How We Rate Australian Online Casinos: The Steps Review Process

We’re a team of Aussie casino players with decades of experience and bags of passion for online casino gaming. Each of us comes from a different background and has various experiences in the online casino world that we want to share with you. Hopefully, we can grow our team further to offer even more perspectives in time. Our mission is to share our valuable experience with you and help you find the best online casinos in Australia.

Our Review Principles

Our Review Process

We have an in-depth review process that our assigned experts carry out whenever they evaluate a new online casino. Let’s have a look at the steps they follow and what’s involved in each one.

Step 1: Casino Information, Safety and Security

The first thing we do when reviewing an online casino is finding out basic information about the site, such as the casino’s licence, its safety features, and the player safety options, to get an overall picture of how the site operates. Let’s delve into how we check for each of these criteria:

• Gambling Licence – Each licensed casino has a small badge at the bottom of the page, signifying that it is licensed by a regulated gambling authority. We then check with that authority to ensure the site has a valid licence. Some of the trusted authorities we look for are the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, and many more.
• Player Safety – We want to know that the site we’re reviewing takes player safety seriously, so we observe the site’s responsible gambling page and evaluate the responsible gambling tools on offer. Some of the tools we look for include deposit limits, reality checks, and self-exclusion.
• Site Security – You need to know that your funds and data will be safe on any casino you choose, so we check each site for things like SSL encryption and the latest firewalls.

Step 2: Casino Design

Once we’ve gathered the background information, we analyse the interface design of the casino. While it may seem superficial, it’s important for a site to look nice, as it should be pleasant for you to observe the good looking site’s appearance. There are two other key points that our experts look at when evaluating the site design:

• Ease of Navigation – A site’s design also has a major impact on how easy it is to use. We check to see how easy it is to navigate around the site and find the games you want to play.
• Mobile Site Design – Some online casinos put all their effort into the desktop version and end up neglecting the mobile site. We check to ensure that the mobile site is just as good, if not better, than the desktop version.

Step 3: Creating an Account

The next step our experts take is to create an account at the online casino. While creating, they take note of how easy the sign-up process is, as well as what information they require from you during the process. In our mind, the easier the sign-up process, the better, as no one wants to be filling out tons of forms instead of playing online casino games.

Step 4: First Impressions

After creating our account, we take a look around and gather our first impressions of the site. Does it live up to the hype? Does it offer everything we thought it would? We do a quick check of the whole site, including payment options, game selection, security features, and game providers, to make sure we aren’t misfolded in our promised casino experience.

Step 5: Game Review

Arguably the most important part of any online casino is its game selection, and for us, it’s the most important part of the review process. Gambling should be all about fun, so a casino needs to offer the very best online casino games. When evaluating the games, there are a few things our experts pay attention to:

• Game Selection – It should go without saying that the more games a casino has, the better. However, we believe that an online casino should have a range of game types, such as online slots, table games, live casino games, and many more.
• RTP – Everyone wants the best chance of winning possible when playing an online casino game, which is why we check the average RTP of a site’s games to ensure that you’re getting that chance.
• Game Quality – It’s not enough for a casino to have a wide selection of games; we believe that it needs to offer high-quality games to its players. We check the quality of the games on offer, namely graphic, sound, and animation. Additionally, we consider the reputation of the software providers responsible for supplying these games.

Step 6: Bonuses & Promotions

Everyone loves getting a bonus, particularly an online casino bonus. These promotions can offer you a risk-free way to enjoy online casino games while still having a chance to win real money. Here’s what we look for when evaluating a site’s bonuses:

• Fair T&Cs – There’s no point in taking advantage of a huge welcome offer if there’s no chance that you’re going to keep any of the money. We check the T&Cs of each site’s bonus to ensure that they offer a fair chance of winning.
• Bonus Variety – Our readers deserve a lot more than a run-of-the-mill welcome package and the occasional free spins bonus. That’s why we evaluate each site on the bonus variety it offers, ensuring you’ll always have something new to claim.
• Bonus Size – Of course, we also check the size of the bonus to ensure our readers are getting the best value for money.

