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
#Ad. 18+ New players only. Max bonus 100% up to £100, min deposit £20. No max cash out, wagering 35x bonus. Max bet with active bonus £5. Eligibility restricted for suspected abuse. Cashback is cash with no restrictions & applies to deposits where no bonus included. Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded. T&C's apply. BeGambleAware.org, gambling is addictive,gamble responsibly.See full terms
2
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 10 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: 1x bonus, or £2 from free spins. Excluded: Skrill deposits. See full terms
3
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 10x wagering the bonus, contribution varies per game. Selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid for 30 days, max conversion 1x bonus amount, limited to 5 brands in the network. Withdrawal requests void active/pending bonuses. Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. See full terms
4
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 10x 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: 1 x bonus, and £4 from free spins. Excluded: Skrill & Neteller deposits. See full terms
5
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 10x wagering the bonus, contributions vary per game. Wagering requirement on bonus bets only. Bonus valid for 30 days. Max conversion: 1 x bonus. Excluded: Skrill and Neteller deposits. See full terms
6
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 10x wagering the bonus, contribution varies per game. Selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid for 30 days, max conversion 1x, limited to 5 brands in the network. Withdrawal requests void active/pending bonuses. Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. See full terms
7
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 10 x wagering the bonus or free spins wins. Wagering requirement on bonus bets only. Bonus valid for 30 days; Max conversion from free spins £5. Excluded: Skrill and Neteller deposits. See full terms
8
#Ad 18+ New Players Only. Wager from real balance first. 10x 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: 1x the bonus amount or from free spins: £4. Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. See full terms
9
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 10 x wagering on 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 on free spins, £5. Excluded: Skrill & Neteller deposits. See full terms
10
#Ad 18+ New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 10 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: 1 x the bonus amount or £1.50 on free spins. Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. See full terms
11
#Ad. 18+. New players only. Wagering from real balance 1st. 10 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: 1 x bonus or from free spins: £5. Excluded: Skrill & Neteller deposits. See full terms
Simon has worked in the casino and sports betting sector for 20+ years. He leads large content teams producing authoritative and trusted guides to help readers make better choices.
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