Been bouncing around a few different casino sites lately and figured I'd chuck up my own little checklist, because some of them look grouse at first and then go a bit sideways the second you try to verify or cash out.
First thing for me is always withdrawals. I don't really care how shiny the homepage is if the cashout drags on for days or they suddenly want half your life story after you've already deposited. Fast payouts and clear limits go a long way.
Then I look at the pokies lineup. Not just heaps of games dumped in there, I mean actual good providers, stuff loads properly on mobile, search isn't a pain, and you're not seeing the same 20 titles in every section pretending it's a massive library.
Bonuses... yeah, I barely get excited by them anymore. If the promo sounds too good, there's usually some bloody catch buried in the terms. I mostly just check whether the wagering is cooked or if it's something you'd actually bother using.
Support matters more than I used to think too. If live chat is useless or you get copy-paste replies, that's usually a bad sign. Same with weird delays on verification, random account checks, or vague answers when you ask simple stuff.
Anyway that's pretty much how I size a place up now. Keen to hear what everyone else looks for first, or if you've found any sites lately that were actually no fuss and paid without the usual mucking around.