Choosing the Best Online Casino: The Art and the Science
The web is full of sites where that supposed ‘Best’ online casino is just a handful of dated slots and the odd Blackjack table game.
Yeah, I’m sick of that too.
That is why I spent days making this post into the most detailed ever guide to choosing the best online casino.
Not the best online casino for me… the best one for you.
I’ll go through what is important, and you can choose which of those criteria make the most difference to your choice. Is it big bonuses? A huge list of slots? Live dealer games? Fast payouts? Plenty of promotions or free spins?
Most likely it’s some combination of all of them.
What is non-negotiable here at High Tech Gambling is a casinos reputation. I only feature casinos with an established track record. They need to pay wins quickly, have fair bonus terms and support their players in the event of a dispute. No license or special deal is more important than a solid track record.
Here is what you’ll find below:
- What Makes an Online Casino Good: The Criteria that matters to you
- Three Brands that Stand Out: Reputable casinos with amazing games
- Staying Safe at Online Casinos: What to look for and red flags
- Bonuses and Promotions: Boosting your benefits and common traps
- Types of Casino Games: Sections on slots, live dealer games and more
- Payment Options at Online Casinos: Deposits and how to get your wins out
- FAQ: All the common concerns and questions covered
Best Online Casinos: Planet Mark’s Picks
Most of this page goes into explaining how to choose the right casino for you. For anyone looking for a shorter version, here are my personal picks (along with the pros and cons).
[Best online casinos comparison table coming soon]
What Makes One Online Casino Good and Another Bad?
I divided this into two parts, red flags, and green flags.
If an online casino fails one red flag, it’s time to move on. Only when they pass these tests should you look at the green flags list.
Reputation:
I used to put licensing first on this list. After 17 years in the gaming industry, I now firmly believe that reputation and track record are more important.
Reputations take years (sometimes decades) to build. Yet can be ruined in days. That is why the best online casinos are those that have treated players well, paid on time and kept their word on bonuses and promotions for years.
Some brands have a 20 year+ track record. A new casino (especially with a ‘too good to be true’ bonus deal) does not have this.
I know which one I’d choose!
Bonus Terms:
There is plenty of room for red flags when it comes to bonuses.
The two things I look for first are excessive play-through requirements and short durations. When these are combined it is a huge red flag. 35x wagering requirement / play-through is standard, 50x is on the higher side and anything close to 100x is a red flag. Look for 30 days to clear your bonus.
Some casinos have clauses which void bonuses if you play the wrong slots or table games. This is another red flag. If these clauses are enforced (and you see complaints online), those brands should be avoided. It says more than enough about how they see their players.
License:
Offshore casinos have licenses in their home nation.
There are two sides to licensing. On one side, having permission to run a gambling site from the government of Curacao or Panama does not offer much in the way of player protection. In the event of a dispute, you won’t have a body with authority to run any formal dispute process to appeal to.
On the other hand, a casino with no license at all is a major red flag. You’ll have no idea whether it is a legitimate business, or just a fly-by-night scam.
Choosing the Best Online Casino: The Green Flags
Once a casino has passed all the tests above, I start to look at the green flags.
These range from easy (and fast) payments to a great selection of games and include having ongoing promotions and loyalty rewards for existing players (not just newcomers).
Green Flag #1: Quality and Quantity of Games
There is nothing more boring than a casino that has just one software provider and offers those same 100 slots as every other brand using that software.
By contrast, some casinos have 1000’s of games to choose from. They curate the best games from studios such as RealTime Gaming, BetSoft, Rival Powered, WooHoo Games and many more. They also have live dealer rooms, innovative titles including Crash Games and Plinko and a pipeline of new titles to keep players entertained.
I look for quality as well as quantity, the latest jackpot dynamics, hold and win slots and exclusive titles make all the difference.
Green Flag #2: Payments Need to be Both Fast and Easy
Pick the right combination of casino and payment method, and you can have a big win paid out within 48 hours.
Get this wrong and you could be jumping through administrative hoops for weeks.
With restrictions on banks, getting your money onboard with offshore online casinos will require some flexibility. This is why a range of payment options, quick withdrawals and a solid track record of honoring wins is vital. Your life is much easier with crypto for payments. There are ways of using this without the volatility of the underlying coins. That said, alternative payment options using popular payment apps are the sign of a good casino brand.
Green Flag #3: Great Promos for Regular Players, Not Just Newcomers
Welcome bonuses last 30 days or so and then are gone forever.
A major green flag to look out for before you sign up to an online casino is how well they look after their loyal players on an ongoing basis.
