Online casino guide for beginners
New casino sites to play real money
Credit card
you can deposit money right away at all online casinos with a credit- or debit card. Cards like visacard, mastercard, dinnners club, eurocard, etc. Are accepted at most online gaming sites. There are several ways to make a deposit at an online casino:
Top 10 beginner's online casino guide
The world of online casinos can be both overwhelming and perplexing, especially for new players. Here's our top 10 beginner's guide to make it easy for someone new on online casino.
Since I began playing in 2001, my knowledge of gambling and mastering the online dimension have grown immensely. I would like to share my knowledge and experiences of playing online with you to make your introduction to the world of online casino an easier and more enjoyable process!
In the following guide I have answered ten important questions I faced as I began playing at online casinos. I hope this top 10 guides will give you some tips and tricks in your journey to online casino.
The top ten questions beginners ask on online casino guide
After several years of online gambling, I continue to enjoy, play and succeed in online casinos. However, one big difference nowadays is that I am more selective of where I play. I enjoy a smooth gameplay, realistic and aesthetic graphics, bonuses (extra money provided by the casino), great jackpots and fast payouts. That is why ladbrokes casino stands as my favourite casino - offering all the best in the features that really enhance an online gambling experience.
1. What is an online casino?
An online casino is an internet-based mechanism of gambling that allows real people to play in a virtual environment. Although you do not necessarily have to gamble real money, you have the option to participate in real, live bets with other players and the online host. Most casinos offer the spectrum of classic games like blackjack, poker, roulette and slots, but there is also an emerging area for alternative games. There are two types of casinos: the first are the download casinos which include the majority of online casinos. Download casinos require you to download and install a free software program before you can play. It usually takes no longer than 15 minutes to complete this process and it is worthwhile since these download casinos have the best flow, graphics, sounds, and features. The second types of casinos are no download casinos. They offer you instant play from any web browser because they use flash or java technology.
2. Is it safe for me to play at online casinos?
When we began playing at online casinos, we were naive in terms of what casinos were safe to play in and which weren't. However, with over 6 years of experience and having played at more than 300 online casinos, we can confidently say that online casinos are safe. In all of our experience, we have never experienced any kind of misuse of our credit cards or account information. A good indication of whether a casino is a reliable site is by which software they use. The biggest software providers (boss media, cryptologic, playtech and microgaming) are quoted on the stock exchanges, and would not dare risk their reputation and place a priority on securing the money of their customers.
Most casinos use a 128-bit encryption which means that the possibility your information would end up in the hands of others is 1 to 340,282,366,920,939,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. With odds like those, it seems it is safer to play at an online casino than physically crossing the street to get to your local casino.
3. Is it legal for me to play in online casinos?
There is not one, overarching answer to this question. Different countries have different laws in regard to gambling and online gambling. If you have questions regarding the laws in your area, please contact your local authorities.
That being said, I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted for playing in an online casino. One thing to keep in mind is that when an online casino accepts you address in the registration form during the sign-up process, the casino absorbs all responsibility. The casino will be the one targeted if it is not legal for you to play online.
4. Are online casinos fair?
With more than 2,000 different online casinos on the web, casino are highly competitive to win the gaming time of their customers. Online casinos recognize that if a customer is not satisfied, they are not more than a click away to switch to a different casino. Therefore, the major software providers make sure that the software they provide ensures the highest quality game with the best payouts. Additionally, the best online casinos also have accountants that manage their game payouts. For example, pricewaterhousecoopers gives a monthly statements of all casinos using the microgaming software to all continual monitoring of their casinos' activities. These statements can be viewed at the casino's homepage.
Compared to traditional land-based casinos, the payout from online casinos is notably better (between 96-98%) which is due partly to lower expenses and higher competition between online casinos. Online casinos still however bring in enormous profits. Because they recognize they can still bring in grand revenues while offering great games and fair payouts, it is advantageous to them to offer honest, quality games in order to maintain both their reputation and their bottom-line.
In summary, I would definitely conclude that online casinos are fair.
5. Can I really win?
As in all casino play, gambling is a risk. There will be games you will win and games that you will loose. However, you can definitely improve your chances of winning and optimize your gambling experience by playing well and choosing the right strategy.
It is definitely possible to win big while online gambling! We have seen several examples from our very own bettingexpert users with photos of their big wins and stories about winnings that exceed the thousands of dollars.
6. How do I withdraw my winnings?
There are usually several options to retrieving your winnings. Each website has its own specifics. Below are the four most common withdrawal options:
Cheque: you can choose to receive your winnings on a cheque. This will be sent to you via the postal mail and will take a few days to get to you. Some casinos might charge you $1 for the mail fee but usually this service is for free. Also remember that your bank might charge you a small fee to deposit the money into your bank account.
Cheque via courier: for immediate delivery you can have the cheque handled by quick companies like UPS or fedex who will make sure that the check is in your hands within a few days. Depending on how much you’ve won, they will charge you about $30 for their service.
7. How do I deposit money in an online casino?
There are several ways to make a deposit at an online casino:
you can deposit money right away at all online casinos with a credit- or debit card. Cards like visacard, mastercard, dinnners club, eurocard, etc. Are accepted at most online gaming sites.
in case your credit card has been denied due to bank restrictions or deposit limits, then neteller is another option for you to make a deposit at an online casino. As mentioned above, you can create an account for free and use it to make deposits as well as withdrawals.
this method will transfer money from your bank account to an online casino. However, it does take some days for the transaction to be completed and is therefore only recommendable if you cannot make a deposit by credit card or if the deposit you wish to make is too big to be completed by credit card transaction.
this card can be purchased in your local shop and can be used for payments on several internet sites. You can find the nearest local seller at www.Paysafecard.Com. To use it you have to type in the PIN code and password (these you will find on the paysafecard) and the current amount you bought will be transferred to the casino accordingly.
8. Am I a compulsive gambler?
Although intended to be an exciting, entertaining and enjoyable experience, gambling can become an obsession. When one feels an uncontrollable obsession to win that consumes their life and distorts their judgement, they can be diagnosed as a compulsive gambler. People become addicted to gambling for several reasons--it allows them an escape from reality, offers them a bit of excitement and distracts them from life outside the game. Compulsive gambling can result in bankruptcy, debt, ruined relationships and a plethora of other problems. There is surely a blurred borderline to this phenomenon that makes it difficult to say precisely when you are obsessed about playing or just eager to win in a healthy way, but a golden rule is that you should never play with money you cannot afford to loose. Also remember that gambling is meant to be fun.
If you might have a gambling problem then please consult your doctor or visit: www.Gamblersanonymous.Org
9. How are the casinos rated at bettingexpert?
We put a great effort into carefully trying and testing casinos before we review and recommend them at bettingexpert. Casino are tested by either jesper or I by making a deposit and playing at the casino to see if it works according to our standards of fair games, reliable payouts and good support service. If so, we rate the casino upon the following criteria:
- The quality and quantity of the signup bonus and other promotions
- The quality and quantity of games, the software design used and other advantageous features
- The quality and quantity of support – for example if live help is offered and if they give precise and fast answers to our questions
- The time it takes to complete payments
10. Which games and strategies are preferable?
In my opinion blackjack is the best game to play online due to both the high payout potential and the overall thrill the game incites. It is a game that requires both skill and strategy on how to play your hand -- therefore I find it more exciting than games that only depend on pure luck.
It is always enjoyable to play other classic casino games. Games like roulette, video poker and slots always provide a great time. One of jesper’s favorites is "let it ride poker" because you get the chance of hitting the jackpot with a nice royal flush.
Please see all our recommended tips and tricks in game strategies.
Online casino guide for beginners
Online casinos playing for the first time can be daunting, overbearing or a little overwhelming when you are not equipped with the right information. Choosing from myriad game offerings and keeping in mind the rules and regulations may at first be confusing for beginners. A few turns around the online casino site plus a couple of gameplays, and you shall find that it comes naturally while rules are fairly easy to master.
Also, the internet is loaded with websites created by online casinos experts where you can easily find the most recent online casino information. We recommend you start by checking out nzonlinecasinos.Kiwi where you will find that playing online casino is as easy as buying a pair of pants online
There are also possibilities for winning real money while having lots of fun at an online casino, but that’s after you’ve read and understood this guide for beginners.
Instant-play flash vs. Online download casinos
For beginners, there are downloadable versions of online casinos, and there are also web-based instant play games played directly on your browser using flash software. Download software must first be installed on your PC or phone for access to the casino games, and this method tends to offer a wider variety of options with better graphic presentations. Online casino beginners are, however, better off starting with the instant play web versions, before settling on their choice, which can later be downloaded.
There are game designers who have embraced the mobile platform wholly, offering a rich selection of intuitive and user-friendly titles to be played on the go. Beginners looking to play online casinos should try out the mobile versions of games through instant web browser play or downloadable apps. Some native casino apps can be downloaded straight from the online games providers while others are available from either android's playstore or the ios appstore.
Online casino bonuses and their conditions
There are myriad bonuses that await an online casino beginner, differing from game provider to game provider. As a new player at any of the top online casinos, you are bombarded with various types of bonuses that may include;
- 1 st deposit bonuses
- Welcome bonuses
- Reload bonuses
- Cashback bonuses
- Free spins bonuses
Although differing in the way they're presented, these bonuses all come with wagering requirements, which means a player must go through a set of game levels before withdrawing any winnings. Whilst some bonuses are easier to satisfy the wagering requirements and to redeem in one way or another, others will have games that give lower weighting or have no rewards completely. Bonuses come in handy for beginners to boost their initial deposits and play games longer, and new players must check their attached conditions for clearer skies ahead.
Security and gambling licenses
Safety is one of the major concerns that people have when seeking to begin playing at online casinos, and this reluctance is mainly based on internet security. Any fears should be wiped out, therefore before starting to play at online casinos, since reputable operators have in place cutting edge technology for your personal and financial data's protection. SSL encryption, malware firewalls and strict authentication systems make transactions with an online casino un-intercept-able by any third parties.
There are regulations and monitoring of online casinos that require remote gambling commissions such as the UKGC or malta gaming bodies to grant permits only after safety and security are guaranteed. When playing as a beginner in an online casino, authenticating that the gaming provider is regulated by a reputable commission should augment your confidence for a profitable gambling excursion.
The best online casino games for beginners
As stated earlier, gaming will come naturally and needn’t be one of the challenges that a beginner faces on starting at online casinos. Though there are many selections with diverse richness on offer, your novice hand will be directed to blackjack, roulette, poker, video slots and baccarat games that feature very innovative classics variants. Real dealer live-online casino games will also give the feel of actual tables to a beginning player, all the while in the comfort of your home.
Slot machines are a delectable favourite for beginners at online casinos, mainly due to their straightforward play and simple rules. There are demo versions of video slots that allow you to practise your spinning hand, while the free spins offered to make amateur gamblers familiarize themselves before going for the real money.
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Beginners guide to online casinos
UK players don't have to venture to their local casino to enjoy roulette or slots anymore; in 2020 you can switch on your PC or mac, sign up to a site online in minutes and gamble for real cash.
But just how do you go about getting up and running at an online casino? Let's take you through the process step-by-step. By the end you'll be away and playing roulette while choosing the best withdrawal method to get hold of your winnings fast.
Picking a good online casino
Let's be clear: there is a LOT of competition out there right now. There are hundreds of online casinos plying their trade in the virtual gambling-sphere. Some offer games for PC users, some for mac players, and others for use on your mobile phone.
Several boast games from leading games developers, while others are dedicated to just one software manufacturer. When it comes to playing for real money, some casinos let you play for mere pennies while others have minimum stakes that can test anyone's bankroll.
So which do you pick? A good rule of thumb – or rather an ESSENTIAL - is to do your homework. Be prepared and avoid making mistakes by making a list of criteria before you sign up and tick them off. Better, check our casino reviews pages first and get the opinions of our expert team.
Choosing an online casino - checklist
Choice of games - you don't want to get bored, and casinos with a lot of games are always going to be more fun than those with just a handful.
But check the range of games too: roulette, blackjack and slots should be offered as standard, but you should have access to half a dozen varieties of roulette and a few dozen slots that carry different themes, bonus features and jackpots.
If you're a slots player, look for some casinos with progressive jackpots; not only does it mean you can play for million-pound jackpots but it also shows the casino can attract the players needed to make the jackpots big.
Licensing and security - not any tom, dick or harry can set up an online casino but how do you know they can be trusted? Check the homepage for certificates and proof of licencing. Jurisdictions like gibraltar, the UK and malta all issue official gaming licences. Not only that, they insist on the games being tested for fairness by independent auditors.
Ease of use - there's no excuse in 2020 to play at a casino where the games lobby is confusing and where a customer support member is hard to find. Navigating casino tabs in seconds is essential to make for a good experience.
