How to Choose the Right Online Casino
There are a number of factors you should keep in mind if you want to choose the right online casino which is best suited for you. In this article we show you what you need to do in order to make the right decision.
After all, you want to end up playing at a professionally-run, fun-loving and reliable online casino and not on an unsafe betting site with not many games to choose from in the first place!
From the game selection to bonuses and from payment options and speeds to customer service quality, there are quite a few factors which can make or break your online casino experience. We’ll take an in-depth look at all of these factors and show how you can recognise a great online casino from a bad-quality one.
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How to choose an online casino
Let’s first get a common misconception out of the way: There is no such a thing as “the best casino”. Although there are certainly many great-quality online casinos, it’s impossible to say which is the best of them all. That is because we all look for something different in an online casino.
For some people a great online casino is the one which offers the widest variety of games. Another might point at the casino with the widest variety of live casino games, while another person might solely look at video slots. High rollers will be most interested in high-limit gambling options and VIP rewards programmes, while those on a tighter budget might want to search for the casino with the highest possible bonus in order to increase their bankroll. Whatever your preferred game or budget is, all gamblers of course want an online casino to be reliable and safe, offering a wide variety of fast and convenient payment options and a responsive customer service.
Selection criteria to choose an online casino
Having discussed the background behind the most common criteria people use to choose an online casino, we can get going. We recommend you to first make a draft list containing a couple of online casinos you are potentially interested in. You can then compare these online casinos and narrow down your choice. Although a lot of other factors might influence your decision, we would recommend you to take at the very least the following selection criteria into account:
– Safety, reliability and reputation
– Available casino games
– Bonus and casino rewards
– Payment options and speeds
– Customer service quality
Safety, reliability and reputation
The most important factor when it comes to online casino choice is how safe, reliable and reputable the website is your are eyeing. After all, you don’t want to play at an unreliable casino. You want your money and personal data to be safe, your casino profits to be paid out in time and all casino games you play to be honest.
In order to ensure all of this you should only play at a fully licenced online casino. As long as the online casino you might want to choose is licenced by a trustworthy and reputable gambling authority, you don’t have to worry about your safety. An online casino will only get a gambling licence from governmental authorities if they fulfil numerous criteria. Among others, their games must be fair, they should have enough cash on hand to pay out all casino winners and they must address potential customer complaints and queries.
Online casinos which are licenced by gambling authorities in Canada, Malta, the United Kingdom and the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao are considered to be safe. Check whether a casino has a logo and licence number of one of these gambling authorities such as the MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) or the United Kingdom Gambling Commission on their website.
Before you choose an online casino, you are also well-advised to do a bit of research. We advise you to check whether the casino has good reviews. Although even the best casino will always have some bad reviews from sore losers, it’s good to see what the general public as well as casino information websites think of the online casino you are interested in.
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Available casino games
Another important selection criteria you should keep in mind when you choose an online casino is the game collection. Although it’s always good if an online casino has a large number of games available, more games does not always equal a better casino.
First of all, not every casino player is looking for the same gaming content. If you only really love to play card games such as blackjack or poker, you probably won’t care much if a casino has more than a thousand video slots. Similarly, an avid slot player won’t be too impressed by a large selection of baccarat tables. If you do have a preferred game, make sure you check in advance what the gaming options are at the casino of your choice.
The same counts for betting limits. If you are a high roller, it’s a must that the casino has some high-limit tables available. If you are a gambler with a small playing budget, you want to make sure there are penny slots and tables where you can bet small amounts at a time. You therefore might want tables with a minimum bet limit of $0.10 instead of $1 or even higher.
We also strongly advise you to check the quality of casino games. The best online casinos will only have games from the top software studios in the world such as Evolution Gaming, NetEnt and Pragmatic Play. Make sure your casino has all the most famous casino gaming titles and the most exciting and top quality games available!
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Bonus and casino rewards
Casino bonuses and rewards are important to many gamblers. And why wouldn’t they be! After all, a casino bonus can help low-budget players increase their bankroll. For high rollers, there are often tailored high roller and VIP bonuses. Moreover, frequent casino players can benefit massively from casino rewards and loyalty programmes. If you are the kind of player who gambles regularly it makes sense to do so at an online casino with such a casino loyalty programme.
