Applying my industry knowledge when I assess new online casino sites is one thing; it’s another to be able to do it consistently. And consistency is key to delivering reliable, in-depth reviews.
To ensure I help you to the best of my ability, I apply a 20-step review process, a bit like a checklist, to each new casino brand I encounter.
There is a method to my madness, so to help you understand it better, I’ll lay it out bare for all to see.
My 20-step casino review process
I’ve listed all 20 points below and the things I look for when assessing how each site holds up across these aspects of its operations:
- Licensing and regulation by the UKGC: I am only interested in online casinos that are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
- Appropriate website encryption: Again, I will only ever recommend casinos that demonstrate acceptable website security (https, padlock icon, certificate link, etc.).
- Platform reliability: The last thing you want is for a game to crash midway through your session or for live streams to get interrupted, so I pay particular attention to the robustness of the platform itself.
- Responsible gambling: I believe casino operators, like everyone in the industry, have a moral obligation to assist in the effort to combat problem gambling and offer players the tools and resources to protect themselves while gambling online.
- Varied gaming content: We’re all here for the games, so they’d better be good.
- Reputable game providers: Most of us have our favourites, and it’s important to see them in the lobby. I like to check for the most popular providers and titles to ensure the lobby is kept up to date.
- Demo games: When operators have demo games for you to try before you buy, it’s definitely a plus as it gives you the chance to play before committing your cash.
- Welcome bonus: With so much competition, I know my readers want to know who’s offering the best bonuses.
- Ongoing promotions: As above, the more promos and bonus offers, the better, and I’m sure you will agree.
- Terms & conditions: Bonuses are all well and good, but the bonus terms must be fair, with reasonable wagering requirements, realistic validity periods, etc.
- Rewards programs: Operators with generous rewards programs are favourites of mine, where you get better rewards the more you play. For heavy-use punters, these can be a goldmine.
- Gamification: Tournaments, leaderboards, and levelling up your status are ways online casinos compensate for the lack of human interaction when using online platforms.
- Mobile gameplay: Unless you’re sitting down to a long table session, you likely prefer using your phone to log in and play, so mobile compatibility, regardless of your device, is crucial.
- Banking options: Another important factor is the choice of payment methods. Many players don’t like using their debit cards or prefer using mobile pay.
- Withdrawals: I always check for withdrawal processing times, hidden fees, or high transaction limits.
- Transaction security: Never provide financial information on a site that’s not secure; that’s a general life tip for free!
- Customer service: I check for sites with 24/7 live chat, phone numbers, email addresses, and online knowledge bases.
- Privacy policy: Understanding what an operator plans to do with your information is never a bad idea.
- Reputation: If a casino has been operating for a reasonable length of time, you can always read up on how others have found their experience. Knowledge sharing is powerful.
- User experience: Last but by no means least, you have to enjoy using the platform, or the whole rest of it is pointless.
And that’s it. A really thorough process that I follow, but which you can follow too if you’re doing your own research.
If you’re happy to leave it to me, below are the current casinos that I recommend. Be lucky!
My recommended casinos
1
Get
100% bonus up to £100 & 50 free spins
on Diamonds of the Realm when you make your first deposit.
100% bonus up to £100 & 50 free spins
on Diamonds of the Realm when you make your first deposit.
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 50 x wagering the bonus or free spins wins, available on valid games only. Wagering requirement on bonus bets 1st. Bonus valid for 30 days; free spins for 7 days. Max conversion: 3 x bonus. Excluded: Skrill deposits. See full terms
2
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 50 x wagering the bonus, contribution varies per game. Selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid for 30 days, max conversionb 3x bonus amount, limited to 5 brands in the network. Withdrawal requests void active/pending bonuses. Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. See full terms
3
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 50 x wagering the bonus or free spins wins, available on valid games only. Wagering requirement on bonus bets 1st. Bonus valid for 30 days; free spins for 7 days. Max conversion: 3 x bonus. Excluded: Skrill deposits. See full terms
4
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 50 x wagering the bonus, contributions vary per game. Wagering requirement on bonus bets only. Bonus valid for 30 days. Max conversion: 3 x bonus. Excluded: Skrill and Neteller deposits. See full terms
5
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 50 x wagering the bonus, contribution varies per game. Selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid for 30 days, limited to 5 brands in the network. Withdrawal requests void active/pending bonuses. Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. See full terms
6
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 50 x wagering the bonus or free spins wins, available on valid games only. Wagering requirement on bonus bets only. Bonus valid for 30 days; Max conversion: 3 x bonus. Excluded: Skrill and neteller deposits. See full terms
7
#Ad 18+ New Players Only. Wager from real balance first. 50X wager the bonus. Contribution varies per game. Selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 days / Free spins valid 7 days from receipt. Max conversion: 3 times the bonus amount or from free spins: £20. Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. See full terms
8
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 50 x wagering the bonus or free spins wins, available on valid games only. Wagering requirement on bonus bets 1st. Bonus valid for 30 days; free spins for 7 days. Max conversion: 3 x bonus. Excluded: Skrill deposits. See full terms
9
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 50 x wagering the bonus or free spins wins, available on valid games only. Wagering requirement on bonus bets 1st. Bonus valid for 30 days; free spins for 7 days. Max conversion: 3 x bonus or from free spins: £20. Excluded: Skrill deposits. See full terms
10
#Ad 18+ New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 50 x wagering the bonus or any winnings from free spins (FS), contribution may vary per game. Wagering requirement on bonus bets only. Bonus valid for 30 days/FS for 7 days. Max conversion: 3 x the bonus amount. Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. See full terms