Online casinos have grown tremendously over the past decade. While online casinos may have started clunky, slow, and distrusted by players, they have grown into a staple for enthusiasts worldwide, with mobile casinos taking the industry by storm.

Now you have new platforms coming out of the woodwork, eager to cash in on the online gaming boom.

In this cannonade of casinos, players have difficulty landing platforms that tick all the boxes. That's where we come in. Reviews like these are handy when picking a new online casino you can trust with your real-money wagers.

This guide features all the must-haves that separate regular casinos from top-tier sites.


1. Website Design and Functionality

The casino's website has to catch the eye. The website design of your new online casino is all you have to go by to understand the platform's theme. Aside from the layout's aesthetics, you also want an easy platform to navigate.

Find a casino with accessible navigation buttons that you don't have to search for all through the page. Intuitive website design helps you enjoy your casino experience. This, coupled with highly responsive software, ensures that you enjoy casino games minus the wait time for pages that take too long to open.

The best online casinos worldwide take their interface seriously and have departments dedicated to UX. Vendors understand that players want an interface they can resonate with.

If a casino looks and feels substandard, then it probably is. You don't need to spend time trying to figure your way around a platform with haphazardly placed thumbnails and games that will not launch.


2. Licensing and Security

How do you know that you can trust a casino to keep your money safe? Licensing is one way to ensure you are playing at an honest, no deposit casino. With the requisite seals of approval, casinos assure players that they will get their winnings.

The more certification badges the casino displays, the better. Regulatory bodies are the option you can depend on when seeking recourse for a casino's underhanded tactics, such as keeping your winnings.

Several established regulatory bodies keep casinos in check, such as the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC), the United Kingdom Gaming Commission (UKGC), and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (GRA). Check for their badges at the website's footer.

In addition to regulation, new online casinos for real money also have to keep players safe. For this, casinos turn to agencies such as E-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA), Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), and Technical Systems Testing (TST).

These indicate that the casino is fair, and you can trust the random number generators. The seals for such certification are also found at the bottom of the page.

When it comes to security, casinos often apply secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption which keeps player information and transactions safe. Be sure to find out what security looks like at the casino before signing up.


3. Bonuses and Wagering Requirements

You don't need to be a savvy player to know about the insane bonuses available on online casinos. While most players will jump on the first dream-like offer they get, canny gamesters will take time to read through the fine print in search of the terms and regulations.

The wagering requirements behind a bonus are one way to tell dubious platforms from casinos that genuinely want to reward players for their patronage.

Now that we have the quality of offers out of the way, we should now talk about the quantity you get. The best casinos have exciting slots with offers for each day of the week.

These are often given to players to keep them coming back. You know you are playing at a top-notch casino when you have cashback offers, no deposit bonuses, and free spins on the promotions page.


4. Banking Options

Winning money is one of the perks that come with gambling. Sometimes, luck is on your side, and you make cash from your bets. You want to play at a casino that lets you cash out quickly. Some casinos get sneaky when it's time to pay up and make it hard for you to access your money.

You would rather sign up for a casino with little in the way of rewards but has payment options that let you move money into and out of your account as you please.

Check the range of payment options to see whether your go-to banking options are available. You should also find out the processing time for each of these.

Casinos that rank among the best for banking options often give players plenty of choices with instant processing. An online casino with fast banking options makes it easier to access your cash, even on mobile.


5. Mobile Support

With the ubiquitous and high-performance smartphones in the market, and a global mobile gaming market projected to reach $139.5 billion by 2026, mobile gaming is viable and delightfully enjoyable. Today, a mobile-compatible desktop site extension is standard for Android and iPhone casinos.

Casino apps are a great way to access the online casino of your choice on the go, but it gets even better if the casino plays from your mobile browser.

The best way to play online slots on your mobile phone would be through the mobile browser, which takes away the burden of having to download an app.


6. The Privilege of Choice

Everybody likes variety. Players always want the option to choose from a wide gamut of games. With more games, you get different versions of your favorite titles.

For example, in slots, more games mean more themes, more jackpots, and different gaming software.

Still on variety, players should also check what titles they get for different game categories. The ideal casino will have all the staples from blackjack to baccarat, craps, roulette, poker, and slots.


7. Customer Support

This is a criterion that you just have to keep in mind. No matter how intuitively designed and how simple to navigate mobile casinos may be, you will need help from support from time to time.

Sign up for a casino that gets back to you quickly when you have queries about the service. We suggest that you contact support just to see how you are attended to and whether the casino gives you helpful information when you find yourself in a jam.

Customer care should be prompt and give you different communication channels with the casino.

Live chat is one of the most common modes of customer support you will find at an online casino. Casinos with the best support desks often have email and phone correspondence to bolster the live chat.


8. Reputation and Customer Reviews

Nothing tells you about the customer experience at a casino better than the customers themselves.

Testimonials and user reviews on different online platforms will tell you what playing at a casino is like, even before signing up. Try to find out what other players are saying about a casino before signing up.

A flashy interface and ludicrously massive bonus rewards should not rope you into signing up for a casino that will frustrate you in the long run.

We also recommend that you go for well-known brands with a track record. Besides the range of titles available like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and slots, you also get excellent service.

While you may be tempted to try out a new, edgy casino, we would like you to keep in mind that household names have become so well known for their tradition of putting the customer first.

Save yourself the trouble of finding out about a casino's bad service and opt for brands that have made a name for themselves as the best.


9. The Casino's Policy on International Players

The best thing about online gaming is that it connects players worldwide. Players from different parts of the world can compete against one another from the comfort of their homes.

It's great to see virtual gambling sites bringing together the best of the best from different parts of the world. Check to see what countries are banned before signing up for a casino.

You can only play for real money at a casino that accepts players from your region. You are better off shunning casinos that will not let you wager real money.

Sometimes players opt to sign up to casinos using VPNs. Well, the truth is, this is quite a risky move. Casinos have the right to terminate your account and keep the fund should they discover players from jurisdictions banned from accessing their services.

After all the searching, sifting and sorting, it comes down to what you, as the player, prefer. Sometimes, players have an affinity to one site and are willing to overlook some shortcomings for one reason or another. Even so, never settle for a casino that does not meet your expectations.

Our stance is that you should play at a casino you identify with. While casinos may try their best to give players the best experience, we have to face that something will always be the problem.

The above criteria will help you select a platform that delivers a great experience and lets you keep your winnings when you strike gold with your wagers.