Today I will introduce you to not so well-known casinos. They are a bit off the mainstream and you will rarely find lesser-known online casinos in the comparison portals. I will show you in this article that this is not necessarily related to the quality of the offer. If you are looking for special gaming fun, you will find it here. Now you can find out what the insider tips are called and what you should watch out for. In the next few paragraphs, I will show you the advantages and disadvantages of unknown online casinos. Find out how I arrived at my top list in the section with the test criteria, which I always work through a little more critically with little-known providers. There you will also find a checklist that helps you to recognise fraudsters yourself. Since the topic of security is important to me, I will then go into a few more criteria. You will also find a welcome bonus in unknown casinos, which is what the next paragraph is about. Of course, this includes the best bonus offer. After that, I’ll show you a few unknown games and software developers that have an unjustified shadowy existence. Have fun on our adventure trip and discovering new providers and games.
Unknown vs new casinos
The topics of new and unknown casinos overlap in some respects. However, I would like to distinguish between them, because you can already find an article about new online casinos on my website. There, it’s about providers that are fresh on the market. If you like to play on the go, you can get an overview of new mobile casinos here. Here and now I would like to focus on online casinos that the general public doesn’t have on their radar, even though they have what it takes to play in the upper echelons. Therefore, be curious. There are still so many exciting casinos to discover on the net!
Advantages and disadvantages of unknown online casinos
An unknown online casino offers opportunities and risks at the same time. Since the providers only earn money when we play at their casino, they naturally want to lure us into their casino. They often compensate for their lack of popularity with a big welcome bonus, which can be in the four-digit range. Likewise, free spins are often included in the package. Often they have an innovative offer with which they want to position themselves in the market.
However, not all that glitters is gold, and some providers are not unknown for nothing. In general, it is more difficult to test these casinos for seriousness. There is a lack of feedback from other users. On the other hand, negative feedback, whether justified or not, can quickly drag down the rating. It is not uncommon for an online gambling house to enter a downward spiral in this way. The risk of a provider disappearing from the market is higher for sites that are not so well known.
You can avoid most of the disadvantages by taking my following test criteria to heart. This way you can form your own opinion and are not so dependent on the subjective opinions of other users. Of course, you can never be sure whether a provider always behaves fairly, but the state licences are a good basis for ensuring that everything is above board.
Unknown casino – you should apply these test criteria
In the last few years and after many, many test reports, I have been able to refine my criteria more and more and have gained a lot of experience. Often it is the small details that make the difference. Since my aim is to test as transparently as possible, I will describe my 6 test criteria for an objective casino test. With this knowledge, I would like to ensure that you can better understand my test reports and that you have a tool at hand to assess unknown casinos. Especially with less established providers, it is worth taking a very close look so that there are no unpleasant surprises. By the way, it can also be worthwhile to see whether the operators of unknown online providers participate in casino affiliate programmes.
As you can see, a casino test is not a random product, but a precisely defined process. If you want to read more deeply into the individual topics, follow the links in the individual boxes. As announced, I will now go into more detail on the criterion of security for unknown online casinos.
Are unknown casinos safe?
This question is probably asked by everyone, and it is one of the main reasons why people turn back to the established and well-known brands. Every one of us has a need for security, which is quite normal and also a good thing. With a little practice, however, you will quickly recognise whether you can trust an unknown online gambling house or whether it is better to keep your hands off it. You will get most of the information at the bottom of the provider’s page. Therefore, scroll down to the footer of a provider’s website first. Here you will find several logos of different institutions. The first point is the authorisation of a state authority, such as the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or the Gibraltar Gambling Commission. If you live in Schleswig-Holstein, you must use providers licensed there.
As you can see in the table, technical audits are important in addition to state licences. Independent institutes check whether the random number generators play fairly. Since the games run on the servers of the game manufacturers, not at the casino itself, these tests apply universally. IT security is guaranteed by means of an encrypted connection. Here, 256 bits are standard. If you play in a casino with a European licence, which I strongly recommend, the new data protection regulation also applies. Various mechanisms for player protection are also anchored, keyword responsible gaming. If necessary, organisations such as GamCare or Gamblers Anonymous can help you in word and deed. Here are the most important questions you should ask yourself:
Find an unknown casino – this is how you prevent fraud:
– Does the provider have a licence?
