While personal preferences tend to be subjective, there are some overlying criteria that most players would agree contribute to a great online casino experience. These include, amongst others, security, client support and fair play.
We all expect a unique experience when gambling online. I, for one, love freebies like bonuses and loyalty points that casinos offer players as a token of their goodwill. But there are additional things that online casinos can offer to woo new players and stay one step ahead of the competition.
Here are a few traits to look out for that define a top-of-the-line Canadian online casino:
Fair Play and Security
The first thing that an online casino player wishes to be reassured about is that a casino pays fairly across all its games and that the payout ratio is suitable. An important leveller of the playing field is the random number generator (RNG), which guarantees that every draw of the card or spin of the slots is arbitrary and not predetermined in any way.
Additionally, online casinos should undergo regular audits to ensure that nothing unwarranted exists within the system. Institutions such as eCOGRA are renowned entities that perform regular checks, giving an online casino an aye or a nay in terms of fairness and objectivity.
Equally important is a gambling authority license that a casino ought to possess. Renowned gambling authorities include the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. As part of the required accreditation, variables such as the online casino’s business plan, the availability of cash reserves and company history are checked before a license gets issued.
Online casino licenses also indicate the geographical jurisdiction within which a casino can operate. However, this is not always set in stone (e.g. a Maltese license enables an online casino to operate across the EU).
Bonuses and Freebies
There isn’t anyone that doesn’t like to get free stuff from online casinos, in whichever form these might come. These days, a generous welcome bonus is a must for all new players that register with an online casino. However, the expectations don’t merely end there and other tokens of appreciation, like deposit and non-deposit bonuses, as well as loyalty points, are considered a must from top casinos.
Another noteworthy option offered by more distinguished online casinos is that of demo-mode games and free gameplay. This option allows for a player to familiarise themselves with a game first and gain some practice before committing any real money down the cash shoot.
Simplified Registration and Account Opening
Simplicity and speed of new account registration go together like horse and carriage. A new player who struggles understanding how to register a new account will simply leave the registration page and not risk divulging any further details. The more uncomplicated and problem-free an account opening is, the higher an online casino will score in an evaluation.
Top Customer Service Experience
A well-oiled customer service team is a critical cog within an online casino mechanism. An online casino can have the best games with the fairest chances of winning, but none of these would matter if there’s no support structure for the player. Friendly and knowledgeable staff that are available 24 hours each day, seven days a week, define superior customer service. Also, the client should have at their disposal various channels of communication, including live chat, telephone calls and email.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Top-of-the-range online casinos ensure that a wide selection of payment and withdrawal options are available to their players so that they can choose what suits their requirements the best. Some payment methods include basic credit and debit card transactions, instant bank transfers, as well as a wide range of e-wallets. Some more progressive online casinos even offer transactions in cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin.
While there’s no fixed list of all the variables that define a first-rate online casino, the above factors are, by far, the most important. Those online casinos that score high on these variables, more often than not, are the ones that have a solid player base. And, when an online casino remains consistent with what it gives back, the players keep coming back for more.