This article is thought out to be a useful yet concise guide on online casinos. If you’re a complete beginner, then taking 10 minutes to read it might just save you hours of researching and scanning through useless articles. Here are the topics we’ll cover here:
- How It Works?
- Casino Games
- Software
- Bonus Offers
- Customer Support
- Payment Methods
- Safety & Security
- Online vs Land-Based Casinos
How Do Online Casinos Work?
Online casinos are websites or software platforms that offer you the chance to play real-money games remotely, via Internet connection. The player that enters the platform chooses a game to play and places a bet. Then, the game software uses a computational device called random number generator to determine the result of the game. If the players win, the software credits the winnings to their account, and if they lose the house collects the bet amount.
The Available Games
Every online casinos features hundreds of different games, most of which are video slot variations. Other types of games you can choose from are blackjack, roulette, video poker and other table and card games like baccarat, Casino Hold’em, Sic Bo, Craps, Caribbean Poker and so on. Each game is set to have such rules that in the long run the casino returns between 92% and 99% of the money wagered to the players as winnings. The percentage at which the game is set is called return-to-player percentage and is one of the most important factors experienced players take into account when choosing a game variation to play. The higher the RTP, the better for you. Of course, there are other factors to choosing a certain game out of the hundreds that are available, but this decision is mainly based on personal preference.
Casino Software and Game Developers
There are some casino operators that develop their own websites and software, but usually they use the software platforms of external companies which are specialized in real-money games development. The three hands-down most popular software providers are Playtech, Microgaming and NetEnt. You can learn a lot about the game selection of an online casino just by knowing which is the software provider. For example, Playtech offers both download and instant-play platforms and are the only company that offers Marvel-themed games. Microgaming, on the other hand, is the king of video slot games, while NetEnt is all about the quality.
As this is a very lengthy topic, later down the road I’ll prepare a separate, way more detailed article on casino software. For now, you just have to keep in mind that this software comes in several variations. There are download platforms, usually only compatible with Windows, which you can install and access directly from your PC. There are instant-play platforms which allow you to play directly in your browser. Then there are live-dealer platforms where you can play real-money games like roulette in the company of live dealers which you can observe via video stream – an interesting topic that I will definitely give special attention to in one of my next posts. Finally, there are the mobile casino platforms that allow you to play anywhere you go from your smartphone or tablet. Choosing how to play is mainly a matter of taste. If you like to have an easy access to the casino and you want a bigger selection of games, then the download version of the casino is the right for you. If you want to play from different devices or simply do not wish to go through the hassle of downloading and installing a new program, then you can simply play on the operator’s website. Both download and instant-play platforms usually come with a live casino attached to them, but sometimes you need to download the software to get access to the live casino. Last but not least, if you want to be able to play literally anywhere you go, then it’s smart to check out how many mobile-friendly games the casino features on its mobile platform.
Bonuses & Promotions
All online casinos offer their new players the chance to claim a cash bonus with their first deposit. For more detailed information on the topic you can visit also topcasinos.org.uk. Usually that bonus is equal to 100% of the deposit they make but sometimes it could be even more. Some casinos go as far as to offer no-deposit bonuses that the players get immediately after signing up at the casino. Furthermore, most operators have several active promotions for the regular players at all times, plus a comp point system which can secure them regular cashback. Last but not least, for the high rollers there are VIP systems which offer additional deposit bonuses, exclusive promotions and more.
All in all, online casinos offer the players many bonus opportunities, certainly more than land-based casinos, and if you know how to take advantage of them, you can actually reduce the house edge. Of course, these bonuses and promotions come with certain terms and conditions which you should get well acquainted with. As this is, again, an important topic that requires more attention, I will create a separate bonus article where I’ll cover all the details that you should take into account when choosing a casino bonus: promotion types, wagering requirements, wagering contribution of different games and more.
Customer Support
Another important aspect of every online casino is its customer support center. Every reputable casino has live chat, phone and email support available to the players 24/7. This means that if any problem occurs or you have some urgent question, there’s always someone to turn to. Out of all the methods to contact the customer support representatives of the casino you’re playing at, I recommend you use the live chat, as this is the fastest and easiest one.
Payments and Safe Cashier
If you want to play real-money games online, then you have to first register and deposit at a casino of your choice. While the registration process is always quite simple and takes no more than a minute, depositing seems to still scare the new players. In fact, depositing is usually also a pretty straight forward process, as you only need to choose a payment method that suits you, add your banking details and the sum that you want to deposit and confirm the transaction. Some of the most popular payment methods include: VISA or Mastercard credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard, Ukash and wire transfer. Of course, the different casinos support different payment methods so it’s up to you to check whether or not the website you’re planning on depositing at accepts the payment method of your choice. Furthermore, the different casinos have different minimum deposit requirements, so this detail is also something that is worth informing yourself about.
As far as withdrawals go, there things get just a tad bit more complicated. See, all legal online casinos are required by law to verify your identity in order to confirm that you’re over 18 and to prevent attempts at money laundering. This is why before you are allowed to withdraw any of your winnings, you’ll be required to send a copy of a personal document and some utility bill, so that the operator can confirm your address and identity. Then, another detail that you should keep in mind is that while all deposits at internet casinos usually are executed instantly, withdrawals in most cases take between 2 and 5 working days.
Security & Trustworthiness
In order to play real-money games online, you have to present the casino operator you’ve chosen with a lot of personal information and also with your payment details. This is why probably the most important aspect of an online casino that you should take into consideration is the security of the website. All legal casinos are licensed and regulated by the gambling authority of the country where they offer their services. For example, if a company want to offer gambling products to residents in Great Britain, then they have to get a license from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.
Furthermore, all legal online casinos undergo regular audits by independent testing agencies which make sure that the games and the software of the casino are fair and that the outcomes of each game are completely random. Not only that, most casinos publish the reports they receive after each audit on their sites, so that the players can see how much out of all the money wagered at the casino has been given back to the players in winning.
Another side of security is the one that is concerned with third parties. When you’re playing at an internet casino, there’s always a communication between your computer and the servers of the casino. Therefore, if this connection is not in some way protected, someone can intercept it and get access to all your sensitive data. In order to prevent that, all safe online casinos use a special protocol called SSL which encrypts the data that is transmitted from your computer to the casino server and vice versa.
Online vs. Land-Based Casinos
Many players are still hesitant about giving gambling sites a try when, in fact, playing remotely is more convenient and even more profitable than playing at your local casino. At Internet casinos, the games are set at higher return-to-player percentage and also the game-play is faster and more exciting. You have more game choice and a lot of bonus opportunities. And you can play anytime anywhere! So, you see, there’s no reason not to give online casinos a try, just make sure you’re playing at a reputable casino!