Best Online Casino Reviews 2024

How to choose the best online casino

Here are some key factors to look for in online casino reviews and to keep in mind when picking a casino:

Availability in your country 

Online casino legislation differs around the world, so double-check that a casino is available in your region. Just seven U.S. states have regulated real money online casinos, but sweepstakes casinos provide a viable alternative and are accessible in most states (with a few significant exceptions).

Licensed off-shore casinos operate legally in Canada (excluding Ontario) thanks to an unregulated grey market set up that is also prevalent in a number of other key regions globally.

Bonuses and promotions

Nearly every online casino site will offer online casino bonuses and promotions to attract new customers. Read the small print and check that the bonuses offered are fair and widely available without restrictions. Being able to satisfy wagering requirements is more important than a large bonus figure.

Payment methods

Choose a casino that offers your preferred payment method, but also look for sites that boast a number of other deposit and withdrawal methods. This gives you flexibility in the future if your banking preferences change.

Cashout speed and limits

Nobody wants to wait too long to access their winnings, so you should keep an eye out for the fastest payout casino sites that facilitate quick cashouts. It is also a good practice to check for any withdrawal limits, both in terms of how much you can withdraw and how often.

VIP and loyalty programs

For players who enjoy online casino gaming regularly, it's important to see this loyalty rewarded. Tiered VIP programs and adequate reward perks are a key consideration in our online casino reviews.

Customer support

We always weigh up the quality of a site’s customer support, and you should too. At the very least, you need to be able to contact a casino representative via live chat and email.

Reputation

An online casino's standing and reputation within the industry can also be a significant influence on whether you decide to sign up. We include user-generated feedback in our online casino reviews so you can get a good indication of how an operator is perceived by the public — and see how they deal with complaints or issues.

How we rate online casinos

Our team of experts only recommend the most trusted, legal iGaming websites via our Covers BetSmart Rating system.

We register accounts at each online casino and spend hours on the platform during the review process, just like actual players. We look at an operator's game library, payment options, and mobile functionality as well as bonuses, customer support, and other key features.

To help us provide an unbiased assessment, we have also started incorporating Reddit, Trustpilot, and Quora feedback into our reviews to understand the real customer experience.

Here’s how we rate and review real money online casinos using our unique system:

Bonuses and promotions

We love to see large welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions for existing players. We carefully read the terms and conditions to make sure all aspects are fair for players, such as reasonable bonus wagering requirements, and take into account the likelihood of an average player actually satisfying these requirements.

Banking and payout speed

A good list of secure payment methods like credit and debit cards, e-wallets, and prepaid options is important. But it’s just as vital that the payment process is quick and easy. We look out for low minimum deposits and withdrawals, fast processing times, and no transaction fees.

Software and games

We always test multiple games to learn about an online casino's loading speeds, as well as its range of titles. We also like to see dozens of top software providers such as NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Evolution, and IGT.

Security and trust

All online casinos must operate an honest and fair gaming platform by using RNGs (random number generators), as well as the latest SSL encryption technology to protect customer data. We are only happy to recommend online casinos that are licensed by top regulatory bodies across multiple jurisdictions.

Mobile experience

When reviewing an online casino, we like to see a HTML5-responsive mobile browser site or a downloadable app. All games should ideally be optimized for mobile, while we give extra points if we find mobile-only payment options and exclusive bonuses for mobile players.

Customer support

We recommend casinos that adhere to strict privacy policies and prioritise data protection. We also like to see operators that provide multiple different customer support channels, and offer responsible gambling resources to players.

Legal online casinos

Players in regulated U.S. states — Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia — will have different online casino options to their counterparts in unregulated states.

Players based in Ontario will have alternative options to those located in other Canadian provinces or other countries. 

Covers Tip: It is important to distinguish between casinos that are legally accessible in unregulated markets, and casinos that are considered illegal. Casinos in grey market regions (i.e., Canada, excluding Ontario) are perfectly legal due to equivocal legislation, as are sweepstakes casinos in the majority of unregulated U.S. states. However, illegal casinos specifically contravene legislation — such as geo-location restrictions — in both regulated and unregulated regions.

The minimum age restriction for playing online casino games will vary between 18 to 21 depending on your location.

Regularly seen on

Covers has been a trusted authority in online gaming since 1995, with reputable media platforms frequently turning to our brand for expert analysis and gambling insights. Here are some of the leading publications and outlets that have referenced Covers and our industry experts:

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Affiliate Disclosure: Covers casino experts have worked in the iGaming industry for more than a decade. Our long-standing relationship with regulated, licensed, and legal gaming sites allows our active community of 20-million users across our iCasino and sportsbook content to access expert analysis and recommendations. Covers may receive an advertising commission if you visit a sportsbook or casino betting site via select affiliate links across our site, create an account, and make a deposit. However, no amount of money ensures that an operator will get listed.

Responsible gambling

Playing casino games online should be fun, but it’s important to always gamble responsibly. That’s why we only recommend online casinos with strong responsible gambling policies that are easily accessible.

You should have access a wide range of responsible gaming tools, such as setting daily, weekly, and monthly limits on deposits, wagering, and losses. We also like to see the option to set reminders that alert you to the duration of your gaming session. 

If you need to take a break, the best online casinos will allow you to requests a time out or set up a self-exclusion from the site altogether between the period of six months up to 5 years.

Meanwhile, resources like the National Problem Gambling Helpline (US) and the Responsible Gambling Helpline (Canada) are available to offer support for anyone struggling with problem gambling. Gamblers Anonymous and GamTalk also provide safe spaces for players to share their experiences and work through issues with help from the community.