Good customer support - all good casinos will have several methods of getting in touch. Email, phone or a 24-hour live chat operator should be laid on to help out with any problems.
Fast cashouts - reliably payouts are essential to make a casino experience good. Payouts are audited along with software, so check those certificates again. Remember, a solid, properly-licenced casino should be paying out winnings with no fuss.
Registering for an account
Remember what we said about casinos being easy? Signing up for an account should be the easiest part.
First, download the client (if available) to your desktop or hit the 'register' button if the site is a no-download casino.
You'll need to choose a unique username and password to log-in with every time you play. Make both of them hard to work out for added security; there's no point risking being hacked.
You'll receive a confirmation email when you've set up an account. Once activated, you're now free to play games on the site. Most casinos let you play games for free without the need to log-in.
When you understand welcome bonuses you'll get far more in free money when joining a new site.
Making deposits
Playing for real money is what online casinos are all about. But first you need to get some funds into your account.
Head to the cashier and you'll be presented with a list of options to fund your account. You can check our special deposits pages to find out the benefits of each one.
Most UK casinos accept transactions with a UK bank card or credit card, while online e-wallets can be used to move funds around anonymously.
After selecting your banking option, enter the amount you want to deposit and hit the 'send' button. Funds usually appear in minutes (depending on the method) and for most UK sites no fees are applied.
Cashing out
Cashing out is just as simple: head back to the cashier and choose from one of the accepted withdrawal options. Your winnings will go back to your bank account or e-wallet in a few days.
It's worth noting that many casinos operate ID security when you first make a deposit. This usually involves scanning in and sending copies of your passport or driving licence to the casino to prove age and identification. Once approved, your transactions can go ahead.
Playing online slots
Remember, no-download casinos let you play via your web browser; to play a game just click on the game you want in the lobby and load it up. The game will load in your browser if it's flash, java or HTML5, and - as long as your internet connection is strong - will run smoothly on your machine.
Online slots work in the same way as games in a land-based casino: most of the time your entire bankroll will transfer to a slot when you load it up (be sure not to gamble away the whole lot!). If the game freezes while you're playing you normally won't lose a bet.
Playing table games
Table games at online casinos have advanced in recent years. You can now play a dozen variations of roulette, blackjack or baccarat, while live dealer games let you play against a human croupier beamed in via webcam and handling the action on a real-life table.
Placing bets is easy: just drag the chips you want to the areas of the table where bets are made. Winnings are automatically paid into your stack; once you leave the game the funds will appear in your account, ready for you to take to another game.
For more in-depth guides to all the table games you'll find at an online casino, click on the links on our site.
Earning a welcome bonus
Online casinos tempt new players in with the promise of bonus cash and free spins on the latest slots.
A welcome bonus generally works like this:
- The new player makes a first deposit via credit or debit card
- They enter the special promotion code or click on one of our links
- They "play through" table games, slots or video poker in order to trigger free cash
- Bonus cash is usually set at 100%, that is, the casino will match pound for pound your first deposit
- Play enough games in a set timeframe and the casino will release the funds to your account
Sound too good to be true? Not necessarily, but all new players should step carefully.
Firstly, you need to be sure that a welcome bonus is right for you. Do you really want to go through the hassle of playing for hours and hours to trigger some free money? Does your budget even stretch to it? If not, you might not want to take advantage.
Which games can I play?
All welcome bonuses carry eligibility. Some games contribute towards the bonus while others don't. Similarly, some games contribute A LOT, while others don't contribute at all. Check the terms and conditions, as you may find that one casino allows 100% of slots play and 10% of blackjack and roulette to contribute while another allows just 50% of slots and 50% of table games.
Welcome bonuses also have a wagering requirement. Just playing games isn't enough; you will usually have to wager at least 35 times your deposit amount (and sometimes more).
For example, if you deposit £50 and a casino has a 40x wagering requirement, you will have to wager 50x40 = £2,000 on the games to qualify for free cash.
Ongoing promotions
Most casinos offer ongoing promotions like reload bonuses (similar to a deposit bonus where the initial deposit is 'matched' by the casino) but again, a play-through requirement is needed.
With regular promotions, players will need to 'opt in' - that is, you enter a code or click a special link to activate the bonus. That means that ALL your play from then on will contribute to the bonus and winnings earned will go towards the promotion, not in your account.
Online casino guide for beginners [UK]
This online casino guide for beginners is a handy tool to have at your disposal. Here you'll find all the information you need for a good introduction to playing in online casinos. True to our values, we've compiled the information in a way that follows the path of the experience for the player.
Although primarily intended for the novice, experienced players may also find this guide helpful to refresh their knowledge and familiarise themselves with bojoko.
Use the tips provided here to choose the most suitable quality online casino for you. Reading the guide will also enable you to make smart use of the site and reap all the benefits that bojoko has to offer.
Starting from opening a player account, this guide walks you through the whole process of setting yourself up for an enjoyable online casino experience.
We explain the various bonuses offered by casinos in clear, simple terms and what the wagering requirements often tied to these bonuses actually mean.
You'll learn about the most popular money transfer methods and how they work in practice, as well as the things you should take into account when making money transfers.
Further on, we present the most popular online casino games on offer, including an explanation of what a live casino is and how to make the most of the convenience and pleasure of mobile gaming.
There's also a section about the game providers which make online casino games, and we'll have a look at different gaming and casino platforms in use today.
The basics about the licensing system and how it works are also covered. You can find out all about the different types of support available to players, including the variety of customer service channels provided by casinos.
Finally, we close the guide with some do's and don'ts to keep your decision-making wise and grounded when playing in UK online casinos. So, without further ado, let's jump in.
Opening a player account
SIGNING UP
Before you can start playing in any online casino, the first thing you have to do is to create a player account. Signing up is a simple, straightforward process.
You can go to any casino's homepage by clicking the image for that casino on bojoko. The link for signing up is normally found on the homepage, towards the top or the centre of the page. You'll first be asked to provide an email address and create a password, and possibly confirm your country of residence.
The key is to enter all of this information accurately, so that you don't encounter any issues when you need to verify the new account. The next page might prompt you to enter your mobile number to receive a validation code. This step is important for identification purposes and to minimise the risk of fraudulent activity. When you receive the validation code as a text message on your mobile phone, enter the number in the box.
Online casinos always request your personal details, including name, surname, home address, date of birth, gender and nationality, amongst others. You might be apprehensive about sharing this personal information but keep in mind that casinos require this data to process your registration and prevent criminal exploitation, such as cybercrime and money laundering.
Casinos in possession of a valid UK gaming licence are bound by law to collect this information from their users and verify that they're over the legal playing age of 18. This is why, for example, you can't log in to an online casino using facebook or any other third party, at least for real money games. With these security measures in places, minors are barred from playing any online casino games with real money.
There's no cause for concern when parting with your personal details – if the casino in question is a licensed and trustworthy one, it will make use of your data appropriately, in accordance with data protection laws. Any sensitive financial information (such as credit card details) you provide to the casino will also be used legitimately and runs no risk of being exploited.
Bear in mind that providing correct information is essential because this will enable you to withdraw your winnings without any problems. If you've entered false personal details, the online casino might not pay you your due winnings. For this reason, bojoko strongly recommends you double check that every field contains the right information before you carry on creating your player account.
You should also read the casino's terms and conditions very carefully before completing the registration process. The fine print might be boring to read and you might think you know everything that's in there, but if you want to avoid nasty shocks down the line, do yourself a favour and go through it. Even if you're an experienced player, terms and conditions will vary from one casino to the other and keeping track of the rules and limitations when playing is imperative.
After you've successfully completed all the steps, the online casino will inform you that your player account is up and running – usually with a welcome bonus waiting to be claimed.
The order in which the registration form is presented will vary from one casino to the other, but the information required and the verification process remains consistent for all.
Congratulations! You can now officially begin playing in the online casino.
WELCOME BONUSES AND PACKAGES
We mentioned that as soon as you've fully registered and your player account is open, the online casino will usually tempt you with one or a selection of welcome bonuses to choose from. So what exactly are they offering?
Welcome bonuses are the free bonuses casinos greet new players with, much like the complimentary 2-for-the-price-of-1 pizza coupon you get when you visit the new pizzeria in town.
Welcome bonuses are almost always no deposit bonuses, so the bonus can be redeemed without making a deposit. This means that you don't need any money to be able to use these bonuses, and online casinos can present you with some great deals due to the stiff competition amongst them for new players.
A welcome bonus normally takes the form of extra casino money or free spins, but it can occasionally consist of lottery tickets or other promotions. Online casino bonuses are an easy and risk-free way to get acquainted with the new casino and its range of games without putting your own money on the line.
You'll benefit from the welcome bonuses described in the list when you open a new player account, which you'll receive without making any deposit at all. Bojoko regularly updates this UK online casino list with the best welcome bonuses currently available, and you'll always find the most up-to-date bonus information in our listings. These will help you discover the newest casinos and any enticing welcome bonuses that could jumpstart your casino experience, so keep your eyes peeled for any deals.
Claiming a welcome bonus is easily done too. A pop-up window with the bonus details and a "claim bonus" button will frequently appear onscreen when registration is complete. You're almost certainly one click away from redeeming your welcome bonus, but fret not if no such window appears – simply look for the "bonuses" section in your player account profile or find the link in the casino menu.
Welcome bonuses are a fantastic form of freebie but as with any offer, there is a caveat to look out for. Welcome bonuses go hand in hand with wagering requirements, and we'll explore their definition further down.
Sometimes, casinos can be extra giving and offer a welcome bonus package instead of a single deal. You'll be able to view this upon signing up in the same way as the standard welcome bonuses. In all cases, the welcome bonus is a combination of free spins and extra casino money, each with their own special conditions and wagering requirements.
Let's take a closer look at what all of this means.
Free SPINS
Free spins are the most common form of welcome bonus, and the most widespread. There's a very good chance that you'll get a number of free spins when you sign up for a player account at a new casino. The range in the number of free spins can be vast, starting from little over 0 to 200 or more.
The number of free spins you'll receive depends on how generous the casino is with its welcome handouts and whether the free spins are accompanied by extra casino money as an additional component to the welcome bonus. Occasionally, you'll be awarded with free spins if a casino is celebrating the launch of a new slot game. You might even get free spins when you join a VIP program or as part of a promotion. Some casinos will split the total number of free spins into individual sums awarded to you in equal instalments or increments every day.
Free spins can present a more visually appealing experience for users playing slot machines in an online casino, which is why casinos might favour them as welcome bonuses. With its classic, instantly recognisable and usable interface, starburst is currently one of the most popular free spins casino game. Game of thrones, cleopatra, gonzo's quest and mega moolah are also favourites amongst UK players.
Once you've claimed your free spins, you can play them at a limited selection of online casino games, which will probably be a couple of slots. This is because the value of the spin will generally be very low – commonly around the £0.10 mark – and not all casino games support this. However, it's possible to get higher value free spins, and the higher the value of a free spin, the more profitable the potential winnings will be.
Like all other kinds of bonuses, free spins also have wagering requirements that need to be cleared before you can withdraw any winnings arising from them. These days, more and more casinos give out bonuses with no wagering requirements. This is more accommodating for the player since you can withdraw any winnings immediately. We'll take a look at wagering requirements and how they work further down.
BONUS MONEY WITH NO DEPOSIT
Online casinos sometimes give out bonus money with no deposit as a welcome bonus. The first allowance usually ranges from £2-£10, and will virtually always be tied to a wagering requirement. Naturally, you don't need to make any deposits to be able to use this cash offering.
Bonus money with no deposit is, on the whole, more valuable of a welcome bonus than free spins. Consider two different welcome bonuses: 40 free spins at an average value of £0.10 per spin and £5 of free play money. The total value of the free spins is £4 (£0.10 x 40), while the extra casino money amounts to £5. The extra casino money is the winner in this instance, and offers more value than the free spins.
When you play an online casino game using extra casino money, you're free to choose any game you like apart from table games. Often, these cannot be played with extra casino money. Free cash giveaways are a common means of drawing in new players to the online casino experience, but they're also a way of giving new players the chance to try out games freely before depositing your own money.
Bojoko always features up-to-date listings of the online casinos with the best "extra casino money with no deposit" offers. Take advantage of the opportunity to win real money while simultaneously exploring the new online casino and its games.
DEPOSIT BONUSES
Deposit bonuses are given on the condition that you deposit a certain amount of money into your online casino player account. They're usually granted as extra casino money that you can use, on top of your deposit money, to play casino games. Further to this, several online casinos offer players free spins to turn up their deposit bonuses a notch and offer more value.
