New online casinos can be a treasure trove of opportunities. They go heavy on their marketing in the beginning to build their player base. So they’ll offer huge bonuses, cash back incentives, VIP programs, great game selection and many new casinos will accept US customers.
Does that sound good to you? Then we recommend visiting one of the new blackjack casinos below.
8 Questions to Ask Before Trying New Blackjack Casinos in 2017
Despite the upsides to a new casino, we don’t recommend jumping at whatever opportunity comes your way. There are questions that you should ask yourself (and the casino) first. That’s to ensure your funds are safe and that you have a good time. We recommend asking the following questions.
1. Is this casino trustworthy?
This is the most important question to ask. After all, do you really want to play at a casino that will cheat you at blackjack, not pay you your winnings or close up shop and take your money?
No. Obviously not.
So you need to make sure the casino is safe. Check for licensing, that their games are tested for randomness and that their accredited from established gaming authorities and web portals. Don’t forget to read our reviews, too.
This is true for all casinos, but especially for new casinos because they have little to no existing reputation to speak of.
2. Do they have the blackjack games and variations I want to play?
If you want to play Spanish 21, and the casino you’re looking at doesn’t offer Spanish 21, then why would you sign up? You wouldn’t be happy long term. So the first thing to look for are the games you want to play. Keep in mind that variations like Spanish 21 and live dealer blackjack are a little harder to come by.
Make sure the stakes you want to play are available, too. Most casinos will have a $1 minimum, but not every casino will offer high stakes games. You might have to shop around to find $500 or $1,000 per hand blackjack.
3. Do they have banking methods I can use?
Banking is huge, especially if you’re in the USA. You can’t play if you can’t get money online.
Because of the difficulty of accepting debit and credit card payments, I recommend making sure that any new casino you sign up to has more than one method you can use. Things like Western Union, Skrill, PayPal and so on. The more options, the better.
You’ll also want to double check for fees and limits. Most casinos offer free deposits, with withdrawals being hit or miss. But if you’re comparing two casinos, the withdrawal fees can mean all the difference.
Limits are important, too. If you don’t have much money to deposit, say $20, then a $50 minimum puts a kink in your plans. Keep in mind that if the casino has too low a limit for their high limit, you can always contact support and get an increase with the right documentation.
4. Do they have mobile apps?
Straightforward. Do you want to play blackjack on your iphone, ipad, Android or Blackberry phone or tablet? Does the casino have blackjack apps for your device?
5. Do they have Mac or no download software?
Same thing as #4. However, nowadays (most) casinos have a solution for Mac computers. They’ll have a no download / flash version, or a full download version of their software (like for PC users).
Which is better? If you’re only playing blackjack I would go the flash / no download route. That way you don’t have to clog up your computer with a bunch of unnecessary files. However, if you like to play a variety of games the full download will be the best choice.
6. Is it worth my time to switch casinos?
This is a good question to ask yourself. If you already have a casino you call home, why should you make the switch? It’s not as if switching casinos is hard. It only takes a couple of minutes to create a new account.
However, if you only have one (limited) bankroll, it will take time to withdrawal it and make a new deposit. Not only that, but you spread out your funds, which can prevent you from playing higher stake games (at either casino).
So you need to ask yourself a few questions. Do they have a great bonus? Do their blackjack tournaments actually run? Do they have those $500/hand games I’ve been looking for? Whatever the case, just make sure it’s worthwhile.
7. Are the reviews from players, forums and websites positive?
You should read reviews from other players, forums and websites. Many of these players find out the hard way about a room. Their support sucks, they have no deposit options or they just got into business to rip people off.
Bad luck for those players. But good luck for us.
8. Do they offer a bonus?
Most casinos offer a bonus. So what you want to look for is the size of the match and bonus amount. More importantly, figure out what it’s going to take to clear the bonus. If you need to wager $8,000 to clear a $100 bonus, it might be in your best interest to go somewhere else.
That’s even more important for blackjack players, because many casinos don’t even let you play blackjack to clear the bonus. Those that do usually ask for inflated play through requirements, often asking you to wager 2-3x the amount that slots players have to. That can make blackjack bonuses unworthy of your time. So make sure to do some basic math first.
I’d also check for additional reload bonuses and VIP programs. Anything that can put a little extra money in your pocket and prolong the time you can spend playing blackjack.