Look for a loyalty reward scheme, free spins promotions, reload bonuses and other ways to keep your bankroll topped up. Remember that the website is just one way to get information on the latest bonuses and promotions. Many good casino brands use social media to add special deals. They may also email their players about offers.
The same caveat about checking play-through requirements and avoiding any tricky clauses will apply.
For me, Bovada Casino treats their loyal players the best. See the promotions page at www.bovada.lv/casino for the latest offers now!
Bonuses and Promotions at the Best Online Casinos: How to Find Great Offers?
The headlines can look identical, but your chances of benefiting from a casino bonus depend on the small print.
Choosing a reputable casino is only part of the battle.
This section covers the key factors to look for in welcome bonus deals. I have then covered other types of casino promotions. Remember, while the welcome offer is worth taking, it is only part of the deal. It is the ongoing rewards and promos which have a bigger benefit over the long run.
Breaking Down the Best Casino Welcome Bonuses: Three Factors to Look For
Let’s take two casinos, both offer a $1000 welcome bonus.
Yet one bonus is excellent, and the other is average.
How should you go about finding the best bonus, without spending hours going through the small print in the terms and conditions page?
My starting point is to look at three factors, after that there are some smaller things:
- Percentage Match: This varies between 100% and 300%. In our example, getting that $1000 might involve you depositing $1000, $500 or $334. Choose the best boost to your initial deposit.
- Play-Through Requirement: Your deposit + bonus chips will need to be wagered a specified number of times before your bonus ‘clears’ (can be withdrawn). 25x is excellent, 100x is poor. Most casinos are between 35x and 50x.
- Time Allowed for Play-Through: This is especially important for bigger bonuses, where you’ll have a lot of gambling to do. 7 days is low, 30 is reasonable and 120+ days is excellent. Again, most casinos are 30+ days.
Find a casino with a big matched deposit offer, lower play-through requirement, and 30+ days to complete, and you have a bonus which is worth investigating in more detail.
Details of Casino Bonus Offers: Games Allowed and Weightings
If you stick to slots, then game weighting won’t come into play.
These are put in place by casinos to balance the fact that most table games have low house edge compared to slots, scratchcards, and keno.
Some games have such a modest house edge (when you use the right strategy) that playing them won’t count at all.
Here is a typical table of game weightings for bonus clearing.
- Slots, Keno, Scratchcards: 100%
- Table Games: 20%
- Blackjack and Baccarat: 5%
- Video Poker / Live Dealer Games: 0%
- European Roulette and Single Deck Blackjack: 0%
This means that if you need to play $1000 to clear your bonus, you’d need $5000 on most table games and $20,000 on blackjack.
Don’t get tempted to cover multiple outcomes. Betting on both red and black on roulette (for example) is a super-fast way to get your bonus deal voided. Casinos know exactly what to look for, and nothing you can come up with as a shortcut to clearing your bonus will be new for them.
Excluded Games
Even the best online casinos prohibit bonus clearing on specific games.
Most brands simply make them zero weighted for clearing your bonus funds. What you should watch for is brands that have terms which void your bonus should you play them while the offer is live.
This can include jackpot slots, craps, or live dealer games. It is worth checking the terms for this before you start on a bonus. That said, the best online casinos won’t void your bonus just for a few spins on the wrong slot, as long as you don’t show a pattern of bonus abuse.
Cancelling Your Welcome Bonus: What to do if a Better Deal Lands
If you want to take advantage of a different promotion instead of continuing to clear your welcome bonus, then you need to contact the support team at your casino.
They can remove one bonus and let you take a new one.
This can be useful if you know you won’t make the play-through, and (for example) a free spins deal pops up on the promo page.
Note that making a withdrawal of your winnings will typically see any and all outstanding bonuses cancelled.
Best Online Casinos: Free Spins with Your Welcome Bonus
Free spins are a great way to start at a new casino with a win.
That said, there are usually restrictions and play-through requirements to be aware of before you start spinning.
An example offer might be 100 free spins with a minimum deposit (in addition to your matched bonus).
What you’ll typically get is 40c spins. Sometimes they come all at once, other times they are divided into batches. A common theme is to split the spins over five to ten days.
There are two things to look for when comparing free spins offers. First is that winning potential of frequently capped. This can be as little as $50. If you hit this cap on your first spin, there is no need to complete them (unless you’d like to check out some different slots).
Second, you’ll usually need to wager your winnings in the same way you do with a matched bonus before you can withdraw the cash.
