. The versions that are accepted tend to vary quite a lot, as there are some alternatives that are specifically for defined locations. For this reason, establishments tend to include the ones that are most useful for their particular client base.
• PayPal Account. Out of all the internet payment methods, this is probably the most well recognized, and it’s certainly the preferred choice for many players. This is mostly down to the high levels of trust that the name generates. Again, this ewallet system is often only available in specific locales, but you will still come across it at several of the top venues.
• Using Bitcoin. This digital currency was initially treated with some wariness, but over the years, it has proven to be a perfectly respectable way of transferring funds between sources. It is now accepted at a number of the leading sites. There are even a few that will offer you an additional bonus amount when you use Bitcoin to make your initial deposits.

Some Factors that Should be Considered

Naturally, you’ll look at the acceptable currencies, but there are a couple of things that you should consider when you’re exploring the banking options of an online site. Check the clearance times for both the deposits and the withdrawals, as these will differ, depending on the method used and the venue itself. The top casinos will always provide this information for you on their website. In most cases, your funds will be instantly available once you’ve paid them in. This isn’t the case when it comes to withdrawing your cash, however. It can take anything up to ten days for you to receive your money. Also, you should note that the minimum and maximum limits for all financial transactions will be different between the venues.

Which Software is the Online Casino Using?

The top venues have different ways of thinking when it comes to their choice of software. Some feel it’s best to stay exclusively with one of the developers, as this ensures that they can always provide a quality service. Others, however, prefer to offer a selection of products from several providers. This allows them to select the titles from each of the suppliers that are the most highly rated. Even when they have chosen this approach, they will still be using a single platform to power their products, though. This has to be capable of streaming your games faultlessly, without any juddering or loss of audio. It’s an aspect that becomes even more important if you’re playing a live version, as this is when you really don’t want any interruptions or delays. Most of the leading casinos now provide the option for mobile play, so if this is something that interests you, you’ll need to ensure that the software is compatible with your device. The final consideration is how the banking services are managed. You need to have confidence that you can transfer your funds online without any issues.

Evaluating the Selection of Games Available

Probably the most interesting part of deciding between casinos is looking through the selection of games on offer. You’ll instantly notice that the largest number of them are slots, but there are lots of other categories for you to choose from. Not all of the venues provide live dealer versions though, so if this is something that interests you, it will be another consideration when you’re making your choice. A lot of the sites have separate areas for the most popular titles, and sometimes for the latest releases, too. It’s great to have a browse through these sections, just to see if there’s anything that catches your eye. If there’s a free play option, you should explore a few of them to establish how they function. Even if you’ve got a particular genre in mind, it’s always worth trying out some of the others. There are regularly new innovations coming onto the market, and it’s fun to explore something different.

The Registration process at an Online Casino

The majority of the websites have pledged to keep the online registration procedures straightforward, and so the whole process is generally completed in a few steps. The information that you’ll be giving out at this point is fairly standard, as you’ll simply be informing them of your contact details in order to open your account. This is usually limited to your name, address, email, and telephone number. You won’t have to add funds at this point. Occasionally, the casinos will ask for some proof of identity, such as a passport, before you engage in real money play. It’s reassuring to know that the top venues are duty-bound to keep your personal information confidential, and can be trusted not to pass it on to any other businesses or establishments. If you do happen to encounter an issue during your enrollment, you should contact the customer services team immediately. They’ll be perfectly happy to help you.
 

What do the Newer Establishments Offer?

Whether you decide to go for one of the newer casinos, or for a more established gambling websites is entirely a matter of personal choice. Both types have something positive to offer. The longer-standing companies have already managed to acquire a solid reputation in the industry, and have built up a loyal band of customers over the years. They often have a land-based venue, so you don’t have to place your bets online. However, their sites tend to be reliant on their original software systems, and some aspects can be limited. In comparison, the establishments that have recently joined the scene have had the opportunity to incorporate all the latest technology into theirs. They are also very keen to attract new members, and so they provide generous welcome bonuses as an incentive to sign up. You’ll usually be allowed to join the loyalty program as soon as you enroll as well, which is another big plus point.

