When you’re looking for an online casino, you should always search for an accredited online casino. If you opt for a platform that has been properly approved by a reputable organisation, then you know that you’re in good hands
But, what does ‘accredited’ mean in the world of online casinos? That’s what we’re going to take a look at on this page.
What does accredited mean?
You can take accredited to mean two different things, both equally important. For example, accredited can mean an online casino that has been licensed by a competent casino licensing authority (for example, the UK Gambling Commission), certifying that it is an online casino that operates 100% legally and has to conform to specific rules
Accreditation is also given by reputable online casino review platforms, for example, Casinomeister. Their accreditation program, which is what we will be discussing on this page, essentially reviews an online casino to check that it is worth depositing cash there. This goes beyond the licensing accreditation, since real reviewers help people find new platforms
We will be focusing on the second type of accreditation here, and specifically what Casinomeister considers when determining the quality of a platform.
Focused on responsible gambling
In recent years, all platforms that offer accreditation have cracked down hard on responsible gambling. Casinomeister, for instance, wants to ensure that the platforms they accredit do not allow underage play and that the platforms regularly check who their gamblers are (this is part of the check for site licensing, too).
Accreditation may look at how much evidence there is of a casino acting fairly towards players. It may also look at the speed at which any issues are corrected.
On top of this, all platforms should have systems in place that help to limit problem gambling. This means offering tools such as deposit limits. These limits should be very difficult to bypass once set.
Marketing standards
All marketing should be above board. This means that any marketing produced by the online casino should be accurate and truthful. There should be no misleading claims in the advertising, and all terms and conditions for any promotion should be within easy reach.
Platforms should also take great care to meet all the proper advertising standards, many of which are governed bylaw in various countries. This means no spamming, contacting players without permission etc. This is something that should go hand in hand with responsible gambling, as a big part of responsible gambling is not enticing problem gamblers to gamble more.
Operational standards
The identity of the owner of the platform should be clearly visible. When a person is gambling on an online platform, they need to know who they are dealing with. Unfortunately, this is a major problem in the world of online casinos. A lot of platforms obscure the true owners, mostly because they have a single owner who owns dozens of different brands, and these platforms want to keep them separate. This just isn’t on. If a platform is offering gambling services, you need to know exactly who you are dealing with.
All online casinos will have promotions on offer, and the terms and conditions of these promotions should be clear. This means that any rollover requirements for bonuses should be highlighted. The terms and conditions should not be unfair towards the players.
It should also be easy for players to withdraw money from their accounts. Under absolutely no circumstances should an online casino limit or delay withdrawals without a legitimate reason to do so – for example, suspected fraud. This even applies to a progressive jackpot. Platforms must pay out the winnings from a progressive jackpot as soon as possible, although paying out in stages is allowed if the progressive jackpot is particularly high.
Finally, when you communicate with a platform, you need to be communicating directly with that operator. This means that the support should not be outsourced. Casinomeister requires that there should also be a live chat system in place to ensure that communication is as quick as possible.
Industry standards
These requirements all focus on the fairness of the games, and much of this will be covered by the casino licensing requirements. Still, casino accreditation will look at the following:
Further requirements
Finally, a platform cannot become accredited right away. They must be in business for at least two years. The platform must also continue to operate to all the required standards, otherwise it can lose accreditation.
Casinomeister will also look at whether a platform is self-sustaining. This means that an online casino does not rely on external funding to exist, whether it is financial or other support (for instance, no white-label casinos).
Accreditation will not look at the types of games available on a platform – that is the job of reviews. Accreditation is concerned purely with whether an online casino platform offers a legitimate gambling experience.
Always opt to play at accredited online casinos. This is important because accreditation demonstrates that a platform is worth playing at – not only from a safety perspective but also because it offers a tremendous gambling experience for the player. This means that players will have a lot more fun, whether they are winning or losing.
