How We Review New Casino Sites
Bonus Offers
In such a competitive market, it is crucial that casino sites are able to compete with their competitors from the get-go and to do this they must provide rewarding bonus offers. Some casino sites may focus on just attracting new customers to their site with lucrative welcome offers, while others favour their existing customers. But truth be told, the best new casino sites will focus on both new and existing customers, which means providing rewarding sign-up bonuses as well as including a variety of ongoing promotions and benefit filled VIP programmes.
Bonuses come in all different shapes and sizes, which means you should never have a tough job finding a variety of bonuses provided by online casino sites. Bonus spins, online casino bonuses, games bonuses, bonus funds and deposit match bonuses are just some examples of the range of bonuses that can be found at the best new online UK casino sites.
In some circumstances, casino sites may seem to be offering a lucrative range of bonus offers but the terms and conditions will reveal something quite different. That’s why we take into consideration what’s in the small print, like wagering requirements, promo codes, max bonus limits and much more.
Signup Process
Signing up to casino sites is just part of the process that everyone must endure and the best new casino sites in the UK are permitted to follow strict requirements when verifying the new customer’s details/data. All UK casino sites are required to adhere to the responsible gambling movement, meaning features like deposit limits are easy to set-up.
Game Variety
The whole reason why UK customers register with casino sites is to play games and that is why it should be the bare minimum for the best new casino sites to offer a strong variety of games. Slots, progressive jackpots, instant wins, table games, scratchcards and jackpot slots are just some of the online casino games you should expect to find available.
Game Quality
It is one thing being able to provide customers with a strong selection of games, but it is even more important to ensure that those games are of a high standard. The best new casino sites will provide games that use state of the art software which meet the highest standards. Partnerships with well-established software providers is always a common find amongst the best new casino sites.
Payments
Not everyone uses the same form of payment when it comes to making deposits or withdrawals and all punters want is a selection of banking methods to choose from. In this day and age, you should find casino sites offering numerous payment options to choose from with there being so many available. Whether it’s debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Paysafecard or E-wallets like Neteller and Skrill – these are all payment options you should expect to find. We test that all payment options being provided by casino sites are safe and secure to use by you as customers.
From the moment customers sign-up to online casino sites, they are often required to make a deposit to claim the available welcome offer, which usually comes in the form of a 1st deposit bonus. So, you can see why it is important that plenty of deposit options are available to customers.
Unique Features
Many online platforms who are owned and operated by the same company may offer very similar games, designs and features – this is a very efficient way of boring customers. We want to see and we know you want to see platforms offering unique features that make them stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Mobile Compatability
Close to 80% of the UK online casino customers now use their mobile devices to play and that is why its immensely important that online casinos offer a mobile-friendly platform. Customers should be able to participate in a smooth mobile experience which is identical to what would be experienced if using a PC or desktop device. Mobile gaming is a great way for customers to enjoy gaming on the move.
The best new online casinos will offer mobile apps that are free to download on selected mobile phones.
Legislation & Licensing
Customers safety is at the top of our priorities and it should be at the top of the casinos too. That’s why you will never find a casino on any of our lists that do not hold a certified license with the UK Gambling Commission.
The above aspects we take into consideration are the reasons why you can trust any of our suggested best new casino sites and you can use the very same criteria to make a judgement for yourself.
Customer Support
One of the most important aspects of any new online casino trying to find its place in the iGaming industry is providing its customers with excellent support. Since you will be trusting these online platforms with real money, it is essential that you are properly dealt with and any problems you encounter are handled efficiently.
We expect online casinos to offer the three following necessary and basic forms of customers support:
- Live chat
- 24/7 email support
- Toll-free telephone support
These three avenues of customer support are a must at any online gaming site and missing any of these will seriously affect its rating. With that being said, live chat is where our focus lies, as this method is the most useful and efficient ways of support that an online casino can offer.
Software & Game Selection
Many casino sites will look elsewhere to software providers for the games you find available on their sites and this is why it is important that we take into consideration who these software providers are. With that being said, it is not only the game software that is used and in some instances, but casinos will also look to use software for their promotions and for the general workings of their platform.