Deposit bonuses extend the excitement for players, who can immerse themselves in gameplay for longer with the added boost to their funds before they start playing. The format of deposit bonuses is presented as the percentage of the deposit awarded as a bonus, plus the maximum bonus amount that can be awarded. Here's an example:
A deposit bonus of 100% / £100 means that the bonus amount will be exactly equal to the deposit amount up to a maximum of £100. If you deposit £50, for instance, the deposit bonus will match that amount by 100%. The result is £50 in bonus casino money, so you'll get a total of £100 (£50 deposit + £50 bonus) in available funds in your account. The deposit bonus will only be valid for deposit amounts not exceeding £100, so if you deposit £250, for instance, the value of the bonus will still be £100, tallying up to the maximum threshold.
Let's take another example for good measure:
A deposit bonus of 200% / £50 translates into your deposit being tripled. If you deposit the maximum bonus amount of £50, you'll receive 200% of that figure as a deposit bonus. 200% of £50 is £100, which will be added to the original £50 deposit, leaving you with £150 in total available funds in your account. Depositing more than £50 will still accrue the same maximum bonus amount of £100.
The most common percentage of the deposit awarded as a bonus is 100%, but it's not hard to find online casinos offering first deposit bonuses of 200% to players. The percentage can also fall in between these two benchmarks. Online casinos are also in the habit of offering deposit bonuses redeemable after the first deposit is made and the related bonus claimed. Second, third, fourth and fifth deposit bonuses offer players the chance to keep receiving bonus money with every additional deposit that is made.
Here's bojoko's list of the casinos offering the best deposit bonuses right now:
Remember that deposit bonuses will always have wagering requirements which need to be met before you can withdraw your winnings. We'll delve into a thorough explanation of what they entail at the end of this section.
BONUS CODES
Bonus codes are sometimes used by online casinos as a means of qualifying players for a certain deposit bonus. Although the use of bonus codes is still a fairly common practice, more and more casinos no longer require bonus codes to redeem deposit bonuses as time goes by.
If you're asked to provide a bonus code, simply enter it into the field requesting the code. Although it's possible to input the code when you open your player account for certain online casinos, you'll usually be prompted to enter it when making a deposit.
You can find up-to-date information about bonus codes from online casino reviews listed on bojoko. If you want to find out whether a separate bonus code is needed to avail yourself of a deposit bonus, or if you can redeem the deposit bonus without the need to provide any codes whatsoever, simply search for the casino listing and read the review to uncover all the information you need to proceed.
WAGERING REQUIREMENTS
Wagering requirements (also called playthrough requirements) are a set of conditions attached to all kinds of bonuses and specific to each. In a nutshell, they indicate the number of times the bonus money and/or free spins have to be wagered (or bet again) before you're permitted to make a withdrawal. In other words, the winnings made from using extra casino money or free spins cannot be placed in your bank account before the wagering requirements for that bonus are met. This is why you should pay close attention to the wagering requirements of the bonuses you redeem and take stock of how easy or difficult it might be to withdraw any winnings gained.
In general, wagering requirements point out how many times the bonus amount must be wagered in the form of a number followed by an "x". Let's take an example and put this into perspective.
If a deposit bonus offering bonus money is given at 100% / £75, and the wagering requirement is 35x, you'll have to wager the amount you deposit 35 times before you can withdraw any winnings. So if you deposit the maximum bonus amount of £75, and you receive an additional £75 as the bonus (100% of £75), the wagering requirement will be £2625 (£75 x 35). You'll have to wager – or bet – the total amount of £2625, after which you'll be able to withdraw your winnings, if you've made any.
Some online casinos, in turn, adopt a method where wagering requirements are expressed as the sum of both the bonus amount and the deposit amount. This is shown as 25 x (D + B), where D stands for the deposit amount and B stands for the bonus amount. If we take the same deposit bonus of 100% / £75, and assume that we're depositing £75, the bonus amount must be wagered as follows: 25 x (£75 + £75) = £3750. In conclusion, you need to wager £3750 in total before withdrawing any winnings. This type of wagering requirement is tougher to clear and the bonus will be more difficult to use.
When it comes to free spins, the wagering requirements involved are usually 25x to 50x. This means that if you win £12 from a set of free spins, and the wagering requirement is 30x, you'll need to wager £360 (£12 x 30) in total to be able to withdraw the £12 won through the free spins. However, there are plenty of casinos that do away with wagering requirements for free spins completely, much to the delight of the player. If you're playing at such a casino, anything you win from the free spins can be immediately withdrawn.
Wagering requirements exist on a spectrum, with 35x to 50x being the most common range you'll encounter. Lower wagering requirements are rather hard to come by these days, and 35x is considered favourable for the player. If the wagering requirement is more than 50x, you're faced with a challenging bonus that might not be worth the risk and effort of taking.
While bonuses are a good treat for players, you'll need to watch the wagering requirements and work out if you're in a position to clear them comfortably to avoid unpleasant surprises shortly after you sign up. Once you've grasped how they function, you can still make your way through them and collect your winnings. With experience, bonuses and their wagering requirements will become very familiar and easier to take full advantage of.
Banking methods
PLAYING WITH REAL MONEY
Online casinos deal in real money as well as casino money, of course, so you'll need to sort out your banking options early on. There are a number of ways in which you can make money transfers in online casinos, each with its own advantages.
E-wallets, online bank transfers and credit, debit and prepaid cards are the most popular money transfer methods. High-quality, reputable online casinos always feature their range of accepted money transfer methods as a string of icons towards the bottom of the homepage.
Let's see how each of them works so you can choose the best method for you.
E-WALLETS
E-wallets are extremely popular with online casino players due to their high processing speeds and relatively low fees. In practice, the casinos receive your money immediately, which allows you to start playing with real money almost as soon as you decide to deposit.
Paypal is by far the most common payment platform used for online casinos in the UK. Paypal is a very well-known and trusted e-wallet that carries out fully protected online transactions with your money. Millions of users use it for shopping safely on the web, and it can be used in the same way to play in online casinos.
Paypal deposits are processed instantly, so you don't need to wait at all to start playing with your money – an asset for e-wallets. This makes it a preferred money transfer method, since waiting multiple hours or days for your deposit to clear can be a frustrating experience for players. Reputable online casinos will also process paypal withdrawals within 24 hours for UK players – another big plus.
Skrill and NETELLER are two other e-wallets commonly used by players in online casinos. These specialised payment systems streamline deposits and withdrawals, facilitating the money transfer process and reducing the fees that normally accompany these transactions.
Signing up for an account is easy and will only take a minute or so of your time. You'll be asked to provide the usual personal details, and you'll be able to deposit money for gameplay immediately. The money you deposit will be stored in your e-wallet account, which you can use to fund your gameplay or receive withdrawals to.
E-wallets remain the most convenient and fool proof money transfer methods for online casinos, especially for withdrawals. Their transaction fees are kept to a minimum and they're incredibly safe to use. Your sensitive financial information will be stored securely, encrypted appropriately and runs almost no risk of misuse.
In addition, you can also get lucky and benefit from a complimentary bonus on behalf of the e-wallet sites themselves. Sometimes, they will offer bonuses as high as 20% of the amount you deposited, which trickles back into your game funds. E-wallets can afford to do this due to the ease in processing transactions for online casino operators, allowing them to share some of the savings with the players.
Nevertheless, you should inform yourself about the pros and cons of each different e-wallet before you register for an account and start transferring money. Reading the terms and conditions of each e-wallet and comparing the benefits will stand you in good stead, so you always know what to expect.
Depending on where you're accessing bojoko and its listed casinos from, some e-wallets might not be available. When in doubt, you can contact the casino through any of its support channels and verify that you're eligible to use that particular e-wallet freely from the UK.
CREDIT CARDS, DEBIT CARDS AND PREPAID CARDS
Credit and debit cards top the list of popular money transfer methods worldwide, being also the most widespread. You can use your personal credit and debit cards to deposit funds directly into your online casino player account. Visa, maestro and mastercard are the three most commonly used cards in these transactions, but every casino will accept a range of different credit and debit cards.
Using cards to deposit and withdraw funds is easy. All you have to do is provide the online casino with your billing address, card number, expiration date and card verification value (CVV) code to make a deposit.
While the process is simple, the charges incurred for every transaction can be significant. Check with your credit or debit card provider to get a hold of the fees in advance. Remember that once a transaction is processed, any extra fees and charges taken out of your account will be more difficult to reimburse. It's also worth noting that your card should be cleared for online payments and international transactions.
The catch with credit and debit cards is that they work smoothly and efficiently for deposits, but the same cannot be said for withdrawals. Cashing out via a credit or debit card is tricky, and sometimes – as is the case with some online casinos – downright impossible. We recommend that you limit your credit and debit card use to deposits only, as this will make your life easier.
There are other options too. Paysafecard, for instance, is an anonymous prepaid card that you can buy at select purchase points across the UK and europe. Available in set denominations of £10, £25, £50, £75, £100 and more, you can then use the 16-digit PIN found on the card for online transactions.
Paysafecard is as simple and easy to use as cash but it can carry higher transaction fees than e-wallets. With a loyalty programme in place, however, you might be able to recoup the costs and win back some cash. You should also make sure that prepaid cards are cleared for online payments and international transactions because you might have problems depositing with a domestic-only card.
The upside to prepaid cards is that they allow you to fund your online casino account in a discreet manner – more so than traditional credit or debit cards. With paysafecard, for example, you never have to share any of your bank account details, so this could be the ideal option for players who prioritise complete financial privacy.
Other commonly accepted prepaid cards include entropay (a virtual visa card), giropay and postepay. As with all money transfer methods, familiarising yourself with the terms and conditions of each different card is essential to be fully aware of what their use entails.
INSTANT BANKING
Instant banking is yet another popular option for online casino banking. There are a number of bank transfer intermediaries that help facilitate these transactions. The most popular, by far, is trustly – a platform which allows you to transfer money securely and directly through your bank without leaving the online casino site.
You don't need to register or install any software to use this service, and there are no processing fees for deposits. Trustly guarantees the bank transfer instantly, so all you need to do is to enter your bank account details and let trustly do the rest.
MOBILE BANKING
With the proliferation of mobile casinos and a growing number of on-the-go players comes an array of mobile banking options. If you're likely to access an online casino through your phone or other portable device such as a tablet, you're best off using a payment solution that's custom-made for mobile devices.
Zimpler is one such leading mobile money transfer method, and apple pay is gaining popularity as an all-in-one payment solution for iphone, ipad and apple watch users. Boku is a payment platform that integrates itself with your online casino account and removes the need for inputting your financial information every time you need to make a deposit.
With zimpler, any money you deposit to play in online casinos will either be debited from the card or invoiced to you as a separate bill. All you need to do is sign in with your phone and enter a verification code sent via SMS to activate your account. You can then choose your payment method and once the payment is confirmed, the deposit will appear in your player account.
No registration nor apps are involved, so everything is simplified for mobile use. The aim of mobile banking is to reduce the payment process to a tap or two on your phone.
WIRE TRANSFERS
Despite the ever-increasing number of alternative money transfer methods on the market, wire transfers (or "bank wires") remain a staple. The process is very straightforward: all you need to do is enter your bank account details in your to make a deposit or withdraw funds. While bank transfers are relatively simple to process, there are some drawbacks to take note of.
Most importantly, the transferring of money takes longer with this method than any other. It can take up to 5 days to process a deposit or withdrawal, making it an inconvenient and time-consuming affair compared to e-wallets and cards. Your bank may also impose fees for sending or receiving funds, and these fees can vary considerably
On top of that, some online casinos have extra conditions when using this method. Bet365's online casino games, for example, don't charge you any fees for depositing or cashing out via bank wire but they will only permit one free withdrawal per month. As with all banking options for online casinos, reading the terms and conditions for each provider will pay back dividends in making wise choices according to your individual needs.
DEPOSITING FUNDS
Depositing funds is instant or almost instant with nearly all of the most popular money transfer methods. If, for some reason, the money doesn't appear in the account within a reasonable timeframe, you should contact the online casino's customer service. The issue in question should definitely be resolvable and most problems have a simple, logical cause – such as the user entering the wrong credit card number.
Deposits don't require user authentication because the identification process is only necessary for withdrawals. However, it's also worthwhile to ensure that any personal information you enter is accurate, even at this stage. This will prevent any difficulties with withdrawing your winnings when you decide to.
Online casinos will normally set a minimum limit for deposits, which may vary between casinos and money transfer methods. This limit typically ranges from £10 to £20, depending on the casino. The maximum limit for deposits is also stipulated by certain casinos, and will generally be well into the thousands of pounds.
Handling costs are part and parcel of making deposits, and while some casinos cover these costs for the player, sometimes you'll be charged these fees when you make a deposit. The extent of the charges varies once again, but is rarely higher than a few pounds. Online casinos should always inform you clearly of the handling costs involved when you deposit money into your account.
