Playing jackpot slots, video poker, instant wins, scratch cards, table games, card games, and live dealer games online can be a whole lot of fun, not to mention potentially financially rewarding. But with such a wide choice of online casinos to choose from, knowing which you should try and which you should avoid can be time-consuming.
At BestOnlineCasino.games, we want to help you make the right decision when weighing up the best online casino sites. For this very reason, we dedicate our time to researching and testing the top casino sites on the market. We also look at newly-launched casinos to see if they can match or even improve on the more-established best online casinos.
As part of our review process, we look at several key factors that contribute toward determining what makes a brand one of the best online casino sites. For example, there’s the RTP (Return to Player) of the games, the ability to make quick and easy deposits and withdrawals, licensing and regulation, the type of software the site uses, the kind of bonus offers that are available and the wagering requirements that can be associated with them, and whether the site supports mobile devices.
Having taken all these factors into consideration, we’re in the ideal position to recommend our readers the best online casino sites, and we’ll continue adding new options so that you can guarantee you’ll always have the latest information at your fingertips.
How do we choose the best online casino sites?
RTP
When you’re reading or researching the best online casino sites, you’ll often come across a phrase called RTP or Return to Player. Effectively, it’s the opposite of the phrase “house edge” as it indicates the long-term theoretical expect payback percentage from all stakes placed on an online slot, table game, card game or video poker game.
As an example, if you spent £100 on an online slot with an RTP of 96.0%, you could expect to receive £96 in winnings out of the £100 that you wagered.
House edge is a term that’s more commonly used when referring to card and table games. For instance, most single deck blackjack games offer a house edge of around 1.5% while European Roulette offers a house edge or around 2.5%.
Although the software companies that develop the games are responsible for determining the RTPs, the best online casinos will be transparent about them. So, provided you can view the RTPs of the different games at your chosen site, we recommend that you try to pick titles that offer an RTP of 95.0% or above wherever possible.
Games Selection
When it comes to determining the best online casino sites based on the selection of games that’s available, it’s more a matter of personal preference.
If you enjoy playing a wide variety of game genres such as live dealer games, slots, instant wins, and roulette, you’re more likely to want to consider joining one of the top online casinos with the most diverse game libraries.
However, if you prefer to spend your time enjoying online slots, there are many top online casinos that specialise in slot games but not table games, for example. In this case, the casino might offer a greater number of slots than a site that’s more of an all-rounder.
Because we appreciate that everyone is different, when considering our list of the best online casino sites, we try to include information about all game types. So, whether you love blackjack, roulette, baccarat, live dealer games, video poker, scratch cards, jackpot slots or video slots, you’ll be able to see at a glance which brands are likely to cater for your needs best.
Security
Checking that a site is safe to play it should be a primary concern for any online casino player. Sadly, there are some unscrupulous operators that are not properly regulated or licensed, and those who fail to protect their customers’ data.
The best online casino sites are regulated and licensed for players from certain parts of the world. For instance, under UK law, the UK Gambling Commission covers UK players while the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner remotely covers citizens of nations in which it is not illegal to gamble online.
But being sufficiently regulated and holding the necessary gambling license is just one aspect of judging the security of the best online casinos. If you want to be truly safe when you’re playing games online, you’ll want to join a site that uses state-of-the-art SSL encryption and also has a clear privacy policy. Secure payment processing (which is usually provided by a third party) is another thing to look for.
We can assure you that the top casino sites that are recommended on our website are all highly security conscious, and take all of the necessary measures to protect their players.
Software
The software that powers the top casino sites can vary, and each type has different advantages.
Some of the most commonly seen software platforms are Playtech, NetEnt, Microgaming, Jumpman Gaming, Everymatrix and Dragonfish.
The software that lies behind each casino provides players with a unique choice of games, a cashier system, and an individual playing interface.
Software can also influence the speed of sites, as well as other factors such as minimum and maximum payouts, payout rates, and the way in which you can play games, i.e. download or instant-play.
By reading our reviews of the best online casino sites, you’ll be able to quickly identify which sites use which software platforms, and how the choice of software is likely to affect the kinds of games you can enjoy, whether you need to download any software to your PC, and how the banking system works.
Bonus Offers
Bonus offers can make all the difference between which of the best online casinos you choose to sign up with. They often give you extra funds to play with just for making a deposit to your account, and sometimes you can even score some free spins too.
Welcome bonuses are only offered to new customers, and you’ll find them at almost all of the top online casinos on our website. Depending on how much your first deposit is worth, you can typically expect to receive anything from 100% extra in bonus funds. So, if you deposited £10, you could get another £10 free.
Some casinos invite you to claim bonuses when you add funds in future, and these are usually referred to as redeposit or reload bonuses.
