How do you decide

[dunhill78]

Hi,
I'm new to playing online and this forum so please take it easy on me (mostly play at the local casino & vegas). I see there's tons of information here about different top casino's to play at but even still I enjoy doing some research myself - that way if things go wrong I can only blame myself. Trouble is I'm not entirely sure what to look for in a casino.
So I thought I'd ask this knowledgable group - What's the single most important question that you need to answer when selecting your online casino??
Thanks in advance for you help!

 

[rockycatt]

answer is are they accredited ,and ease of cashing out period

 

[nisosbar]

Yes, how is the cashout process, that's the primary factor in determining which one is on my short list. Cashouts longer than two days move a casino down my list.

 

[Diane]

Welcome,

I am by no means an expert and have only been here about a year, but I have learned some things the hard way. So my intent is to simply share the things I *wish* someone had told me when I started to play. It took me awhile to find this awesome site with a wealth of good data and good contributors to make my casino gaming a better experience.

First piece of advice - only play at the casinos that are on the accredited list here. If you go somewhere else and have a problem, its your own fault.

Second piece of advice - there are lots of bonuses out there enticing new accounts to be opened. That's a good thing but before you accept a bonus, make sure you understand the terms and conditions. For example if you take a slot bonus, DO NOT PLAY Video Poker or any other prohibited game until you have met the wagering requirements. If you don't follow the rules (which vary by site) you risk losing any money won. You can go to the cashier and see what is left of your wagering requirements or you can ask Live Chat.

Third piece of advice - use a segregated credit card or bank account for funding your online gaming. Do not risk banking relationships or co-mingling funds with your other personal accounts.

Fourth piece of advice - At the same time that you deposit, find out what documents or validation will be required when you want to cash out. Know the method they use and the timeframe in which you can expect to be paid. Some sites such as the Club World casinos will let you cash out to Quick Tender even if you didn't use QT for your deposit. Slots Oasis on the other hand will only let you cash out to QT if that was your last method of deposit

Fifth piece of advice - Always request a record of your chat with customer service at a site to document what you were told. I tend to ask a lot of questions to ensure I understand. I keep a record of all chats since you will be told varying things by staff at the same casino.

Sixth piece of advice - On your computer keep a file folder for each site where you have an account. When the emails come in about promos or specials or you have communication with customer service, keep a copy of the chat or emails in the folder for that site. There have been many times that I was playing towards a special bonus or free chips and after meeting the requirements I was told by Customer service that they "couldn't find that bonus". So I provide a copy of the details and then there is usually no problem in getting the credit or whatever it was you were promised.

Seventh piece of advice - Limit your play to the best 2-3 casinos that you find after trying several. Just like in B&M casinos - if you focus your play between just a few sites you will qualify for better bonuses and comps. I play at 3-4 with a mix of gambling platforms/software so I have a wide variety of games to pick from. After awhile you get tired of just the RTG sites that are predominently open to us who live in the USA. Our European counterparts have lots more to pick from than we do.

Eighth piece of advice - have fun and don't risk more money than you can afford to lose. Be sure to keep balance in your life and other activities.

Diane

 

[jod5413]

Spot on, Diane!!!!!

That is one of the BEST posts I have ever seen here. Everybody should be as good a student of Casinomeister tips for gamblers!!

 

[Diane]

Wow! I am flattered. I am sure there are others with even better ideas, I just had time so I tried to help out a newbie.

I appreciate the nomination and kind words.

Diane

 

[dunhill78]

Thanks for the advice so far!

@Diane - that's A LOT of great advice, thank you!!

Yes, how is the cashout process, that's the primary factor in determining which one is on my short list. Cashouts longer than two days move a casino down my list.

How accurate are the cashout times on websites? Is it bait and switch or do you find that most (at least the accredited ones here) are pretty honest?

thanks again!

 

[nisosbar]

How accurate are the cashout times on websites? Is it bait and switch or do you find that most (at least the accredited ones here) are pretty honest?

Though I'm playing much less online than I used to, generally, I discount heavily claims about "Fast Cashouts!" - I go by what I've read here in the forums. For example, with regard to Rival's casinos, Slotocash or Black Diamond don't promise 24 hours cashouts, but I've never waited longer than that, and most people here who have played there have had similar experiences. On the other hand, many of Rival's white label casinos say their cashouts are fast, but in fact, can routinely take a week to ten days, sometimes longer. (Lion Slots is the only white label Rival I (occasionally) play at, because they have always paid me promptly.) There is nothing worse than winning something nice, then requesting a cashout that just sits there in the cashier, tempting you to try and win even more. Why? Because odds always favor the house, and if you reverse your request, you are more likely to lose, than to win more.