Even with those rules in place, this kind of deal can give your initial bankroll a boost. Keep in mind that many casinos award free spins through promotions and loyalty schemes. Even if you don’t win the first time, sooner or later you’ll be able to cash the benefits.
Beyond the First Bonus: How the Best Online Casinos Look After their Loyal Players
This section covers the different types of rewards for loyal players.
If there is one factor that should jump off the page here it is that the best online casinos have a long list of benefits, while the worst have very little after that big headline bonus.
Loyalty Reward Scheme: Lifetime Tiers?
The difference between the best casinos and the rest in terms of loyalty schemes is huge.
Collecting points while you gamble, and exchanging those points for additional bonuses and free spins is just the start. I like to see setups where you climb tiers, getting better exchange rates for the points you collect.
Better still are systems where you don’t slip back down tiers if you have a slow week or month of play. Some casinos do this by having ‘lifetime points’ as well as ‘reward points.’ Note that with all-in-one gambling portals, you can collect these same points for betting on sports or playing poker, in addition to playing casino games.
Example: Slots.lv MySlots Loyalty Scheme
MySlots have two types of loyalty points. Reward points are exchanged for bonuses. Lifetime points determine which of the eight tiers you reach. Once you hit a tier, you stay there. This means taking a break from your usual play levels won’t see you go back down.
As you climb, the rate at which Reward Points are exchanged for bonuses gets better and better, with the top level 1000 points / $1.
It’s the other bonuses you unlock, including weekly reloads, extra spins and double-points promos which will make the biggest difference.
Slots.lv has generous welcome bonus, though it is the MySlots that will keep your bankroll regularly topped up.
Check out the latest promos for yourself now over at www.slots.lv
Best Online Casino Promotions: What to Look For
I always check the promotions tab at an online casino before I sign up.
The number of deals or specials offered tells you a lot about how a brand looks after its regulars.
Look out for this type of deal:
- Free Spins: New slot titles, incentives to deposit or just regular offers often include free slot spins.
- Reload Bonuses: Just like the welcome bonus, but for regulars topping up their accounts.
- Slot Leaderboards: Earn points playing specific slots, with the prizes shared amount the best scores.
- Slot Tournament Entries: This unique format lets you compete with others to see who can rack up virtual wins on slots.
- Rebate Promos: Get a chunk of any losses repaid, can be specific days or for named game types.
- Social Media Specials: It pays to keep track of the social pages for online casinos; there are frequently short-term specials available.
Cross-over promotions from sports and poker at some sites will add to this list. I’ll cover specifics in my sections on Sports Betting and Online Poker.
Slots, Table Games and Live Dealer Rooms at the Best Online Casinos
Casinos continue to innovate with their games.
This involves completely new formats, and creating better versions of existing games, especially slots.
There are 100’s of reviews covering individual games here at High Tech Gambling. This section highlights the different types of casino games. Instead of going to the individual title level, I have kept this as an overview, highlighting what to look for to locate the best games for your individual needs.
First up, here is a list of the broad categories:
- Slots: Thousands of variations, the biggest single category
- Table Games: Software table games with side bets and variations
- Live Dealers: Blackjack, baccarat, and roulette (and more) streamed in real time
- Video Poker: Single and multi-hand, with all the main variations
- Crash Games: The prizes climb, until the crash happens
- Keno / Bingo: Drawing numbers with crazy themes and side-games
- Lotto / Scratchcards: Again, themes make these games unique
- Plinko: The Japanese game of Pachinko, made virtual
Below you’ll find my overview of the key factors to look for within each game type:
Slots: What to Look for at the Best Online Casinos
If you see a review that splits slots into 5 reel / 3 reel, then they are hopelessly out of date.
These days, slots have become so dynamic and varied that those old labels are almost useless.
With 10k+ online slots available, the biggest challenge is finding your favorites. I recommend starting with the studios. Casinos use slots from the likes of RTG, Rival Powered and BetSoft. Each studio has its own style. This covers the gameplay, graphics and ‘mechanics’ (features, bonuses, frequency, and size of wins). Once you find games that work for you, it’s time to explore their games until you zoom in on the ones you love.
While slots with progressive jackpots are entertaining. There are big differences in how these jackpot prize pools work. Examples include Hot Drop jackpots, which are programmed to drop before the end of a day (or hour). Others, like the big RTG progressives, drop completely at random. You can hit a dull losing spin and still end up with a windfall.
Progressive jackpots are not the only way to win big with online slots. Most have bonus features, which can deliver huge wins if you get lucky.