When it comes to casino bonuses it’s not always the case that the online casino with the highest bonus is the best. Indeed, there are quite a few excellent online casinos which aren’t particularly known for their high welcome bonus such as Betsson for example. We therefore do highly suggest to look further than just the welcome bonus on offer as otherwise you might leave out some top quality casinos!
If however the size of the welcome bonus and frequency of other bonus deals is important to you, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind. First of all, make sure you read the bonus terms and conditions. As high casino bonuses often come with more strict terms and conditions such as higher wagering requirements, they might not always be better in a practical way.
Secondly, think about what kind of bonus you prefer. As a video slot fan you will of course love a free spins bonus, but those can be useless for an avid blackjack player. Deposit bonuses are a firm favourite of most casino players. However, it’s mostly the experienced gamblers who truly appreciate the advantages of a great cashback bonus deal. Although it might sound less exciting than a C$2,000 deposit bonus, a cashback bonus could save you more money in the long-run!
Payment options and speeds
We all have our preferred payment method. Some love to pay with their credit card, others prefer Interac, while some might opt for one of the many e-wallet options to deposit money to their online casino account. Whatever your preferred payment option is, make sure you check whether your online casino of choice has it listed as one of their accepted payment methods. The same counts of course for withdrawals, as you want to ensure that there is always a suitable method for you to cash out your casino winnings!
However, you should look further than just the listed payment methods. Although deposits are usually instantly processed no matter which casino you choose, the same is not true about withdrawals. It’s therefore important you always look at payment speeds too. After all, it’s a serious negative if you have to wait for a week to receive your money at Casino A while Casino B might pay you out within a day! Transaction speeds usually differ between payment methods. Interac and e-wallet payments are usually the fastest while bank transfers are the slowest.
Besides payment options and speeds you should also check payment limits – especially if you are a high roller. Most casinos have a weekly and/or monthly deposit and withdrawal limit. If you win $20,000 and the casino has a maximum withdrawal limit of $10,000 a month, it means your money will be paid out in two monthly instalments of $10,000 each. If you don’t mind the wait that’s fine of course, but ideally you’d play at an online casino with high pay-out limits as a high roller! We therefore suggest you’d check whether a casino might offer extra high limits (or wave them altogether) for high roller and VIP gamblers.
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Customer service quality
An often overlooked factor which is however highly important when it comes to choosing an online casino is the customer service quality. If you choose an online casino you are well-advised to check how the customer service operates. Can the casino help desk be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Can you reach the casino support team through multiple channels, or only by calling an expensive phone line?
It might not seem like much of a big deal. After all, most people won’t ever need to contact customer service. However, if something does goes wrong with one of your casino games, payments or bonuses, you want to make sure that you are helped out fast by a knowledgeable and helpful employee.
Our top tip is to look for an online casino that can be reached in multiple ways. All the top quality casinos these days can be reached by using a live chat tool on their website, by contacting them on social media, e-mail and phone. This way there will always be an easy way how to reach out to the casino in case you have a question or problem!
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Best Canadian online casinos
If you don’t know where to get started when it comes to choosing the right online casino for you, we recommend you to check our list of the best Canadian online casinos. On this page you can find a few dozen licenced online casinos which are extremely popular among Canadian gamblers. By reading the reviews you can learn more about the pros and cons of each online casino, which will help determine which is the best suited for you.
Of each and every casino we list the accepted payment methods and the height of the welcome bonus. Of course, we also discuss the game collection of each casino in-depth. Moreover, we take a look at the history and reputation of each casino and review the quality of the customer service and other casino aspects.
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Conclusion: Which online casino to choose?
If you want to choose an online casino, you should first ask yourself the question what you seek in an online casino. After all, an avid player on penny slots might have different needs and wishes than a high-limit blackjack player! In this article we outlined the most important casino selection criteria. These selection criteria are the game collection, bonus deals and loyalty programmes, available payment methods and transaction speeds and customer service quality. Perhaps most important is however the safety and reputation of an online casino.
Always make sure you play at a fully licenced online casino. If in doubt of the quality of an online casino, make sure you read some reviews.
Don’t forget that signing up at an online casino is free. It can happen that you sign up at an online casino but end up disappointed. It can happen to the best of us! If that’s the case, nothing stops you from trying another online casino. Indeed, it might be even a good way to claim a couple of great casino welcome bonuses on your way!
