With so many online casinos available, including all the new casinos launching to the internet each year, it can be tough to know where to start. Here is a useful guide to choosing an online casino, what to check before signing up, and what the registration process involves.
Choosing an Online Casino
Decide which online casino best suits you by considering:
- Transfer/Deposit Methods: whether you want to earn cashback with a credit card, protect transfers with an e-wallet or limit your spend with a prepaid card – check your favoured method is accepted
- Currency: online casinos don’t necessarily accept all currencies, so check whether your native currency is accepted and, if not, whether they will convert it for you
- Bonuses: as well as headline figures, you’ll need to choose between matched bets, matched deposits, no deposit bonuses and more – don’t forget to check wagering requirements before signing up
Background Checks
When you set up a new online casino account, there are some key things that you should confirm.
- Casinos operating in the UK will be subject to EU law, and are often registered in Gibraltar. You’ll find the country of registration in help sections or on page footers
- Customer funds should be kept separate from company money, details of which can be found in Terms & Conditions
- Maximum payouts, which limit how much a casino will award on certain games/bets
- Independent monthly payout stats, which show that games are fair. Usually found at the base of the casino page, they look like this
All operators listed on Gambling.com are subject to the above steps and must pass them before they can appear on the site.
Sign-up Details
When registering with an online casino, you’ll be asked for your personal details. This is to prove that you’re a resident with the legal right to gamble, that you’re over the legal gambling age, and to keep your account secure and protected against fraud.
Common fields in registration forms are:
- Name
- Sex
- Date of Birth
- Email Address
- Telephone Number
- Full Address (where you live for most of the year)
- Username (your login)
- Password
- Security Question (e.g. Mother’s maiden name)
- Betting Currency
Sign-Up Options
Other fields frequently found on sign-up forms are:
- Newsletter sign-ups, which often contain special offers/bonuses
- Where to receive your newsletter (e.g. phone, email, post)
- Deposit limits, which can help ensure you don’t overspend
- Promo Codes (to claim special offers)
Deposit Process
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll need to transfer money into your account:
- Go to the Deposit page
- Check whether your chosen payment method has time restraints or charges before making a deposit. You can find this in the casino’s Help section or terms and conditions
- Select your desired payment method
- Input the account details
- Choose whether to save them or not
- Select your deposit amount
- Confirm
Identity Validation
Most casinos allow you to play immediately after your first deposit has cleared. However, there will be limits until you provide supporting documents confirming your identity, age and address. This is because online casinos, like all financial companies, are subject to ‘Know Your Customer’ laws.
You’ll be asked for a scan/fax of photo ID, which can be a passport, driving licence, or a photographic National Identification Card, and an official letter from the last three months – either a utility bill, or a bank statement.
Once you’ve followed all the above steps and supplied these documents, your account will be fully functional.
Be the first to comment