 

[ksech]

Spot on, Diane!!!!!

That is one of the BEST posts I have ever seen here. Everybody should be as good a student of Casinomeister tips for gamblers!!

I second that, very well in laying it for the newcomers!

 

[sticaz]

Box24 also pay within 25 hours.
24 hrs pending and than they pay you...they did for me yesterday

 

[Diane]

I live in the Central Time Zone so first off for me I have to remember that in general the cashier offices are 6 hours ahead of my local time. So if I need to call a casino for help or to talk to someone about my cashout, I have to do it in the early morning or I miss them. So depending upon your physical lcoation/time zone keep that in mind! It's frustrating to hear "they have all left for the day" because you called too late.

Also remember that sites DO NOT process cash out requests on non-business days. It can be frustrating and dangerous if you amass a nice win on Friday night or Saturday and have to wait for anything to be done with your cashout request until Monday. Resist the temptation to just keep playing until Monday (or actually Sunday night for me...) I usually try to stop playing at a site once I have requested a cashout so I am not tempted to go back and risk losing what I have worked hard to build up to cash out level. So I leave the withdrawal request there and then go to another place to play.

You will generally get an autoreply within a short time of your request to withdrawal just acknowleding your withdrawal request. Then when it is approved you should get a second one. My bank auto notifies me whenever a deposit is made on my account, so I know immediately when it hits my account.

SuperSlots/English Harbour is less than 24 hours if you cash out through QuickTender/UseMyWallet (QT) It took me awhile to understand that QT was the acronym for UseMyWallet.....

SlotoCash is as others have said less than one business day.

Club World Casinos will ACH funds to your bank account within 48 business hours of your request. There is no charge from CWC, but their bank processor will charge about 2-3% since its an international payment.

Slots Oasis it will be up to 5 business days from request for an ACH to bank. I haven't done a QT withdrawal with them because I tend to forget if I used my bank to deposit or QT. They will only use QT if that's where the funds came from. So my default there is ACH to my bank.

In my experience the best options are either ACH to your bank account (remember it should be a segregated account) or QT. If you have cashouts go to QT and then want to cash out its a flat $30 per transaction.

eWallet Express is another option that's accepted at most casinos, but it is more expensive on the front end and their payouts charge a % of the funds transferred.

In terms of believing what the sites tell you, I would be taking it with a grain of salt and add 1-3 days since you are usually getting that response from their website or a customer service rep instead of someone in the Cashier's office. If you have a specific question or want to follow up on a withdrawal that seems to be taking longer than it should --- call during the site's business hours and ask to speak with the Cashier's dept. they are really the only ones who can give you and answer that is the most accurate.

Good luck and I hope you have plenty of experience cashing out!!

Diane

 

[dunhill78]

Good luck and I hope you have plenty of experience cashing out!!

Thanks again, Diane! I hope the cashouts are frequent and painfree too.

So far this has been really informative discussion and exactly the type of information that I was looking for. Does anyone else have questions that they need to be answered when selecting a casino? Please keep it coming.

 

[reda]

@ diane yes that is all excellent advice. i couldnt have said it better myself.

 

[trade]

In regards to recommendations of play on line, I would like to add an expensive lesson! If you win big at a particular casino (hopefully accredited) don't assume that you can win again anytime soon. Chances are really good that they will go dead for you for a long time to come. Win, cashout and if you choose to re-deposit, go very very conservatively. You will :notworthy thank us for this advice!!

 

[Jasminebed]

Since you are also in Canada, I'd like to suggest you open a Moneybookers account, which is an electronic wallet. It's widely accepted, and generally the fastest way to receive cashouts. Fees are modest.

I'm also a big fan of the prepaid Visa from Moneymart. Helps me keep my spending within my limits, and I've had successful cashouts to it as well. Timeframe varies a little from casino to casino, but for "middle-sized" wins, it works well. You can withdraw up to $1000 a day from ATMs, although I would choose a wire payment for amounts of $1000 or over, even though banks charge a fee for incoming wires. ($14 at BMO)

Also, old school pen and paper to keep track of account numbers and passwords. You never know when you might experience a computer failure.

Contact support before making that first deposit. Ask questions (even ones you might know the answer to) to gauge their competency.

While I agree that most of Diane's advice is spot on, be aware that some casinos you must not play any restricted games with a bonus, even after completing playthrough.

If you'd like to know my personal favourites, please feel free to pm me.

