Online gaming changed the world of gambling in Portugal for the better. It is available for anyone (over 18 years of age) who owns a computer, or even a smartphone, and playing can be enjoyed from the comfort of one’s home. However, besides its advantages, the Internet has its perils as well. To make sure you have a good experience and don’t give your money to scammers you need to spare some time and read casino reviews before you sign up on a particular casino’s website.

You wouldn’t book a hotel before reading reviews on Tripadvisor; you wouldn’t order a perfume online without making sure it is not a website selling fakes. So why would you deposit money in an online casino you haven’t verified before? The plus side of casino review websites is that it is casino experts making the evaluations of casinos and not ordinary people giving their sometimes biassed opinions.

So what are the criteria a casino review should include? We asked Martim Nabeiro, a casino specialist to give his insight on casino ratings. Martim lives and works in Portugal where online casino business is huge. During the first quarter of 2020 online gambling generated more revenue than its land-based equivalent for the first time in history. To read more about Martim click here.

Game Library

We can all agree that the selection of games is perhaps the most important factor. It doesn’t matter how perfect everything else is if the casino doesn’t have your favourite type of game. A good online casino will have all the game types: video slots, table games including live dealer versions, bingo, keno etc.

Don’t waste time looking for a game of Keno in a casino that doesn’t have it. Browse through reviews instead of reputable review websites, such as casino online Portugal, that lists online casinos available for Portuguese players.

Website’s usability

An online casino’s website should be easy to use, even for beginners. When rating website usability reviewers consider many factors. There should also be a search bar and games should be catalogued so that it is easy to browse through them.

You should be able to choose between languages and there should be several options available. Ideally, the pages should not be machine-translated, neither should they include grammatical errors.

The mobile versions of games are reviewed as well, be it an app or mobile-optimized version. You can read more about the difference between these two here.

Customer Support

When playing online there can be plenty of reasons why you need to contact customer support urgently. This should always be possible. A good casino will have 24/7 customer support (at least in English) and it will offer a range of communication channels such as email, telephone, live chat and social media. Many casinos offer customer support in other languages as well, among them Portuguese.

Payment Methods

Offering a wide variety of payment methods is essential. Safety of the user’s personal and financial information is paramount and a choice of payment methods makes it fast and convenient for users to deposit or withdraw. Apart from the traditional debit (or credit) card payments, most casinos offer payments with Bitcoins and via Paypal, Skrill or Neteller. In Portugal there is also the Multibanco payment method – that is used nationwide – which debits the player’s bank account without sharing unnecessary personal information with the casino.

Promotions

Promotions are what lures most people to a particular casino so most, if not all, casinos offer them. Sign up bonuses are very common as well as deposit bonuses, but some casinos also offer no deposit bonuses, such as free spins, while others will have loyalty programs or cashback systems in place.

Licences

Last but not least, reviewers must make sure that the casino is reputable and is licenced in the country it is registered in. Some of the most well-known regulatory bodies are the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Commission. These authorities make sure that games are fair and they conduct regular audits to ensure this.

Conclusion

There is plenty to consider before signing up on a new casino’s website but the hard work is done for you by professional casino reviewers. Your safety is the most important but the convenience and fun factors are also considered in these detailed online casino ratings. Compare them, make your choice and have fun!