It pays to check the ‘RTP%’ of online slots. This stands for ‘Return to Player’ and is a guide to the long term take each game makes based on a percentage of the money put in. There is a wide range. The worst slots are at 90%, while the best you’ll usually find online have RTP% at 97%.
This is not the full picture, as it does not account for the swings of run-good and run-bad (volatility) of individual games. As a solid rule of thumb, progressive jackpots increase volatility. This means that regular sessions will see proportionally bigger losses, all else being equal.
Categories of Slots at Bigger Online Casinos
To help you navigate the huge variety of slots, the casinos put them into sections. #Here is what you should expect:
- Exclusives: Some brands (or families of brands) have unique slots to try.
- Hot Drop Slots: Currently just nine titles, all with the must-win Hot Drop Dynamic
- Progressive Jackpots: The best casinos show the current progressive levels on each game.
- Classic Slots: These three-reel games are based on Las Vegas slots in the 80’s+.
- Megaways: This dynamic uses oversized reels with different sizes of symbols.
- Slots by Theme: Casino dependent, examples include Irish Luck, Ancient Egypt, or Fantasy.
- Slots by Studio: Pick from the likes of Spinomenal, WooHoo, Rival Powered, RTG or BetSoft.
- Spingo / Plinko: Slot style games with unique gameplay are listed here.
Table Games at Online Casinos:
I’ll cover the live dealer studios below; this section covers the wide choice of software-based table games.
There are advantages in choosing these online games, rather than the dealt / streamed ones.
First, you can play at your own pace. No timer for decisions leading to a stand when you would have hit. No frustration as you missed the ‘no more bets’ sign and your numbers come up in roulette. Even if you get disconnected, you’ll come back and continue the game when your connection resumes.
Minimum stakes are lower for software games compared to live dealers. You can bet for quarters on some games.
Finally, there are more games to choose from. This includes variations of side bets, and different rules or setups for the most popular games.
Here is a list of popular casino table games to look out for:
- Blackjack: Single deck, double deck, free bet blackjack, Spanish 21, European blackjack, zappit / burn card variations.
- Roulette: European and US wheels, look out for French roulette (better odds) and entertaining themed variations.
- Casino Poker Games: Let it Ride, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Casino Hold’em. Can include progressive jackpot side bets.
- Baccarat: Includes regular and simplified baccarat variations
- Craps: Roll the virtual dice
- Other Games: Sic-bo (dice based), casino war, wheel-based games and many more.
The Best Online Casinos have Live Dealer Table Games
Before I get into what games are available, a note on casino quality.
In my experience, not having any live dealer table games is a red flag for an online casino. All the biggest and best brands provide this option for their players. If your casino only features the software table games, it is time to move on.
These games operate from studios located offshore in the Caribbean or in Central America.
You see players-perspective view of the table, and the dealer handles the game. This is live, not recorded (you can chat with the dealer and other players via text to verify this).
Your decisions are timed, and a slow player or two can significantly slow the action. That said the social aspect and seeing the cards dealt (or balls spun in roulette) make these games way more fun than simply playing against the software.
Minimum bets are usually higher, as the casinos have the added expense of the studio. Some games are one-to-many (roulette for example), while other games have limited spots per table (blackjack).
Other popular live dealer table games at the best online casinos include baccarat, casino poker variations, and wheel spin games. Side bets are available for players that enjoy a little more action.
Video Poker at the Best Online Casinos
I still enjoy a hand or two of video poker as a switch-up from slots or table games.
Every casino has a few variations, with the better brands having a choice of pay tables, multi-hand, and themed games.
You’ll find Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker as the base variants. Bonus Poker, Double Bonus pay tables, multi-hand and even 100 hand games are available too. Ultimate X is not available online.
Crash Games, Plinko, Bingo and Keno (Novelty Casino Games)
New innovations in gaming provide some quirky and entertaining titles.
- Crash Games: The prize goes up and up, and you need to cash in before a crash occurs.
- Plinko: Based on the game Pachinko from Japan, choose your volatility.
- Bingo: Balls are drawn until you hit a line or full house, entertaining themes
- Keno: Big prizes if you hit all your picks, again choose from themed games.
- Scratch Cards: Virtual versions of physical cards, some jackpot sized prizes.
- Lotto Games: Try your luck with numbers drawn at random.
With the pace of innovation, I’m sure there will be even more novelty casino games in the future.
The Best Online Casinos Make Payments Easy
In the first part of this post, I highlighted reputation as the single most important factor in choosing an online casino.
Payments (both deposits and fast payouts) are a critical component of this.
