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The online casino industry is booming, but ensuring a site is reputable can take time and effort. With hundreds of online casino operators, how do you know which ones are licensed and which aren’t?
To help eliminate the guesswork, here are a few ways to find reputable casinos online without crossing your fingers.
Online casino-focused websites
When searching for online casinos, websites focusing on them are the best sources of information. These sites will have all the information you need because they will be well-versed in everything related to online casinos.
Of course, you still have to choose which websites you visit. You want casino-focused sites with lists of online casinos and helpful information such as sign-up bonuses, user ratings, and what they offer.
For example, if you search “GG Bet online casino” on such a website, you should get detailed information about that particular online casino. The page should contain basic information about the operator and a detailed overview of what they offer, payment methods they accept, what promotions are currently running, and what games they have.
You also want to ensure the page isn’t full of links leading you to all sorts of websites. A link or two here and there should be acceptable, and they should bring you to reputable websites, including the online casino page. But if the website you’re visiting is littered is miscellaneous links and intrusive ads, be wary.
Your local gaming commission
Depending on where you live, your local gaming commission may publish a list of registered online casinos. A great example is the Canadian province of Ontario; its iGaming commission regularly updates a page of registered casinos so players can educate themselves. If you live in Ontario and the online casino you’re visiting isn’t on the list, stay away.
The only downside of lists from gaming commissions is that you won’t get an overview of the casino. You won’t know their signup bonuses unless you visit each site manually. But this should not be a surprise as gaming commissions are supposed to be impartial—their main focus is to inform users so they can stay safe.
Meanwhile, some gaming commissions may not provide a direct link to the online casino. Instead, they’ll publish periodic reports about the casino’s performance, and it may include a list of casinos involved. These reports have valuable information, making them beneficial to review.
Local or national news sites
Remember the days when print newspapers were the source of everything credible? That still applies to online news sites to an extent.
If you live in an area where online casinos are legal, there’s a high potential for your online local news site to have an article listing the top ones. These articles are an excellent place to learn about online casinos that aren’t the usual big names, as they’ll typically provide a quick overview of each one.
Moreover, the news site’s reputation is on the line with whatever they publish, including online casino lists. You can be sure that whatever casino they include in their article has been vetted and is legitimate.
Online Forums / User-driven Review Sites
If all else fails, specialized online forums, Facebook groups, or user-driven review sites like TrustPilot can help you find a reputable casino. Registered users of these websites typically leave reviews based on their visit, so you’ll immediately get the bigger picture of whether a specific online casino is worth your time.
Most of these online forums require new users to create a free account before accessing the content, but that’s a small price for free, crowdsourced information. The “Pay It Forward” concept lives strong in these communities, so most actively offer insight whenever someone asks a question. What better way to get information about an online casino than from current and former visitors directly?
You only need to be wary of the overly positive or negative reviews. While some are credible enough because it describes how the establishment handled the situation, others are more like complaints about how the online casino didn’t accommodate their demands. Alternatively, they may be fake reviews that aim to inflate ratings to drive more customers to the site.
The key is to take these reviews with a grain of salt, use them as a rough guide, and see things for yourself.
Final Thoughts
Finding reputable online casinos is easy if you’re careful where and how you look. While there are trustworthy third-party sources that aim to educate users about them, a few unscrupulous websites try to get clicks and drive you away from where you want to go.
Hopefully, this guide will help you find your next favorite online casino quickly and safely.