Some players will like certain titles and game developers as they offer games of a specific type or simply like the way they design them. Some casinos will offer games with high RTP %’s(Return To Player)/low volatility, while others will offer games with low RTP’%/high volatility. The key is finding the right casino for you, as less experienced customers will not want to be wasting their cash on a slot with low RTP %’s.
User Experience
What we mean exactly by user experience is, how an online casino ‘feels’ to use and what experience it is offering to players. This, of course, can be a subjective aspect of online casinos, as everyone has different tastes and requirements. However, our general perspective will look at things like customer support, design, smoothness, load speed and payment options.
Any casino that manages to impress in the above criteria is generally one that will provide a good ‘user experience.
Wagering Requirements
An important aspect to all bonus types is the permitted wagering requirements. Wagering requirements specify how many times a bonus must be played through before any winnings can be withdrawn from it.
For example, a deposit bonus offering a 100% bonus of up to £100 could be attached to a wagering requirement of 10x the bonus amount. What this means is that customers will have to playthrough/wager the bonus amount ten times in total before any winnings can be withdrawn.
In some instances, selected games will contribute 100% towards the wagering requirement while others may only contribute 10%. Those games that only contribute to 10% of the wagering requirements will have to be played 10x more to fulfil a game that contributes 100%.
New Casino Site Bonuses
With new casino sites entering the market every week, the competition between these newly arriving platforms is incredibly competitive and due to this, you will see new sites finding any way possible to make their site more appealing. One of the most common ways that are used to help promote their site is by offering casino bonuses.
Each and every casino will have its very own welcome offer, which can offer a variety of different bonus types, including free spins, deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses and much more.
Welcome Bonuses/New Customer Offers
This is where casino sites like to show off their ‘giving’ nature and offer their new customers a lucrative bonus for joining their site. Welcome offers are a great way for casinos to lure in new customers to join their site, as it offers a generous casino bonus to boost their gaming experience.
Sign-up bonuses are one of the most rewarding promotions you should come across, especially when dealing with new casino sites. So, make sure you are getting your money worth and the bonus on offer is worth claiming.
Below are the bonus types you can find available on new casino sites’ welcome offers:
Deposit Bonuses
Deposit bonuses make up the majority of bonuses you will find being offered inside welcome offers – along with free spins. Deposit bonuses are incredibly simple and can be rewarding – if you select the right online casino. Deposit bonuses usually require customers to first register an account before making a minimum deposit. New customers can usually expect a minimum deposit amount of around £10. Following this, customers will receive the bonus amount which is usually worked out by a percentage boost.
For example – Deposit £10 and receive a 100% casino bonus worth up to £250.
Deposit bonuses are often attached with wagering requirements which can be found in the bonus terms and conditions. Wagering requirements or a wagering contribution, are conditions that must be met before any winnings can be withdrawn that have been won with the bonus funds.
Casino bonuses can typically come with wagering requirements as high as 90x the total bonus amount.
Free Spins
Free spins are probably the most recognised bonus type available across any new online casino and any half-decent platform will have free spins or bonus on offer. Free spins are often offered by online casino sites as an incentive when joining their platform. The majority of the time free spins are offered to be used on selected slot titles. Like any bonus, free spins come with their own wagering requirements that must be met.
It is not unusual to find welcome offers that offer both a deposit bonus alongside a number of free spins. For example – Deposit £10 and receive a 200% deposit bonus, as well as 30 free spins.
No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit bonuses may be the rarest type of bonus you can find available at online casinos and this is because they need no deposit from customers. No deposit offers are the same as deposit match bonuses in the sense that they reward customers with bonus funds. However, a no deposit offer does not require customers to deposit their own money to receive. Online platforms will award customers with a free bet for just registering an account with them and that’s why these are usually found as welcome offers.
Although no deposit is required, no deposit offers can often come with their own wagering requirements.
