The key things we look out for when it comes to new online casinos in Australia
We live and breathe online casinos. As passionate online gamers ourselves, we’re in the best position to identify new online casinos that have a flair for online pokies in Australia. That’s why, when we send our experts out to review the latest online casinos, there’s a few things we like to look out for — here’s a rundown.
Pokies, pokies, pokies
At Top Aussie Pokies, we understand that online pokies make the casino world go around. As such, our main focus when reviewing any new online casino is not only the amount of pokies on offer — but the diversity of the pokie games as well. But what do you mean by ‘diversity’ — we hear you ask. Well, you may not be aware but pokies come in all shapes and sizes — from simple three-reel pub-style classics to frenzied five-reel, 50-payline thrill-fests filled to the brim with wild symbols and bonus features. For us, it’s crucial that a new online casino in Australia offers the widest range of games that are suitable for all players.
Welcome bonuses & regular promotions
The next thing we review when checking the latest online casinos is the range of casino welcome bonuses and weekly promos on offer. While most new brands will offer a solid welcome bonus — here at Top Aussie Pokies we’re especially impressed with new casinos that offer free spins or regular pokie promotions. You know the type. Regular weekly free spins. Exclusive rewards for pokie players. That’s the stuff that really impresses us here. For a new online casino to get our genuine seal of approval, it has to offer promotions especially impressive for pokie fans.
Safe banking methods
Focusing on pokies and bonuses is one thing – but what use is a great online casino if getting your money in and out is a slog? We’re looking for two crucial things here — heaps of banking methods, and quick withdrawals. Everything else is nice to have. But these two elements really make or break any new casino in Australia. So what does this mean exactly?
Well, firstly, the landscape of depositing at casinos has changed so much – not only have deposits become instant in most cases (a baseline for any online casino nowadays), but alternative methods have become more commonplace; for example, for an online casino to not accept crypto payments is now the exception, not the rule. So if an online casino offers crypto, that’s a big plus for us.
Then, secondly, is the withdrawal speed. Gone are the days of waiting two weeks or more to cash your winnings via cheque. Immediate withdrawals — especially via crypto — are the new normal. And if you’re looking to withdraw via wire transfer, or even through traditional methods such as Visa and Mastercard, then these should be prompt — taking between 24 hours and five days, depending on the method you choose. In short, if a new online casino offers a wide range of banking methods and speedy withdrawals, it gets a big thumbs up for us.
Security and safety
So we’ve nailed down pokies, bonuses and banking methods — three crucial elements to any new online casino in Australia. What next? Well, underpinning all of the above is safety and security. This comes in many forms — whether it’s holding the appropriate license, having the correct privacy protocols in place, or ensuring traffic is encrypted with the latest SSL technologies. When we boil it down, it looks like this — the more a casino has in place to protect their customers, the better.
Security and Safety
This goes without saying but, when looking at new casino websites, our experts always ensure that they are using SSL encryption technology. This ensures that all data is safe and confidential. This secure technology ensures that all data is encrypted between players and the casino’s servers, so no third parties have access to any of the personal data shared. An easy way for punters to quickly recognise the use of SSL encryption is the padlock icon found next to the casino’s URL link in your internet browser.
Mobile pokie play
Now that we’re all safe and secure — what’s next? Well, in our present world of constant on-the-go-ness, we’re hardly home. Whether it’s the commute to work, heading to grab groceries, sitting in the bar with your buddies, or on your lunch break at the office — it’s no longer commonplace to play online casinos in front of a laptop or desktop computer. The king of casino devices these days is the mobile phone. So, if a new online casino comes up without the option to play via mobile or tablet, they’re in trouble. As part of our in-depth checks we test on both desktop and mobile — it’s the modern way! But having a mobile casino offering isn’t enough to make the cut nowadays — we need to see a wide range of mobile optimised games (especially mobile pokies) to really tickle our fancy. This is why, as part of our rigorous checks, we play multiple games across a wide range of devices, to ensure that whatever smartphone you’re on — this new casino on mobile will deliver you the pokie goodness you deserve.
Customer support
While it’s not the first thing you may consider when signing up to a new online casino, customer support is crucial to ensure your gaming experience is top-notch. We don’t, afterall, live in a world of puppy dogs and ponytails — and from time to time things go wrong even at the most established online casinos. Hence, when a new online casino comes to market, it’s crucial they have their ducks in order — otherwise they’ll be quacking up the wrong tree. For us at Top Aussie Pokies this means responsive customer support agents — ideally via live chat — a wide range of contact methods (email, phone, postal address etc.) and quick resolutions. When testing a new online casino, we make sure to reach out to their customer support with either a genuine issue that has come up during our testing period, or a hypothetical situation. The smoother the problem is fixed, the higher it rates in our system.
Is it safe to play at new online casinos in Australia?
While we touched on safety in the last section — we’d now like to delve into the subject a bit more. The question on your mind may be this: when playing at a brand new casino in Australia, is it generally safe and secure? This likely stems from the fear of the unknown, like walking into a brand new job or taking up a new sport for the first time. That fear and anxiety of stepping into a new arena without any past experience. Online casino players experience this all the time as well. And this is where Top Aussie Pokies steps in to save the day. We take the risks on for you.
Firstly, we always recommend you read our review before playing; it’ll answer any and all of your questions you have. Our review process is rigorous. We apply it to both established casinos that have been around the block, and newbies looking to make a splash. It’s this impartial treatment across all online casinos that’s allowed us to make a name for ourselves over the years. A reputation we have developed through only recommending legitimate and safe brands to play at.
On top of that, we also invite you to visit the casino yourself without signing up. Honestly, just click around for a few minutes and get a vibe for the site. Legitimate and trustworthy brands will always display their licenses at the bottom, demonstrate true and genuine company ownership and display their general and bonus terms and conditions visibly — either via a link in the footer, or on the homepage itself. This is, of course, alongside the other features we discussed in the previous section.
But to sum up a long-story and make it short — if it’s featured on Top Aussie Pokies, it’s going to be safe.
New Australian online casino bonuses
What pairs best with a brand new pokie-filled online casino? Well, much like a fine cabernet sauvignon pairs well with a strong cheddar — we believe new casinos require great new casino bonuses. That’s why, when reviewing the latest casinos in Australia, we like to perform a deep dive of the welcome bonuses on offer as well. Here’s a snippet of what we’re looking for.
Welcome bonuses
The welcome bonus is the first port of call. Who can blame us? It’s one of the main reasons why people sign up to new online casinos in Australia. On sign-up you will be presented with the option of opting in — and our recommendation is yes, yes and yes again. Most will offer generous packages which may double, or even triple, your initial deposit. Of course, we recommend you read all relevant terms and conditions — including wagering requirements and the games that contribute to said requirements — but at [brand-name] we believe it’s the best way to experience as many pokies as possible with more funds in your pocket, while also increasing your opportunity of bagging that big pokie jackpot.
There are various forms of welcome bonuses, but here are the most common:
- First deposit bonus
- Matched deposit bonus
- No deposit bonus
- Free spins bonus
There are others available from time to time — but the above are the most common you will find online at new casinos in Australia at the moment.
Free spins
What’s better than a deposit bonus? Well, a deposit bonus with free spins! That right — any new online casino worth its salt will offer both a matched deposit bonus and free spins combo bonus. So that’s what we’re looking for when it comes to the latest online casinos on the market. That’s not all though. Oh no. We’re looking for regular, weekly, or even daily free spins. If a casino is truly setting itself up for pokie fans, then as a bare-minimum we expect a weekly free spins bonus offer. These come in many forms — from weekend reload bonuses, to random free spin drops.
