Finding the Best Online Casinos

Type the words 'best online casinos' into the search engine of your choice and you’ll find yourself bombarded by thousands of results on hundreds of pages. But, how often do you go past the first page or two? And how could you hope to find the best one for you by clicking the first search result link? You couldn’t, and you shouldn’t – help is here.

Due to increasing consolidation within the online gaming industry, websites can be linked to one another. In this situation, one umbrella company would operate multiple brands with wildly different concepts and looks. That doesn’t mean that you’d be as well off choosing an online casino at random. Want to know how to tell the duds from the diamonds? Keep reading to learn five ways to recognise the best online casino websites when you see them. What are we looking at?

  • Games Collections
  • Payments Policy & Options
  • Safety & Security
  • Customer Support
  • Promotions & Perks

Games Collections

Playing games is fun!

That’s why you’re trying to find the best online casino, right? It shouldn't matter whether you prefer spinning the Slots and finding exciting bonus rounds with massive jackpots or playing table games and shuffling your luck in card games. The online casino you choose should have an extensive, and expanding, games collection.

Big vs. small

The biggest online casino brands offer you a choice between hundreds or thousands of games titles. Some games like Playtech’s Marvel series advertise fantastic jackpots! These feature titles such as Spider Man, The Incredible Hulk and the Fantastic Four. But, is bigger better?

Winning chances

Slot games with the biggest payout potential will also garner the most competition. Monster progressive jackpots can have dozens of websites feeding into their games. Your winning chances get slimmer every time another player hits 'spin'.

Game variety

Then again, smaller online casino brands may not have the game diversity you’re looking for. Browse through titles from different games providers, to get a feel for graphics you like the most. Want to be enthralled by new games releases on a monthly – or even weekly – basis? Then look for the biggest, most active games providers who cater to a range of online casino brands.

The best online casino brands will have diverse games collections, ranging across all categories. They will also have regular additions. They don't need to be the largest on the market, but they do need variety. A good site should feature a wide range of online casino games, including all variants of roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps and poker, among others.

Payments Policy & Options

While fun is important, a big part of the thrill of playing online – and anywhere else – is winning big! Once you win, you want to make sure you can retrieve your winnings, which is where a website’s Payments Policy comes in.

Ordinary vs. extraordinary payment policies

Deposit bonuses are unique to online casinos. Traditional, land-based casinos would never give you extra money to play with. This is why you could always walk out of the door with your winnings. Even the best online casino brands will carry wagering requirements, but not all payments policies are made the same. This is what you need to keep an eye out for.

  • High wagering requirements, which can exceed 500x in some cases
  • Websites where most of the active promotions don’t allow withdrawals
  • A payments policy that is vague, unclear, or contradicts itself

Payment options – what are the differences and why do they matter?

While most online casino payment methods will allow instant deposits, few if any will process instant withdrawals. How long you’ll have to wait until your winnings actually reach you will depend on your payment method. This timeframe can range from as little as 1 hour (for E-wallets) to 10 business days or more (for international wire transfers).

Some payment methods are free to use while others charge a fee for every transaction you make. Fees applied to deposits and withdrawals can add up pretty quickly, and they could end up eating up a big slice of your winnings. And, online casinos can (though normally don’t) apply their own transaction fees.

Safety & Security

Letting your guard down can be easy when you’re sitting in the comfort of your own home browsing the Internet. Stay focused because you’re dealing with remote financial transactions and personal data. Let’s see what that actually means.

Account security

Once you create an online casino account, how do you know it’s secure? First, look at the website itself. The best online casino operations will ask you not only to create a password but will also require a secondary security measure. Interesting stuff, sure – but once you fund your online casino account, you’ll want to be sure that only you can access those funds and play. The best online casino websites will also have procedures in place to help protect your funds. This is in case someone else accesses your account, or uses your device to play while you are logged in.

Account verification

While checking up on the reputability of online casinos before joining is a given, most online casino players don’t realise they also need to pass a verification procedure. Online casinos are legally required to have their customers verify that they are of legal age to play online and that they are located in a country where the casino’s services are not restricted by law. Don’t worry if you’re asked to submit official documents (identity documents and/or utility bills) in order to show your address and age — it’s perfectly normal. The best online casino operations will make their verification policy and requirements clear and concise.

Customer Support

Your online casino’s Customer Support department is like your spare wheel — you don’t need it until you really need it. Whether you’re dealing with a stuck game, questioning the processing time of your withdrawal or whether you’re looking for information on bonuses, promotions or procedures, you’ll need to deal with the Support team. The best online casino operations will use every contact to improve your gaming experience. Here are two of the main characteristics of a great casino’s Customer Support department.

  • Customer Support agents who sound like people, not robots. A good Support team will train its agents to not only memorise the rules and procedures but also understand them. If a company representative answers different questions with the same 'templates', don’t ignore the warning sign. A great online casino will have knowledgeable representatives manning the phone lines and chat queues at all times.
  • Customer Support agents who keep their word. When promising a follow-up contact — whether in the form of a phone call or e-mail — within a certain time frame, a great Support team will work to ensure your query is resolved within that advised time. Things can come up, of course, but when issues do arise a good Support operation will ensure to give you a heads-up about delays and keep you informed on the status of your case.

Promotions & Perks

Going beyond big wins, promotions, events and perks have to be the most entertaining things about joining an online casino! We’re talking VIP retreats, special events, progressive cash-back plans, prizes and more. The best online casino brands will incentivise players and will offer rewards for your play and continued custom. Wondering what you can expect? Here are some of the things some of the best online casinos will offer.

  • A guaranteed cash-back scheme. This is usually presented in the form of loyalty points, comp points or play points. These can be converted back to cash, with no attached wagering requirement. This way, you’re always guaranteed to build up your bankroll as you play and have fun.
  • A free-play feature. This could be a prize wheel, free game, raffle ticket or equivalent. You can claim these daily or weekly, based on your logins, play or financial activity. These free games and features can sometimes be the most fun, in part because you’re guaranteed a win.

Once you start looking at websites, you’ll see amazing online casino bonuses, prizes and VIP ladders popping up everywhere. How can you be sure to make the best decision, when faced with such an overwhelming range of possibilities? How can you ever be sure that you’ve taken everything into account? So far we’ve only looked at a few ways to spot today’s best online casino brands, but there’s already so much information to consider. If you want to make sure you’re joining one of the best online casino operations on the market, you may have a lengthy research process ahead. Or…

Let the HITYAH team do the hard work for you. We bring more than ten years of experience in the online gaming sector to the table. We’re here to make sure you – and online gaming fans everywhere – can find the best online casino brands without having to taste any sour grapes. Explore our comprehensive online casino reviews and choose a website you can trust! Isn’t it a great day to be a winner?


3