A Player’s Guide to Finding a Good Casino

I don’t know about you, but I am a huge fan of online casinos and I like to play a lot. As the old saying goes, variety is the spice of life, so I like to shop around and play at an assortment of casinos. Some operators offer great bonuses and promotions, some have top notch live games, others have exciting variations of the all time classics.

Truth is, each online casino has something unique to offer, so why limit your choice? But with so many online casinos to choose from, inevitably you find plenty of mediocre ones amongst the decent ones. However, with experience, you can quickly and easily spot the genuinely high quality casinos and save wasting your time and money on the poor ones. What I’d like to do is share my experience with you, and show you how you can easily identify the good casinos from the bad.

3 Top Online Casinos I can Recommend

Having played at so many online casinos, I undoubtedly have my favourites. Regardless of how many new casinos I try out, these are my operators of choice that I play at time and time again. But don’t just take my word for it, why not try them out for yourself?

In the following paragraphs, I’ll explain what makes these 3 such great choices. But I don’t want to limit your fun! So I’ll also tell you everything you need to know to find a quality online casino yourself. We’ll look at the simple ways you can confirm an operator is genuine, so you don’t get any nasty surprises when you come to cashing out your winnings! Then we’ll look at the qualities a casino should have for you to enjoy a great playing experience.

The Most Important Requirements for a Casino

With such a huge amount of online casinos out there, you have plenty of choice if you want to try something new. But with such a massive choice available, where do you begin? Well for me, there are certain criteria that an online casino must meet in order to get me through the door. First of all, I check that they hold a valid licence. This ensures they are legal and regulated and not some dodgy outfit looking to scam me.

All online casinos who offer services to UK players must hold a valid licence from the UK Gambling Commission. If an operator doesn’t have a valid licence, then they clearly don’t meet the high standards set by the regulatory body, and there’s every reason to avoid them like the plague!

Once the safety of a casino has been validated, the next thing I consider are the games they offer. After all, it’s the games that are going to entertain me and ultimately decide whether I will carry on playing there or move on to another site. There are other factors I take into consideration also, but as a rule of thumb, it’s only the legal UK casinos with great games that I will play at.

UK Gambling Licence

First and foremost, when you consider joining a casino you should check their licence. It’s simple, if they hold a valid licence from the UK Gambling Commission, then it is a legal operator. An operator has to meet strict requirements to be granted a licence and it’s a clear sign that you will be playing in a safe environment. Having previously played at unlicensed casinos, let me tell you, it can become a real headache. Personally, I have hit brick walls trying to withdraw winnings from such casinos, but I have been lucky compared to some, I have friends who have had much worse experiences! From bogus transactions on their bank cards, to identity theft.

STEP 1:fIND THE LICENSE NUMBER (USUALY AT THE FOOTER OF THE SITE)

STEP 2:gO TO www.Gamblingcommission.gov.uk and Check it

It’s really simple to check if an online casino holds a valid licence, just look at the footer of their website. Easy as that, if they display the UKGC logo, then step 1 is complete. However, if it were that easy to convince a potential player of the validity of an online casino, then surely there’s crooks out there who will simply copy and paste the logo onto their site, right? Well that’s where step 2 comes in. Double check that the licence is valid. It will only take a few minutes and could save you hours of stress further down the line. Just go to the UKGC website and confirm that the licence is genuine. So in 2 small steps, you can confirm whether it is safe to play at a given online casino. You are then free to play with complete peace of mind that your experience will be safe and secure.

Game Selection

Once you’ve reassured yourself that a casino is legal and licensed, it’s time for the fun to begin. And what do you need to have fun? Without doubt, great games. But what makes a top game selection? Well for me, above all else, there needs to be plenty of choice. Some days I feel like spinning the roulette wheel, sometimes I want to try and beat the dealer at blackjack, other times I want to hit the slots for the chance of a big win. Needless to say, a good casino will offer all the classic games, along with exciting variations. I also love the thrill of playing live casino, it’s about as close as you can get to playing at a land based casino from the comfort of your own home. So I also check out how many live games are available, and what interesting variations the casino has to offer.

So plenty of choice is a vital factor in a decent game collection. However, what’s the point of quantity without quality? There are some casinos which are so much better than others in terms of the graphics and sound of the games. Take Betfair for example, with their games powered by leading software provider Playtech, they are vibrant, sleek and very alluring. Compare this to casinos with poorer graphics and the experience can soon become very dull. I tried Party Casino before, but soon left after I found their slots rather dated and boring. What will soon become apparent when you start playing the games at a casino is whether the software is up to scratch. I don’t know about you, but I want my games to run smoothly. There’s nothing more frustrating than your games constantly lagging, or crashing, it soon takes away the fun factor. That’s one of the reasons I rate 888 Casino. Whether you download the games, or play in instant flash mode, they run perfectly. Why settle for anything less?

As I mentioned earlier, I look out for plenty of variations of classic casino games when I choose where to play. Therefore, it’s also important that a clear overview is provided on the site, so you can see at a glance what sort of games are available, and easily navigate to your favourites. It’s also really important that the rules of the games are easily accessible and understandable. When I try out a new variation of a game, I like to know the rules before I start pumping in my cash. Also, maybe more importantly, I want to know what my chances of winning are. So clear guidelines about the payouts are also vital.