The bonus types we have covered above are not what casinos are limited to, these just tend to be the most popular types of bonuses. Many casinos will offer seasonal prizes, competitions, jackpots and other rewards on their platform throughout the year. So, it is always worth checking the promotions tab to see what is on offer.
Existing Customer Promotions
It is all good luring new customers in with rewarding promotions, but what good is it when you can not keep hold of the very same customers? Well, this is why you can find a huge emphasis on the retention of customers at online casinos and even more so at new casino sites.
Due to this, all of the best new casino sites should have plenty of ongoing promotions and competitions for their existing customers.
Below we have highlighted some of the bonus types and competitions you can expect to find at the best new casino sites:
Reload Bonuses
Reload bonuses are often offered by online casinos to customers after they have claimed the available welcome offer. Like welcome offers, reload bonuses are usually deposit offers that require customers to make a minimum deposit before receiving their bonus.
For example, after claiming the following welcome offer – Deposit £10 and receive a 100% up to £250 – customers may be offered a second deposit offer of – Receive a 50% bonus up to £100 on your second deposit. These are called reload bonuses and in some cases, customers may have access of up to five!
Seasonal Promotions
Online gaming platforms love to keep their sites updated(especially the new ones) and a great way of doing this, is by running seasonal promotions. Seasonal promotions tend to share similarities with either the seasons in the year(eg. Summer, Spring, Winter, Autumn) or with sporting events(The Masters, World Cup etc).
Seasonal promotions can usually always be found, so be sure to check the promotions tab on your selected casino site to find them.
Gamification and New Casinos
Gamification is a fairly new term used when talking about online casinos and it is likely to be a term that you have not come across yet.
What gamification is, is basically the interactive features you find available at online casinos. New casinos with superior technology tend to be the ones offering much more gamification and this is certainly something we advise looking out for.
Gamification casinos are much more likely to offer their customers rewards in a variety of ways and we have listed some of the examples below:
- Competitions
- Leaderboards
- Slot Races
- Loyalty Rewards
- Point Systems
- Real-time Rewards
- Levels and Ranking systems
- Trophies
- Achievements
As you can see, there is plenty of gamification examples to look out for when browsing through the new casino sites.
New Casino Sites VIP Programmes
Offering standard promotions and bonuses is never enough these days and that’s why you can find casino sites offering some sort of VIP Programme or loyalty scheme. These ‘scheme’ or ‘programmes’ are a great for sites to reward their most loyal customers with extra exclusive bonuses and benefits. Although most VIP programmes will vary from one site to another, their basic point will be to reward their customers depending on the amount of money they deposit and wager.
Many VIP schemes are level based, with higher levels rewarding more lucrative bonuses and rewards. However, to reach these levels customers will need to deposit more money and sometimes may require to be invited by the platform to join.
Payment Methods at New Casino Sites
You should never find yourself struggling to find a payment option to use when dealing with online casinos, as there are so many payment methods available. As a customer to these gaming sites, you should not only be offered a wide selection of payment options, but these should also be safe and secure methods of depositing and withdrawing money.
We have listed some of the payment options you should expect to find available at any new online casino site:
Debit Cards
Debit cards are the most common form of banking methods used to make deposits on casino sites and require customers to enter details including the sort code, account number and security code.
E-Wallets
E-wallets are very popular amongst casino customers as they tend to offer the quickest withdrawal times. However, customers using e-wallets like Neteller and Skrill are often left ineligible to claim various welcome offers.
PayPal
PayPal has been around for countless years and has been regarded as a safe and secure banking method for all those years. Some casinos you come across will not accept PayPal as a valid payment option.
Prepaid Cards
Prepaid cards are also a very popular banking method accepted by online casinos as they offer extra security in comparison to other payment methods. Paysafecard is a popular prepaid card accepted by most casinos sites.
Bank Transfers
Over the years, bank transfer has been a widely used payment method and it is becoming more popular thanks to the technological advancements and extra security measures it provides.
Pay by Phone
This method of payment allows customers to make deposits via their phone without inputting their bank details, as the charge is added to their monthly bill.
