The Internet has made it possible for everyone to be an expert reviewer—or at least, claim to be one. We used to have to rely on the reviews available in our local and national newspapers or from specialty membership services like Consumer Reports.
Now, sites like Yelp, Google Reviews, and Trust Pilot give everyone the ability to leave reviews for any business, service, or website they use. We’ve all gotten used to checking reviews online before we make a purchase or go out to eat at a restaurant.
What we’ve learned from news stories and social media accounts over the years, however, is that not all reviews can be trusted. Some unscrupulous businesses delete all negative reviews, others pay for positive reviews. Sometimes, the customers are the ones creating problems by lying in reviews due to personal grievances or simply not understanding how the star-rating system works.
The same is true for online casino reviews. Online casino review sites have become popular because playing at online casinos has become more common. In general, these sites are a useful tool for narrowing down which online casinos are safe to play at and which ones offer the best games and bonuses.
There are some, however, that take advantage of the trust that customers have in the honesty of reviews. These sites give every online casino a great rating, regardless of the reality. This can lead to customers being taken advantage of by scam casinos that charge hidden fees, refuse to release funds, or won’t process withdrawals.
In this article, we’ll give tips on how to distinguish between trustworthy review sites and ones that you should avoid. While these tips are specific to online casinos, many of them can be used to verify reviews more generally.
Bonuses
Bonuses are one of the major selling points for online casinos. Welcome bonuses help attract new players and get them hooked. Loyalty bonuses and VIP programs reward players and encourage them to keep coming back. Reviewing bonuses is a huge part of what casino guides do.
The list of free spins bonuses at newcasinos.com/ links directly to the reviews for each individual online casino featured on the list. This allows viewers to immediately access additional information about each casino before making their decision about where to sign up.
Less reputable guides won’t provide this option. Instead, the list of top bonuses will only link directly to the casinos themselves. This means it takes more effort to find additional information about the casino, and it encourages the viewer to just sign up if they’re already on the casino’s home page.
Another way that you can distinguish a trustworthy review site from one you should avoid is if they discuss wagering requirements. Wagering requirements are the amount a player has to bet before they can claim any winnings from bonus credit.
Scam casinos will set their wagering requirements so high that it’s practically impossible to claim anything from a bonus. Trusted review sites will mention that there are wagering requirements, if they don’t give the exact ones, so that players know to look them up.
Personal accounts
Providing space for real players to leave their own personal accounts of playing at an online casino is one of the best things that an online casino guide can do to show that they are trustworthy. Player accounts can often flag up issues that the reviewer missed. They can also show which issues are a one-time problem and which ones are recurring issues and are therefore more serious.
When reading the personal accounts on a review site, it’s also important to remember that people don’t usually leave reviews unless something has gone wrong or if the service they’ve received has been particularly impressive. This can lead to more negative reviews than positive ones, even for good sites.
Range of ratings
We would love for every online casino to be rated 4.5 stars and above. In reality, we know that not every online casino is that good and some are downright bad. A trusted casino guide should reflect that reality. If every review on the site is high, they’re either not very thorough or they aren’t being completely honest with their readers.
Provides alternatives
A trustworthy review site will provide alternatives for the casinos on their lists. They understand that even great casinos might not appeal to every player. Instead of pushing the same handful of casinos, they suggest alternatives for their top picks.
It is also a good sign when casino guides have negatively reviewed casinos on their site and include alternative casinos to visit that have higher ratings. This shows that they don’t just give high reviews.
Compare reviews
One of the best things you can do to find trustworthy reviews online is to consult multiple sources and compare their reviews. Comparing reviews can give you a clearer picture of what the online casino (or other business) is actually like and will provide you with extra information.
When it comes to online casino guides, checking the reviews for the same casino on multiple sites will help you identify if any of the guides have incorrect or inadequate information.