Casumo is a great example of an online casino where money transfers are completely free for both deposits and withdrawals (with the sole exception of credit card deposits), and are processed very quickly. Trustly and skrill are also free methods most of the time, while credit card deposits usually carry a 1% to 3% charge. Paysafecard charges low processing fees, while zimpler can charge up to 10% for each transaction.
When you're entitled to a first deposit bonus or any other deposit bonus, make sure that the bonus has been activated when you make a deposit. If you need a bonus code to unlock the bonus, remember to enter the code into the appropriate field in the process of making your deposit. If a separate bonus code isn't required, tick any box that asks you if you want to receive the deposit bonus offered. This box can, at times, already be ticked for you. If you don't want to use the bonus in question due to the wagering requirements being too high, for instance, remember to untick it.
WITHDRAWING FUNDS
Withdrawing funds is usually done through the same money transfer method you used for your deposit. This makes everything much simpler and easier, although it's still possible to use different methods for deposits and withdrawals. There are several money transfer methods that can't be used for withdrawals, such as zimpler, paysafecard and often mastercard too.
The speeds at which withdrawals are processed vary from one online casino to the other and also depend on your money transfer method. In most cases, withdrawals made via e-wallets and online bank transfers can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of business days to process. The first withdrawal you make as a player may take a bit longer than the norm since the online casino needs to verify your identity and confirm that you've cleared all the wagering requirements for any bonuses you've used. You won't be able to withdraw any winnings resulting from bonuses if you haven't met the wagering requirements.
As we mentioned before, trustly and skrill are methods that are normally free for making withdrawals. Handling costs for withdrawals usually amount to no more than a few pounds for each transaction. You can find more detailed information about withdrawal charges in the online casino reviews, where you can compare different casinos, methods and the fees involved. Mobile withdrawals (like those done through zimpler, for example) tend to be more costly.
Like deposits, withdrawals have lower and upper limits. The minimum limit is normally around £20, while the maximum limit for withdrawing funds can verge on several thousands of pounds.
"KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER" PROCEDURES AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Before you're allowed to make a withdrawal, an online casino has to verify the player's identity. This is done to ensure that the player is over the legal minimum age of 18 to be able to play legitimately, and also to adhere to UK gaming legislation about money laundering and cybercrime prevention. Online casinos call these "know your customer" (KYC) procedures and will request documents from players to complete this process.
So, to prove your identity, you need to supply documents showing evidence of your full name, age and residential address. Often, proof of the money transfer method used is also required. This process is normally carried out via email – you should compile a list of scanned or photographed original documents and send them to the casino staff on the contact email address provided.
The documents accepted generally include the following: a valid identity card, passport or driving licence. The identification document should have a clear, good-quality image of your face and the date of birth should be readily visible. You should scan or photograph the document in its entirety – also including the edges – with both sides in full view, especially if the ID card is machine readable with an MRZ code overleaf.
The document proving your home address can be either an electricity, water or phone bill. The bill must be dated within the last three months, and should have your full name, address and issue date all clearly stated.
The money transfer method you used can be proven by taking a screenshot of the transaction from the account as it happens. The screenshot should include all the information required to verify the account, including your full name, IBAN and the deposit reference number. In case you've used a credit or debit card, you can blur or cross out the last four digits of the card number as well as the CVC to protect your sensitive financial information.
All information you submit to reputable UK online casinos will be used in accordance with gambling laws and will never be disclosed to third parties without your consent. It's a good idea to have all these documents and information handy when you register for a player account, so when the time comes to make a withdrawal, the process moves quickly and smoothly.
Playing casino games
TYPES OF CASINO GAMES
Once the registration and banking processes have been ironed out, it's time to indulge in the fun part – playing the online casino games! With hundreds of casinos offering thousands of different casino games, you're definitely going to be spoiled for choice when playing. The huge selection of games available on the market can be split into these categories:
- Slot games
- Jackpot games
- Table games
- Video poker
- Scratchcards
- Keno, bingo and others
- Live casino or live dealer games
- Poker
- Sports betting
You'll find this variety of games in virtually every UK online casino, and most casinos will have these separate categories for their games. Sometimes, the lottery games including keno and bingo are placed under the "other games" section.
There are also casinos with a selection of virtual casino games which differ greatly in nature and appearance from the game categories listed above.
SLOT GAMES
Slots are the easiest game you can play in online casinos. Also called slot machines in traditional casinos, this type of casino game is so popular that it's the one manufactured in the largest quantities by game developers. Top online casinos will always have several hundred different slot games for you to try and enjoy.
The oldest and most basic type of slot is the classic three-reel. These generally have one single winning payline but they can have up to 9. Classic slots like these are very simple and don't usually have special bonus symbols that increase your chances of winning. To play, all you need to do is choose the coin value and spin the reels, just like a traditional slot machine. Bonus slots or multi-lined video slots can have between 5 to 9 reels and from 10 to 1000 paylines. On top of the standard paylines, special symbols found in certain slots can greatly boost your winning streak.
Slot games will also have different themes, some of which will appeal to you more than others. Some of the most popular slot games in UK online casinos are starburst, immortal romance, age of the gods, game of thrones and gladiator. All these slot games have cool graphics built around a memorable theme, which keeps players entertained.
It's important to keep in mind that slots are completely random with each spin of the reels. The outcomes generated while playing are determined by random number generators (rngs), the mechanism used in online gaming to ensure fair play. Rngs provide the assurance that spins are entirely independent of one another and there is no causality in gameplay. This is why you can play slots for a while and win nothing, and also spin the reels once and score a winning payline. Rngs are frequently tested to verify to safeguard casino games' randomness.
JACKPOT GAMES
Jackpot games feature a sum of money that either stays the same or increases – called fixed or progressive jackpots respectively – as the prize. Fixed jackpot games are actually a type of slot game with a jackpot set at a definite amount that doesn't change. This jackpot can range from a couple of hundred pounds to well into the millions, and once it's won, it will be replaced with a new jackpot of the same value.
Progressive jackpot games are identical, with one distinctive feature: a jackpot that continually increases until it's won. This means that progressive jackpot games are amongst the most lucrative casino games you can play and can lead to big wins that change your life.
While fixed jackpots retain the same-value prize no matter what, progressive jackpot games have a jackpot that rises as players put coins in the machine and spin the reels. A tiny percentage of each coin played "feeds" into the progressive jackpot, accumulating large sums of money over time.
Because the odds of winning the jackpot remain the same no matter how much the jackpot grows, progressive jackpots have a tendency to balloon into astronomical figures into the millions of pounds before they're won. Once the winner claims the jackpot money, the figure can start again from zero or from a base sum like £1,000,000 for mega fortune.
Mega fortune is one example of a popular progressive jackpot game. It's produced by netent, one of the most renowned online casino game providers. Others include mega moolah (made by microgaming), arabian nights (netent) and hall of gods (netent).
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT GAMES
You can find progressive jackpot games in different formats, and it's important to take note of these variations to understand how the jackpot is concentrated across games and casinos. At the most basic level, progressive jackpot games are limited to one game and one casino. An example of this is cosmic fortune, which has a casino-specific progressive jackpot that accumulates only through the slots played in one specific casino.
Game-specific progressive jackpots such as mega fortune are found in several casinos and grow their jackpot through this single casino game featured in multiple casinos. The most distributed type of jackpot is one that is split between several games in several casinos, as is the case with mega moolah isis and batman the dark knight. The progressive jackpot games that accumulate money across several casinos will naturally have the biggest jackpots.
TABLE GAMES
Table games are the best-known and most beloved traditional casino games, and – with few exceptions – can be found in every online casino. The most popular table games are blackjack, roulette, baccarat and texas hold'em. These are played on a table and operated by one or more live dealers, distinguishing them from games played on a mechanical device like a slot machine.
The rules for playing vary between each type of table game and you'll also find different versions of each type. Craps, caribbean stud poker, punto banco and yahtzee are other examples of table games. Roulette can either be american or european roulette – the latter having a lower house edge than the american version.
Table games require knowledge of gameplay and a basic level of skill that surpasses slots. While they're considered casino classics, players may feel that table games in online casinos are slightly dull compared to other types of games like slots, for example. There's less of a thrill in playing table games and they don't serve players with the enormous wins, fun surprises and elegant look present in other types of games.
Table games, however, have been adapted for the online casino world through the introduction of the live casino. We'll explain what live casinos are further down below.
VIDEO POKER GAMES
Video poker games are a highly popular, traditional casino game which can be played in virtually any online casino. The game is based on five-card draw poker and unlike slots, you will have a small degree of control over the outcome of the hands you play. As always, video poker games will be diverse and varied but joker poker and jacks or better are pretty ubiquitous in casinos.
Different versions of video poker will produce a range of winnings, and there are tried-and-tested strategies for reducing the house edge considerably which you can learn. In fact, the payback percentage of video poker can reach a whopping 99% if you successfully eliminate the house edge to your advantage. Similar to "return to player" (RTP), payback percentage is a measure of the amount of money that a gambling machine or an online casino is programmed to pay back to the player, relative to their bets and the length of time they spend playing. (take a peek at our FAQ if you're lost on terminology.)
Aces and eights, aces and faces and deuces wild are all good video poker games to try which will help you become familiar with the video poker variation available on the market.
SCRATCHCARDS
The UK is no stranger to a lottery and scratchcards reflect this keen interest in the online casino world. Scratchcards in online casinos are like an instant lottery, which can be both fun and financially rewarding. Scratchcards are very cheap and you don't need any strategy to play and win, making them a favourite amongst players who want to try their luck with minimal effort.
Different scratchcards offer different chances of winning, however, so the seasoned player will implement a strategy to benefit his odds. These odds are the reason why different scratchcards have different prices. Consequently, the jackpot offers the lowest opportunity for a win, while symbol combinations offering a win totalling a couple of quid will be a lot easier to achieve.
Luck is the biggest factor in winning scratchcard games, but you can increase your odds of winning by erring on the side of caution and using lower-priced scratchcards at first. The more cards you have, the higher your chances of winning, and you'll also be keeping your funds in check until you score big.
Some of the most popular scratchcard games in the UK are instant millionaire, fruity flurry and 777. Each of these offer a diverse mix of prizes and winning combinations which should get you sufficiently familiarised with how online scratchcards work.
OTHER GAMES (KENO, BINGO ETC.)
Apart from the major casino game types already mentioned, there's an assortment of other kinds of games that don't fall under any of these specific categories. These include keno and bingo, which you'll find in many an online casino.
Keno and bingo are similar, lottery-like games of numbers. Keno is one of the oldest casino games in history, and the object of the game is to pick several numbers on a ticket that match the numbers drawn from the ping-pong ball machine. In bingo, the player doesn't get to make this choice. Instead, the bingo tickets already have a number and the winning streak occurs when you mark off all the numbers on the game card or mark some of them off in a special pattern – depending on the rules of the game you're playing. Bingo can be played in a variety of ways and keno can also feature some variation between casinos.
Board games such as backgammon, solitaire, chess and yahtzee are less commonly found but remain classics that need no introduction – and firm favourites amongst offline players. With some luck, you can find these games in some online casinos too. SPIGO is one such game provider that has developed games based on the traditional versions of backgammon and yahtzee.
Chess poses challenges for fair gameplay when played online for real money. It's difficult to enforce the rules of this sophisticated game and you might find yourself competing against a computer program that has already solved the game from the outset.
These alternative games promise heaps of fun with the added excitement of playing with real money. Social casino games are the boon of the future and we're paying witness to a meteoric rise in their uptake and popularity amongst players.
LIVE CASINO OR LIVE DEALER GAMES
Respectable online casinos will, more often than not, feature live dealer casino games as part of their game selection. These games serve up a realistic atmosphere with impeccable graphics, perfectly capturing the experience of being physically present in a casino with a real-life dealer to manage the game.
Live dealer games differ from regular casino games in several ways. First of all, live dealer games are brought to you via a live broadcast which allows you to see the game progress in front of your very eyes as you make your moves. You can chat with the game managers while playing and also communicate interactively with other players in certain online casinos.
Live dealer games generally feature table games exclusively. Roulette, blackjack, baccarat and texas hold'em are the ones most typically available, although you'll find casinos that include a variety of dice games too.
Netent and evolution gaming are two of the major game manufacturers specialising in the production of live casino games, so you know you're in for a high-quality experience if you play one of their live dealer games. Live casinos don't normally give out bonuses, or else they'll feature their own special deals. In addition, any deposit bonuses you receive and use from regular online casino games aren't usually transferable to live casino games.
POKER
Poker is widespread in online casinos and while there are several types, texas no-limit hold'em is the most common and popular poker game. This poker game is the easiest one to play but the hardest to master.
In this version, the player receives only two cards and uses both – or just one in certain situations – in combination with a shared community group of cards to make out the best five-card poker hand according to basic poker rankings. Played in this manner, poker merges a basis of luck with a degree of skill.
