How Ratings Work

On SlotsMate, we offer gamblers unbiased user-generated reviews of online casinos. These help other users get a feel of the real experiences gamblers had when playing at a certain online casino.

All the ratings and reviews are written by our community and because transparency is one of our core principles, we want to show you the way we review.

So if you want to find out more about our rating system and the standards casinos need to meet to be listed, just keep reading. It’s important that you know how our system works.

How Can a Casino Be Listed on Our Website?

There are many criteria an online casino has to meet to be featured on our website. We take everything into account, from safety and security to the games catalogue and even payment methods. Let’s see what our most important requirements are!

Safety and Regulation

First and foremost, we assess an online casino’s licenses and security. Since you’ll be using your real money at these casinos, it’s of utmost importance to us that we only recommend the safest and most secure places around.

• License. Every casino must have a license displayed on their website. The presence of this license means that the casino is operating legally. Some of the most trusted and well-known authorities that emit these licenses are the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association and many others.

• Independently Regulated. Every casino must also have evidence that it has been checked for fairness and security by a reputable third-party, such as eCOGRA. These institutions test the games’ RNG systems to ensure they’re truly fair and random.

• SSL Encryption. The third layer of security we check is the SSL encryption certificate. Encryption will make sure any data you exchange with the casino’s server will remain anonymous and not stolen.

Games and Software Providers

After the security checks are done, we get to the fun part - the games. We’re very picky when it comes to games, so we have to make sure the online casinos we display on our site have very impressive catalogs.

• Extensive Game Collection. We’re always on the lookout for variety - both in numbers and game types. A good online casino should have many options for its players, including slots and table games such as roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, or live dealer games.

• Progressive Jackpot Availability. Progressive jackpots are a must-play for any hardcore slots fan. These slots are usually the highest paying ones in the game, so we’re always checking for famous names such as Mega Moolah, Age of the Gods or Mega Fortune.

• Games from Top Software Developers. The biggest names in the industry (such as NetEnt or Games Global) are picky when it comes to the casinos they collaborate with. This means that any casino that has titles from respected studios is a casino we want to have on our website.

• Play in Demo Mode Feature. The option to play for free is yet another important thing for us. We want you to have the possibility to test a game and practice your strategy with no strings attached!

• High Quality Playing Experience. This applies for both the desktop version of a casino and its downloadable mobile software. The casino must offer a top-notch experience for every type of screen to make our list.

Bonuses and Promotions

Everyone loves bonuses. And it’s no surprise - these goodies can make or break your first experience with an online casino. Besides the bonus availability, we also check to see if they’re as lucrative as they’re made to sound.

• Welcome Bonuses. Every online casino should offer an attractive welcome bonus. On SlotsMate, we feature the best welcome bonuses we can find and also encourage our users to carefully read the terms and conditions before claiming a bonus. 

• Bonuses for All Types of Players. We’re firm believers that every type of player should enjoy some kind of casino bonus. That’s why we also take into account how often an online casino offers gifts and goodies for their existing users.

• VIP or Loyalty Program Availability. Your spendings should always be valued, no matter what casino you choose to play at. Good online casinos will have a well-structured VIP or Loyalty Program that offers additional benefits to their loyal players.

• Decent and Transparent Terms & Conditions. For the bonuses to be truly lucrative, they have to come with decent terms and conditions. We’re assessing both a casino’s terms and conditions and wagering requirements for fairness and decency. 

Banking and Money

Because they deal with real money, it’s important online casinos offer a wide variety of safe and secure payment and withdrawal methods. From cards and e-wallets, we check for every payment method available.

• Trusted Payment Methods. Any reputable online casino will offer card options (VISA or MasterCard), e-wallets (Skrill, Neteller, PayPal) or bank transfer. Nowadays, we’re also checking for available crypto deposit and withdrawal methods.

• Funds Security. We also check for the level of payment security before we feature an online casino. When paying, your personal data should be encrypted and no unnecessary information should be shared with the casino.

• Working Deposits & Withdrawals. We check for speed when it comes to both processing and withdrawal of funds. An online casino should make sure the entire process is as smooth and fast as possible.

• Possibility to Pay in National Currency. Our users come from all around the world. That’s why it’s important the casinos we feature allow them to use their national currency. This means you won’t be paying extra on currency conversion fees.

