In any field, seeking the advice of experts and those with multiple years of proficiency is usually a good call. Sure, there will always be a small group of morons online who believe they understand complex topics based on a few YouTube videos they’ve stumbled across. Still, for the most part, I like to believe that most people will seek guidance before they decide to access a service or purchase a product.
What does an online casino expert look like?
Online casino experts spend every day in the sector; they know about the latest technology, what constitutes a solid platform, and which sites are truly serious about developing their model or marketing to become serious players in the industry. It doesn’t mean they’re experts on how to win – anyone who claims this is telling lies.
However, casinos are not products or services where you deposit your funds and are guaranteed something in return. You’re not buying anything, and you certainly shouldn’t see gambling as a source of income – it’s a medium of entertainment. Not only have online casinos become a colossal part of the industry, they’re now the dominant force. Subsequently, the number of online casinos has mushroomed into the thousands and is growing daily.
If you’re somebody who likes to shop around like I do, it can be difficult to find casinos with a simple search; there is a dizzying number of bonuses and promotions out there, which is why CasinoMeister has compiled a points rating system, which goes through the finer details of what truly constitutes a high-ranking casino.
Again, experts apply their knowledge to give an unbiased opinion and add a dash of their experience. From this foundation, top reviewers have created what they believe is a fair rating system for online casinos.
Components to look for in a top-rated casino
If you’re a slot gamer, you may look solely at the quality of a casino’s slot library and neglect other parts of their platform, such as their niche games or live tables. Likewise, if you live and breathe poker, your first and only port of call on their website might be to see what live tables and video poker machines are on their site.
For the highest-rated online casinos, hair-splitting differences, often from personal preference, ultimately dictate which platform a gamer uses. However, the top platforms have many components in common, and experts weigh these criteria when deciding on their final rating.
Jurisdiction
Licensure is vital in online casino gaming, but the jurisdiction and where the license is held is even more vital for those who know the industry. It’s a variable that can speak to the overall ethos of a business.
For example, licensing in established gambling countries can be more challenging; it’s a set process involving significant regulatory red tape and fees. A great example is the UK Gambling Commission, which is considered one of the gold standards of license providers in the online casino industry.
Those providers with a UKGC license number, or those of a similar ilk, such as Alderney, Isle of Man, New Jersey or Malta, also immediately stand out as providers not looking to cut corners. While it doesn’t always mean a brand isn’t of the same caliber, experts will rank casinos down if their only licenses stem from jurisdictions that have more question marks over them, such as Panama, Cyprus and Curaçao.
Speed of withdrawal
If a casino gamer wins a sizeable amount, the next step is getting that money into their bank account. This can often be a sore topic for gamers, as you only need to look at the negative reviews for any casino to see that the majority stem from issues with withdrawals.
While casinos need to stick to AML law and ensure they are not circumventing regulations, your money should be in your account within 12 hours – unless it’s a particularly large amount. Any withdrawal that takes days or weeks is not a good look, and experts will mark down platforms that consistently take too long in providing customers with their winnings.
Gaming software
Software, of course, is a huge factor. It underpins the number of games on the site, how strong the online casino’s working relationships are with some of the most recognized developers, and provides the foundation for the platform to grow the number of available games it hosts on its site.
Now, just because a platform has a wide range of software doesn’t automatically mean it receives the highest rating; it needs to be combined with the other components we’ve explored today. But it’s a pretty big piece of the pie.
Consumer reputation and clarity of bonuses, promotions, and terms and conditions
Some online casinos are excellent at marketing themselves and promoting a specific bonus. Social media is among many excellent marketing tools for businesses, including small businesses, but it’s not the only route.
Solid marketing is a must for any online casino, but experts look under the hood of these offers, and it’s often the terms and conditions that can shine a light on what the business is truly about. Experts will look for:
- Max cashout options – experts will mark down a casino that involves anything less than $30 max cashout.
- Wagering requirements – anything above 40x is considered poor.
- Expiry date – seven days is usually the industry average.
Reputations are built over time, sometimes decades, and can take just a few minutes to destroy. Brands consistently ranked poorly by casino gamers and other people within the industry will be put under greater scrutiny by experts in their reviews.
If they continue to bury the more negative terms of their site in their T&Cs, using jargon and convoluted language, then this is clearly an area where they will be marked down, and deservedly so.
Final thoughts
If we consider everything we’ve touched on today, all these pieces are coming together to complete the jigsaw of online casino rating systems. It’s not an exact science; there’s objectivity thrown in and a dash of personal preference, which can ultimately give some platforms the edge. But for the expert operators, as long as their platform can excel in all the areas we’ve examined today, they’ll find themselves with an impressive rating.
