Important things to check before choosing a slot site
It's often tough coming to a decision – you want to be confident you’ve made the right choice. This, of course, also applies to choosing the right slot site.
There are so many online slot sites that it can be difficult to decide. You don't want to end up spending your hard-earned cash at a slot site that isn't right for you. And you don’t want to have to spend hours and hours looking for the right site.
That’s where the experienced team at Slot Gods comes in.
We’re slots enthusiasts and have been playing for a collective 30 years+. We share our knowledge and expertise to help you with this tough decision. After all, we’ve played at, assessed and reviewed hundreds of online casinos in recent years.
But what do we look for? What are the key things to consider when choosing the right slot site? The Slot Gods team reckons there are 7 crucial things to check before deciding on a new slot site to play at. And with our help, you'll never pick the wrong slot site ever again!
Is the site UK-licensed?
Before considering signing up to a new slot site, check that it's appropriately licensed. For UK players, the slot site must be licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission (UKGC).
UK-licensed slot sites must adhere to strict conditions to ensure a fair and safe environment for players. This ensures protection from harm, funds are secure and that games are tested for fairness.
On the surface some unlicensed slot sites might seem appealing but playing at them is fraught with risk – unprotected funds, winnings not paid out, silent and non-responsive customer ‘support’... the list goes on.
Rest assured that every slot site on our website is fully verified and licensed by the Gambling Commission for UK players. We don't review or endorse any slot site or casino that isn't appropriately licensed.
Does the slot site have enough games and are they any good?
After you've established that the casino you’ve chosen is licensed and safe, you should then look at what games it has. Start off by seeing how many games they have. Sites like Videoslots and PlayOJO have upwards of 4,000 – so you'll know there’s a broad range of online slots to choose from.
Whilst checking the number of slots is a good measure of the casino, it's worth going the extra mile to see what sort of online slots they have. It's easy for a casino to boast about having loads of slots, but they could all be terrible games! Slot Gods only lists casinos with a strong selection of the top rated games and new releases.
The best slot sites will have a whole range of games including Megaways, Grid Slots and jackpots. Jackpots can be a big attraction for some players with daily and hourly jackpots becoming increasingly popular, and a key selling point.
If you have a preferred slot developer, then make sure it has a decent selection of their best titles to avoid disappointment.
Generally-speaking you’ll want to establish that the slot site:
- Has the quantity of slots – look for 1,000 games and upwards, and look for some well-known classic slots
- Has a good range of slots – mechanics and types-wise as well as the genres you like
- Has slots from some of your favourite game developers
Is the slot site easy to use and get around?
“Is the slot site contemporary-looking? Up-to-date? Or look like a relic from a bygone era?”
No point in having thousands of games from loads of the top developers if the site itself is a turkey… So you’ll want to know and reassure yourself on a number of counts:
- Is it easy to find the games you’re looking for?
- Are there easy search and filtering options?
- Do the games load quickly?
- Does the site support mobile play – either the website itself, or via an app? Over two thirds of players now use mobile devices to play slots.
- How does the site look? What are the aesthetics and graphics like? Is it up-to-date? Is the slot site contemporary-looking? Up-to-date? Or look like a relic from a bygone era?
Our detailed reviews reveal how each slot site stacks up.
Verify your ID and complete all KYC (Know Your Customer) checks as early on as possible. It will save potential hold-ups later on when you want to withdraw winnings.
Bonuses, promotions and T&Cs
The possibility of getting a bonus appeals to many players. Our slot site reviews outline the bonuses available at each slot site. Bonuses and promotions vary from site to site, and you will want to be aware of a few things:
- Is there a good welcome bonus? Is it fair and attainable?
- Those attractive-looking welcome offers that come saddled with a load of tricky T&Cs. You might see an advertised bonus of 100% up to £400. Sounds great, but the T&Cs reveal that the wagering is 100x and the maximum pay-out is capped at £50. If there’s ever a bonus to deter new players this is it! It's important that casinos offer fair and attainable welcome bonuses.
- Are there attractive, ongoing promotions for existing players? A slot site that offers loyalty programs or additional bonuses goes a long way to keeping its players happy. Existing players also deserve to be looked after.
