Best Online Casinos. Sounds cliche, does it not? And yet, considering the mass of information about casinos on the Web these days, not to mention the masses of casinos accepting real-money wagers, narrowing down a selection of reviewed online casinos and bestowing each with the title of "best" actually serves a great need. Of course, this all depends on the context of the term. The fact of the matter is that the term "best" is subjective...at best (no pun intended). It's also quite often inappropriately and overly used. In other words, any online casino operator can give themselves the title of best (and they do). Even third-party affiliate reviewers or owners posing as third-party affiliates, sling around the term with the intent of persuading players to open accounts. And while some of these online casinos certainly qualify for the title and deserve your business, in the quasi-regulated world of online gambling, picking an online casino to gamble at is no better than a craps shoot (pun intended).
That's where we come in. OnlineCasino.net aims to give players like yourself the information needed to make educated decisions when selecting an online casino, not to mention maximizing your odds when playing against the House. We certainly don't claim to be an exhaustive listing of the best online casinos in business - because let's face it - there are more then 10 online casinos worthy of the "best" title. What we do guarantee is that any of the casinos we mention or recommend here are properly licensed and regulated, and have endured the test of time - so much so, that seasoned players are inclined to consider them to be amongst the best in business. Unlike the aforementioned affiliate sites that often succumb to biased reviews, we have been working in the industry since the late nineties and have come to know what makes for a safe and credible place to wager online. With such knowledge, only then do we choose which casinos to affiliate with (not the other way around), review, and consequently categorize as the Best. Furthermore, as the industry changes and transforms at a super-fast pace, we are always keen and ready to update our own reviews as needed, whether prompted by player feedback and/or the effects of competition between top-rated, rival casinos.
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Amongst the most competitive, regulated online casinos in business, we primarily focus on three components when factoring which sites we deem to be the Best Online Casinos: Customer Service/Reputation, Bonuses/Promotions, and Payouts. But first, let's go over what we like to call the "Givens" - the minimum conditions we require before even considering whether or not to review an online casino.
The Givens:
Licensing: Due to large discrepancies in transparency between regulatory jurisdictions, just because an online casino says it is licensed and regulated, does not mean it is a trustworthy and reliable place to wager real money at. No only do we ensure all reviewed online casinos hold the proper licensing credentials, we ensure they are licensed in a reputable jurisdiction, i.e, the UK Gambling Commission, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Alderney, Netherlands Antilles, Antigua and Barbuda.
Software: Ensuring that an online casino is using an accredited software provider - meaning a software platform that has been independently tested for acceptable RNG distribution and fairness by an accredited third party, such as eCOGRA or Certified Fair Gambling - no only guarantees a fair bet (as fair can get), it also confirms the selection and quality of the casino games being offered. The reason being is that, at a certain level, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish one software platform from another. The quality of graphics, as well as the selection of games themselves, is quite similar amongst the leading software brands. To say that one software is better than another is, again, a subjective matter. It's the accreditations of the software that matter most. Only those online casinos using accredited software are considered for review.
Support: If an online casino does not provide 24/7, as well as BOTH email and toll-free telephone support, it will NOT be considered for review at 10BestOnlineCasinos.org. While outsourcing customer service is an accepted and common practice in the gaming industry, in-house support is always preferred.
As for the three primary factors in determining "best" status - Customer Service/Reputation, Bonuses/Promotions, and Payouts - let's take a closer look:
Customer Service/Reputation: Just because an online casino offers 24/7 support, doesn't mean it will provide excellent service. Courtesy is a given. Sure, there are rude players who will make it their objective to defame a casino if denied a withdrawal or if called out for abusing terms. This is taken into consideration. However, we also take into consideration if online casinos are in the practice of working to prevent disputes in the first place. For instance, some online casinos will not do the due diligence of screening players at the time of opening an account, and yet will hide behind T&C's later down the road to keep from paying out a player who should have not been permitted to open an account to begin with. In other words, customer service should not just be limited to the direct dealings with players - it should extend through management practices on the backend.
Payouts: While payout percentage is something to be considered, the "payouts" being referred to here pertains to the speed and reliability of making deposits and withdrawals through an online casino's cashier. On a side note, ir f an online casino is properly licensed and using an accredited software platform, payout percentages will be readily available. Furthermore, at a certain level, all online casinos deliver average payouts in the mid-to-upper nineties percentile. That is deemed very acceptable, and as this number will vary slightly from month to month, it is not necessary to scrutinize a few percentage points when gauging one casino from another. With software and licensing credentials in place, players should be more concerned with the speed and reliability of actually transferring funds to and from an online casino. Those sites which have the best track record and which offer a diverse selection of payout methods are considered for best status.
Bonuses/Promotions: One thing is certain - just about every online casino has a welcome bonus offer. And as much as they will all like you to believe it's FREE money, the fact of the matter is that it never is. However, considering the terms and conditions governing said bonuses, some casinos do indeed make it easier to actually profit from the use of a welcome bonus. The conditions we look for include reasonable play-through requirements (around 10-20x for slots bonuses and 50x for table game bonuses), as well as cashout conditions. Some casinos put a tap on the maximum that can be cashed out from a play bonus. Some do not. Obviously, we search out the later. However, reasonable maximum bonus withdrawals (in the thousands) are considered. When it comes to no-deposit bonuses, ALL online casinos will impose a maximum withdrawal. A reasonable limit is one that is at least 5x the bonus amount. Another factor that separates the best from the rest is a comprehensive promotions package that includes reload bonuses and comp points. Tournaments and raffle draws are also considered in factoring best online casino status.