Although I enjoy playing a variety of casino games, slots are undoubtedly my favourite. Any good casino will give you a massive choice when it comes to slot machines, including classic fruit machines and video slots. The best slot games give you plenty of bonus rounds and features, to really get the adrenalin pumping! One of my favourite things about online casino slots is the genres and themes they offer. At William Hill and Betfair for example, there’s a great collection of Marvel themed slots. These include popular characters such as Spiderman, the Fantastic 4 and the Incredible Hulk, to name but a few. I also really enjoy playing movie and TV themed slots. You’ll find many of these include videos and clips from the show or film which is really entertaining and helps bring the characters to life.

Jackpot Games with Big Wins

There’s another reason that slots are my favourite casino game. Progressive jackpots! There are some copious amounts of money to be won on progressive jackpots, and one day, I am sure I will get my hands on one! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had plenty of wins on the slots in my time, but nothing jaw dropping as yet. I don’t look a gift horse in the mouth though, wins of any size will keep things entertaining, but the hope of that massive amount just round the corner always keeps me coming back for more. I’ve already mentioned the Marvel themed slots that Betfair and William Hill boast, well all of these are progressive jackpot games. So as well as the fun of playing with well known characters, there’s also the chance of winning a great deal of money. One of my favourite jackpot slot games is Millionaire Genie, which you’ll find at 888 Casino. The jackpot up for grabs here regularly exceeds £2 million, and as the saying goes, you have to be in it to win it.

It’s not just slots which offer the massive prize sums though, it’s always worth looking out for big jackpots on other casino games. There are casinos that offer progressive blackjack, video poker, roulette and scratch cards. So even if you’re not particularly a fan of slots, you still have the chance of getting your hands on big prizes playing whichever is your favourite game.

Top Bonus Offers

When you start looking for an online casino, one thing you’ll notice is that pretty much everyone offers some kind of welcome bonus. In my opinion, it’s really worth taking advantage of these offers to make your money stretch further. After all, the more you have in your account, the longer you have to play for those coveted jackpot prizes.

When I join a casino, I tend to deposit around £100. I find this a good amount to get a decent amount of playing time, and also to maximise on a lot of the available bonuses. At 888 Casino, with a 100% match bonus on a first deposit of up to £100, I ended up with £200 worth of funds to enjoy. For those players who want to deposit a smaller sum, the minimum deposit of £5 at the casino makes it a great choice for the low stakes players alike. You even get £88 for free, perfect if you want to play on the smallest of budgets, or just to try out what the casino has to offer before making a deposit. At the other end of the scale, for the players who want to deposit much more than the £100 I usually play with, then again, 888 Casino offers a great bonus targeted specifically at the high rollers. In fact, you can get a bonus of £1500 over your first week with their premium player package. They really do have something for every kind of player!

Whichever casino you opt for, make sure you check out the terms and conditions of the bonuses. All casino bonuses will have wagering requirements that you’ll need to meet before you can withdraw any money you make with your bonus. Let’s take 888 Casino as an example again. Here, you’ll need to wager your bonus 30 times before you can make a withdrawal. The bonus here is also valid for 90 days, so it’s a really great offer for players who maybe don’t play so often, or simply want the freedom of a non restrictive time frame. I avoid any casino bonuses with high wagering requirements, if I have to playthrough a bonus over 40 times, then it is not the casino for me.

Another great thing about the bonus at 888 is that all of the games contribute towards the wagering requirement in differing amounts. This is beneficial for me as I enjoy playing all casino games, and don’t want a bonus that restricts the games I can choose to play. Make sure you see if you can play your favourite games with a bonus before you take it. Although I like 888’s inclusion of all games into their playthrough requirements, I don’t dismiss a casino if they do not include all games. For example, for those players who only want to play slots, then I’d highly recommend Mr Green Casino.

New players here can get a bonus of up to £350 and you get 10 free spins as well. You can only play slots with a bonus at Mr Green, so this offer won’t suit everyone, but it’s a top choice if you’re looking for a casino with a fantastic collection of slots.

Variety of Regular Promotions

Any good casino will run a variety of promotions, that reward players in different ways for playing certain games. These are perfect for the times I am in an indecisive mood and can’t make my mind up as to which games to play. For those occasions, I welcome special offers that inspire me to play something new, with special prizes to be won. Betfair have a daily bonus program, which offers something different for players to benefit from for every day of the week. On many occasion I have been inspired to try out new slots here with the offer of free spins.

888 Casino also has a daily promotion calendar which gives regular players the opportunity to win various bonuses on a daily basis. Their promotions have included chances to win prizes such as a weekend in Paris, tickets to the Champions League final and a whole range of top gadgets. Furthermore, 888 has two very attractive promotions dedicated to the live-casino fans – a courtesy that not every casino operator extends.

Some Factors which are of Little Importance when Choosing a Casino

Having looked at all the important requirements for choosing a good casino, I’d like to finish off by discussing some of the factors which I consider to be of little importance in deciding where to play.