Localization

When it comes to localization, there are a few things we consider before choosing which casinos we feature. You should keep in mind that:

• The most popular online casinos differ from country to country;

• Depending on your location, the website will change its interface and language;

• There are some top-ranking casinos that might not be available in your country due to national rules and regulations;

• If you want to filter casinos by country, you can use our special Country Flag filter;

• If you were to travel to another country, the results shown on our website will be entirely different;

• Some websites have dedicated casinos by country pages.

Customer Support

An excellent customer support is yet another important aspect we take into consideration when choosing which casinos we display. Here’s who we test the casino customer support:

• Easy Access. Good casinos will have 24/7 customer support available for all their players. They should provide Live Chat, telephone number, email and a comprehensive FAQ section where they answer every question or common issue their users might face.

• Fast and Prompt Answers. Any reputable online casino will train their customer support reps to answer any user queries in a manner that’s fast and reliable. They should also be able to talk to users in their own language.

• Player Safety. We also take into account if a casino has tools and resources available for players who want to limit their money and time spent on the website. We take safe play very seriously and we encourage our users to do the same.

• Data Encryption. When interacting with customer support, you might be prompted to present some personal data. You have to be sure that this data is only used for the intended purposes and will not be shared with third parties without your consent.

Mobile Availability

More and more players are now choosing to gamble from their mobile devices. That’s why we check every casino’s mobile version for the following:

• Optimization. You should be able to play your favorite casino games no matter the size of your screen. We check to see if the website runs smoothly on a variety of mobile phones and tablets and will only feature those casinos that comply with our standards.

• Excellent App Experience. If an online casino offers a mobile app, we also check that. The main focus here falls on speed, security, app layout, and mobile game selection.

We run a very large database of online casinos and it’s hard to keep track of every change. However, we do try our best to keep up and we highly appreciate your help in keeping the information accurate!

Thank You for Being our Mate

Because our website is based on user feedback, our community’s opinion when it comes to different games or casinos is of utmost importance to us. This is how we’re able to offer unbiased reviews that actually reflect our users’ experiences with the casinos. 

If you’ve tried one of the slot games that pay real money we list, make sure you always come back to its review page. 

You will find every piece of relevant info, including payment methods, software, and every type of bonus they offer. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will find a “Player Reviews” section where you can give a rating and write a review.

5 Reasons to Trust SlotsMate

When we ask you to trust us, we’re doing that because we know we’re worth your trust. 

Why? 

Well, because…

• Our reviews are unbiased. The ratings are exclusively influenced by our users and they can’t be altered by any casino or operator.

• Our specialists are experienced. Because of that, they know exactly which operator should be listed on our website or not. Yet, they don’t tell players what to do and never interfere with their decisions. The final decision is yours to make, based on both unbiased user reviews and our specialized reviews.

• We are players too. We know how frustrating it can be to join a low-quality casino, along with the general issues a gambler might face during an online gambling session.

• Our community is highly engaged. All of our users are gamblers themselves and they love to share their experiences, making our reviews as transparent as they can be.

• We will never push a casino. We might give recommendations from time to time but we will never push a certain casino on our players. The decision is theirs to make, only based on reviews and research.

Blacklisted Casinos

In case a casino doesn’t meet our requirements, we will advise our users to take caution by flagging it as blacklisted on our website.

We’re very serious about the casinos we feature on our website so we will never promote any platform that could harm your entertainment or your money with poor quality of services. 

Currently, our database contains over 90 blacklisted casinos. We’re constantly updating this list because we want our users to be aware of what places they should avoid if they want a good and safe experience. 

The main purpose of this blacklist is to warn our players that a casino does not meet our standards. You can check out the blacklist at any time.

Every blacklisted casino made it to the list because one or more of the following reasons:

• Their games are rigged;

• Bonuses are hard to receive;

• Lack of or poor quality customer support;

• Slow loading speed of the website;

• Website is not secure (it doesn’t have an SSL encryption);

• The casino doesn’t have fair terms and conditions or wagering requirements.

Our Mission

We’d like to end this article by saying that our review system was created with you in mind. Our main goal and core mission is to provide you with unbiased and transparent reviews from other users so you can make an informed decision.

However, try to keep in mind that these reviews are just for informational purposes and should only be used as guidelines.

At the end of the day, the choice is still yours to make.

But we want to make that easier by offering you different user experiences that you can relate to. When you know what to expect, your mind is at ease that you’ve made a good choice. 
Enjoy your gambling sessions and remember - always play safe and gamble responsibly!