– Are there games from well-known manufacturers in the range?
– Are technical audits carried out?
– Does the casino offer several, established payment providers?
– Does the bonus have fair conditions of participation?
If you can answer all these questions with yes, then the probability is high that you are dealing with a reputable provider. Regardless of whether it’s a well-known or unknown casino, always take a close look at the bonus conditions when you want to participate in a promotion. This is where most disputes arise. It is not at all uncommon that the casino was right after all, because you violated some point of the guidelines. If you want to be sure and are looking for an online casino where the conditions are clearly stated, then take a look at my compilation of the best online casinos in South Africa.
Bonus offers from unknown casinos
Almost every provider offers you a bonus. There are different types of bonuses. The most common are deposit bonuses. However, the bonus is by no means a free gift, but is linked to certain conditions. As a rule, you have to wager the bonus amount a certain number of times. This means using it as a stake in games. Fair values are 30-40x, whereby you should pay attention to whether only the bonus or also the deposit is counted. Another point is that not all games count the same. Slots are usually counted at 100%, other games less.
Another point in the terms and conditions is how long you have to fulfil the bonus conditions. A month is fair, although the interaction of the other factors is important here. Winnings from free spins must be cleared before withdrawal. All these factors are important points in order to be able to assess a bonus offer correctly. Even if it sounds complicated at first, with a little practice you can quickly evaluate the individual offers. You can find more information about this important topic on my bonus page.
Unknown games – where can I find slot machines and the like that hardly anyone knows about?
In addition to casinos that not everyone knows and that stand out from the well-known providers, I would also like to talk about unknown casino games. It doesn’t always have to be Starburst or Book of Dead. You can find one or the other game on the net that, in my opinion, deserves to be more in the limelight. As examples, I have picked out two slot machines, one of which scores with a super payout rate and the other with an unusual game mechanic. Since I have also written a review of each of them, you can also enjoy trying out the games in a demo version.
In addition to its RTP of over 97%, the slot machine Sinbad’s Golden Voyage offers a number of special features with 6 or 7 rows. Although the manufacturer Playtech is by no means unknown, this slot has not managed to get into the focus of the public like the far better known Playtech games. Pipeliner scores with its unique structure. Just take a look at the games and try them out for free. You will not only find unknown but exciting games among the slot games. I myself like to play Card Roulette or Spanish 21 Blackjack. Both are representatives of rather unknown variants.
Unknown games provider
You will find many thousands of casino games on the internet, some with jackpots. Many of them come from well-known manufacturers such as NetEnt, Playtech or Microgaming. But you will also find a number of small software studios that produce lovely games. As with the not so well-known online casinos, they have to come up with something to stand out from the heavyweights of the industry.
Unknown Live Casino Provider
A very popular game category is the Live Casino. Here you can play against real croupiers. The games come directly to your home via live stream. More casino feeling is hardly possible. The games are occasionally streamed from a casino. But the best live dealer tables come directly from one of the provider’s studios. This is relatively costly, so smaller providers have a hard time holding their own in the market. The undisputed market leader is Evolution Gaming, followed by the software giants Playtech and NetEnt. But there are also unknown live casino providers. One of these rarer providers of live tables are Ezugi, Lucky Streak, Vivo Gaming or Authentic Gaming.
I am generally curious to see how the sector develops and whether one or the other newcomer enters the market. There is a question mark behind Microgaming, who once had an offer with their Playboy Live Casino, but then entered into a strategic partnership with Evolution Gaming. Perhaps they will reactivate their live area again.
Conclusion – are unknown online casinos worthwhile?
When you come across an unknown online casino, you surely ask yourself whether it is worth playing there? I think that you should give every provider a chance. It is important that you always have my test criteria for unknown casinos in mind to be able to assess the offer. If you don’t want to search so much, I recommend going on a discovery tour in these unknown casinos.
