WHAT CRITERIA IS USED WHEN REVIEWING BITCOIN CASINOS?
Reviewing bitcoin casinos is extremely important, given that many of them are relatively new given the recent increase in popularity of cryptocurrency in general. When it comes to reviewing these sites, there are a series of criteria that are looked at to determine what ratings a site is worthy of and where the strengths and weaknesses lie for each of those casinos.
The first thing that we look at when reviewing an online casino is any licensing information that is available on the site. Making sure that a site is licensed by a gaming commission is important, as that license requires the casino to uphold certain standards to maintain its status of being licensed. Additionally, finding out whether or not a casino is affiliated with any more well known casino brands is important, as playing at a trusted brand is recommended when possible.
Next, we look at the different games that are available at each site and test them when possible on desktop and mobile devices. User experience is everything in the current era of crypto casino action, and making sure that players can access popular games on computers, phones and tablets is essential to making sure that a site is not only exciting but accessible as well.
After that, we make sure that transactions can be processed smoothly and that customer service is available and responsive to inquiries. After all, what good is a casino if players can’t deposit and withdraw their funds as they wish or can’t have their inquiries addressed by someone at that site? Additionally, if bonuses are offered by the site, making sure that those work properly is a part of the process. If all of these boxes are checked, a site is typically highly recommended, although bettors should remember that each site should meet their own personal requirements first and foremost.
WHAT KINDS OF GAMES CAN I PLAY?
There are countless casino games that are offered by bitcoin casino sites that are of interest to players. Which games a player is interested in can vary, but it is typical that the casinos with the greatest variety are of the most interest to players, as the more games that are available the more changes of pace there are to keep everyone entertained. Here is a list of the main casino games that players can take advantage of at crypto gambling sites.
Slots and table games are the staples of most casinos, whether they are crypto gambling sites or sites that use traditional currencies. Depending on the site, the number of slots games on offer could vary wildly from just a few to thousands of slots options. Table games, meanwhile, usually consist of games like blackjack, roulette and baccarat with variations of each and the possibility for a few other games to round out the list of available selections. For players who like to play slots and table games the most, checking each site for their game selection in those categories is crucial.
- Slots
- Table games
- Poker
- Live casino
- Scratch cards
- Bingo
- Crypto-specific games
Poker is growing in the crypto casino world, as its status as one of the most popular forms of gambling in the world has seen it appear in more crypto betting locations. Ideally these sites offer both tournament and ring game play, but players who are fans of one style over the other should look only for the style of play that suits them. Texas Hold ‘Em is the most popular poker game type, but more poker-focused sites will offer games like Omaha and others as well.
Live casino gaming is fun in that players can bet their bitcoin in the hopes of beating a real human dealer. Blackjack and roulette are the most common types of live dealer games, but there is the potential for other games to appear depending on which site is being used. Spinning wheel games, baccarat and others have been known to be available depending on the casino being used.
Crypto-specific gaming is fun, in that the games are unique to the crypto betting world. Bitcoin bettors are able to take on games like minesweeper and dice games that are provably fair and that are not seen at fiat currency casino sites in many cases due to the lack of blockchain technology that bitcoin casinos have at their disposal. These games often feature strong graphics and the ability to adjust odds to be commensurate with the level of difficulty of each play.
Scratch cards, bingo, and other forms of traditional casino gaming are also available at some sites, as well as sports betting in some cases.
WHY BET WITH BITCOIN?
There are a number of reasons to bet with bitcoin, but the biggest reason is that it is less of a hassle than going through other funding methods in many cases. Due to regulations imposed by banks and other financial institutions, it may not even be possible for some casino players to fund their accounts with their local currencies. Bitcoin can be used virtually anywhere and without many of the headaches that people suffer from with other funding methods.
Another huge draw to betting at a bitcoin casino is the fact that transactions are usually much faster than they are with other forms of currency. This is especially true with withdrawals, which require far fewer steps on the part of the casino to process, meaning that players get their money more quickly. And with the only fees typically being network fees to and from your bitcoin wallet, more of your money goes into your bankroll rather than into paying fees.
HOW TO BUY AND USE BITCOIN?
The first step to buying and using bitcoin is to set up a bitcoin wallet at one of the many sites that offer that possibility. From there, bettors can purchase bitcoin at an exchange site, with many exchanges offering the ability to have a wallet right on the same platform. This can be done with a credit card or by providing the exchange site with bank account information in the case of most exchanges.
Once a bettor has their bitcoin, they can start funding their accounts with it. To do that, bettors should go to the deposit section of their chosen bitcoin casino and follow the steps that are provided by the site. Typically, this consists of bettors sending their bitcoin to an address that is provided by the site, with the funds being available after they are received by the site. Depending on the size of each transaction, confirmations may be required before the funds can be used for wagering.
When it is time to withdraw funds, bettors can go back to the cashier section of their casino and request their bitcoin payout by providing a bitcoin address along with the amount that they want to withdraw. This often takes longer than the deposit process, because the site needs to receive the request and process the transaction. But bitcoin casino withdrawals are usually much faster than their traditional currency counterparts without the fees.
WHAT IS PROVABLY FAIR?
Provably fair is a concept that is vital to the integrity of bitcoin casinos specifically, and players should make sure to only use casinos that offer provably fair games. Provably fair gaming consists of each spin, roll, or play in a casino game coming with a unique transaction identification. That unique ID proves that the outcome that took place on a given play was completely random and that outcomes are not being recycled to unfairly influence results in favor of the house.
When you go to a physical casino, you know that each roll of the dice or outcome on the roulette wheel is random because you are the one rolling the dice or you see the ball spinning around on the wheel. Online, everything is computerized, and that is where the provably fair concept comes into play. Rather than being able to see the outcomes are random, unique identification for each play proves that they are random.
WHAT IS HOUSE EDGE AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
House edge is something that bettors will hear about a lot in the cryptocurrency gaming space, much more so than they will at traditional currency casinos. House edge is something that varies from game to game, with some games having a higher percentage house edge simply due to the way that they are structured. Roulette, for example, builds in its house edge with the green zero spaces, which can beat both red and black wagers.
In crypto betting, house edge can be extremely low in some cases, with many games having house edges as low as one percent. It is worth looking at the house edge amount at each casino in similar games, as most bitcoin betting sites will list the house edge on many of their games. Obviously, the lower the house edge the less the house should be able to take in theory, and bettors should look for as low a house edge as possible in each of the games that they like to play.