To find the best fit for you, use consistent criteria to assess all your options. The ones mentioned below are the ones that we believe should be the bare minimum. As you’ll notice, we did not enumerate the list because you should decide which factors matter the most to you.
License
If you ask us, licensing is a very important thing to consider. Having one means that extremely strict guidelines and standards have been met, ensuring that players will have a good experience playing.
But beyond having the license itself, you should also make sure that:
- It has been granted by a reputable licensing body. In the Philippines, that’s the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). However, there are also licensing bodies abroad, such as the MGA, CGB, and UKGC.
- The license is not expired. Even though a casino brand has initially met the regulatory requirements, it doesn’t mean that they have kept up. One way to tell is to check whether the license is still active.
- You can verify the license. An online casino can claim that they have obtained licensing from, let’s say, PAGCOR. Do your due diligence by checking on PAGCOR’s website.
Game Library
Many newbie players make the mistake of simply using the total number of games to assess the gaming library. While it’s important to assess your range of options, it shouldn’t be the only thing that matters. To more thoroughly assess the quality of the collection, you should also look into:
- Software developers. The games are only as good as the studios that made them. Having titles from respected gaming studios is a good sign!
- Game types covered. At the very least, classic casino games like Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat should be covered.
- New additions. How often do they add new titles? If available, look at the new games section. If the titles there seem dated, it may have been a while since they added new ones.
Casino Payout Rate
Which online casino has the best payouts? This is something that players tend to ignore because they normally look at the individual payout rate of casino games.
Let us be honest. That is the better way of assessing the game library. However, it’s too time-consuming. It also works under the assumption that you’re only going to play certain games.
Knowing the casino payout rate gives you a macro perspective based on first-hand information. Take a look at the list of casinos with the best payouts in the Philippines.
Bonuses and Promotions
Bonuses and promotions are great for enticing players to sign up and encouraging activity from existing ones. But beyond the number of offers, what should you look for here?
- Diversity. More types of promotions allow you a range of ways to benefit from using the platform.
- Rewards. What are you going to get out of it? Is it worth it for you? You must answer both questions.
- Wagering requirements. Higher wagering requirements may not be attainable for casual players. Consider how much time you have to meet this as well.
Safety and Security
Especially when money is at stake, you should only trust online casinos that can give you the highest level of safety and security. So, how to choose a safe online casino? Here are a few things to check:
- Is the website encrypted? Encryption is important just in case a hacker intercepts the data. Should this happen, the information will just look like gibberish to them.
- Do they make sure it’s really you who’s logging in? Apart from passwordless logins, one way they can ensure this is by limiting the number of times you can attempt to log in with an incorrect password.
- What does it say in their Privacy Policy? If it says that they can share your data for something other than the bare minimum required by law, it’s a huge red flag.
Customer Support
Any online casino should have a support email address where players can send their concerns and queries. But today, it’s also common to have other options like:
- FAQ
- Help guides
- Live chat
- Phone support
Most importantly, the agents should be knowledgeable and responsive enough to give you a resolution to your issues quickly.
Platform
In assessing the platform, look into these factors:
- User-friendliness. The platform should be user-friendly, allowing a player to easily explore and discover everything that it has to offer.
- Loading speed. Fast-loading platforms are favorable so as not to break the user experience. If pages still load quickly even when using mobile data, that’s even better.
- Filtering options. Game categorization is one of the most common filtering options. However, any good casino will go beyond that with other options like the search bar and filtering by provider. If the titles can be sorted, that’s even better.
Device Compatibility
Any modern online casino will be functional, regardless of the device that you choose to use. At the very least, both the web and mobile browser versions should be optimized to make browsing and playing very easy.
All functions should also be available no matter where you’re accessing the online casino. If there’s an app, that’s a huge bonus.
Supported Payment Methods
The more payment methods that are supported, the better! This means you’ll have more options for moving your money. You should also look into:
- Types of payment methods. There should be different types available. Having local payment methods like GrabPay and GCash are also important.
- Limits. Let’s say you’re a first-time bettor who only plans to deposit 100 PHP. There should be methods accessible to you that can accommodate that.
- Processing speed. For deposits, instant processing is the norm. Withdrawals can also be instant. However, consider how long the verification process takes for your first payout.
Even after all these considerations, only use trusted payment methods to avoid any hassle.
Reputation
All the factors mentioned above tell you what a casino is like on paper. But what has been the experience of players? Their reputation will tell you that.
What they’re most known for can give you an idea of what your experience will be like when you sign up. For example, if a casino is known for bad customer service, you may want to dig deeper there.