A slot site’s approach to bonuses and promotions tell you a lot about how that slot site values its customers. The best slot sites have promotions that are updated regularly. If bonuses and promotions are important to you then you’ll want a slot site with plenty going on.
However, bonuses aren’t for everyone. You aren’t obligated to claim them, and in fact a number of players don’t because of the terms and conditions that come with them.
When you join up to a new slot site you will likely receive a variety of communications about subscribing to marketing for ongoing promos. It’s worth subscribing so you don’t miss out on any future offers.
Wagering requirements
Of all the varied terms and conditions you will need to get your head around, wagering requirements are very probably the most contentious and widely discussed. So, what are wagering requirements? Here’s a simple example:
You get a £20 bonus with 10x wagering. Before you can claim any winnings from that bonus you need to wager that amount (£20) 10 times on eligible games and in line with any other casino terms and conditions. This means wagering a total of £200. A £20 bonus with x25 wagering will mean wagering a total of £500, and so on. Obviously, wagering requirements can get to a level where it’s hardly worth it.
Different slot sites will have different wagering requirements, so if you like bonuses, then better to choose a site with reasonable wagering requirements that won’t sting you. And keep an eye out – not all games will count in full towards the wagering requirement.
Customer service and support
The ideal scenario when playing online slots is that you'll have no issues and everything will go smoothly. But that isn't always the case. Technology isn't perfect and mistakes can be made which is why you want to play at a casino that provides decent customer service.
Checking out how good (or not) a casino’s customer support is is a key part of the Slot Gods’ online casino assessment and review process. We do a trial run through their chat system to see how effective it is in resolving any issues. Broadly-speaking we want to know:
- Is it easy to reach them?
- Phone, email, message – which is most effective?
- What hours are they available?
- Do they speak/communicate effectively in your language?
- Essentially: Are they quick, responsive and efficient?
The slot sites you’ll find on Slot Gods generally score pretty well for customer support. However, if you don't receive the quality of help you expect if and when you need it, then it might not be the right slot site for you.
Many slot sites claim 24/7 support but in reality it’s just a chatbot. Refer to our slot site reviews to find out where you’ll speak to a real person.
Banking, including deposit and withdrawal options
“Thankfully, we've saved you a lot of time and done all the hard work for you!”
By this point, you are probably ready to deposit some £s at your chosen casino and are raring to play your favourite slots. But it's best to hold off until you understand what payment methods that casino supports, as well as any fees and turnaround times. Thankfully, we've saved you a lot of time and done all the hard work for you! Banking is an area we look very closely at when we assess and review an online casino.
Simply choose a slot site you like the look of, and read our full review for supported payment methods as well as other important details that you might not be able to easily find yourself.
Aside from supported payment methods and fees, withdrawal speeds are also an important factor for many. Some only take as little as 2 hours to send you your winnings, but others may take up to 7 days. A number of factors impact withdrawal timings. You may also want to look at:
- Best fast-withdrawal slot sites
- Best PayPal slot sites
- Best Apple Pay slot sites
- Best Skrill slot sites
Does the casino have a good reputation?
Every slot site we feature on Slot Gods scores well across several key criteria – no dodgy sites here! We only review and showcase reputable Gambling Commission-licensed slot sites.
The key things we consider when it comes to trust and reputation are:
- Player safety and security
- Timely, responsive customer support
- Transparency – the site’s T&Cs are fair and they’re not trying to hide anything in the small print
Our expert team knows what to look for when reviewing a slot site – saving you time.
But that’s not all we look for. As outlined on this page we look at a whole range of things: design, usability, games, promotions, banking and customer support.
We give you access to the full details and lowdown about a slot site before you sign up. We have no allegiance to any particular slot site and are totally objective in all of our reviews. Check the overall Slot Gods score on any slot site you’re thinking about playing at.
We keep our collective ear to the ground and if we hear anything negative about a casino we’ll tread carefully if we think about reviewing it. And most times we won’t usually tread any further.
Summary
You’re investing both time and money when you play at a slot site – so naturally you want that experience to meet your expectations. You’ll want to enjoy yourself and hopefully win a few quid along the way.
So there’s a lot to weigh up and consider. However, at Slot Gods we do a lot of that hard work for you. Our team has been doing this for years. Trust us.