There are countless online casino websites out there, so finding the perfect one can be a little bit challenging. With such a great offer of operators available to gamblers, recognizing the best and most reliable casinos requires some research.
However, there are some parameters players can follow in order to choose a safe online casino to bet real money. In this article we will detail the fundamental criteria that must be taken into account when choosing the best operator to gamble at.
Essential criteria in order to find the best online casinos
– Security: This is the most important aspect when evaluating an operator. Gambling real money implies that casinos must use very strict criteria to keep their sites safe, like requiring the players to verify their accounts, being audited by international third party companies in order to ensure that the games offered are transparent and fair, and data encryption, which is essential to protect the players´ personal and financial information. Legitimate online gambling sites must have valid licenses and proven security systems.
There are many operators on the web that advertise themselves as safe, but they are nothing more than scams. Players can distinguish these sites due to their lack of licenses and certificates. It is quite simple, if an online casino does not present the corresponding documentation, it should not be trusted. This danger is further aggravated in unregulated markets, such as the United States. The lack of legislation promotes secrecy and a lack of transparency. Online casinos that do not follow established protocols may lose their license, since the authorities that grant them can revoke them in case the operator does not comply with the required standards during their audits.
– Payouts / game transparency / RTP: Games in legit online casinos must operate by a RTP (Random Number Generator) system in order to be fair. Games must be audited constantly by third parties in order to guarantee that the results are truly impartial and that they do not respond to a manipulation of the system. The certifications of these systems are exposed on the casino portals. The return to the player (RTP) indicates the percentage of bets that will return to the player in the form of prizes, and it is clarified in the description of each game, so that the player knows what their possibilities are.
– Safe deposits and withdrawals: Trusted online casinos must have optimized payment methods. There are many options when it comes to payment methods; like bank transactions, credit and debit cards, electronic wallets, cryptocurrencies, among others. The best online casinos must offer a wide range of payment methods to cater every player´ s preference. Electronic wallets are one of the favorite methods nowadays, because they do not show the user’s personal or bank account information, despite being linked to the bank and to a card. The same happens with cryptocurrencies.
The withdrawal and deposit limits are regulated by the casino itself. Most operators offer a VIP membership when a player wants to transact sums higher than usual.
Some online casinos collect commissions when a player makes a withdrawal or a deposit.
This must be detailed in the terms and conditions of each operator´s site. These are usually minimal fees, such as bank fees, but they do not apply in all cases. If the casino had to charge any extra expenses, it would give advance notice and ask for consent. This is not the case when it comes to unlicensed operators, which can charge unexpected commissions at any time.
– Safe software: The best operators make sure they have the latest virtual security systems on their pages. Mobile phone apps are as safe and secure as the web pages since they have the same data encryption systems and software.
– Customer service: This is a very important aspect; a trustworthy online casino must have effective customer service 24 hours a day. This is the only way to solve players’ doubts and problems in a practical and conclusive way. Such service must be available in multiple languages. Among the most common options, there is the frequently asked questions section, the help chat, the e-mails and, in several cases, the phone calls. The best way and most efficient way to contact the operator is through the live chat.