Author: May Thawdar Oo
The age of social media and user-generated content has democratized how we create, consume, and disseminate information across the internet.
Before the advent of the internet, however, most consumers had to rely on professional reviews published in the newspapers or magazines – or better yet, word on the street – to tell them if an album, a book, or a restaurant was worth spending their hard-earned time and money on.
Now, everybody can post reviews on the internet. Whether on social media, blogs, or websites featuring user-generated review directories, people now have a wealth of information about what they can expect from an online casino that seeks to gain their business.
There’s information for practically every gambler of every persuasion. There are now niche review sites that cater to specific needs of certain segments of the iGaming market – online slots, table games, sports betting…you name it, there’s a site for it.
With the proliferation of iGaming content in recent years, however, there is one important aspect of iGaming marketing that has come to the forefront – casino reviews.
They help build trust, describe and distinguish one online casino from another, and inspire readers to make an informed decision about which online casino to play at.
And, with the iGaming industry surging, casino reviews will remain part and parcel of many a brand’s marketing strategy in the coming years.
Before discussing about how it can be a main element of an online casino’s marketing tactics, here’s a video that will quickly take you through what this article is all about:
Why Do Casino Reviews Matter?
The most trusted online casino reviews offer potential players a glimpse of what the iGaming site they are considering has in store for them.
And, the online gambling industry is booming despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, and it is riding the wave of a massive influx of new players exploring the world of iGaming for what may be the very first time in their lives.
This is especially true for traditional brick-and-mortar casino gamers or betting shop patrons, who are only beginning to transition to the online casino sphere. They probably have never heard of the thousands of brands competing for their attention on their Google search pages.
The truth is, the online gambling world, as much as it has undergone (and is still undergoing) a rapid and constant transformation, there are still plenty of vestiges from its less-regulated days.
These come in the form of fraudulent websites or online casinos with highly questionable reputations – and they aren’t just a few.
These disreputable operators claim to be legitimate sites but they are just there to take your money.
This can come from slightly tilting the scales against you or blatantly just taking the money you intended as an “investment” without even allowing you to play.
That’s why understanding how to write high-quality online casino reviews brings value to readers – by helping them in choosing the best online casinos they will have great experiences with.
Furthermore, affiliates and reviewers can also benefit by creating iGaming content that people will find useful and informative. This will help improve the credibility and profitability of their sites.
If you are working with iGaming content in any capacity, this article will be a convenient guide for content marketers, proofreaders, and writers, as well as people who just want to sharpen their writing prowess further.
6 Elements of a Great Casino Review
We’ve condensed the elements of what makes a great casino review for both readers, reviewers, players, and content marketing agencies involved in iGaming content writing and production into six specific elements as follows.
1. Lose Yourself in the Experience
The basic principle of reviewing a product is actually knowing it.
Playing for 25 minutes at an online casino or sportsbook doesn’t count as “knowing the product.”
It’s just like watching the first 15 minutes of a football match and reviewing it as though you saw the whole 90 minutes and stoppages. It’s just not enough to paint a complete picture of the product or service.
It’s also too easy to just stick to formulae for writing casino reviews.
While mentioning the casino’s information such as its history, games offered, bonuses, support, payment options (see our guide here on the best online casino payment methods worldwide), and security remain prerequisites; it’s not everything.
Commit enough time to pore through each page on the iGaming provider’s sites.
If you’d like to take a step further, you can even fund your account, play a few games, and interact with the customer service team.
You might even win a few prizes and cash in some promotions while doing so. Who knows?
And that’s what will give your review some real credibility – the legitimacy of actually knowing what it’s like to invest time, money, and effort with a particular casino.
2. Give Concise, Precise, and Constructive Feedback
It’s 100% recommended to express your opinions; what you found excellent, and what you disliked about the online casino you are currently reviewing – but don’t get carried away and get overly emotional about it.
Make it a habit of being as detailed, organized, and specific as you possibly can when reviewing details about your casino review. That’s what’s going to give you the ability to keep a rational mind about the topic.
Don’t just praise, admire, and celebrate the casino and tell the world how much you love it – show your audience the exact reasons why you do. What specific aspects of your gaming experience made it so positive? That’s what people will look for.
For instance, you can mention how the iGaming provider’s customer service team provided you a quick, responsive, and thoughtful response to your concerns instead of just sending you a barrage of links to their terms and conditions.
And of course, if you disliked certain parts: tell your readers what exactly made you feel that way about your casino experience.
For instance, were you unsatisfied with how the iGaming provider’s content was presented in your language? Were the terms and conditions not available in your language when the site said it was? Being specific will give your review more credibility.