Because the best online casino sites want to give new customers an incentive to try them out, you may be lucky enough to come across a no-deposit bonus offer. No-deposit bonuses can be claimed without your needing to make a deposit, which is why they’re so popular.
Although bonuses can give you extra money to play with, they also come with terms and conditions. So, please ensure that you check the Ts and Cs prior to claiming as they’ll tell you important factors such as expiry dates, wagering requirements, and maximum win amounts.
Mobile Apps
One thing that it’s important to be aware of is that mobile apps aren’t necessarily a sign of the best online casino sites. These days, more and more operators are choosing to make their website’s mobile-friendly so that you can play at their brands across all platforms using your web browser, be it on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.
However, mobile apps do still exist in some cases, and you prefer to keep your web browsing separate from your day-to-day gaming, they allow you a quick and easy way to access your favourite games when you’re on the move.
Payment Methods
The best online casino sites will offer their customers a wide range of ways to make deposits and withdrawals.
Although credit and debit card payments including Visa and MasterCard are still the choice of many players, e-wallet systems like Paypal, Neteller, and Skrill and considered more secure.
Some brands allow you to make deposits using your mobile phone, which is handy if you don’t always have your wallet on your person.
Bank transfer is another popular way to fund your account if you don’t own a credit/debit card or an e-wallet, and want to keep track of what you’re spending.
Support
Getting help when you need it is important. So, if you join a site which offers no method of getting in touch other than email, you could be waiting a long time for an answer.
In our opinion, 24/7 customer support is extremely advantageous, but even if a casino doesn’t offer assistance around-the-clock, it may still offer quick responses via more instant methods such as live chat and telephone.
Live Games
Some of the best online casinos we’ve identified offer live games, which means that you can enjoy an authentic playing experience from the comfort of your own home (or bed or bus, or wherever takes your fancy).
Live video feeds allow you to see professional dealers operating blackjack, baccarat, and roulette tables, and you can usually converse with the dealer using a text chat facility or a microphone.
Unlike computerised versions of table and card games, live games don’t use Random Number Generators as you can see the action happening as it unfolds such as cards being dealt or roulette wheels being spun.Some popular game developers that offer live games are as follows:-
- Microgaming
- BigTime Gaming
- Pragmatic Play
- StormCraft Studios
- Red Tiger
- NextGen Gaming
- 1×2 Network
- Amaya
- Aristrocrat
- Betdigital
- Cryptologic
- EGT
- Exclusive
- Fugaso
- Ganapati
- GiG games
- Habanero
- IGT
- Merkur Gaming
- Microgaming
- Novomatic
- NYX
- PlayN’Go
- Playtech
- PushGaming
- QuickSpin
- Rabcat
- Realtime Gaming
- Scientific Games
- Thunderkick
- WMS
- Yggdrasil Gaming
- Evolution Gaming
- NetEnt
Evolution Gaming and NetEnt provide most of the top casino sites with their live dealer games, so you can guarantee that the tables are of the highest quality.
Hassle free Withdrawals
Top online casinos always make it easy for their players to cash-out their winnings. So, not only will you want to look for a site that offers your preferred payment method, but you’ll also want to know that you won’t be keeping ages to get your hands on your winnings.
Banking policies and FAQ usually give players an idea of how long it takes for withdrawal requests to be processed. A few of the best online casinos turn around cash-out requests the same day which, if you’re withdrawing to an e-wallet, can mean that you receive your funds within 24 hours.
License
We briefly mentioned licensing in our section about security earlier, and we can’t stress enough how important it is to play at a properly licensed site if you don’t want any unexpected surprises.
Depending on your country of residence, you may or may not be covered by a particular casino’s license as the laws of your country may vary from another’s.
In the UK, gambling sites are regulated by the UKGC (the UK Gambling Commission). A UK license ensures that the games are fair and transparent, prevent any criminal activity, and stop underage gambling.
Other common authorities and bodies that issue online gambling licenses for different parts of the world include the Dutch Gaming Authority, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, the Antigua and Barbuda Financial Services Regulatory Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, the Curacao Gaming Control Board, and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority.
You can usually find out what authority licenses an online casino by looking in the website’s footer. And, if you can’t find any evidence of such a license, we advise you to play elsewhere.
Global presence of operator
To a certain extent, the global presence of operators is a contributing factor to our list of the best online casinos. Playtech, for example, is known around the world, and as it produces its own casino games and online slots as well as acting as a gambling operator, and its long-standing reputation in the industry can be taken as an indication that any casino it endorses is an excellent place to play.
Paddy Power Betfair is an Irish brand which is currently the leading online gambling firm. It operates sportsbook, bingo, poker, and casino products under the Paddy Power and Betfair names.
In the US, International Game Technology (IGT) and Scientific Games are both big players in the online casino industry while Canada’s The Stars Group and the UK brands, Ladbrokes Coral and William Hill are also internationally-recognised names.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