In addition to texas no-limit hold'em, omaha is a variation of poker that you'll typically find in online casinos. In omaha, you're dealt four cards instead of two, which means that making big hands is far easier.
SPORTS BETTING
Sports betting is yet another highly popular branch of the UK online casino experience. Players can bet on a wide range of different sports, the most common being football, horse racing, fighting (boxing and UFC), cricket, rugby, golf, tennis, formula 1 and greyhound racing. You can navigate different odds and place bets on sporting outcomes, which can lead to substantial wins if you're an avid sports fan with your finger on the pulse of sporting events, news and updates.
MOBILE CASINO GAMES
Playing in online casinos on mobile devices is a phenomenon that keeps growing year after year, with more players accessing their favourite games on their smartphone or tablet more than ever before.
New online casinos emerging on the web, in particular, are investing in mobile optimisation to provide a smooth and enjoyable player experience for this expanding subset of online casino enthusiasts. Game manufacturers and established online casinos are also focusing on making their offerings as mobile-friendly as possible to cater for a new generation of mobile-first players.
Mobile casino games are those specifically designed for use on a mobile device, although they run smoothly on practically every browser and generally offer the same money transfer methods as traditional desktop casino games. Mr green, for instance, furnishes mobile players with an app you can download separately to further simplify the use of the mobile casino. Leovegas, rizk and casumo are other casinos that offer a first-class mobile casino experience, constantly raising the bar for usability, speed and overall enjoyment. Slot games usually comprise the majority of the selection, but you'll also find plenty of scratchcard games and even live mobile casino games in the top-tier casinos.
Mobile banking options such as boku and zimpler facilitate the transfer of funds for gameplay through a few simple steps carried out using just your phone and nothing else. This level of convenience is a major pull for players and a reason why these money transfer methods keep gaining traction. You can learn more about these casino banking methods if you want to brush up on your online casino banking knowledge.
The quality and quantity of mobile casinos and mobile casino games is on the rise, so there's a lot to be gained from giving them a try.
Game providers
Online casinos don't actually produce or manufacture the games they have on their sites. The games you find in online casinos are delivered by game providers – the ones responsible for producing the gaming products.
An awesome combination of technical expertise, good infrastructure and creativity is essential to becoming a game provider of note and continue providing exhilarating gaming experiences for players. This is especially true as time progresses and games undergo innovation. In recent years, the number of game providers specialising in mobile casino games and live casino games has increased parallel to the interest in these game categories.
There are dozens of game providers and many other new ones breaking into the scene every year. These companies are some of the most prominent and well-regarded game providers in operation today:
- Netent
- Evolution gaming
- Play'n go
- Microgaming
- NYX interactive
- IGT
- Yggdrasil
- EGT
- Williams interactive (WMS)
- Quickspin
Four out of these ten game providers were all founded in sweden, with others based in malta, bulgaria and las vegas in the US. Sweden remains a top player in the online casino game manufacturing field and a solid guarantee of quality production. This means that whenever you're playing a netent, play'n go, NYX interactive or quickspin casino game, you can rest assured that you're getting served with impressive graphics, strong usability and great bonuses. The bulk of what these game providers produce revolves around slot games.
Evolution gaming and micrograming are also highly esteemed, with a legacy of ground-breaking work behind them. Evolution gaming is currently leading the way in live casino games for mobile, and microgaming is famed for its claim to creating the world's first true online casino software in 1994. Microgaming has the largest online casino game portfolio in the industry, clocking up a staggering 850 games and counting. Some of the biggest online jackpot games, such as mega moolah, are microgaming's creation. The company also has a knack for partnering up with celebrated franchises, as evidenced by the tomb raider and game of thrones games.
Other well-known names in the industry include playtech, ELK studios, realtime gaming, novomatic, IGT, WMS, aristocrat, thunderkick, EGT, nextgen gaming, betsoft gaming and cryptologic. Often, the entrepreneurs running newcomer companies are former employees of the big game providers like netent, meaning they bring a wealth of experience and know-how to the table.
Find out more about the biggest game software providers in the UK online casino landscape so you can learn which ones make the games you love the most.
Licensing in the UK
AN OVERVIEW
Licensing plays a fundamental role in the online casino industry. The UK has a sound licensing system that prioritises player protection and social responsibility, while also adhering to strict jurisdiction on technical standards and implementation guidelines. This framework ensures that you, as the player, enjoy an experience based in safety and quality when playing in online casinos.
The gambling commission is the authority responsible for regulating online casinos and the gambling industry in the UK, as dictated by the gambling act 2005. This regulatory body enforces a specific code of conduct for operating an online casino to prevent exploitation and unfair activity. These regulatory devices are instrumental given the remote nature of the online casino business.
HOW LICENSING WORKS
All reputable online casinos in the UK must have a valid licence issued by the gambling commission or another regulatory body with a similarly high-calibre reputation. This documentation certifies that the online casino has been appropriately vetted and has the right to run its business in accordance with a set of criteria enforced by the authority in question. If you're accessing our site from the UK, all the casinos you see listed on bojoko have a full, valid UK licence.
Currently, there are about a dozen different countries and regions around the world which can issue gambling licences. Europe's main licensing locations are malta, gibraltar and the UK, which cover most of the european economic area (EEA). Due to this, all the winnings resulting from online casino gameplay are tax-free. You'll never have to pay any tax on any sum of money you win in a licensed online casino, whether it's £100 or £1 million.
T's also safe to say that online casinos with a valid gambling licence from within the EEA are respectable entities to entrust your money to. These casinos are closely monitored by the relevant authorities and the precise terms of the legislation applicable to their operations. Online casinos licensed in the isle of man and alderney generally don't tax players on their winnings, although there might be exceptions to this rule.
Casinos featured on bojoko can be relied on to be fully licensed in the UK. However, when it comes to non-european territories, licences issued from other regions should be treated with caution. Other locations might have little to no regulation in place to deter and penalise unfair or fraudulent business practices on behalf of the online casinos, so it's best to make a pass or exercise your best judgement.
In order to apply for a licence, online casino applicants must undergo several background and security checks. The gambling commission imposes a string of procedural and operational requirements that casinos have to comply with in order to acquire and keep their licence.
The regulatory measures don't stop when the licence is issued. After the gambling commission grants the online casino a working licence, it will submit it to regular financial and tax auditing as well as technical tests to ensure compliance on all fronts of its operations. The commission also has the power to suspend and revoke gambling licenses if it finds evidence of malpractice, such as unfair treatment of players, money laundering, etc.
It's useful to note that the gambling commission doesn't deal with player complaints. You should always direct these to the relevant online casino's help and support channels.
TYPES OF LICENCES ISSUED BY THE GAMBLING COMMISSION
There are multiple types of licences issued by the gambling commission, grouped according to the gaming category they fall under. The whole list can be viewed here.
Every type of licence has its special set of conditions that need to be met by the gaming operator. Gambling licences cost a fixed application fee that is determined by the annual gross gambling yield of the gaming operator. There's also an annual fee payable to the commission based on the same criteria.
HOW TO WEED OUT THE GOOD LICENCES FROM THE BAD
All the online casinos listed and featured on bojoko have a valid UK gambling licence issued by the gambling commission. Reputable online casinos will feature these quality benchmarks at the bottom of their site's homepage. Look out for this logo when you're sizing up a new online casino:
Apart from looking out for this entity's stamp of approval, you can also objective assess an online casino's legitimacy by scrutinising elements such as the quality of its design, usability, support functions, game selection and more. Compare and contrast these features of the casino to the ones you know have a high standard - this exercise will reveal a lot about the casino. The good ones will score highly on all these features, and the bad ones tend to display poor quality in one or more of the elements mentioned above.
Player reviews on bojoko might also have a wealth of information about a particular online casino's licence, so take the time to scan review for other players' two cents on the matter. If you're ever in doubt about whether an online casino is licensed, drop the casino a line to investigate. The easiest way to do this is via email or live chat on the casino's website, and you can then share your findings on bojoko. Your contribution will help us keep rogue casinos at bay and enrich our community with the information players really value.
Casino platforms, game platforms and "white labels"
When it comes to the production of online casino games, casino platforms, game platforms and "white labels" are essential components. Let's take a look at what each of these terms means.
GAME PLATFORMS
To understand what a game platform is, we can take the example of small game providers. These companies use a variety of game platforms through which to publish their games, although the game platform itself is not the publisher.
This is how it works in practice: the game platform signs a contract with 10 different online casinos, based on an agreement between the game provider and the game platform. The game provider's selection of games will then appear in all these 10 online casinos.
A game platform is, therefore, the platform that enables this single contract to be made and the game provider to distribute their game across a number of online casinos at once. This practice is a cost-effective means of game distribution, which is why small game providers with low budgets resort to using game platforms to get their products out there. Conversely, game platforms benefit from this arrangement as they gain access to a range of the game provider's products through a single, fairly priced contract.
Currently, the most popular game platforms in use are microgaming quickfire, NYX gaming and relax gaming. Microgaming quickfire's trump card is that it offers microgaming's own dazzling selection of online casino games. Other less established game providers can utilise quickfire to publish their games through this platform.
In turn, game platforms like quickfire receive a single contract to distribute the provider's range of games, as well as access to other game providers' selection of games. While quickfire doesn't feature all existing microgaming online casino games and not all games may be produced by the same game provider, the choice of games tops more than 500 – offering ample benefits for all parties involved.
CASINO PLATFORMS
Casino platforms refer to companies that provide a comprehensive package for establishing a new online casino. By means of an agreement struck between the two parties, the individual founding the online casino is given access to all the games on the casino platform, the money transfer methods in place and in some cases, the customer support function too.
The casino platform is supported by the adequate software and infrastructure that permits casinos to work smoothly in the first place. The primary goal of casino platforms is to eliminate technological bottlenecks and keep costs to a minimum for both operators and "white labels" – which we're going to cover below.
The gaming innovation group has its flagship casino platform igaming cloud, and everymatrix is another example of such a casino platform. The igaming cloud platform is one of the most respected in the industry and hosts, for instance, the popular online casinos rizk, cashmio and casino calzone. These platforms offer the full spectrum of services for igaming operators.
"WHITE LABELS"
A "white label" solution refers to a product or service developed by a company for the purpose of selling or leasing it to another entity which can brand it under its own name or label. Through "white labels", a fledgling igaming operator can put aside technical and infrastructural concerns in the initial phase of operations and focus exclusively on marketing the business.
"white label" solutions reduce expenses from the launch process and also provide the necessary framework for establishing a new gaming operator. "white labels" have caught on successfully due to this advantageous setting they offer, sparing the operator the hassle of creating and developing the business from the ground up with limited resources.
Sometimes, large and successful online casinos offer their casino platform newcomers an attractive remuneration package. A good example is bethard group, which has traded its base for a casino platform available to new entrants in the igaming operations sector. Online casinos in the making can use the bethard platform to launch their enterprise, which makes bethard the "white label" solution. The online casino scandibet operates in this manner and can be called bethard's "white label".
Support for players
HOW ONLINE CASINOS DETECT DISHONEST ACTIVITY
Finally, no good online casino would be complete without comprehensive support for its players. Issues are bound to crop up every once in a while and you'll also want to get the help you need if you're stuck with something at any point during the experience.
There are myriad ways in which online casinos provide support to their players. Every established online casino will have its own investigative unit for cases involving fraud and other serious criminal offences. The role of this unit is to ensure that players follow the rules and abide by the terms and conditions specified by the casino. Most importantly, this applies for player identity and financial information – two areas that the investigative unit safeguards by monitoring money transfers and the opening of accounts on a daily basis.
Some typical conditions you have to be mindful of are that the player is eligible for the welcome bonus only once and you should be over the legal age of 18 to open an account and play. Opening several accounts under a different identity to take advantage of the welcome bonus is illegal and online casinos invariably crack down on this practice. If such a violation is detected and proven, the casino will penalise you by closing your player account and freezing any funds you have stored there.
While this is the most common infraction of casino rules, the other consists of players providing false identity information. In most cases, this happens when underage users misreport their age to open a player account. As we pointed out earlier on in this guide, this is a legal offense and will result in punitive action when the online casino's investigative unit detects this dishonest activity.
Bojoko is a firm supporter of fair play and we encourage users to respect the rules and other players when joining our community.
TYPES OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT AVAILABLE
Online casinos should all offer support to their players one way or another, but top-tier casinos will provide excellent customer service through the most popular channels, which are the following:
You'll find details on how to reach customer service through each of these channels on the help or support page of the online casino's website.
While the phone and live chat functions promise to resolve your queries in a matter of minutes, enquiries sent via email or social media will require a longer waiting time for a response. This varies from a couple of hours to several days, depending on the casino's customer support policy. You can contact the casino via email or social media at any time on any day of the week.
