Our Rating Guidelines and the Principles in Operation
In our bid
to provide players with information about the top online casinos and bonuses,
we have certain processes in line for our reviews. It’s our goal to ensure that
you’re receiving high-quality and reliable details of these sites. So, to make
sure that this is happening, we have a system in place for rating the casinos
and games. Let’s take a look at the rating guidelines and principles that we
put into operation at TopCasinoBonus.com.
What Can You Find in a
Casino Review?
Within our casino reviews, you’ll find various pieces of information surrounding online gaming sites. A number of criteria are looked at when our experts are forming these reviews, and it is through these that you are able to obtain an outside look at how a site operates. Whether we receive a submission of a casino or seek them out ourselves, they all get the same unbiased treatment. Our reviews can only be constructed based on honesty, so we take it upon ourselves to register and play at them as members. So, what are the criteria that we look for in online casinos?
Casino Review Criteria
It’s
imperative for us to put online casinos through an in-depth testing procedure.
This way, we can pass on to you the very best and most informative reviews of
their features. Our experts look at the following when it comes to our New
Jersey casino reviews:
License Status
It’s
necessary for us to see if an online casino is in possession of a gambling
license. And if it doesn’t hold one, we want to know why. Licenses must come
from reputable jurisdictions, including:
- New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
- Curacao eGaming.
- Malta Gaming Authority.
- Costa Rican Gambling Commission.
- United Kingdom Gambling Commission.
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
- Gibraltar Gambling Commission.
These are
all well-established and highly regulated licensing bodies. Therefore, if an
online casino possesses at least one of these, then it can be predicted that
the site is safe, secure and fair. These licensing bodies also have a list
of rules and regulations that online casinos must follow properly. In doing so,
they are able to offer games within various countries. Such rules may include
the necessity of restricting certain offers in different locations or being
explicitly clear about the terms and conditions in place.
The Best Range of Games
Online
casinos need to ensure that they are working alongside well-established and
high-quality software providers. This includes developers like Netent, Play’n
Go, Microgaming, Playtech, Betsoft and Real Time Gaming (RTG), amongst others.
At the same time, we look into whether or not these sites provide access to
these games in various ways – instant play, downloadable and mobile options.
Furthermore, we want to know if there is a large range of games available to access
in the lobby. One final thing is to make sure that the games do not suffer from
any technical errors and that they load smoothly.
Variety of Payment Methods
When our
team reviews online casinos, we expect them to have a good range of online
payment methods for players to use. This means that not only should the
platforms have standard methods like Visa, Mastercard and bank transfers, but
alternative methods, too. Therefore, online casinos should provide depositing
methods like cryptocurrencies, e-wallets, prepaid cards and more. Not
only that, but our team always pays attention to what casino gamers say about
their depositing experience at sites.
Customer Support
Customer service
is a necessity at online casinos, and it must be available for players as much
as possible. Where possible, it should be a 24/7 customer support operation.
Not only that, but our experts seek out the platforms with a variety of
customer service options. This means that they should provide live chat, email and
telephone customer support. Additionally, those with social media outlets will
also be noted. Regardless of which method a player chooses to speak with an advisor
through, the service should be quick and friendly, with all relevant
information provided in a professional manner.
Fair Gaming Policies
It’s also
our primary goal to locate online casinos with fair gaming policies in place.
This way, you can rest assured that you’re accessing online games that haven’t
been fixed. The best online casinos should utilize software from companies that
have had their titles independently audited. Monthly payout percentages must
also be visible to anyone visiting the online casino. This is why we recommend
casinos with return to player (RTP) rates clearly on display, and we also go
through the process of trying the games ourselves to confirm their fairness.
Speed of Withdrawals
It’s
important that we can obtain our winnings as soon as possible, and this means a
swift withdrawal process should also be in place. It shouldn’t take days on end
for our own won funds to be returned to us. So, we shall never recommend a casino
with unsuitable withdrawal policies and timeframes. We’ll always pay attention
to those sites that operate speedy withdrawal processes, allowing users to
receive their money as quickly as possible.
Payouts
should normally be processed by the casino within 24 hours, and no longer. Anything
that goes beyond this timeframe cannot really be considered a top-quality
service. Keep in mind that this doesn’t have anything to do with the payment
method in operation, as each one comes with a different withdrawal timescale of
its own, too.
Bonuses and Special Rewards
Who doesn’t
like being on the receiving end of something special? In every casino that we
look at during our review process, we ensure that we’re seeking out the best
bonus offers, too. Not only do we check into the welcome offers and ongoing
promotions that these sites provide, but also if they offer any sort of VIP
program as well. High rollers can, of course, benefit properly from this kind
of feature. Loyalty programs of online casinos should also be in place to cater
to you as you continue playing the available games.
Responsible Gambling
It’s our idea that an online casino can only be properly judged by how reliable it is. This means that it should also offer its players some assistance if they find themselves becoming a victim of gambling addiction. It is for this reason that we look out for the promotion of responsible gambling at the various sites. Not only that, but we want to ensure that gamers are safe at the casinos they opt to play at. Therefore, we watch out for the casinos with great security measures in place throughout.
The Final Rating and Approval
Once we’ve been through the aforementioned criteria and a platform has passed successfully, they can be considered one of the best. However, all sites receive a final grade based on the strength of these features. We provide our readers with the pros and cons of each site, and then we keep checking back on the casinos periodically, too. Any changes to such will also result in us adjusting their ratings accordingly. Obviously, this is all part of the plan to be 100% honest and transparent with our readers.
What Can Be a Signal of a
Bad Casino?
It’s not
uncommon for us to find online sites that have bad features and that we think
gamers should be wary of. We’d rather not proceed with listing any casinos that
would provide such a service to players. That’s why we also insist on receiving
your feedback if you come across any negative casinos, too. Black marks that
don’t sit well with us include:
- Lack of transparency with players.
- Bad and unprofessional customer support.
- Incorrect licensing status.
- Lack of clear terms and conditions.
- Delayed and/or cancelled withdrawal requests.
When we’re
reviewing online casinos, we look at all these to ensure we’re not recommending
a bad gaming site. Should we find such in operation, we will blacklist the
respective casino and not have it listed anywhere on our website.