It can be super easy to be dazzled by the generous bonuses on offer at a casino, which can cause you to forget about other things that go into ensuring you have the best and safest experience! To avoid this, many players use a comparison site that can do all the time-consuming research for them.
Just as it’s important for you to consider more than bonuses, it’s essential that a comparison site does the same! Let’s take a look at what a reputable comparison site will take into account when they’re rating casinos.
Casino Safety
The safety of a casino is one of the most important things that a comparison site should be considering in their rating; the first thing to look out for is whether they look at the licence a casino holds. There are different licences on the market, and each comes with different levels of reputability—the most trusted is the one awarded by the UK Gambling Commission, as it requires casinos to meet high standards of responsible gambling and fair play.
A worthwhile comparison site will recognise the importance of a casino holding a licence and make sure to mark the reputable licences the highest; this ensures that players stay safe at any casino they choose. One of the most trusted comparison sites out there—Online-Slot.co.uk—is the market leader in terms of safety, only working with casinos that have a reputable licence. To find the best casinos out there, their expert team—who have over 75 years’ experience in the industry—consider everything that matters to players.
Prioritising Responsible Gambling
A comparison site that has your best interests at heart will make sure the casinos they work with have effective responsible gambling resources. There should be a good range of materials and tools to help players monitor and control their behaviour, including educational resources and questionnaires to allow players to assess their gambling relationship.
On top of information, there should be tools like deposit, loss, and session limits to help players maintain control. Limits are the very basics, though, and a standout comparison site will also look out for things like reminders, breaks, and self-exclusion tools.
Player Experience
Whenever you’re buying a new product, it’s more than likely you check the reviews before hitting add to cart, and it should be no different when it comes to choosing a casino. This is why comparison sites will take into account the feedback of real players when it comes to rating a casino. They may even use mystery players—undercover players who test out casinos and give unbiased and honest feedback—as they’re an especially valuable tool for providing the experience of a wide range of players.
Game Variety
The next thing on the checklist of a comparison site is often checking the variety of games on offer at a casino. In order for a casino to secure a high score, they’ll want to see there’s a variety of players’ favourite games, from slots and roulette to poker and blackjack. There shouldn’t just be one of two options for each; rather, the library should be stacked so everyone can find the perfect match!
A really top comparison site will look beyond just the most popular casino games and keep an eye out for more niche options—like mines or plinko. They’ll also take into account the live gaming offerings, which allow players to get closer to the action by interacting in real time with a dealer via livestream. They’re a popular option with those who want to better replicate the bustling atmosphere of a brick-and-mortar casino. A comparison site that looks for live options certainly knows what its players want!
Looking Out for Top Providers
A good indication of the rating a casino site will receive can be found in the number of top providers they have on the roster. You can be sure that comparison sites will be looking out for names like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, and Novomatic when deciding on the rating for a casino; one that includes lots of the top providers is likely to appeal to a lot of players.
Plentiful Bonuses
There’s no arguing that one of the best parts of using a casino is the tasty bonuses that help you stretch your pennies further. Any comparison site worth its salt will recognise this and make sure to take into consideration the variety of bonuses on offer when rating a casino. There should be options that suit everyone, with low and no deposit options to allow those on a budget to get in on the action. It’s important that they also check that these bonuses are available to players around the world, rather than being limited.
Avoiding High Wagering Requirements
High wagering requirements can completely ruin the appeal of a bonus; they mean that you’ll have to commit more funds towards a promotion before you actually see any returns, and this can be easy to miss in the terms and conditions of a bonus.
We’d say that the ideal wagering requirements are around 45x, but it’s not uncommon to see some stretching into the hundreds! That’s why it’s important that a comparison site takes these into account when they’re selecting casinos.
Efficient Payments
There’s nothing more disappointing than having to wait days, weeks, or even months for your casino hard-earned winnings to hit your account! Comparison sites aim to help players avoid this by checking the payment processes of a casino are up to par, which means looking at things like how long withdrawals take, the minimums and maximums, and whether they charge any fees.
Choice of Methods
A comparison site will also want to see there’s a wide variety of payment options to choose from to make sure everyone can pay how they want. They’ll look out for the popular options, like bank transfers and card payments, as well as digital wallets like PayPal and Neteller. They may also check for more innovative options like cryptocurrency—though if that’s what you’re on the hunt for, you might want to head to a crypto specialist comparison site!
Efficient Customer Service
Nobody wants to encounter a problem at a casino only to find there’s nowhere for them to turn to get the necessary help. Any comparison site that is worth using will absolutely make sure that players will be supported by effective and efficient customer service. They’ll keep an eye out for options like live chats, social media, and helplines where players can get quick or even instant support.
It’s not unusual to see a casino rated lower if it only offers something like email or a question box on its site. These are some of the slowest methods out there, and players can often be waiting for days—if not weeks—for an answer to their queries. In an industry where it’s essential that players get efficient support, it’s important that a comparison site takes customer service into account.
How can Comparison Sites Test Customer Service?
At the very minimum, a comparison site should research the customer service on offer by checking out the information on offer at a casino. However, some may go above and beyond by testing the services themselves with their own queries; they’ll then be able to use their own experience to give feedback on the customer support on offer.
How do the Best Comparison Sites Rate Casinos?
I’m sure you can now appreciate just how much work goes into comparison sites ensuring they only select the best casinos! There are a lot of factors to carefully balance when considering whether a casino is up to scratch, including the likes of safety, game variety, and the experience of other players.
It’s the bare minimum that comparison sites should consider all the factors we mentioned, but many go above and beyond by using mystery players and only working with licensed casinos. Make sure to check a comparison site considers all these factors so you know they have your safety and experience at the forefront of their mind.