However, you might need to adhere to specific service times to reach phone or live chat support. This information will normally be provided on the casino's website.
All online casinos listed on bojoko offer customer support primarily in english, but they might also provide the service in other languages. You can find out more about the availability of multi-lingual customer support in our casino reviews.
Do's and don'ts
To close off our UK online casino guide for beginners, here are some do's and don'ts that illustrate some critical points to follow when playing in online casinos. Sticking to these pointers will have you starting your online casino experience on the right foot.
And that's us wrapping up our beginner's guide to online casinos. We hope you've learnt a great deal of cool new stuff about playing in online casinos and feel ready to start exploring bojoko and all it has to offer.
If you're still wondering about something that isn't explained here, visit our FAQ to find the answer. If that doesn't solve your query either, get in touch. We're always delighted to help.
And that's all, folks! We at bojoko wish you a fun ride and all the luck in the world in your online casino journey.
1. Read the terms and conditions for the online casino you're playing in.
These will always contain crucial information about player accounts, redeeming bonuses, money transfers, the casino's privacy policy and many other fine-print details that affect your activities directly. Don't make the mistake of assuming you can skip reading the terms and conditions and coast along just fine; you might run into a problem down the line that can be avoided if you familiarise yourself with how the casino operates.
2. Check that the casino is a licensed one.
One of the first things you should do before you settle on a casino and create a player account is verify that it's a licensed one. At bojoko, this peace of mind is guaranteed because we only feature fully licensed online casinos on our site. Keep your eyes open for the relevant logos towards the bottom of the casino homepage.
3. Know the rules of the game you're playing.
Every online casino game has its own specific set of rules which you can access from the game interface. Read the rules of the game carefully and make sure you've understood how it works before you start wagering large sums of money. This way, you're fully equipped with the knowledge it takes to give it your best shot and gradually improve before you place high stakes on the game – and risk losing it all.
4. Know how much money you can wager and lose.
Smart online casino players treat the money they wager as lost money right off the bat. This mental strategy is a good mechanism for staying aware of how much money you can wager, keeping track of your funds and setting healthy limits for losses. Determining a budget for a session is a wise idea, and you should never play with money you can't afford to lose – chances are that this money will be lost if luck isn't on your side on that particular day.
5. Shop around for the casinos best matching your requirements and preferences.
Before you sign up for a player account with an online casino, do your homework. If you're after the best experience tailored to your requirements and preferences, take these into consideration and research what's available. Bojoko's listings are grouped according to the most common criteria players look out for, such as the newest casinos, the ones with the best welcome bonuses, casinos accepting a certain money transfer method, casinos with games produced by a specific game provider, and more. You can also take advantage of our casino reviews to glean as much information as possible before committing to the chosen one.
6. Know when to stop playing.
While it's a fun and thrilling experience for most players, playing in online casinos can also become addictive. When you're immersed in gameplay, it's easy to lose track of time and speed through one betting round after another. You can also be fooled into thinking that you're "due" a win after a string of losses. This couldn't be further from the truth and is actually called gambler's fallacy. This mindset can lead you to mistakenly assume that you're going to recoup your losses if you keep wagering more money. Knowing when to walk away from the games is part and parcel of sensible gameplay.
7. Experiment with different games and game providers.
Don't limit yourself to one game in one online casino if you'd like to expand your casino games knowledge and potentially increase your chances of winning. Experimenting with different games and tactics in a variety of casinos will open up more opportunities for you and give you a good overview of what kind of games are available. This way, you can explore what's out there and discover your personal preferences for certain game providers and their major styles.
8. Keep up to date with rewards, promotions and bonuses, as well as gaming trends.
Online casino rewards, promotions and bonuses are rife nowadays and you'll always be presented with many offers for the taking. Keeping up to date with what casinos are offering will help you get the best deal when you come across the one made for your needs. Generally, an online casino's newsletter will contain information about the latest bonuses and promotions so we recommend signing up for it at your favourite casino. These newsletters will also often contain information about new games, special-release themes, banking options and other news that will go down a treat for avid gamers. Staying tuned to current trends means you'll be one of the first to know about all the best new updates and won't miss out on gaming developments that make a splash.
9. Stay calm and focused when playing.
While online casino playing is meant to be an amusing experience, bear in mind that you should also approach it with the same level-headedness as you would with any other competitive pursuit. Remaining calm and focused – whatever the outcome of the betting round may be – is always the way to go. Avoid playing online casino games when you're tired, stressed, anxious, intoxicated or otherwise, as this will prevent you from performing at your best and might lead to some poor decision-making.
10. Trust the odds and the data.
"return to player" (RTP) and payout percentages are there for a reason. Don't make the mistake of ignoring the odds and data attached to a particular online casino game, as you'll be setting yourself up for failure. These figures will give you some welcome foresight into your odds of winning and losing so you can decide whether it's worth it to play before you wager your money. While so-called "betting systems" don't work, RTP and payout percentages are accurate statements of how much you stand to win from a certain game or casino in the long run.
DON'TS
1. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
If you experience any issues, don't hesitate to contact the online casino's customer service. The customer support function is there to solve your problems and give you all the assistance you need. Getting in touch with the casino will also give you a good indication of its level of quality and trustworthiness based on the response you receive and how your issues and complaints are handled. If your requests for help go unheeded or handled poorly, bojoko is where you can air your views and share your insights with other players.
2. Don't have unrealistic expectations of winning.
This goes especially for beginners to online casinos: remember that the house (or online casino) always has the biggest edge (or advantage for winning). This ties in with considering wagered money as "lost" money, and will help you keep a realistic perspective on your chances of winning and how your finances are going to be affected. Although winning in online casino games is always possible, it's better to assume you will lose and be pleasantly surprised than risk irresponsible betting due to unrealistic expectations of winning.
3. Don't wager more money than you can afford.
This might seem obvious but it's still a common issue for players. Never resort to borrowing money, maxing out on your credit or debit cards, or otherwise placing your personal finances in jeopardy to keep fuelling your gameplay or chase your losses. In other words, if you want to play sensibly, never wager any money you can't afford to lose. Some online casinos offer a facility that allows players to set money limits which can keep their betting under control – don't think twice about using this if you feel it keeps you grounded.
4. Don't try to commit fraud.
Attempting to trick or cheat the online casino in any way is a sure-fire way to get your player account closed, your funds frozen, and yourself banned from ever playing in the casino again. Defrauding the online casino can happen under several forms, the most common of which are opening multiple player accounts and supplying false information about your identity, particularly your age. These offences are enough to elicit disciplinary action but other, more complex types of fraud will also be investigated and prosecuted accordingly. Keep your player activity and conscience clean and abide by the casino's rules and terms and conditions.
5. Don't bet blindly.
Clever, experienced players do all they can to gain a leg up from the very start, whether it's understanding the rules of the online casino game, knowing the "return to player" (RTP) and payout percentage of the casino, and learning tried-and-tested strategies for increasing their chances of winning – and so should you. Avoid betting blindly, with no knowledge, limits or control on your gameplay, as this will only produce undesirable results.
6. Don't play while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Your mental and psychological state is a factor to be taken account of when playing in online casinos. We highly encourage you to avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs as this hampers your ability to make smart decisions during gameplay. Playing online casino games while under the influence means you won't be at your sharpest and brightest to manoeuvre the experience to your benefit.
7. Don't play games of skill with real money and no prior experience.
Games of skill such as poker and sports betting require just that – a skilled player fully cognisant of the game's rules, plus the experience to use them to his or her advantage. Don't attempt to play games of skill with real money and no prior experience, because it's a guaranteed way of squandering your funds uselessly. Instead, take the time to learn the game inside out and play it for free until you get the hang of it. When you feel confident enough to wager your hard-earned cash, go for it.
8. Don't play for hours on end without any breaks.
It's very easy to get sucked into the online casino experience and spend hours on end playing non-stop. You should set some sort of a time limit for your sessions lest they get the better of you and your gameplay suffers. Time yourself and always remember to take regular breaks from the screen – it's healthy and a refresh will help you play better.
9. Don't use bonuses without acquainting yourself with the wagering requirements and other conditions.
We can't stress it enough – whatever the type of bonus you're taking, get to know whether it has wagering requirements and what these are. Too many players accept bonuses without understanding what their wagering requirements entail, and end up getting the short end of the stick. While there are bonuses that don't have any wagering requirements, this is the exception to the rule. Remember that you won't be able to withdraw any winnings gained from any bonuses until you clear the wagering requirements.
10. Don't fall for fads like "betting systems".
"betting systems" are strategies that are sold on the basis of their extraordinary promises of profit when applied to your online casino gameplay. This is, at best, a far-fetched guarantee and, at worst, a scam. Keep in mind that the house edge is always present, and that skill sharpened through knowledge and experience is far more effective than reliance on any "betting system" – no matter how sophisticated or auspicious it may seem. Don't count on "betting systems" to alter your prospects of winning as you're likely to experience disappointment down the line.
UK online casino guide for beginners
The gambling world is big and exciting these days. The visibility – and sometimes controversy – of the online casino experience is enormously increased. Every football team in the country seems to be linked up with an internet gambling company, and there are promos, offers, new sites, and discounts to be explored every day of the week.
And an explosion can be dangerous.
There remain a number of pitfalls for UK casino players, and anyone who goes into an online transaction without taking some elementary security precautions, and some extra ones related to gambling and their own behaviour is looking at potential trouble.
So we’ve got a guide to take you through the online casino experience step by step.
1 – before you start
We’re a casino portal site so we’re not going to scare-monger or give you bad information. But the most important thing about gambling online is to do so safely. So only go with safe online casinos!
Yes, it is great fun, and you might even win a lot of money, but before you even start gambling make sure you know how to play safely.
Firstly, make sure your computer is safe. That you’ve got up-to-date antivirus software or equivalent protection.
Make sure you’re using decent password protection. This is especially important because you’re going to be transferring money from your account to a casino site and you need to do so safely. One of the attractions of using money transfer services – like paypal most famously, or skrill, or neteller – is that it puts a buffer between your bank account and the transaction.
Use password services if you’re not confident making up a really good password. Use two-factor authentication wherever it is offered and you practically can.
2 – take a look at yourself
Gambling should be good fun. For the vast majority of people that is all it is. However, gambling is regulated for a reason, and that reason is that it is possible to get into lots of trouble with gambling. It is widely recognised as potentially addictive and – we’re being honest here, remember – a lot of the attraction of gambling is that it appears to offer the chance of getting “money for nothing”. People who turn off their critical faculties enough to believe that a modern capitalist business will actually give you money for nothing are quite likely to be vulnerable in some way: perhaps financially desperate enough that they’ll try anything.
Don’t allow yourself to get into that situation.
There are all sorts of advice about safe gambling, but we’d say take the when the fun stops stop slogan as your number one commandment, and also:
Never gamble with money you can’t afford to lose. And never chase losses. Set a limit before you start. Don’t gamble to try to regulate or change your mood or to avoid hard feelings or situations. Keep an eye on yourself: if you’re getting in a bad mood, stop; if you start to notice that gambling is affecting you badly, obsessing you, or you’re avoiding other things in life in order to gamble than it may be time to take a look at your play.
Do all this before you start, and use a guide like our casino guide for beginners to make sure that you’re an informed consumer, not a victim.
3 – finding a site
We’re going to try an experiment now:
Right now here in the UK, and I just got 55,200,000 results from google for a search on, casino site for UK players.
There’s a lot of choices out there. You could spend all day window shopping. You could spend a week reading review sites (many of which have undeclared links to the sites they claim to be giving you an objective take on). You’ll be bombarded with offers as soon as you start searching.
Online casino reviews can be useful. It’s a reality of the industry that some of them will allow their links with casino sites to cloud their integrity. So take their advice, but look out for sites that are well written and have lots of good quality information.
Just cruising around the web is another way to find a site.
The truth is that we can’t really take you all the way through this, and you’ll just have to choose yourself in the end.
As you explore the online casino scene you’ll also realise that a certain amount of the choice you’re seeing isn’t quite the choice it appears to be.
There are a huge number of UK casino sites, but many of them are run under different brand names by a few very large gambling companies, and even more, are run as “white label” sites that are off-the-shelf and almost identical operations bought from the companies that make casino operation systems.
4 – first checks on your new casino site
The first thing you need to do at any online casino site is to check that is licensed for use by UK players.
Until the last few years that meant that the site could have a licence from a number of jurisdictions, but now UK players can only LEGALLY play at a site with a licence from the UK gambling commission.
This should be displayed on the front page of the site. It is usually at the bottom of the site, along with a load of other regulatory information and some industry body memberships and so on.
It is actually worth checking that the license is genuine. You should be able to do this either by clicking on the front-page link, or going to the UK gambling commission site and searching the public register.
