How We Rate and Review Online Casinos

Covers is committed to helping you have fun and play safely when gambling online. Our industry experts have tried, tested, reviewed, and ranked all the most popular online casinos so you can find your perfect iGaming platform — but how do we rate these sites and where to find honest online casino reviews?

Why trust Covers?

Covers was established by a couple of passionate sports fans looking to create a shared space for all things betting. From humble beginnings in Atlantic Canada to one of the world’s most respected gambling resources, our industry-leading content has been cited by numerous major news outlets, including USA Today, ESPN, and The New York Times.

Thanks to almost three decades of iGaming experience, our industry experts have developed an ironclad approach to reviewing and rating online casinos and sweepstakes casinos. We undertake a step-by-step analysis of the entire site, beginning at registration and ending after the withdrawal. Once we have scrutinized every section of the casino and assessed existing users’ opinions, we give the platform a unique Covers BetSmart rating. 

This systematic approach includes creating accounts, making real money deposits, contacting support, claiming bonuses, downloading casino apps, and requesting payouts. Ultimately, we want to ensure we give you the most honest and accurate review possible.

Affiliate Disclosure: Covers boasts more than 28 years of sports betting and iGaming experience. Our long-standing relationship with regulated, licensed, and legal gaming sites allows our active community of 20 million users to access expert analysis and recommendations. Covers may receive an advertising commission if you visit a sportsbook or casino betting site via select affiliate links across our site, create an account, and make a deposit. However, no amount of money ensures that an operator will get listed.

How we rate online casinos

Our methodical process for producing online casino reviews can be broken down into the following categories:

Bonuses, promotions, and loyalty programs

Unlike brick-and-mortar casinos, which tend to dish out the occasional free parking or a hotel room, online casino bonuses can reach $1,000 or even more. Beyond one-time no-deposit bonuses and deposit match welcome offers, you can also find cashback rewards, weekly slot tournaments, and ongoing reload bonuses for returning customers.

Banking methods and payout speeds

At retail casinos, your banking options are pretty much limited to cash or card. However, online casinos give you a wider variety of payment options, including e-wallets, bank transfers, eChecks, prepaid cards, and even cryptocurrency. 

The one advantage that brick-and-mortar casinos do have, however, is payout speed. They can exchange your winnings for cash on-site, while online casino withdrawals must go through a processing period before awarding payouts.

Software and games

Whether you’re an avid slot spinner or a connoisseur blackjack tables, the top online casinos will offer multiple different game variations to suit your taste and budget. Without the physical restrictions of a retail casino, online casinos can provide a more diverse selection of real money slots and table games than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. 

The quantity of an online casino’s game library can range from a few hundred to a few thousand, but it’s the quality and variety that really matters. We consider not just the number of games available but the reputation of the software developers, the variety of in-game features, bet limits, average payout percentage, and the overall production quality when assigning our Covers BetSmart Rating. 

Security and trust

Online gambling creates a distinct set of privacy concerns that you don’t get with brick-and-mortar casinos. However, a good online casino will leave you with no cause for panic over the privacy of your data. As per licensing agreements, online casinos must adhere to strict data protection and player safety measures to keep their customers’ personal information and financial transactions safe.

Mobile and user experience

The convenience of mobile betting means that it has quickly become the preferred way to gamble. Boasting a wider variety of games, larger jackpots, and more bonuses and promotions than brick-and-mortar facilities, bettors are opting to cut transportation costs and gamble instead on their smartphone or tablet. 

As such, it’s more important than ever before that an online casino provides a seamless transition from desktop to mobile devices. Whether that’s through mobile browser sites or a dedicated app, every online casino must be able to cater to mobile users and desktop bettors. 

Licensing and regulation

It’s simple — if an online casino doesn’t hold a valid gambling license, we won’t recommend it. Gambling regulators enforce strict player safety regulations, oversee taxation, and guarantee sites operate fairly. 

Both U.S. state-sanctioned and international online casinos will partner with independent testing services to validate the casino’s security processes, data protection measures, and game fairness. Independent regulation is essential as it ensures each site operates fairly, responsibly, and legally.

Responsible gambling

Responsible gambling policies are designed to promote healthy gaming practices and prevent players from developing harmful habits. There are a range of responsible gambling tools available to control your spending at our top-rated casinos, including deposit, loss, and wager limits, session limits, “cooling off” periods, and self-exclusion.