 

[Seventh777]

Great thread Diane

In reply to fast payouts, UK brands have the fastest payouts of any online casinos/poker/bingo/live etc, etc, Virgin, Sky, Ladbrokes have no reverse withdrawal in place (even though Ladbrokes uses MGS for it`s downloadable option), I have had many withdrawals at all 3 of these and have never had to send in any documentation whatsoever (which imho is a part of online gambling I would love to see eradicated, nothing depicts this aspect as a gateway open to abuse in the casinos favour, than not enforcing it upon a players deposit, are they only interested in fraud when it`s payout time?).

My record time payout from one of the above was 6 minutes from Sky Vegas a few weeks ago, the longest time stamp was around 6 hours, there is absolutely no reason at all that once a withdrawal has been deemed fully above board by the respective casino`s accounts dept. it should take any longer than a deposit.

A deposit from a Neteller account over the amount of a basic account maximum amount allowed (£250 iirc), should be ample proof to the casino receiving that stringent identity checks have already been undertaken, which include - Address verification, bank account in their name proved, a debit/credit card in their name verified, a landline in their name checked and verified.

Why is more proof needed when depositing from an upgraded Neteller or Moneybookers account?, don`t even get me started on the photo id fiasco that is deemed to prove what exactly lol?, this point touches a raw nerve for me - Long story short a few years ago I went to my local post office to withdraw a large amount of cash, even though i`ve been using this post office for 20+ years they requested some photo id which I did not have with me, in a calm but loud enough for everyone in the queue to hear me tone, I stated `I have been using this place for longer than I care to mention, in fact I was using it when I had the accident that resulted in me nearly losing my lower left arm, there are still a few members of staff working here today that were working when I done it, the operation that saved my arm involved a tissue graft from my forearm to the back of my hand, in doing so a tattoo that once graced my forearm is now on the back of my hand, thus creating a completely unique left hand to such status that I have the only left hand in the world that looks like this, how would a passport or driving licence that can be readily purchased from the black market prove anything?`. A rather somewhat bemused teller accepted my explanation and duly paid me my money, to the now captivated audience`s approval .

My hand.....

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Anyway`s sorry to derail slightly .

 

[Pinababy69]

have never had to send in any documentation whatsoever (which imho is a part of online gambling I would love to see eradicated, nothing depicts this aspect as a gateway open to abuse in the casinos favour, than not enforcing it upon a players deposit, are they only interested in fraud when it`s payout time?).

there is absolutely no reason at all that once a withdrawal has been deemed fully above board by the respective casino`s accounts dept. it should take any longer than a deposit.

Couldn't agree more with the above.

No way in the world would I play at any casino that EVER takes longer than 24 hrs to process/finalize my cashout. No excuse for it to take longer than that. And that means every day of the week. No such thing as "business hours" where a casino is involved. It's a 24/7 business, and should operate ALL aspects of its business as such.

I have always believed those casinos that tell you their cashier doesn't work on weekends, does this deliberately....knowing full well that a large majority of people play on a weekend. Should they win, not alot of gamblers have the willpower to let a cashout sit pending from a Friday afternoon/evening until sometime Monday.

So I vote with my wallet. Work every day of the year (including holidays) or I don't play.

And don't even get me started on the ID thing. Just as you stated, they couldn't care less if you made 100 deposits in a row using someone else's CC. They only "care" if you beat the odds and win. Then it's DNA time. Ridiculous.

 

[ksech]

If you go to a B&M and win, they don't make you wait 24, 36, 72 hrs or even days to pay you. It should be the same with online casinos. They have the deposit instantaneously, so why should a withdrawal be different? And the fees for some withdrawal methods are ludacris.

If I have to pay a fee to an ewallet so I can play, then have to pay a fee to get my withdrawal what's the sense in playing? Intertops used to offer one freebie bank wire a month (not sure if they still do as it's been a while since I played there), if they can do it why can't others? Why can Slotocash pay out in under 24 hrs, but other Rivals can't? And for the US player who plays at All Slots USA, if you win on a Friday or Saturday you have to wait until Monday for the processing to start (this is stated in their T&Cs)?

So, I quit playing, closed the majority of my accounts. Until something happens with the UIGEA my money stays mine. Hopefully, some good will come when/if the UIGEA is changed. If/when that happens, the casinos who had been burning me with tight games and slow pay will NOT be seeing my return. My money will go to a casino who will appreciate me as a customer.

 

[Zencro]

In regards to recommendations of play on line, I would like to add an expensive lesson! If you win big at a particular casino (hopefully accredited) don't assume that you can win again anytime soon. Chances are really good that they will go dead for you for a long time to come. Win, cashout and if you choose to re-deposit, go very very conservatively. You will :notworthy thank us for this advice!!