Step 7: Payment Options

To be able to claim a site’s bonus, you often need to make a deposit, so our next step is to check the payment options available on a site. Being able to quickly and easily deposit and withdraw is a key part of a positive online casino pastime. After all, no one wants to be worrying about how they’re going to fund their account when they could be claiming generous bonuses and playing online casino games.

• Number of Payment Options – We pick online casinos offering a range of different deposit and withdrawal methods, allowing you to pick the one that best suits your needs.
• Withdrawal Times – After a big winning session, you don’t want to be bogged down waiting for your withdrawal to hit your account, so we check the average withdrawal times of all payment methods on the site together with the additional requirements applied for withdrawing substantial amounts of money.
• Fee Structure – When it comes to online casino fees, the fewer, the better. No one wants to have part of their winnings taken off them when withdrawing, so we check each site’s fee structure to warn you in advance.

Step 8: Customer Support

We take a hands-on approach to customer support and really put them through their paces when evaluating a new site. We address problems for the support team to handle, contact them in a number of different ways, and evaluate them based on how they go about resolving our issues.

• Availability – The first thing we evaluate a support team on is their availability. Aussie players gamble at all hours of the day, so support should be available whenever you have a question.
• Helpfulness – It’s no secret that some customer support teams are better than others. The more helpful a support team is, the more likely it is that a negative online casino experience will turn into a positive one.
• Response Time – The last thing you want to be doing when you have a major issue is sitting around waiting to hear back from support, so we check how long it takes for each arm of the support team to respond to us after logging our issue.

Step 9: VIP Programs & Other Features

Once we’ve hit the key areas of an online casino, we take our time to evaluate some other features a site may have. These are the features that may set a casino apart from its competitors, so it’s important that we take our time to evaluate everything they have to offer. Here are some of the things we take into account:

• VIP Program – Some of the best online casinos will reward you for playing on their site in the form of a VIP Program, so we take a look to see whether they’re really worth it.
• Mobile App – Those who love to gamble on the go will know how much easier it is to gamble from a dedicated mobile app compared to a mobile-optimised website, so we check each site to see if it offers a downloadable mobile application.
• Multiple Currencies/Languages – We live in a cosmopolitan age where people from all over the world enjoy online gambling, so it’s a nice touch when a casino offers its products in multiple languages and currencies.

Step 10: User Reviews

After looking through everything an online casino has to offer, we listen to what you have to say. An online casino’s reputation is its lifeblood, and if a site has been unethical in the past, it’s important to know that before recommending it. We use a number of different methods to gather information on what the average Australian player thinks about a site:

• Social Media – Many players will take to social media to praise a new casino they’ve been loving or to lament an online casino that has done them wrong.
• User Review Sites – We also check sites such as Trustpilot and AskGamblers to read honest reviews of online casinos and look for potential issues that could be red flags.
• Ask Our Readers – In the end, our readers are why we do this, so we seek your opinion when evaluating the reputation of an online casino.

Step 11: Evaluation

Once we’ve gathered all the available information, we collect all of that data and combine it into one comprehensive online casino review for you to enjoy.

How We Set Rating Of Online Casinos

When rating online casinos, we use a star rating system to easily communicate what we think of the site. Below, we’ve created a handy star guide that allows you to see exactly what our star ratings mean:

Blacklisted Online Casinos

A blacklisted casino is an online casino that has shown a pattern of unethical practices and has a poor enough reputation amongst the online gambling community that it is generally accepted that no one should play on the site. It takes a lot for a casino to be put on a blacklist, and here are some of the ways a casino can be blacklisted:

1. No Licence – It’s essential that any legitimate online casino is licensed by a respectable gambling authority. If a casino refuses to be licensed or fakes its licence, it is an indicator of unethical practices.
2. Rejected Withdrawals – When a site starts to refuse player withdrawals with no legitimate reason, it can find its way onto a blacklist.
3. Rigged Games – If the casino tries to skew the RNG in the house’s favour, it will immediately end up on a blacklist.
4. Lack of Responsible Gambling – If a casino has a flagrant disregard for responsible gambling regulations, it is actively putting players in harm’s way and will be blacklisted.

Disclaimer

Everyone wants to win money at an online casino, but let’s be fair: skill-based games or card games like poker offer better chances of winning regularly compared to games like pokies and slots. To that end, we never provide misleading information, promote gambling addiction, or discuss bonus hunting.