Bitcoin
The cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is largely preferred by many casino customers thanks to the speed at which it operates and the anonymity it offers. Customers using Bitcoin will have to be careful of the constantly fluctuating prices, as it can see winnings disappear.
New Casino Site Saftey & Security
Unfortunately, amongst the large majority of safe and secure casino sites, you will come across platforms that you can not trust. What we mean by this is, there are some casinos that do not payout customer winnings, apply impossible thresholds on bonuses and may leak your personal information.
However, any site you find recommended by us will not show any of the above as we only recommend the safest sites that hold licenses with the appropriate regulatory agencies.
As a UK customer, the only regulatory body you need to find licensing your chosen casino is the UK Gambling Commission. For those of you who do not know what the UK Gambling Commission do, read below:
Personal Data Protection
No UK customers want their personal details being leaked or shared with third parties without their consent and that’s why the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has put in place tough tests to ensure online casinos can keep their customer’s personal data safe. This means safe and secure payment methods are a must.
The only regulatory bodies you should find giving licences to UK casino sites are the UK Gambling Commission and the Gibraltar Gaming Commission. As a rule of thumb, any casino sites holding licenses with either of these bodies can be trusted, especially those with licenses from the UK Gambling Commission who are considered the strictest regulatory body out there.
Fairness of Gameplay
The UK Gambling Commission works closely with companies that test all games provided by manufactures and those that pass get placed on an approved list that online casinos can use. At any point in time, online casinos are required to have a certain amount of money available, so that customer winnings can be paid in full.
Complaints & License Enforcment
All online casinos in the UK are required by the law to provide access to an independent body called an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service. These agencies are approved by the UKGC to handle any complaints that may be made by customers about online casino platforms.
This is an efficient way for the UK Gambling Commission to spot any casino sites that are not meeting the strict requirements set by them. In these cases, the UKGC can place sanctions, fines and/or suspensions on rule-breaking sites until they meet the specific requirements.
Game Selection at New Casino Sites
There is no excuse for new casino sites to not offer a range of all the exciting new games available to them, and the ones we recommend will offer all the latest game options.
Below we have taken a closer look at what games you should expect to find at all new casino sites:
Roulette
Roulette is a traditional casino game that is the life blood of any casino, whether that be online or land-based. For hundreds of years, Croupiers have been launching the ivory ball around the spinning table, while players place their bets hoping to correctly guess where the ball will land. Side bets are also available, which allow players to bet on markets such as red or black, odd or even or in certain number brackets.
The best casino sites will offer many variations of the standard game of roulette, which usually includes French, American and European.
Blackjack
Another game that any casino would be lost without is of course Blackjack. Blackjack is a simple card game played by millions as they try to stick and twist their way to their fortunes. The best casino sites should offer plenty of variants of the traditional game of Blackjack, so do not settle with less.
Craps
Once again we have another classic game here for you which lets players place bets on the possible outcome of two rolled dice. Craps may not be as sort-after as the likes of Blackjack and Roulette, but you will still find it available at the best casino platforms.
Live Dealer Games
With the introduction of live casinos going incredibly well, more and more online platforms are incorporating them into their sites. Live dealer games are what you find available in these ‘Live Casinos’ as they are operated by ‘live dealers’. Casinos use streaming technology and webcams to show live dealers working their selected game. The best casino sites will offer a range of live dealer games, including live roulette, live blackjack and live baccarat.
Online Slots
Online slots can be found in any casino and should make up the majority of games that are available to you. The best online platforms will offer hundreds of high quality slot titles that range in themes, prizes, betting amounts and jackpot types. You should expect anything from retro three-reeled slots to progressive jackpots.
Keno
Keno is a lottery styled game and is revered a lot amongst casino customers for its simplicity. Not only is Keno a simple game in nature but it has the potential to pay out some big prizes too. Players will pick numbers labelled 1-80 and then a random number generator will select the winning numbers to see who prevailed.
Scratchcards
Scratchcards are becoming an increasingly popular game to play at online casinos and once again it is for their simplicity. The best casino sites will offer a range of scratchcard games including A Night Out, Football Mania, Lotto Madness, Dolphin Cash, Pharaoh’s Kingdom and Kong.
