New online casinos for NZ players are popping up quite regularly, and while that is a great thing because you have that many more options to check out, it is also scary. How do you find the right online casino to play at?
There are multiple factors to consider while choosing an online casino that is the best fit for you. On this page, we will take you through all these factors, one step at a time. We will also cover another important point—how to identify undesirable ones.
Licensing and Regulation are Critical to a Good Experience
The remote nature of online casino gambling makes it critical that you safeguard yourself from being scammed. That is why one of the most critical factors to check for is the casino’s licensing information. You will find this information listed at the bottom of the site, usually in the form of the licensing authority's logo.
Avoid playing at a casino that doesn’t display this information. You may also want to think twice before signing up with a casino licensed by an untrustworthy licensing jurisdiction.
A casino that is licensed by a respected licensing authority is safe to play at because it must follow the rules and regulations laid down by the licensing body.
Trusted and respected licensing bodies include the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) and the Government of Gibraltar.
Security and Fair Gaming Practices are Important
Before signing up with a NZ-friendly online casino it is important to know whether all its games are conducted fairly. A casino that offers fair gaming will get its RNG audited by an independent testing agency for randomness. Most casinos display the audit agency logo at the bottom of each page. If that logo is unavailable, it may be a good idea to check the software vendor behind the casino, as the vendors must be certified for fair gaming.
A casino that has the eCOGRA logo, or those of Technical Systems Testing (TST), QUINEL, BMM Test Labs, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) and iTech Labs, for instance, offers the guarantee of fair gaming.
Also, do not forget to look for security information. Ensure the casino uses industry-standard security protocols to safeguard your money and personal data. A casino tat uses SSL encryption, secure servers and firewalls to protect your assets is definitely worth looking at.
Game Range has a Role to Play
We sign up with an online casino for the gaming experience, so it is important to check for the casino's game range. Two things to look at are the size of the game portfolio and the quality of the games available.
A wide range of games is always preferred because it gives you more options to work with. At some level, it is also a matter of personal choice. If you love playing games from a specific vendor only, it may be a good idea to look at casinos using software from a single vendor instead of multivendor casinos with thousands of games in their library.
An excellent online casino will offer a diverse portfolio of games; you will find everything, from pokies and table games to video poker, casual games, live dealer games – these are great for an immersive and ‘different’ experience – and jackpots.
Software Providers Matter
The software provider behind the casino is directly tied to the game experience. For instance, it may be a good idea to sign up with a casino that uses software from established vendors like Microgaming, Playtech, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, and others.
The problem with playing at a casino using software solely from lesser-known providers is the possibility of having to play games that are ‘regular’ and with minimal or no bonus rounds.
The current trend is to play at multivendor casinos nowadays as they give you access to thousands of games from a wide range of providers. If that is your approach, you may want to check for the gaming platform behind the casino.
Do Not Forget to Look Beyond the Bonuses
Every casino offers bonuses to attract new players and retain their existing player base. Some offer meaty welcome offers across multiple deposits, and others offer a basic offer on the first deposit.
The bonus itself is important, true – who wouldn’t want to play with a welcome bonus that gives you up to NZ$1,000 and 200 free spins across your first four deposits, for instance?
However, the terms that govern the bonus are even more important. The above example would be of no use, for instance, if there was a 60x wagering requirement tagged to it. Because it would mean you would have to wager 60 times the bonus before you could withdraw winnings.
Therefore, ensure that you go through the terms and conditions carefully before you sign up. A single bonus of 100% up to $100 with a 35x wagering requirement on the bonus amount, for instance, could be a decent option instead of the above bonus with a 60x wagering requirement.
Also, wagering requirements are important, but they are not the only conditions governing the usage of a bonus. There are others as well, including the maximum single bet allowed and maximum cashout limit. Check for them all before you decide to sign up.
Check for the Payment Options
Another crucial factor to check for is the range of payment options that the casino supports. Depositing funds and withdrawing winnings are at the core of all online casino gambling, so it is only fair to look for a casino that offers the best payment support.
A good online casino supports a wide range of payment methods, including those popular in the country you are playing from. A casino that supports credit and debit cards, e-wallets like NETeller, Skrill, and EcoPayz, prepaid cards like PaySafeCard and Neosurf, bank transfers, and cryptocurrencies is definitely worth looking at.
It is important to check the casino for the range of payment methods supported, but even more important is to check whether there are any fees associated with the deposit and withdrawal processes. Some casinos do charge a fee for processing deposits and withdrawals—knowing this is important because it will help you plan your budget.
Ensure that information about the fees is clearly and transparently provided. A casino with hidden fees is an absolute no-no.
Finally, do not forget to check for the withdrawal processing time and the time it takes for your winnings to reach you once the casino processes and approves your withdrawal request.
How Good is the Customer Support?
Everyone loves it when help is available instantly, especially true at an online casino. A dependable customer support team can be the difference between good gaming and outstanding gaming. Therefore, check for the quality of customer support available.
The first thing to check for is the range of customer support options available: does the casino offer support through live chat and e-mail only, for instance? Do you have the facility to speak to the support team over phone? Another thing to check for is the timeframe for customer support: a casino that offers customer support 24/7 is definitely worth looking into.
Most importantly, you may want to check for the response time – at some casinos an eternal wait is what passes for customer support, in my experience. And then there are those that respond instantly. Quick responses are good because they give you an answer to your query – or the solution to a problem you are facing – immediately.
Seamless Mobile Gambling is a Big Plus
Every casino nowadays offers a mobile version, given that the whole world has gone mobile. The trick is to find a casino that offers seamless and slick mobile gaming.
There are many things to check for, starting with the number of games available. The use of HTML5 has changed the mobile gaming paradigm; now casinos can host their whole mobile game library, unlike in the past when a limited number of games were available for mobile play.
Other things to look out for include the availability of a mobile casino app. You may want to check whether the interface is responsive as well, along with the range of payment options available and range of customer support options.
Localisation and Going the Multilingual Way are Huge Positives
The difference between a good casino and one that stands out could be as simple as the number of languages it offers. Local language support is one of the critical elements that can drive up the number of footfalls at an online casino.
Support for local languages makes a big difference in customer experience, not just in gaming but also in customer service. Speaking to a support executive in your native language allows you to express yourself more freely.
This is another factor, albeit not one of the critical ones, that you should consider when scouting for a good online casino to play at.
Remember, localisation is not just about the language; even more importantly, it is about the casino’s ability to incorporate local gambling games into its game library and to keep local sensibilities in mind when developing the gaming offering for players of a specific country.
Identifying Sketchy Online Casinos is Equally Important
As important as being able to identify a good online casino is being able to identify a sketchy one. Given the massive size of the online gambling industry, there are loads of those around.
So how do you determine if an online casino is below par? An excellent way to do this is to go to the various player review forums and read the content. You will find players writing about their experiences at the different online casinos, and this should give you a good idea of how good or bad a casino actually is.
Another way to do this is to visit watchdog sites like Casinomeister – they have an extensive blacklist of casinos that have failed to meet customer expectations or delayed in payments, or annulled payments without valid reason.