Bad casinos delay payments. They then make you jump through hoops to confirm withdrawals and have minimums that can leave even mid-sized bankrolls stuck online.
The best casinos are the opposite. They pay fast, have easy deposit options and outside of simple KYC checks, don’t make players’ lives difficult when it comes to cashing out those winnings.
Offshore casinos encourage crypto payments. They incentivize this with bigger bonuses and extra free spins in many cases. Even if you are not a crypto investor, switching for payments will boost your bankroll. This is simple to set up and can be handled in a way that means you won’t hold any coins for long (just for long enough to exchange to and from dollars).
Here is a list of the most popular payment methods at online casinos:
- Bitcoin / Crypto: An exchange account or wallet setup will mean easy deposits and withdrawals at casinos and sportsbooks. Coins welcomed vary, with the bigger protocols accepted widely. Stick to BTC, ETH or USDT for the widest acceptance.
- Credit Cards: These are great for your first deposit, but fees are high after that. Brands accepted are Amex, MasterCard, and Visa. Note that your card will need to be enabled for international payments.
- MatchPay or Player-to-Player: A great option for the Bovada family of brands including Slots LV and Café Casino. People with extra bankroll offer this for cash on popular payment apps via an escrow style process.
- PayPal, Venmo, CashApp: Not officially accepted, though using the escrow services covered above, you can find players to swap bankroll for cash from these apps. Make sure you understand the risks and the process before you jump in.
- Money Transfer Services: Offices in malls have wired money abroad for decades. Some casinos let you wire to a named individual, which is then reconciled with your account. This is an established system which works well, though it does sound risky.
When it comes to withdrawing your profits, crypto is again the best option for both speed and bigger payments. Another option is a paper check, which is usually sent by courier. Domestic banks will accept these checks, though you’ll need to wait for the funds to fully clear.
Best Online Casinos: Frequently Asked Questions
Are Online Casinos Rigged?
The short answer is no, though understanding why involves two important topics. First, the deal, spin or roll of dice is controlled by RNG (random number generator) software. The studios that provide games and slots are audited to ensure that their RNG is fair.
The second part concerns the perception of incentives. When you zoom out, most people’s assumption that casinos have incentives to manipulate game outcomes to mess with players is wrong. A casino getting caught rigging games loses all trust (often built over decades) and will likely never see their players return. A casino offering fair games grows its player pool over time, and makes a consistent profit.
It is easy to see why people read things into the natural swings of fortune of casino games. We are wired to create stories from the randomness of the world.
For me, those incentives and 3rd party auditing of RNG software is more than enough to prove game fairness.
Are Online Casinos Safe?
Reputation is everything when it comes to offshore casinos. Many of the brands featured here at High Tech Gambling have 20 years or more online. A casino with that kind of track record did not survive without being legitimate.
While the risk of a casino disappearing with your money is tiny, they are never zero. Simple safety measures include withdrawing wins quickly (no need to leave a big balance online) and regularly checking that your casino is not involved in major scandals or hacks.
Are Offshore Online Casinos Legal?
Yes, offshore casinos are licensed and legal in their host country. Licensing authorities include the governments of Curacao, Panama, and Costa Rica. Those licenses permit casinos to welcome players from around the world.
Federal gambling laws don’t target individuals. They are focused on financial networks and banks. Transacting with gambling sites is not legal under the UIGEA and Wire Act. This is why traditional deposit methods won’t work with offshore casinos.
At the state level, the laws vary. Some of the statutes go back almost 100 years and mention gambling devices or gambling houses. Other states have updated their laws for licensing of casinos, which can restrict your options offshore.
To the best of my knowledge, no individual has ever been indicted for gambling recreationally at an offshore casino. That said, it is up to you to check your state’s laws.
Are Offshore Casinos all the Same?
You’ll see a lot of overlap in the slots and table games at online casinos. This can make it look like the casinos are similar to each other.
The reason is that the games are sourced from development studios. Some are long-running giants like RealTime Gaming or Rival Powered. They provide complete suites of games. Other studios are niche, providing specific types of game or their own slots. Examples are Spinomenal and WooHoo games.
Planet Mark’s Wrap Up: Best Online Casinos
If I did not already say it enough, the reputation of an online casino is the single most important factor. With a long track record of fast payouts and great service, plus the latest games and big bonuses, and you’ll have a casino that is hard to beat.
Here is the table from the top of the page again.
I hope that my guide makes it easy to understand what makes these brands stand out:
[Best online casinos comparison table coming soon]