Casino Evaluation Method - CasinoLabRat.com

The CasinoLabRat.com team team comprises of:
- US, UK, European and Southern Hemisphere members
- Casual players and professional gamblers

A formal casino test scorecard is completed by each tester for each online casino tested. To ensure objectivity the scorecard includes assessment against the following criteria:

Casino Security, Reputation, House Edge/Payouts
1. House edge & Random Number Generator assessed by game type against
    industry norms. What's published and will the casino give us further info.
2. Size of company and extent of business operation (eg start-up vs subsidiary
    of major gambing player) and length of time in operation
3. "Noise factor" from forums and the media. If there is bad press - how did the
    casino respond? Are they blacklisted anywhere? Spam marketing?
4. Business transparency - how easy is it to find ownership details, financial
    and audit information and full contact details? A White Label casino?
5. Licencing and industry memberships.

Casino Game Variety and Innovation
1. Analysis of any claimed (and discovered) unique game features, promotions or
    operational processes. Are they unique? Do the add to the casino experience?
2. Number and variety of Slots Games (3 and 5 reel plus progressives)
3. Number and variety of Table Games (classic plus popular variants)
4. Number & variety of Power Poker and other related video based card games
5. Other game options - many online casinos have a specialist "Games" site and
     this is taken into account in scoring the casino if "Games" are playable without
     additional account or registration processes.

Systems and Software
1. Download and installation speed and ease (if applicable)
2. Instant games - are they really "instant"
3. Operating system compatibility Mac, Windows, various Mobile versions...Any other
    software required? (eg latest Java DL)
4. Number of clicks to start to play "free BlackJack"
5. System failure/recovery simulation
6. Load testing - peak and off peak multigame play. Lags, drops and gameskips.

Pay in / Cash Out
1. SSL or similar site security in place around financial transactions
2. All popular payment options available, debit, credit, web wallets... (Regional
    favourites if casino is targeted at a specific market, eg UK-centric).
3. Fees & withdrawal limits compared across casinos & other online gambling sites
4. Delays in payout due to non-bank related processes
5. Account holder Identification processes and constraints around cash-out, if any
    (achieving a balance between anti fraud and blatant "use of funds" practices!)
6. Currencies accepted and reputable exchange rate processes.
7. Legislative or jurisdictional limitations are stated clearly on site before a user
    downloads software and/or registers

Help - Support - Customer Care
1. Number of support channels offered (toll free phone, non-toll free telephone,
    fax, email, live chat, a call me back service, etc.)
2. Quality FAQ sets, game tips and getting started help is on site (or in the DL
     software lobby) and easy to find.
3. Multi-language support is offered and delivers. (Site and/or phone support in
     languages other than English where that online casino targets global players).
4. Friendly, professional responses (set questions are asked of each online casino
    site tested, some basic and others more advanced and specific to gameplay).
5. Response time. Immediate and/or minutes not hours or days depending on what
    was promised via the casino web site (and type of question).

Bonuses & Player Promotions
1. "Up to" values offered and how clearly the Terms and Conditions explain the
   bonus qualification and eligibility requirements. (Assume no lawyers required)
2. Achieveability (play-through and other deposit requirements) for both casual
   and professional players.
3. Player loyalty incentives (one not just join bonuses)
4. Variety, luck and fun-factor - bonuses are an integrated part of the casino's
    operation. for example related to new game launches, special event promotions
    and potentially reward any registered casino player not just the high rollers.

Casino Game Ratings, Slots, Table, Video Poker & Progressives
Each game category is assessed separately for the following attributes & then compared across the range of LabRat-tested online casinos for an industry
benchmark.
- Number of games available (eg total slots count or number of power poker variants)
- Core games present (based on most popular casino games in the industry)
- Graphics - realistic, attractive, entertaining, distraction factor, new and cool features
- Gameplay - smooth, realistic, customisable rate-of-play, multi-game (concurrent)
- Game limits, value of pots, progressive Jackpots - range and min/max