Online Casino Review Process Explained

We use a thorough online casino review process here at GambleGum.com. After analyzing six key factors, we make recommendations on the online casinos for our readers. Readers might ask how we conduct our casino reviews? What are those essential features every good casino should have? In the article below, we describe our comprehensive online casino review process.

First, we take into consideration key factors that affect all players: the site’s deposit methods, bonus promotions, and game selection. Next, we consider customer service, including the registration process and tech support if you have problems. Even if those factors check out, we don’t recommend a casino if the site’s safety, security, and reliability is questionable.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the key elements of a great online casino.

The Sign-Up Process

The sign-up process is the first step in joining an online casino site. The process should be quick and easy – taking less than five minutes. Legitimate Canadian casinos require your date of birth, so the site admin knows you’re of legal age to gamble in Canada.

Later in the registration process, you’ll choose a username and password, while giving your name, address, and email address. The recommended online casinos at GambleGum.com make the sign-up process quick, intuitive, and easy.

The Banking Methods

The deposit and payout methods at an online casino are pivotal to your enjoyment. Players want to use the banking methods they use for everyday purchases. Canadian gamblers come from varied backgrounds, so a site needs a lot of options. They also need payment methods specific to Canada, such as Interac.

The most popular payment methods for online casino players are credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, and e-Wallets. Each deposit method has its own advantages and drawbacks. We study the deposit and payout options from all sides: how long it takes, whether payment requires a fee, and what the minimum and maximum amounts transferred are.

The Bonuses

Bonus promotions are crucial to your online casino gaming experience. The welcome bonus is the perk that is most talked about, because it’s the largest bonus with the best match rate. Match rate is important, because it tells how big of a bonus your deposit triggers. For example, let’s say an online casino offers you a 100% match bonus up to $1,000 on a deposit. If you deposit $1,000, you end up with $2,000.

Our reviews always contain the bonus’s wagering requirement. The wagering requirement – also known as the rollover or playthrough – describes how much you have to bet in order to cash out the bonus amount. If you receive a $200 bonus with a playthrough requirement of 20x, you’ll need to bet $4,000 before you could withdraw the bonus amount.

It isn’t all about welcome bonuses, though. We look into other bonus types like reload bonuses, live casino bonuses, daily bonuses, free spins, and no-deposit bonuses as we believe they are just as important. We check these offers thoroughly in order to ensure you’re getting the best bonuses. 

Casino Games

World-class online casinos should have all the games you want to play. Some sites are strictly for playing online slots, while others focus on sports betting or poker games. We focus on the best Canadian online casinos, which include a variety of online slots, table games, specialty games like keno or scratch cards, and video poker.

When reviewing online casinos games, we also look at the software providers. Most casinos license software from one or more developers, so they can feature the most popular and trusted games online. If a site promotes games from companies with great reputations such as Microgaming or Betsoft, our reviewers know you’ll have a good time at that casino.

Customer Support

Customer support and service is one of the most important aspect of our reviews. Our experts have experience with each site we review, so we direct players to the sites which care about their customers.

We also list your best methods of communication. Most online casino sites have a live chat feature, which provides instant service for your questions and concerns. Our reviews provide a link to live chat if available, along with toll-free phone numbers, email addresses, and contact forms.

Safe & Security

It’s the online casinos job to protect your transactions, while also giving you fair games and trustworthy service. We ensure they are taking their job seriously by looking for some very particular and important things:

We always look for the symbol of eCOGRA, the eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. eCOGRA is an industry watchdog group known for third-party audits to ensure fairness of the games. We also discuss licensing authorities, which test sites for fairness and safety. The Canada-based Kahnawake Gaming Commission is one of several top licensing commissions which confer legitimacy on a casino.

Digital encryption software is important, too. If a site’s owners have good intentions but doesn’t protect its customers from identity thieves, then intentions don’t matter. We recommend sites with 128-bit encryption and SSL certificates — what banks use to ensure your transactions are secure. GambleGum.com picks sites that keep your personal and bank information safe, so you don’t have to worry when you sign up at one of the Canadian online casinos we recommend.

How to Choose a Canadian Online Casino

When we review online gambling sites like All Slots Casino, Playamo, or Jackpot City, we have an outline of topics we discuss. These include the welcome bonus, casino rewards program, deposit methods, software providers, customer support staff, terms and conditions, and licensing. This allows players to compare and contrast the various online casinos directly using the same criteria.

When it’s time to choose a CA online casino, follow our process. Open two or more GambleGum.com site reviews and compare the two products point-by-point.

Conclusion

Online casino reviews should be transparent and straightforward. Bettors should be able to focus on a few key factors when making their decision. GambleGum.com’s experts follow a methodical process, so you can make informed decisions. We hope our explanation of our online casino review process clarifies what we do, while giving you a clear picture of what new players should target when picking a gambling site.