Are you saying the online casinos will rig your odds after you get a big win?

 

[ksech]

Are you saying the online casinos will rig your odds after you get a big win?

I think, and this is just my opinion/observation, that most who have had a substantial win will/have seen a grey area afterwards. There may be smallish wins (although what one considers a small win may be a big win to someone else) along the way, but the big wins will seem unattainable.

So you go play at a different casino/platform for a while hoping you may find that "big" win again. Take into account how much you have deposited prior to your windfall. Will the "big" win come close to or exceed those combined deposits? Are you ready to chase the dream again?

As has been stated by different posters/members of the forum, most will choose casinos they are comfortable with and stick with them win, lose or draw. Why? Because they are treated with respect for their loyalty. They accept the fact they will not win everytime, after all that's why it's called GAMBLING. If you go into a casino expecting to go home rich you are deluding yourself with great expectations. Sure, there are many out there who make a living gambling, but in comparision, they are in the minority.

Do you think they haven't gone through the dry spells too? I personally believe, everyone gets to a plateau and then will bottom out for a while. It's your decision, and no one is forcing you to continue to play/deposit, on whether or not you are willing to take the chance of hitting it big. Also, ones' idea of big may be anothers "tease" win.

People come here every day and rant and rave about how they have been cheated by such and such casino. Yes, there are some rogue (not rouge) casinos out there, but there are also a lot of above board, honest casinos too. So, you are losing while others are winning, remember, one day that may be turned around and the shoe is on the other foot.

So, you have lost your money, you make disparaging comments about a casino cheating you out of your money. Did they initially threaten you, somehow coerce your or plain out force you to make that deposit? Own up, be a responsible adult ( or not) amd face the plain truth, THIS WHY IT IS CALLED GAMBLING!

Sure, some have valid complaints, and this is one of the reasons this is such a great place. You have people to vent with, you have people here who will go to bat for you (if you can provide valid proof of wrong-doing) and it's all free. Where on earth can you go and get all that for nothing but your time?

There is alot of shared knowledge here, but at times it is best to agree to disagree. The mudslinging and accusations won't get you far. Probably closer to a verbal lynching. You have a complaint, that's why you come here. But be openminded enough to consider ALL possibilities.

So, you got screwed by a casino because your interpretation of the T&Cs didn't match that of the casinos. Who is more likely to win that debate? If the T&Cs are wishywashy with more holes than swiss cheese, and you find tons of bad "press" about a casino, why would you choose to play there?

Stick with what YOU feel comfortable with and trust. If you are willing to go the long mile, you may eventually hit the "bigtime". But this is a business and they are out to make money too. So, play with intelligence. It's nice to be able to compare others fortunes/misfortunes, but ultimately, YOU are the only who can make the decision to make that deposit.

Rambling over...

 

[Seventh777]

If you go to a B&M and win, they don't make you wait 24, 36, 72 hrs or even days to pay you. It should be the same with online casinos. They have the deposit instantaneously, so why should a withdrawal be different? And the fees for some withdrawal methods are ludacris.

If I have to pay a fee to an ewallet so I can play, then have to pay a fee to get my withdrawal what's the sense in playing? Intertops used to offer one freebie bank wire a month (not sure if they still do as it's been a while since I played there), if they can do it why can't others? Why can Slotocash pay out in under 24 hrs, but other Rivals can't? And for the US player who plays at All Slots USA, if you win on a Friday or Saturday you have to wait until Monday for the processing to start (this is stated in their T&Cs)?

The most mind boggling aspect regarding fees is Top Games one currency (USD) policy, thus enforcing conversion fees on every single deposit for those not from America, using the currency of a country with the strictest rules regarding online gambling is beyond me, it really is .

 

[ksech]

The most mind boggling aspect regarding fees is Top Games one currency (USD) policy, thus enforcing conversion fees on every single deposit for those not from America, using the currency of a country with the strictest rules regarding online gambling is beyond me, it really is .

I have to agree with you on this, although I have never considered this aspect from global players' perspectives. Not having to endure this and quite naive on this particular subject, does it cost the casinos more to do the currency conversions?

 

[Seventh777]

I have to agree with you on this, although I have never considered this aspect from global players' perspectives. Not having to endure this and quite naive on this particular subject, does it cost the casinos more to do the currency conversions?

It costs the depositer money, Neteller fee....

Funds will be withdrawn from your NETELLER account directly to your bank account in the currency of your NETELLER account, except when your NETELLER account currency is USD. Keep in mind, whenever currencies are converted there is a 2.5% Foreign Exchange (FX) fee.