CasinoTop’s Casino Review Process

Here is what is considered when recommending an online casino on our website

We have a team of industry experts that do their utmost to bring players the most honest reviews out there. With that in mind, there is a rigorous testing process that each of the recommended online casinos goes through before we make any recommendations. We take all the time we need to go through every detail of an online casino to make sure that there are no potential risks to the player. On this page, you will find what our extensive review is made up of and what we put to the test when reviewing an online casino.

Trust and Security

The first thing we do is process a thorough background check of the online casino. We make sure to check player reviews as well to gauge the overall experience that others have previously experienced. We ensure that all your financial and personal information is kept safe and encrypted at all times. Here is what we look for at an online casino when it comes to guaranteeing safety online.

Licensing

Casinos must have a licence from a reputable licencing body on their website, this certification should be clearly displayed. A casino that has a licence is able to operate legally and must abide by high standards of security. The UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, Kahnawake Gaming Commission, and many others are examples of trusted authorities we look for.

Third-Party Auditing

Casinos must also provide proof that they are supervised by a credible independent body, such as eCOGRA, for fairness and security. If we can't find it, we check the games ourselves to see if they're fair. To do so, we run the games tens of thousands of times to ensure that the outcomes are truly random and that a Random Number Generator RNG) is in use to ensure that every outcome is random and cannot be tracked or predicted.

SSL Encryption

The data shared between the player and the online casino needs to be kept safe at all times. It is for this reason that the online casino must have the most up to date SSL encryption employed on its website. The encryption changes the information to make it unreadable to anyone who is not allowed to view it.

Software and Games

The games included at an online casino has to be of the best quality. There are many things we check for when it comes to assessing the games and software at an online casino. Just like any other player, we take time to play some of the games as well. Here is what we look for:

A Huge Variety of Games

When looking at the games available on a website, having a large range is crucial. We look for a decent mix of slots, table games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker, as well as live dealer and bingo/keno games. We also like to see a variety of different variations of each game. Since we wouldn't suggest anything we haven't done for ourselves, our team also gambles on a few of the games to learn the ins and outs.

Great Progressive Jackpots

For serious slot players, progressive jackpots are a must. These exciting games often have the highest payouts of any online casino game, and they can be found in any good game library. We always look for famous titles like Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune, and the Age of Gods series, as well as a large total jackpot.

Playing for Free

Playing free online casino games is one way for a player to learn what a game is about before placing real money bets. We check that all online casinos have free games on offer for players to enjoy for fun and even learn a strategy or two if it applies to specific games.

Games from Leading Software Providers

The better the software, the better the gameplay and essentially, the better the online casino. We take a look at the games that an online casino has and from which software providers they come. We like seeing names such as Pragmatic Play, Netent and Microgaming to name a few.

Great Downloadable Software

Most, if not all online casinos can be accessed easily through an internet browser on a range of devices. However, some players do enjoy online casino experiences on mobile apps or computer software. If the online casino has it, you can bet that we will be downloading it too on different devices to ensure it is safe and provides a quality gaming experience.

High-Quality Browser Experience

Most players will want to access an online casino from the internet browser of their choice. We ensure that the online casino’s interface functions seamlessly on a range of browsers on different devices. We want to ensure that none of the quality is lost when accessing the website and the games with your web browser.

Bonuses and Promotions

If online casinos want to attract more customers they have to have a welcome bonus that is worth the sign-up. If they want to keep players coming back then they need promotions that reward loyal players. Here are the criteria online casinos need to pass when it comes to bonuses and promotions

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A Great Welcome Bonus

Online casinos need to make joining their establishment worth the players while. Every player wants to make the most of their bankroll and using bonuses help them have fun with lower risk, but still with the potential of winning real money rewards. The welcome bonus needs to be lucrative and casinos that offer the use of a welcome bonus for an extended period get an additional thumbs up.

Terms and Conditions That are Fair

Bonuses come with their own sets of rules. So, we take the time to look through what the online casino is offering and at what cost. Even if it is not a physical cost, we ensure that the wagering requirements for bonuses are fair and reasonable. There needs to be a chance that the player can turn the bonus cash into real money.

Rewards for All

We check back with online casinos to see what is on offer from time to time. We like to see online casinos rewarding their loyal customers as well and not only their new players. We like to see that an online casino has running promotions that appear daily, weekly or monthly.

Loyalty and VIP Rewards

Many of the best online casinos offer loyalty or VIP programs. We check to see if gaining traction and ranking up can be done and is not impossible to reach a level where the bonuses are worth a player’s time, money and effort.

Banking Methods and the Money

An online casino with great banking options and efficient processing times is what every online casino player is looking for. We assess each aspect in detail and ensure the payment methods are up to scratch using the following criteria:

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Easy to Deposit

We jump in and try depositing funds into each online casino account to determine the processing times. We check which payment methods are available, the deposit limits as well how diverse the currency list is of what they accept at the online casino.

Security of Your Money

We want to make sure that all purchases are made in a safe and secure manner. Personal data should be encrypted, and no unauthorised information should be exchanged with the casino. Furthermore, we verify that casinos segregate player funds from those used for general operations to ensure that payouts are still available when requested.