There may be notes on the licence, but that shouldn’t necessarily put you off playing at a site completely. Many of the sanctions – and some of them have been very high profile cases with enormous fines – on casino sites have been about the way they handle problem gamblers.
No honest site will allow you to sign up if you’re not legally allowed to, including checking where you are from.
That also depends on you being honest, and we’d reiterate that here: don’t try to get around locational or age-limit restrictions on play.
5 – is my UK casino safe to play at?
You’ll be doing yourself a favour if you do a bit more of a check on a site before you start playing. A decent site will allow you to look around with no restrictions.
Good quality casino sites should look like they’re of good quality. Honest sites should look like they’re honest.
6 – final choices
You should also expect to see a decent-sized welcome bonus, usually at least 100% of the amount of your first deposit, and perhaps some free spins on popular games.
We’d advise you to accept these offers, but not to take them too seriously as ways of accruing money. All welcome casino offers come with restrictions on how you can use the free casino money you’re given and how much of your own money you’ll have to spend before you can access any money you win by playing with it. It’s advisable to make a small deposit to start with even if the welcome offer tempts you to put lots of money in.
You also want a site with the games that you want to play, so browse their selection of online video slots and see that there’s enough to keep you playing.
If you love table games look for those. If you need a live casino then make sure that is there.
And no casino site is any use to you if you’ve got no way of getting money into and out of your account. A good range of payment options is good to see, and you obviously need one that you can use.
Take a look at the general terms and conditions too. Most of them are very similar. Banking terms should tell you how long you’ll have to wait for payments and that’s useful to know.
7 – signing up at a UK casino site
Once you’re happy with the site you can go ahead and sign up.
Sites want this to be as streamlined as possible and so do you.
We looked at one of the biggest UK casino sites and found a three-stage sign-up form.
On page one, you’re asked for your first name, last name, the country you’re in (from a drop-down menu), an email address, your date of birth, and your gender. You also have to tick boxes to confirm that you have read and accepted the terms and conditions and privacy policy (which, as a wise player you’ll have done).
On page two, you’re asked to create a username of between five and 12 characters and a password. Please do make sure that your password is a good one, as casino accounts are ones you do not want to get hacked. Make sure you don’t reuse the password from another account.
You also set up your security question here. You can pick from a list of your birth city, your mother’s maiden name, your first school, and your favourite sports team (my answers are mos eisley, trump, hogwarts, and anyone but united if you’re trying to hack my account).
Finally, you need to activate your account by providing an address, a mobile number, selecting your currency (the example we looked at allowed you to select dollars, euros, pounds, and canadian dollars. Remember to untick the box if you don’t want to receive promotions.
Then you click and you’re in!
This is just one example, but it’s fairly typical.
8 – cashing up your account at a UK casino site
The first place you’ll be sent in most sites is the cashier.
Remember to be careful about payment details and passwords at all times.
Our example offers a verification process that allows you to upload a photograph of your passport, ID card, or driver’s licence to verify that you are who you say you are.
Then you can put some money in.
Standard payment methods
The standard payment methods in the example site we used were:
- Payment cards, with VISA and mastercard, offered;
- Paypal, the rolls royce option of online wallets;
- Neteller, a big player in online gambling payments and highly trusted; and
- Skrill, another online payment method that you will see commonly at online casino sites.
- Pay by phone, very easy to make phone bill casino deposits in the UK.
There’s also a button to click for assistance and a help option.
Other options you can choose here are a language choice and a quick link to your profile. Click on the more button and you’ll be shown paysafecard and muchbetter payment options.
You can also put in a promotion code on this page for extra bonuses. These are worth looking for, and if you sign up for promotional emails you can be sure that you’ll be sent a ton of these codes to encourage you to pay and play more often.
The deposit options are often shown to you in multiples of £10, and this is also designed to encourage you to put in more money. When you can, choose amounts yourself, and remember to never deposit more than you can afford.
You’ll then see that your balance will go up, along with the amount of bonus funds that you’ve earned.
You will normally need to click a link in an email to set up your account fully.
Check if the funds protection information is available. This is a condition of licensing and assures you that player funds are kept in separate accounts so that they won’t be lost if the site ever gets in financial trouble.
9 – picking your games at a UK casino site
You can normally click away from the deposit screen at any time and start to take a look around the site at any time.
If you want to play for free, you should be able to use demo mode versions of casino games once you’re a confirmed member.
So take a look around. Your balance – once you’ve deposited – will travel with you, and when you want to play a game you just click in and you can start playing.
Games are usually arranged by type.
Game type 1 – slots
By far the biggest attraction for most players – and thus the most advantageously displayed by the site – are online slots. These games simulate slot machines, and they are usually five-reel games.
They’re very simple to play. Basically, you hit a spin button, some simulated reels go spinning and you’re rewarded if sets of symbols align along predetermined pay lines when the reels stop.
That’s the simple and unsophisticated version, and knowing that is enough to get you by in most games.
However, there’s now a huge number of types of game. Many players play on mobile and tablet screens, and games are set-up to work for those devices too.
A good piece of advice for any slot game (or any other game) is to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS before you start playing. Just a thought.
Game type 2 – instant wins
If you like scratch cards you’ll find their equivalent in the online casino world described as instant wins. These are much simpler than even slots. Basically, you press a button, things are revealed, and you win prizes for sets of symbols or special symbols or matching amounts of money.
Game type 3 – casino games
Casino games replicate the play of classic casino games. There may be a huge number of casino games at the site you use, and there will almost certainly be a number of variants on each of the games hosted at a site.
The most popular games are roulette and blackjack, one table game (with a wheel), and one card game.
Both are simple to play, but with a good deal of depth to their gameplay. Read up on games before you play them.
In addition, you’ll probably see baccarat, some sort of poker variant (these are usually video poker games, not head to head live poker matches, for those you’ll need a poker site), and many more, like sic bo, or keno.
Game type 4 – live casino games
Those games are simulations. Live casino games are actual games played live in a studio to which you have a video link. You interact in real-time with other players (where appropriate), and with a dealer or more who run the game.
These games play in exactly the same way and give a more social and more classic casino experience. However, it’s harder to pause a live casino game, and you can’t play these games in demo mode.
10 - withdrawing your money
Let’s say you win! You’ll need to take your money out. To do this you will probably need to complete the id verification process that you were offered earlier.
Then you’ll need to select the method of payment, to an account that can receive funds, whether that’s your bank account, or a paypal account or other online wallet.
That’s the rewarding part of playing an online UK casino.
The final advice we’ll give you is that you can never know too much when you go into a UK online casino.
That’s real money you’re playing for, so you owe it to yourself to give yourself the best chance of a rewarding, safe, and enjoyable UK online casino experience.
A beginner's guide to online casinos
Taking the plunge and signing-up with your first online casino is an exciting feeling, although choosing which online casino to sign-up with can be tough. In order to help you decide on the best online casino for you, we've created a comprehensive guide to online casinos for beginners – a guide that will give you the best possible start to gambling online, and that should help you to hit the water running by covering everything from understanding casino bonuses, through to the different games you'll find at the best casinos all the way down to managing your gambling to avoid developing a gambling problem. Finding the best casinos is really simple – let us show you how.
The different games at online casinos
When you first join online casinos, you might not realise how many different games there are available to you. The majority of the games at most online casinos are slots though, and the best casinos have hundreds of them for you to choose from. These range from classic slots, which are the simple slots with three reels and no features, through to five-reel slot machines, with loads of bonus rounds and exciting gameplay. For many though, the best slots come in the form of progressive slots – slots that have jackpots that increase as more people play them. This means that they can sometimes reach millions of pounds!
As you might imagine, there are also many table games at online casinos. The most popular of these are blackjack and roulette though, just as they are in land-based casinos. Unlike land-based casinos though, you'll find loads of different varieties of blackjack and roulette. So, if you like blackjack, you'll be able to play exciting versions like bonus blackjack, blackjack surrender and multi-hand blackjack, and if you like roulette, you'll find the french, european and american versions, as well as much more. Other table games are also available, such as baccarat and three card poker. Essentially, whatever table game you enjoy playing, you'll find it at an online casino!
That's not everything though. At most casinos, you'll also find video poker, keno, and you'll even sometimes find bingo! Most good online casinos now also feature a live casino, where you'll be able to play with a live dealer, who is beamed to your screen via a webcam. This adds a whole new dimension to the way in which you play. As a new online casino player, you should try all the different games, so you can find the one that is perfect for you! You might love some of them, and really dislike others, but that's the beauty of online casinos – they offer something for every type of online gambler!
Finding the best casino - things to look out for
When you’re looking at joining an online casino there are more things you should consider than you may at first realise. Things you should be aware of when choosing an online casino include:
Variety of games on offer - look at the both the number of games as well as the type of games offered by a site to make sure the game you want to play is available and there is variety within that category available banking methods - certain banking methods are not accepted in certain regions or on certain sites: always make sure the online casino you choose accepts the banking method you want to use bonuses and promotions - the best online casinos offer the best bonuses that feature fair terms and conditions safety and security - make sure the online casino you choose is reputable and regulated to ensure both your deposit and your personal information remain safe customer service - no matter what precautions are taken, problems can arise: be sure to choose a casino that offers 24/7 customer service preferably through multiple channels
Choosing an online casino can be tough so, to make your decision easier, be sure to head over to our list of recommended online casino sites for the UK where we have gone to great lengths to vet only the best casinos on offer.
Online casino games on offer
When choosing an online casino to sign-up with it is important to look at what games that site offers, how many variations are offered as well as whether or not the selection of games are casino games you are actually interested in. To do this we must first look at the type of games offered by online casinos.
Slots - the most popular type of casino game, slots feature the biggest range of available variations based on visuals as well as gameplay. From classic three-reel slots to five-reel slot machines and more, progressive slots often offer huge jackpots that only increase as more people play meaning that choosing to play popular slot games will give you access to bigger payouts table games - online casinos offer many of the traditional table games like blackjack and roulette in both their original forms as well as in many different variations such as bonus blackjack, blackjack surrender and even multi-hand blackjack. For roulette fans, many sites offer country-specific types like french, european and american versions as well as many others. Other popular table games include baccarat, three card poker, bingo and more live dealer games - in addition to all the variations of classic games like baccarat, poker, roulette and blackjack, among others, many online casinos allow you to play with a live dealer, giving you a social experience more in line with traditional land-based casinos with the added convenience of being able to play from the comfort of your home instant games - games that can be accessed and played at any time, through any browser be it on your home PC, cellphone browser or other device with an internet connection. These games require a constant internet connection to be played downloaded games - although these games generally require a larger initial amount of bandwidth to download, once they are downloaded they can often be played without the need to be constantly online. These types of games are handy if you are going to be commuting and do not want to spend mobile data or if you have limited internet where you want to play
Whatever your taste in casino games, be sure to take careful note of what games are offered as well as how many varieties are available to you before you choose your next online gambling site.
In addition to having access to the biggest range of casino games, many of the online casinos that we recommend include instant play as well as download options:
Banking methods and bankroll management
An important aspect to look at before signing up at a casino is looking at what methods of banking are accepted for deposits. Top online casinos offer a wide range of choices for players to choose from which most often include:
Debit cards credit cards e.G. Mastercard and visa e-wallet services e.G. Paypal, skrill, and neteller prepaid cards bank deposits
Within these options, many online casinos will give special bonuses for players that use specific banking options however, when choosing which method you should use you should always choose methods that are:
The most convenient to you have the lowest banking fees are the safest and most secure
While the first two are solely down to personal preference, safety is the most important factor in choosing your banking method. While credit cards are the most convenient in most cases, with deposits most often clearing the quickest, ewallet services such as paypal means your banking details are only shared with one service. Debit cards are handy if you have a tendency to overspend as only money that is physically in your account can be accessed (unlike a credit card which can be overdrawn).
Another thing to consider when looking at banking is bankroll management. Bankroll management basically means that you only risk a small portion of your overall bankroll when you play, to make sure you don't lose everything in a single session. By doing this, you'll always have some money left over to play with when you next log-in to your chosen online casino.
Don't be fooled into thinking that bankroll management is only something that high rollers use either. In fact, those with lower account balances perhaps benefit even more from bankroll management, as they can't afford to suffer large losses in a session. So, be careful with your money, and never risk your entire account balance in a single session. Bankroll management is also important when it comes to preventing yourself from developing a gambling problem – a subject that is discussed further down this page.
Understanding online casino bonuses
If there's one thing that confuses more new online casino players than anything else, it's the bonuses. You might think that they are simple – after all, don't you just deposit your money, and the bonus money is placed straight into your account? Well, yes, but there are various terms and conditions to understand, and these can affect how good a bonus actually is.