Games like the ones listed above should be available in all casinos and the newest casino sites should offer these plus many more variants to keep their customers interested.
New casino sites are much more likely to offer live dealer games, like; Live Roulette, Live Blackjack and Live Baccarat.
New Casino Sites Mobile Gaming
As you may know, more and more people prefer to use their mobile devices and tablets to enjoy online gaming platforms, rather than using desktops and PC’s. This rapidly growing trend has become a thing due to the vast improvements in mobile device technology and now more people access these gaming platforms via their mobile browser than that on desktop browsers.
The best part to mobile friendly sites, is by far the ability to play wherever you happen to be, as long as you have a stable internet connection. Most mobile sites are accessible on a variety of devices including Iphones, Ipads and Androids.
The great thing about mobile sites is that they rarely look any different from that on desktop browsers, so you know you will never be missing out when playing on mobile devices. The newest online casinos will offer creamy smooth platforms that offer only the best graphics and gameplay.
The platforms that offer the smooth mobile sites are ones using the HTML5 platform. This platform also means that customers are not required to download any extra files when wanting to played the available games.
Some online casinos are making the transition to mobile apps and what this means is that players can access their platforms via the mobile app, instead of on mobile browsers. Mobile apps can work and run a lot smoother than that experienced on mobile browsers. Despite this, many people prefer using mobile friendly sites as they tend to work just as well as mobile apps and they are not required to download anything.
Below we have listed some of the top software and game providers that are currently providing games in the UK:
New Casino Sites Software Providers
Software providers supply casino sites with the majority of their games, so it is important that these casino sites choose wisely when it comes to who they are getting their games from. Many platforms will get their games from more than just a single software provider, as each provider will specialise in different types of games. You should expect all new casino sites to offer games from a range of the best software providers available.
Below we have highlighted some of the leading software providers that are currently available:
Below we have listed some of the top software and game providers that are currently providing games in the UK:
- NetEnt – NetEnt is probably the most recognised name in terms of software providers, as this Swedish giant has been creating some of the most popular slot titles for years. Popular slots like; Starburst, Mega Fortune and Rainbow Riches are all the work of NetEnt.
- Playtech – Playtech may not have an as recognisable name as NetEnt, but that does not take away from the fact that they sit as the world’s largest supplier of online games and sports betting software.
- Evolution Gaming – Evolution Gaming focuses its efforts on the production of live dealer games and is recognised as the world leader in providing live dealer games.
- Microgaming – A software provider that we all recognise is Microgaming. Microgaming has been one of the leading software providers for countless years and specialises in retro slots.
Responsible Gambling at New Casino Sites
Online gaming can be alot of fun, but it is important to remember that gambling is something that needs to be controlled and it can become very addicting. As casino gamers, you should never rely on online gambling to be a source of income as you can never guarantee when or if you are going to win. Another important rule to remember when online gaming is that you should never gamble money that you can not afford to lose. No one wants to be in debt and it is certainly not worth the risk just so you can play on some online slots/casino games.
You can find many new casino sites that offer the option to play demo versions of their game where customers can play for free. This is a great way to have some fun without the risk of losing your hard-earned cash. It is also a good way to test what you are getting yourself into before, once again wagering real money.
On most gambling sites, you should be able to find links to the Begambleaware.org page which provides all the necessary help needed when gambling no longer becomes fun.
Our Final Thoughts on New Casino Sites
After reading everything above, you should know everything there is to know about new casino sites available in the United Kingdom. What we have covered should help you trust out recommendations and also help you select your own new casino sites to use. As now, you know what to look for just as well as you know what not look for.
Despite there being many things to watch out for when selecting new casinos, you should not be put off doing so. New casinos can offer rewarding bonuses, from welcome offers to reload bonuses and seasonal promotions. So it is certainly worth checking out what we have recommended and any sites you happen to find that meet our strict criteria.
Just remember. Don’t use any new casino site that we wouldn’t!