How the Online Casinos are Regulated

All of the online casinos have to undergo stringent checks before they are issued with a license. As part of this process, the credentials of the owners are examined to ensure that they are capable of running the business. The regulators also verify that the software adheres to the fair play rules, and that the banking facilities are in place to honor all wins. Although the gambling regulations are different around the world, there are a number of reputable licensing companies that you should look out for. The ones that are located in the European countries, like the Isle of Man, Malta, Gibraltar, and Alderney have stricter guidelines, so if an establishment has been checked by one of these, you can be reasonably assured that you’ll get a good service. The other regulating body to look out for is the Kahnawake one. This is based in Quebec, and tends to be associated with monitoring the non-European venues.

Look for Independent Monitoring Services

There are a number of independent regulatory bodies for online casinos. Although it’s optional to join up with one of these regulators, the leading venues are aware that customers value the independence of these evaluations. The two key names in this field are ECogra and iTech Labs, and if you compare the checks that they carry out, you’ll see that there are a few significant differences. ECogra is largely focused on player protection, and looks into areas of practice like payout times, and the confidentiality of private information. In comparison, iTech labs is concentrated on testing and certifying the software. Their audits include inspections of the real number generators (RNGs), as well as analyzing the return to player rates (RTPs) of the games. When you see that an establishment has been inspected by either of these companies, you can be assured that you are dealing with an authentic site.

Joining One of the Loyalty Programs

Almost all of the online casinos provide their players with some sort of loyalty scheme, and in a lot of cases, entry to these is automatic once you’ve become a member. The structure of them varies between venues, but the most popular versions have a series of different levels for you to work your way through. You collect a number of points every time you play one of the games, and as you move through the ranks of the program, you’ll be rewarded for your progress. These rewards can be in the form of additional bonuses, a specified amount of free spins, or some other kind of special treat. A few of the venues have shopping facilities on their sites, and you can use your points to purchase items in these stores at lower prices.

Being Awarded with VIP Membership

The top casinos also have VIP memberships, and again, these differ in the way that they are structured. On the majority of the sites, you’ll receive this status when you reach the upper ranks of the regular loyalty club. In other venues though, these clubs are exclusive, and entry to them is strictly on an invitation-only basis. If you are invited to join one of these, it’s always worth accepting the offer. The points that you can collect tend to be far higher in these schemes, and the rewards are much better, too. You’ll often be provided with some extra incentives, such as the chance to win concert tickets or a weekend away. In addition, you’ll usually have your own customer services representative, who is especially assigned to you.

The Top Ten Things in Online Casinos

During a recent survey in the UK, members were asked to evaluate which factors were most important to them when they were deciding between the online casinos. Naturally, many people looked at the bonuses on offer, and wanted to have the best odds, too. However, this was not the only consideration. The results revealed that simplicity is the key element that makes players to choose one site over another. 41% of people said that they would be prevented from signing up if the registration process proved to be too complicated. Instant wins were also considered important, as was the entertainment value of the games. Two other things that were valued highly were the overall quality of the website and the ease of depositing funds. Many of the punters interviewed stated that if they found that either of those areas weren’t to the standard they expected, they would just cancel their membership.

Safety and Security When Playing

It’s really important to feel secure while you’re playing online, and the leading online casinos work hard to ensure that your personal details remain fully protected at all times. For this reason, it’s customary for your financial information to be encrypted during transaction. If you find that this is not the case on the site that you are thinking of joining, you’d be well advised to look elsewhere. You should also ensure that it’s easy to contact the customer services team. The better venues offer support to their members on a 24/7 basic, via live chat.

Some Last-Minute Considerations

When you are deciding upon the right casino to join, it’s good to have a list of factors in mind that matter the most to you. Doing this will allow you to make an informed comparison between them. Once you’ve evaluated all of the main points, you’ll have a better idea of which venue you’d like to join. In case you are still finding it difficult to choose between a couple of them, there are a few other aspects that you could explore. Some sites provide their members with player’s guides, which are filled with tips and strategies. Others have regular newsletters and blogs for their members. This is a great way of keeping up to date with the new releases, as well as the latest promotions. Whichever criteria you decide upon to makes your final decision though, just make sure you check everything thoroughly before you sign up. That way, you can be confident that you’re going to be in safe hands whenever you play.