However, take note that there is a difference between explaining why you did or didn’t enjoy your gaming experience and going on a 10-page tribute or diatribe about it.
The key takeaway is to provide value and help other players – it’s not about you. Overstating the point will turn off your audience and detract from your credibility and the casino you are reviewing.
Make your feedback constructive by offering suggestions of what aspects of the gaming experience they can improve in.
3. Provide Extra Value for Your Readers
“How is the casino review I’m writing going to benefit my readers?” This is the first question you need to answer for your text to deliver value.
What information can you provide in order to help as many of your readers as possible? What information can you provide that will help them decide for themselves?
The majority of your readership consumes content such as casino reviews to find answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. That’s the only thing they’re after.
If you can’t answer or help them with their online casino-related inquiries, they’ll find someone else who will. Which means another affiliate will receive their commission.
If your content helps prospective players to make a better decision, then great – you’re delivering actual, tangible value to your audience.
If it doesn’t, then you’ll need to ask why this is the case and make tweaks to your review.
Likewise, writing is an art. Art has to be emotionally stirring for it to create value.
It’s not just about presenting the information. It’s about imparting that emotional experience that playing at that iGaming provider evokes.
4. Go holistic with the coverage
One of the things that every product or service can lay claim to is being multidimensional in experience.
It’s not just about providing the usual details, such as the best online casino payment methods for the particular provider you are reviewing. That kind of information should already be included in your review.
Rather, look at the casino from a holistic standpoint. For instance, does it hold any of the most reputable iGaming awards in the industry? What is the casino’s stance on responsible gambling? How much engagement are their social media pages getting, if any? These are the things that will give your review more gravitas.
5. Proofread Twice before Publishing
Proofreading is almost a no-brainer. But you’ll be surprised at how often so many people fail to do it.
Proofread everything you type and then again before you post anything. In this highly-globalized business environment, things can get easily lost in translation (more on that in just a second).
Typos and missing words have the unfortunate side effect of changing entire strings of thought in written form.
That said, you don’t have to be Gene Siskel or Roger Ebert to become a qualified reviewer – but the very least you can do is to put some effort into your craft and mind your spelling and grammar.
Not doing so is the quickest way to lose credibility with your audience. There’s little room for error – a compelling piece of writing requires impeccably correct language usage.
But at the same time, that also doesn’t mean you have to be rigid to the point of being distant and unengaging. Feel free to infuse as much of your creativity, humor, and personal touch to help your readers in their decision-making process – as long as you’re a stickler for truth, fairness, and accuracy.
6. Localize, Localize, and Localize
Last but not least, one of the most critical things you have to factor in your review is localization.
More so, as iGaming is continually expanding into new markets and new opportunities worldwide – and a host of new languages, peoples, and cultures.
Injecting authentic local flavor is what localization is all about.
If you want your review to sound as locally-authentic, attention-grabbing, and impactful as it possibly can, you need to make sure that you have your content tailored for your specific audience.
If you are writing for a non-English speaking audience, it’s important to check if your content is linguistically and culturally appropriate. The same is true for your social media iGaming cotent. Doing so will help you avoid any embarrassing moments.
Oh, and one more thing, Google Translate does not count as “localization”!
See, the biggest problem of Google Translate, in the meantime, is the inability to interpret and understand tense and context.
It gets trickier if English is used as a pivot language. That’s because English doesn’t possess as many of the verb tenses or rules of formality that you would encounter in a Romance language, for instance.
Navigating new and emerging international iGaming markets begins by effectively conveying your message while maintaining its immediacy and meaning.
This is what ensures you’ll have culturally-relevant content that properly represents your brand and preserves the integrity of its message. And this is where linguistic professionals with varied iGaming experience come in – like us.
We’ve created high-quality content for iGaming brands worldwide. That’s how we know what works.
That’s also the reason why iGaming brands rely on a content marketing agency for iGaming content writing – one that is cognizant of the cultural nuances of players and knows the value of creating localized casino content. Your writing should also reflect that.
That’s what will give your review that impactful, human touch that will ensure your message is received in the best way possible.
All while staying true to the facts, providing as much relevant and contextual detail as possible, and have the end goal of delivering value for your readers.
Header Image Source: Photo by oatawa on Freepik
How did you like May Thawdar Oo’s blog post “How to Write a Casino Review in 2021”? Let us know in the comments if you have anything to add, have another content idea for iGaming blog posts, or just want to say “hello.” 🙂
Big help! Just what I needed to write one for my page. Haven’t written review for awhile since I stopped to focus on my health.
All the information which have you shared with us is really very useful for my business. Thanks