Choosing an Online Casino

You might not know it but there are over 1500 online casinos now in operation, so as a player looking to play at them the obvious question is where do you start choosing one that suits you and can you have full confidence in it whilst playing there?

With so many available, and, with a few rogues amongst them, can you be sure your choice will not give you any unpleasant surprises? Well if you apply certain criteria to choosing an online casino you can, and you will certainly go a long way to reducing any possible risk.

So what should you be looking for? Here's our top 5 pointers guide...

1. Check that the Casino is legally licensed. A check of their 'About Us' section is where you will usually find information to that effect. Look for membership or affiliation to Online Gambling watchdog bodies such as the IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) or eCOGRA.

Both are recognized independent organizations and accreditation from them is an excellent way to establish that you are dealing with a creditable and honest online casino. You can read more about them in our Casino Watchdogs section. Remember to look for their logos at the online casinos you visit.

Non membership does not necessarily mean any given online casino is not reputable, but it is a highly creditable safeguard for you to consider and they can help arbitrate in the unlikely event of you having a problem with any member casino. Look for Industry Awards too. Many Casinos are reviewed independently and awards are usually made annually for the integrity of their operation.

2. When visiting a Casino, check how the establishment presents itself. If it looks untidy or less than professional, chances are it's not committed to serious gambling. Preview some of the games and see how smoothly they run. A lot of Casinos will let you play for fun so use this to check out the quality of the gaming before you part with your cash. Remember, the casino that offers a well planned and smooth running site is usually looking for long term success.

3. Check for Customer Service and how its offered. When is it available ? Does it cost you to phone ? Can you speak to someone right away ? Some online casinos offer email contact, some by telephone and some by both. Some even have live online chat with a customer services representative. In the event you have a problem, you should be able to easily get in touch with the Casino to sort it out.

4. Look for the type of gaming software that the Online Casino is using. To obtain a license casinos are required to show which software system they use. But at present they are not highly regulated in this regard. There are some software systems that are most desirable in the industry and as you visit various Casinos you should in most cases be able to see what system they are using. Looking for the ones that are most commonly in use is a good way to check if a Casino is playing fair. Check our Software Providers section for more information.

5. Check the small print. Its the same with anything else in life so make sure there are no hidden costs to you. Check how promptly the Casino will pay your winnings. It's your money after all and you don't want to be waiting a long time to get your hands on it. Check their Privacy Policy as well. Most reputable casinos will not sell, rent out or otherwise pass on their customer details to another establishment. It will save you getting a lot of unsolicited emails if an anti spam policy is in place.

In summary

Follow these pointers and you'll be able to cut out a lot of the less than reputable establishments that proliferate the 'net pretty quickly.

If you're going to be playing for real cash remember that there are plenty of unscrupulous people out there ready to take it from you and the more research you put into ensuring a casino is reputable the less chance there will be of you getting ripped off.

Remember all our casinos are reputable, well known and are backed by big concerns within the industry, so if you do want to play safe you should choose a Reviewed Online Casino from our list of top casinos.

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