Conclusion

We take reviewing online casinos extremely seriously, and our team of casino experts have a thorough 11-step guide that is strictly followed. They check for things that matter most to Aussie players, such as the game selection, safety features, bonuses, and much more. Our goal is to share our passion for online casinos with the world and help you find the best online casino to suit your needs, so make sure you check us out the next time you’re looking for a new one.

Total Rating Calculation Guide

Casino Information

Review and Check:

1. Is license valid?
2. How long do casino operates on market
3. Is it big or small casino, can casino payout big winnings
4. How many currencies and languages supported
5. Is site safe and secure

• Give 4.5 – 5 if casino have valid license, is worldwide casino and operates more than 2 years on the global market, is big, secure and trusted or is it local very trusted and popular local casino.
• Give 3.5 – 4.4 stars if casino have valid license, is local casino with small number of supported languages and currencies. Operates more than 2 years.
• Give 3 – 3.4 stars if casino have valid license, is local casino operates less than 2 years, is trusted and popular, is secure.
• Give 2 – 2.9 stars if casino have valid license, is worldwide casino or local casino operates less than 2 years, is not trusted or popular, is small or have problem with security.
• Give 1 – 2 stars in other cases. Write, why you set this rating.
• Give 0 stars if casino don’t have valid license or regularly have problem with security.

User Reviews

Check users reviews on forums, Casino Guru, Gamblimg.com, GPWA. etc. Give general overview of what problem do users meet, are these problems solved. Is casino help to solve these problems.

• Give 4 – 5 if problems are solved and casino helped users (we mean, casino talked to users on forums and helped them).
• Give 3.5 – 4.4 stars if most problems are solved but there are unsolved ones.
• Give 2 – 3.4 stars if there are any solved payout problems without answers from brand
• Give 1 – 2 stars if there are a lot of unsolved problems or unsolved payout problems
• Give 0 stars if there are regular critical problems like blocked payouts, blocked accounts, etc.

Design, Usability and Navigation

Check and rate casino disability and navigation both on desktop and mobile, check and review casino navigation and usability. Is there UX problems or everything fine, do casino load fast both on desktop and mobile. Is navigation clear or pure, how easy to find all sections, how easy to find popular games in AU market. Is easy to find T&C, FAQ, Bonus section. Do not give rating to casino design. Set up rating oriented on mobile version more than on desktop. Emphasize this in the review and evaluation

• Give 4.5 – 5 if usability and navigation is great
• Give 3.5 – 4.4 stars if there are some problems like hidden section, some pages or information are not available. For example, casinos can show bonuses on bonus page but users need to find bonus description and T&C in general T&C section.
• Give 1 – 3.4 stars if there are UX problems, information hidden, usability and navigation are pure
• Give 0 stars if casino usability and navigation are too bad and too pure to recommend it. Write why you set up this rating.

Mobile Version

Check and review mobile casino version. Is it convenient to play, are all games available both on the PC and mobile versions, are there bonuses only for mobile is it easy to withdraw money / replenish the account, is the game stable on mobile internet. If it is an app, what is the app type, whether it is reliable, whether it is easy to set up on mobile. Check tablet version the same, often sites are poorly adapted for tablet devices.

• Give 4.5 – 5 if browser mobile version is available, app is available and everything is correct.
• Give 3.5 – 4.4 stars if there are small problems with mobile version or app functionality issues – missing games, bonuses, sections, issues with navigation or layout, casino works on mobile internet fast.
• Give 2 – 3.4 if there are important issues with mobile version or app and it affects user experience. Check points from above. In this case, normal adaptive version but no app, casino loads long on mobile internet.
• Give 1 – 2 stars if there are no app and mobile version is not adaptive.
• Give 0 in other cases, write what happened.

Creating Account

Check sign-up process and evaluate it. Take a look on number of sign-up and login options, are there fast sign-up options, is there instant play options, what documents and user information casino require to sign-up, is there two-step authentication, how long do account approval take.

• Give 4.5 – 5 if process fast and clear, accounts approves fast.
• Give 3.5 – 4.4 stars if there are no fast registration options like sign-up via google account and verification isn’t fast.
• Give 2 – 3.4 if casino require a lot of documents, contacts and verification takes more than 24 hours.
• Give 1 – 2 stars if verification takes more than 48 hours
• Give 0 in other cases, write what happened. This rating means, that registration process is to hard and require to much information to recommend the casino.