Fast Withdrawal Times

When it is time to cash out, you want it to be done easily and quickly. We make withdrawals at online casinos to see how long the process takes on the website, which payment options are available and how long the money is expected to take when it needs to arrive in your account.

Quick Processing Power

Each company has their role to play in getting your winnings to you. We ensure that the online casino doesn’t delay any processing of payments and gets the money to the customer as soon as possible by completing their end of the bargain efficiently.

A Fair Payout Percentage

We ensure that the online casinos we recommend display fair average Return to Player rates. A reputable online casino will have no issues revealing what its RTP percentage is as well as the RTP rate for individual games. This is to make sure that we are giving players the best advice on which games and casinos pay out to customers more than others.

Customer Support

When visiting any online casino, it is reassuring that there is a customer support team available to help you if you get into any sort of trouble at the online casino. We want to make sure that this service is of the highest quality and that the website as a whole has the customer’s experience in mind and at heart at all times. We want the customer support to shine in the following ways:

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Safety and Well-Being

Any reputable casino should place a high priority on customer protection. We give bonuses to sites that have tools for keeping track of how much time and money players spend gambling, so they don't go overboard. Of course, we put these features to the test on our own to ensure that they are successful.

Easy to Reach Support

The customer support team should be available at all times via various methods of communication. We want to see that these options are easy to see on the website and that there are FAQs to help players navigate and rely on self help as much as possible.

Data Protection

We want guarantees that your personal information will only be used for the reasons you intended when you share it. We only recommend casinos if we are sure that they will not sell players' personal information to third parties without their consent. To be sure, we still read their privacy policy thoroughly, and we urge all players to do the same.

Efficient, Professional and Informed Solutions

To determine the consistency of an online casino's customer service, we contact them through all available channels to see how quickly they react to inquiries. When we make contact, we're searching for a support team that can quickly fix the issue. They should be able to interact with players in their native tongue as well. So, we reach out to the support team ourselves and assess the response procedure.

Mobile Access

Online casinos have made their way to mobile devices in a big way for a smaller device. Players prefer to play on the go and an online casino should be able to accommodate this need. Here is what we like to see when accessing an online casino on a mobile device:
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Screen Optimization

We want to see an online casino that runs smoothly no matter what the size of the device is. We access the online casinos with a range of tablets and smartphones running on different operating systems through different internet browsers. Ensuring that your gaming experience is in no way less than when you play on the desktop version.

Good Quality Experience on an App

Playing online casino games on a downloadable app should be just as efficient and responsive as it would be through the internet browser. We also ensure that getting the software is not too complicated and doesn’t take up too much time or device storage.

Location Availability

The online casino landscape has grown significantly in the past few years and many countries now have access to the full experience. What we like to see is that online casinos have grown and allowed unique experiences to players all around the world. Here is what what we focus on:

Services For Different Locations

We assess how accessible an online casino is based on which players and which countries have access to online casino gaming. The main factors include players being able to deposit and withdraw in their local currency and an additional thumbs up is given if the online casino’s language can be changed to suit specific players’ needs around the world. A long list of countries and currencies is what we want to see.

When an Online Casino Doesn’t Make the Cut

There are many online casinos available in Canada and we are happy to recommend any online casino that holds its own against our review process. The testing process was built and put into place to ensure that players in Canada and the rest of the world can enjoy a safe and pleasurable online gaming experience. However, if an online casino is found to pose any type of threat to players, that online casino is added to our blacklist.

It is unfortunate that our blacklist has already grown to include nearly 100 online casinos that have not met our standards. We still have hope that these online casinos will see the errors of their ways and reform their websites to cater safely to players looking to play online casino games. That is why we reassess the casinos on our blacklist every few months.

We aim to provide players with the most accurate, honest and detailed information about any online casino we recommend. The blacklisted casinos have been given the same opportunity to prove themselves and came up shy. If you do encounter a rogue online casino, here are some of the things you may encounter:

  • Poor customer service that leaves customer concerns unchecked
  • Difficulties in receiving or claiming bonuses and promotions
  • Website security is lacking and games are unfair
  • Players not receiving their winnings due to unjust reasons
  • Withdrawals are slow or unsuccessful

The online casinos on our blacklist were discovered during our routine reviews. However, not all of them were found that way. Many were also discovered by our reader. The readers that discovered these rogue casinos made sure to contact us so that we could get an investigation and review underway. So, if you find that an online casino presents with suspicious behaviour, please let us know so that we can do our due diligence and keep the online casino community as safe as we can.

2.1/5

Incorrect and misleading marketing relating to safety measures
Confusing wagering requirements
Inferior quality of games displayed

2.1/5

Customer complaints remain unresolved
Unprofessional customer service received
Stalled winnings being paid out

2.1/5

Consumer complaints ignored
Misleading claims to proper international licensing
Improper online casino practices in use

Our team of industry experts became experts by first and foremost being a player. So, we know exactly what your concerns could be and what it is you want to see at an online casino. We aim to keep all players as safe as possible when playing casino games online. If players cannot be safe in an expanding market then the future of the online gaming market will fall into disarray. We will continue to work towards the greater good of the online casino landscape and provide our readers with honest and caring advice.

Mobile Casinos

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