When you’re hoping to find the perfect slot site, online reviews are your best starting point. But how do you know which reviews are accurate, and which have been created on behalf of the sites in question? You need an honest and fair assessment on which to base your decisions, so you need to know what to look out for.
All the best online slot site reviews will provide you with detailed information, giving you a firm foundation on which to base your subsequent decisions. At the bare minimum a good slot site review should cover each of the following topics.
Design and user experience
The first thing any player needs to know is the overall design of a slot site, and whether it’s based on a particular theme. Some sites aim for a fun, cartoonish vibe, with an emphasis on having fun, whilst others may lean towards a more sophisticated ‘James Bond’ style, aiming for more of a luxurious air. A good reviewer will give you insights into the overall look and feel of a site before you take a look for yourself, but that takes more than a description of the colours and fonts in use.
A good review will always tell you what level of player a slot site is aimed at. Some websites assume plenty of previous experience, which can make them a daunting prospect for newcomers. It’s useful to know where an operator includes plenty of advice and game guides, for example, so beginners won’t be made to feel out of their depth.
Software providers
There’s always going to be a huge audience for the most popular slot developers, such as NetEnt, Pragmatic Play and Play’n GO. Some players have specific studios that they follow, so any slot site review worth reading will give you a good idea about what to expect. If you love the dark and often controversial game themes from a studio such as NoLimit City, for example, you won’t want to be directed towards sites that only offer Eyecon games like Fluffy Favourites!
Slot games
It should go without saying, but some reviewers fail to go into specifics when it comes to the types of games on offer. Slot games come in every shape and size you could imagine, from simple three-reel, single-payline games to multi-reel Megaways games, with thousands of ways to win every time you hit Spin.
A good slot site review should go into detail about the games, themes, features and prizes. You need to have a good idea how many games are available, how often new games are added and whether these are the sort of games you’re going to be interested in playing.
Deposits and withdrawals
The option to use credit cards at online slot sites has been withdrawn, but most operators welcome debit card payments. Your slot site review should guide you through all the payment options, explaining whether bank transfers prepaid cards and eWallets are permitted, along with any processing fees and associated timeframes.
Security
Registering at an online slot site means you’ll be inputting your name, address, email and a few other personal details, along with your financial information. You’ll expect data security to be given the highest priority, so that’s something a good reviewer will go to great lengths to check. State-of-the-art security features are absolutely non-negotiable, and client funds should always be held in segregated accounts as an extra layer of financial security.
Gambling licence
A licence issued by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is a legal requirement for all gambling operators in the UK, including slot sites. Checking that a valid licence is in place is something that every responsible reviewer undertakes as a matter of course. All reputable sites display their licence information at the foot of their pages, including a registered account number. It’s an easy check to make, and one that provides extra peace of mind to players.
Mobile site and the need for a separate app
Slot players use everything from PCs to smartphones to play their favourite games, so that’s something a good slot site review will need to take into consideration. You should have a clear picture of the devices you could use to access each site, along with information about any apps that could enhance your overall experience.
Sometimes an app won’t give the player access to the full suite of games that a desktop website has available, and this is something you need to know before you sign up and start playing, not afterwards!
Responsible gambling
A very small minority of slot players are at risk of suffering gambling harms, and knowing what to do if you’re affected is absolutely essential. A slot site reviewer that truly has players’ interests at heart will always go out of their way to look for responsible gambling tools and resources.
Easy access to deposit limits, reality checks, time out and self-exclusion are all important elements of a high quality and reputable slot site. A review should also report on any links to further sources of support such as BeGambleAware and GamCare.
Customer support
In a perfect world none of us would ever need help and technology would never let us down. Suffice to say that’s not the case, so every reputable online slot site needs to offer easy access to help and support. A good slot site review will explore all your options, including checking out the live chat and email response times. If there’s a helpful FAQ section, so much the better, but if you have to wait a couple of days for an answer to your question, that’s something you need to know about before you decide to register.
Conclusion and opinion
When you reach the end of a slot site review, you should be offered a solid conclusion about the site and what the reviewer’s overall opinion is. You should be given a broad summary of what the site has to offer and the type of player it will appeal to, so you can decide whether it’s right for you. Some reviewers use a ratings system, which can be useful, but only if points are awarded fairly.
Of course, it’s very much a case of ‘different strokes for different folks’, as what appeals to one slots fan might be of no interest at all to another. But there are aspects that will be common to all reviews, and player safety and security remains at the heart of them.
Don’t overlook the design and tone of the review site either. It should be well-designed, easy to use and created with the user in mind. Professional, honest and insightful reviews inspire confidence in the reader, giving reassurance that these are experts who know their subject inside out. You should be left with the impression that the reviewer has genuinely spent time on the slot site, rather than simply parroting the opinions of others.
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