If the world of online gambling sites could be summed up in a single word, then there’s no doubt what that word would be: “crowded”. The marketplace of operators is undeniably huge.
Leading to no small amount of confusion from users who simply want to find a site that meets their needs and offers an excellent service from start to finish. There’s so many fish in the sea that deciphering which are actually worth catching is a mammothian task. You can consider GamblingGuy.com your assistant; a fisherman’s friend – so to speak – who compiles dedicated and detailed operator reviews.
However, in order to achieve this goal, we know that our readers need to be able to trust our reviews – and that means you have to understand exactly how they are compiled. We believe our expertly-penned reviews are the most thorough and reliable on the internet, and here, we’re going to explain why, by highlighting everything we consider when putting a review together for the benefit of our users.
Strict criteria are critical when reviewing an online gambling site, as is always utilising the same criteria for every site that is reviewed. It is only through consistency that true evaluations and comparisons can be made: operators must be judged on the same base expectations, so that the cream can rise to the top and allow the true superstars of the online betting world to emerge as the best amongst their peers.
So what do we consider when evaluating every operator?
Bonuses are a key aspect of the world of online gambling, with operators constantly trying to capture the attention of users. We therefore dedicate a significant amount of time to studying not just the welcome offer, but the ongoing reload offers provided by operators.
We look at the value the offer provides, the terms and conditions, and evaluate how the offer will function in practice. We also regularly assess our reviews to make sure the data contained therein is as up-to-date as it can possibly be.
No online bettor wants to use a site that is an eyesore, or which poses endless problems in terms of usability – so we always assess the overall usability and design of an operator as part of our reviews.
We examine how intuitive the navigation is, how well the site appears on mobile devices as well as desktops, the ease-of-use, and even the colour scheme; no stone is left unturned as we assess every element of the design from top to bottom.
Naturally any bettor will hope that their online betting or gaming experience will be flawless, and that they will never have any need to contact customer service. However, issues can and do crop up from time-to-time, so we know that our users need to be aware of how responsive and helpful the customer service provision is at every operator.
We look for FAQs, live chat options, and telephone numbers, and even try out each of these to see what the response times (and usefulness) are like.
Gone are the days when online payments were restricted to a very small group of different payment processors; today, there are almost countless options available. From debit cards to options such as Paysafecard and Trustly, funding online gambling activities now benefits from a great deal of diversity – but not every operator accepts every available method.
As it is important that our users are able to select a site that accepts their preferred method of funding their account, we examine payment methods in detail, as well as looking into processing times, transaction fees, and any other pertinent information.
Any site, technically, could call itself an online sportsbook or casino – even if it only offered one betting market for just one sport, or a solitary slot machine. However, at GamblingGuy.com, we understand that our users expect far more if they are going to register with a site, so we take it upon ourselves to examine every aspect of a brand’s service provision in detail.
We investigate everything; the games they offer, the sports betting markets you can use, whether live streaming or cash out betting is available, even online poker and virtual sports offerings if applicable – no stone is left unturned.
We live in an age of data breaches and identity theft, so inputting personal data into a website is always an anxious experience – which means that security is always a paramount concern for anyone looking to register with a new online gambling site.
We’re therefore extremely thorough when we assess all security provisions on any provider we review: from encryption to checking the operator is licensed with the correct authority, we do a security sweep thorough enough to be worthy of Fort Knox.
The final part of any review process is to draw everything together; gather all the information we have found and determine an overall rating for a particular operator. It’s at this point that our incredible attention to detail really comes to the fore: we go through all of our findings, determining which are the most important considerations, and gradually building a picture that is genuinely reflective of a brand and the service that they offer to users.
At the end of this process, our review conclusions highlight the most important need-to-knows, and provide advice as to whether an operator is worth signing up with – or whether your search for a new provider should continue.
Let’s say that one of our reviewers was assessing an online casino; a casino with a fantastic welcome offer that provides more value than has ever been seen before. In such a scenario, it would be easy for the reviewer to write a glowing review extolling the benefits of the brand, highlighting the wonders of the casino offer – and there would be some value to that review, too. A good offer is worth talking about.
However, what if the same provider had a website that barely worked? Or security measures that fall far behind modern standards? Or – worst of all – questionable licensing? Suddenly, the all-singing-all-dancing offer isn’t quite as attractive anymore; in fact, it seems very much like it’s too good to be true.
Similarly, it’s possible for a site to offer everything people need in terms of customer service, security, and betting markets – but if they fall down in another area, such as payment processing, then all of these great attributes are worth very little.
We therefore ensure that our reviews are completely balanced. We show you the whole of an operator, drawing conclusions from a holistic point of view rather than being distracted by a stellar performance in just a few areas. We’re looking for operators that perform well in every area, and it’s by this expectation that we judge every provider that we analyse.
As we have seen, we conduct reviews in accordance with strict criteria that allows us to judge all operators fairly. However, criteria alone do not a good review make: it’s also crucial to make sure that reviewers are able to use that criteria to determine the pros, cons, and everything in between of an operator.
To that end, we have gone to great lengths to find the best possible team of writers and editors, all of whom offer significant experience in the world of online gambling. To find out more about the people who conduct our reviews, we invite you to consult our Editorial Team page.
You may also find it reassuring to know that all of our reviews go through a lengthy quality assurance process prior to publication, also. A second pair of expert eyes reads over the review, fact checking where necessary, and ensures the assessment and its subsequent conclusions are completely fair and accurate. Only when everyone is happy that a review provides genuine insights into the brand will it be published on the site.
Having read through the above, you should have a clear idea as to what goes into the compilation of our extensive, expert sportsbook and casino reviews. We therefore hope you will feel confident trusting the veracity of our assessments, and that you are able to utilise our impeccably-sourced information when searching for a new bookmaker or casino operator.
You can always trust that the team at GamblingGuy.com are ready and willing to find the best sites online, and compile the best, most insightful reviews into those sites – so you know exactly what to expect should you choose to sign up.
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