Games and Providers

Evaluate games, game selection, providers in the casino. How many games and providers are there, are them popular in AU market, are games fair, is RTP fair, are there demo games available, are there tournaments? Note next information: Popular games: Pokies (Slots), Poker, Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat Game type ranges: Good – More than 8 types, normal – from 5 to 8, bad – less than 5 types. Popular providers: Aristocrat, IGT, BetSoft, NetEnt, Novomatic. Provider number ranges: Good – More than 50, normal – from 25 to 50, bad – less than 30 providers.

• Give 4.5 – 5 if there are all popular games and providers, tournaments are available
• Give 3.5 – 4.4 stars if 2-3 popular providers or games aren’t available, tournaments are available
• Give 2 – 3.4 if there are normal range of game types and providers and missing 1-3 popular types or providers, tournaments are not available
• Give 1 – 2 stars if there are small range of games and providers
• Give 0 if there are critical low number or games and providers, no popular providers, etc. This means, there are too small games range to recommend it.

Bonuses and Promotions

Review and rate casino bonuses and promotions. Some brands may offer betting bonuses. Please, do not check and review them. We are interested in only casino bonuses. Firstly, check and review welcome bonus. What is the amount of bonus, how many deposits are there, what multiplicator is there, what additional bonuses are available (like free spins), what is min deposit, wager and other T&C. Check, is T&C fair, can users use their bonus and take advantages. Then check and review other promotions. How many promotions are there, what the promotions are available, is there any daily or weekly bonuses, vip program, etc.

• Give 4.5 – 5 if total amount of welcome bonus is more than 2000 AUD, T&C is fair and there are 3+ other casino promotions and vip program.
• Give 3.5 – 4.4 if total amount of welcome bonus is less than 1000 AUD or some T&C isn’t good (big wager, big min deposit, only one slot available. etc), vip program available.
• Give 2 – 3.4 if there are only welcome bonus or T&C is not fair at all, vip program is not available.
• Give 1 – 2 if there are small welcome bonus, unfair T&C, no other bonuses.
• Give 0 if there are no bonuses for casino players.

Payments

Check and review payment options and deposit/widthdrawal process. How many payments available, is cryptocurrency available, is popular payments are available. Check deposit and withdrawal times, fees, is there approval or additional verification for large payouts, is deposit and withdrawal process easy. Note: Deposit and Withdrawal time depends on payment methods. We must rate payment time on the casino side. Note: Popular payments: VISA, MasterCard, Cryptocurrency, Neosurf, PayPal. Skrill, Poli, Istadebit, Payid, Ecopayz

• Give 4.5 – 5 if popular payments are available, fees small and fair, processes are easy, transactions time is instant or really fast.
• Give 3.5 – 4.4 if there are small problems with points from above, like no Poli and Bitcoin options, payout takes 2 hours, large payout require additional verification, etc.
• Give 2 – 3.4 if there are problems with 2-3 points above, fees are too big or speed is up of 2 hours, low number of popular options, etc.
• Give 1 – 2 if there are crucial problems – no popular payments, fees are too large, transaction time takes more than 24 hours, payout require additional verification, etc.
• Give 0 if process is too long and hard, is too risky to recommend deposit money to the casino.

Support

Check and review support options Take a look on trusted sites like casino.guru, gamblimg.com, casino.org, casinoanalyzer.com, etc and read users reviews about support. How many options available, how fast support answer, how much it is helpful, is there complete FAQ section, are support options easy to find on the site, operated hours.

• Give 4.5 – 5 if there are available more than 4 options, support works 24h, support is really helpful, etc.
• Give 3.5 – 4.4 stars if there are 3 options, support answer in 15 minutes, support can solve most users problems, support have small drawbacks, but users still can get near instant help.
• Give 2 – 3.4 if there are 2-3 support options, support answer in 1 hour, so people can’t get instant help.
• Give 1 – 2 stars if there are crucial problems with support, like only one support option, support answer in 24 hours, works only 8h a day but users still can get help.
• Give 0 if there are critical problems and users shouldn’tr expect help from support.