Choosing an online casino has become more difficult in recent years because there are now so many top-tier casinos available, some from the big players in the land-based casino world, some from brand-new indie casino companies, and everything in between. There are also plenty of scam casinos trying to take advantage of new players who don’t have a complete grasp of the industry.

In this article, we’ll go over the five key features of a reputable online casino that you should look for before deciding where to make an account.

Fully Licensed

A gambling license is essentially a guarantee that an online casino is operating legally and that its customers have a recourse if anything goes wrong. Checking to see what kind of license an online casino has should be your first step when picking an online casino. Each country or region that offers local legal online casinos will have a licensing body. Some examples are the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

In our global community, it’s not unusual for online casinos to operate in countries where they aren’t based. In those cases, online casinos can apply for a license from any one of the top international licensing bodies. This includes Malta, Gibraltar, and Curaçao. All of the top online casinos in New Zealand, for example, are licensed by the most reputable licensing bodies from around the world.

Takes Your Security Seriously

We enter so much personal data onto websites on a regular basis that it’s easy to forget how at risk our data is and the need for strong protections. In reality, hackers and phishers are always trying to get access to as much private and banking data as possible. Online casinos, with their databases of customer payment information, are lucrative targets.

In order to feel safe while playing, it’s smart to only play at an online casino that takes player security seriously. Reputable online casinos will use 128-bit SSL encryption. This kind of security software is not susceptible to brute force hacking, so the only thing you have to worry about is what cards you’re dealt.

Customer Support

Contacting customer support is something you always hope you won’t have to do, but when you do end up needing help fixing a problem, a talented customer support team is a wonderful thing to come across. For an online casino, customer support typically deals with issues with deposits or withdrawals, account access, and issues with specific games.

The most reputable online casinos will have an efficient customer support team that is easy to get in touch with. The best will also give their players more than one way to reach that support team. Any combination of a phone line, email address, and live chat feature is great. Having a way to reach customer support 24/7 is more than needs to be offered and is an added plus.

Games Library

Being able to find high-quality games that you enjoy playing shouldn’t be hard at a reputable online casino. The best online casinos will provide their players with hundreds of games to play. Slot machine games make up the majority of most game libraries, with games from every genre. Slots inspired by movies, television shows, and popular bands are some of the most creative titles. While music slots are usually dedicated to classic rock bands, or major stars like Dolly Parton or Jimi Hendrix, the nature of online casino game development means that we may see more indie artists featured if there’s enough interest from players.

Slots aren’t everything though. The leading online casinos will also have a large number of table game options available. Poker, baccarat, and blackjack are the top card games, and no casino would be complete without a roulette wheel or two. Online casinos offer two types of table games¾regular and live dealer.

Live dealer games are for players who want a full casino experience. These games feature an actual dealer that players can interact with. Modern software makes it possible for players to interact with the cards the dealer is using in real-time. Live dealer games are more expensive for the online casino to host, so that kind of investment in the player experience is a good sign.

Welcome Bonuses

Welcome bonuses are one of the features that draw many new customers to online casinos. Most welcome bonuses are composed of one or more of the following elements¾free spins, deposit matching, no deposit pay, and/or VIP access. The best bonuses allow players to get the feel for a new online casino before investing their own money into it.

Every online casino will have a wagering requirement that has to be met before any winnings made with bonus credit can be withdrawn. This is where you need to pay attention. Reputable online casinos will have wagering requirements that are possible to meet before the deadline. Untrustworthy ones, on the other hand, will have impossible wagering requirements and give you very little time to reach them.

You can find the wagering requirements in the fine print for the welcome bonuses (and any other promotions the online casino offers).