To start off with, let us look at the types of bonuses available and why you should take advantage of them when building your bankroll:
Welcome bonuses - bonuses awarded for first time users at an online casino, welcome bonuses are often the biggest rewards and can be claimed just by signing up in most cases deposit bonuses - includes bonuses you get by using site-preferred banking methods or simply bonuses for making deposits over a certain amount eg. Extra credit for deposits over £5,000 reload bonuses - bonuses that reward players for depositing real cash into their accounts, these often come in the form of bonus credit or free spins loyalty bonuses - bonuses that accrue over time, loyalty bonuses are geared at rewarding players for continued play and often get better the longer you play
These are just some of the popular types of bonuses offered by online casinos. Although these bonuses may look pretty straight-forward there are a few additional things to consider when choosing an online casino based on their bonuses.
Things to take into account when looking at online casino bonuses include:
How much are the bonuses really worth - some bonuses advertise that they're worth thousands, but you could have to deposit thousands in order to get it. Others offer smaller amounts, but only require you to make a small deposit. You must always read the fine print in order to work out which bonus offers you the most, but within a budget you can afford how are bonuses credited to your account - is the credit automatic, or do you need to complete the transaction (eg. Enter a code which has been sent to you) to claim your bonuses. Sites that require too many additional steps when claiming bonuses should be avoided how wagering requirements affect your bonus - most bonuses require the player to place a predetermined value of bets in order to claim them. This is called a wagering requirement. If the rollover requirement is 35x, and you've received a £100 bonus, you'll have to make £3,500 worth of bets in order to withdraw any of your winnings timed bonuses – some bonuses are timed exclusives, so if you are basing your decision on a certain bonus always check its expiration date
If you want to find out more about bonuses, why not check out our comprehensive bonus guide?
Staying safe when you gamble online
This is a really important section, as we want everybody to stay safe when they gamble online. Key things to remember when looking at online casinos include:
Is it reputable and licensed - it is a legal requirement that any gambling site offering services to UK players is registered with this organization so when choosing your next online casinos make sure it is regulated by the UK gambling commission avoid casinos that have been blacklisted - for slow payments, unsafe payments or those which have bad customer reviews choose casinos that are independently audited - companies such as ecogra help ensure that casino practices are completely fair and odds haven’t been manipulated to give the casino an unfair advantage online security is in place - secure SSL encryption is key in safe transactions so ensure your details are kept safe and only choose sites that guarantee safe transactions if you are gambling using a mobile device, ensure your connection is secure - inputting details when connected to a public connection can lead to your details being stolen. So, by all means, play at an online casino using any connection, but only enter personal and banking details when connected to a connection that you can trust, such as your own wi-fi connection.
Keeping in control of your gambling
Gambling online is loads of fun, however it can get out of control for some people. This is why we want you to be aware of the signs of gambling addiction, and urge you to stop playing if you feel that you're becoming addicted. Some of the signs that you could be developing a gambling addiction include:
Gambling with money you need becoming easily annoyed or irritable not spending time with friends and family stealing money to fund gambling being tired through gambling too much thinking about gambling all the time
If you want to find out more about the symptoms of gambling addiction – or if you want to find out how to get help – please take a look through our dedicated page on responsible gambling.
Above all else - have fun!
The main reason to gamble online isn't to win money – it's to have as much fun as possible! So, try out all the different casino games, see which ones you like the most, and then try to become as good as possible at playing them! We'll help you to have as much fun as possible, by posting loads of useful information on an almost constant basis, ranging from strategy guides through to reviews of new and exciting online casinos.
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Beginners online casino guide
Online gambling has become very popular here down under and more than 80 percent of us aussies admit that we play games of chance for real money at least a few times a year. The economist has reported that australians spend more moolah on gambling than any other people in the world. The interactive gambling act, which the government enacted in 2001, hasn’t prevented us from playing our favourite games online as it does not specifically state that it is illegal to sign up at offshore online gambling sites. There are plenty of offshore online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo sites, and poker rooms that accept aussie players and allow us to wager in australian dollars.
However, beginners need to know the good oil about online gambling before they can begin, and here are some great guidelines for them.
How to choose a great aussie online casino
Since there are several australia-facing online casinos in the industry, new aussie players will find it difficult to identify the best of them, hence our beginners online casino guide. The first step for new players searching for an online casino to play at is to read plenty of online casino reviews. We have provided honest, comprehensive, and informative reviews of the ace online casinos that accept aussie players.
Players can also visit the online casino website and read through its about us page, learn about its licensing and ownership, and find out if its customer care service is effective. To get the deadset facts about an online casino, players can enquire about it at online gambling forums.
The best aussie online casinos are licensed and regulated in well-known gambling jurisdictions such as isle of man, gibraltar, malta, UK, and others. They offer 24/7 customer care service, which includes live chat and toll-free telephone numbers for aussie players. They have huge portfolios of lucrative pokies, table games, and video poker games, many of which have large progressive jackpots. They run lucrative promotions, give away bonzer bonuses, and irresistible rewards for loyalty. They are powered by online gaming software provided by prominent developers such as microgaming, real time gaming (RTG), and playtech. In addition, they give top priority to customer care, fair gaming, and responsible gambling.
Our personal favourite online casino is
Royal vegas casino is part of a well established group, trusted and reliable. Loads of games, especially the pokies! Extremely professional and excellent support. New players can claim up to $1,200 in free bonuses!
Ways to play
All the dux online casinos that accept aussie players offer download, instant-play, mobile, as well as live dealer gambling services. Players can download the casino gaming software or play directly on their browsers or play on their mobile phones and tablets. They can also take part in live games that are really being played at physical locations from the comforts of home. Thanks to webcam and video streaming technologies, players can not only play live games, but also watch live croupiers in action, interact with them, and listen to various casino sounds.
Online casinos also allow players to open two types of accounts—real money and fun play. If players open a fun play account, they can play the casino games for free, but they will not be able to win any real money prizes. If they want to play for real money and win big real money prizes, they will have to deposit some moolah in their accounts using any of the supported banking methods at the casino.
Banking information
New aussie players may initially wonder if their money is safe at the online casino they have registered at. Since online casinos implement the latest 128-bit encryption technology, they are as safe as banks. In addition, australia-facing online casinos offer several banking methods that are very convenient and easy for aussie players to use.
Aussie players can deposit in australian dollars using credit cards such as visa, JCB, and mastercard; debit cards such as postepay, visa electron, maestro, solo, switch, and delta; web wallets such as paypal, neteller, skrill, ecocard, and clickandbuy; pre-paid cards such as paysafecard and ukash; and bank transfer. The same methods can be used to withdraw winnings although the time taken for the winnings to reach players’ personal accounts depends entirely on the type of banking method used.
Casino bonuses and promotions
Playing at online casinos is an exciting experience simply because online casinos offer beaut bonuses and reward players for their loyalty and wagering activity. Online casinos welcome their new players with exciting no-deposit, free play, and deposit bonuses.
A no-deposit bonus is a small gift of cash given away just for registering a real play account at the online casino. A free-play bonus is a larger gift of cash, which players should use to win as many prizes as possible within a given time limit. Players can keep any prizes won while using the above-mentioned bonuses. The most common type of bonus offered at online casinos is the deposit bonus, given away as percentages of players’ deposit amounts. Bonuses are associated with terms and conditions, and players should understand them thoroughly before claiming a bonus.
Online casinos australia is an excellent website for new online casino players from australia as it gives the fair dinkum information regarding online casinos, bonuses, payment methods, and promotions, along with the latest casino updates and news.
Beginners guide to online casinos
If you've never tried online gambling, then prepare to be dazzled. Today's greatest internet gambling websites and apps put a las vegas quality casino at your fingertips. Enjoy the pure pleasure of being able to enjoy more than a hundred games whenever you feel like it with no commitment or complications. The best part is it's incredibly easy to get started. Learn what you need to know in our handy guide for beginners.
Choosing where to play
When you count all the internet casinos, sportsbooks, racebooks, bingo halls, and poker rooms, there are almost a thousand places to play games online. While many sites offer similar games, the quality does vary. Luckily selecting a site doesn’t have to be a full-time job, at least for you. Just pay attention to the experts. Read the reviews, heed the wisdom, and put your trust in their analysis to find fabulous sites. Keep in mind that the options available to you depend largely on where you live. Not all sites operate everywhere.
Even if you decide to go your own way, always play exclusively at licensed and regulated online casinos. There's no sense gambling with your confidence. You deserve assurances that the games are fair and entirely as advertised.
Deciding what to play
No matter what you play, you’ll find great resources on this site and across the web. Don’t settle for basic instructions. Get the most out of your experience with informative strategy guides that will help you win more often.
Today's casinos really do offer hundreds of titles to choose from, at least when you factor in all the different slot machines. Choose from casino classics like blackjack, poker, sic bo, pai gow, craps, roulette, texas hold'em, baccarat, war, bingo, keno, red dog, slots, and countless other titles. If you already have your own signature game, then you probably know which tables you’ll be headed to first. Yet for many players the choice can be overwhelming. Luckily, internet casinos let you sample all their games for free. Dive right into anything that looks vaguely interesting and see if it suits your style.
Games of skill and chance
Some games like slot machines require absolutely no skill to play. After spinning the reels you have absolutely no influence over the outcome. Other games like blackjack feature elements of skill and require you to make in-game decisions. Slots are popular because they are so easy to play, although their returns pale in comparison to blackjack, provided you know how to play properly. Then there are games like texas hold'em poker that require advanced skills like the ability to engage in psychological warfare. There really is something for everybody, but don’t get in over your head.
Aim to have fun
It's important to know that casino games are set up to give the house an edge. That means that over time the casino will take in more money than they pay out in winnings. The size of that advantage depends on what game you play, your level of skill, and the odds offered by a particular casino. It's possible to win huge jackpots or ride a lengthy winning streak, still it's critical to know that you should never treat online gaming as a surefire moneymaking scheme. Always stick to a reasonable budget and enjoy yourself no matter what kind of day you have. Remember that you can play any game for free if you choose, which is a great way to eliminate all risk. Here are some quick tips for succeeding at online casinos: http://www.Mirror.Co.Uk/features/top-5-tips-online-casino-3363034
Always accessible
Internet casinos aren’t just open around the clock like the hottest spots on the the las vegas strip. The greatest sites now work on almost every device. You really can play on your mac, PC, ipad, iphone, android smartphone, and tablet. Start having fun on your own terms whenever it suits you. It's easy to take your seat at a virtual table in seconds to play a few hands while in line at the supermarket. At the same time you can just as easily make a night of it at home on your desktop.
Fantastic fringe benefits
Everyone knows casinos can be rewarding. Yet when you play online the rewards aren’t limited to the huge jackpots you can potentially win. Today's leading internet gambling sites provide fantastic perks and bonuses whenever you play. Many online casinos put their generosity on display with lucrative welcome packages when you sign up. Expect a little complimentary cash to get you started, along with free spins or tournament entries. You’ll also find great loyalty programs that let you rack up points whenever you play whether you win or lose. Get ready to redeem your points for free play, cash bonuses, and amazing prizes. The best part is that participation is automatic at most gaming sites.
A beginners guide to online casinos
Throughout our in-depth guide, you will learn everything you need to know about online casinos:
Choose a good online casino
Online casinos are far safer and reputable than they were 10 to 15 years ago due to much stricter regulations, and even though they all offer similar slots and table games, there are still some that offer a better experience than others depending on what suits you.
When choosing an online casino there are various factors you must consider, and you will usually find that certain casinos fit certain types of people better.
Here are some of the influencing factors to choosing an online casino:
- Must be fully licensed
- Safe & secure and using 128 or 256 bit secure socket layer (SSL) data encryption
- Good welcome bonuses and promotions
- Massive catalogue of games
- Dedicated mobile app
- Play via your browser
- Games from multiple gaming providers
- Huge LIVE dealer suite
- Good customer support
- A good reputation
- Has a responsible gambling policy
Whether you require a mobile-optimised casino, one that has an excellent suite of LIVE dealer games, one that has fast withdrawal processing times, or one that uses your favourite gaming developer, there will be certain things in particular that you are looking for from an online casino.
Our review helps you!
This is why making the choice the right one for you is important. We have reviewed a number of top UK online casinos that accept players from the UK and europe, and each of them is safe, secure and has earned our seal of approval – go and check out them out!
What you should be looking for in an online casino
There is no point going to an online casino with a ton of games if you are not able to deposit or withdraw due to lacking payment options and with the same token, there is little point signing up for an online casino with great welcome bonuses if it is not mobile-optimised and you want to play on your iphone or android.
Here are some common considerations that all players will have to make before deciding which online casino to sign up to:
Where is the online casino licensed?
Checking out the licensing of an online casino might not be considered as an important factor. However, in our opinion, it really should be.
In fact, we suggest that the licensing of an online casino should always be the first thing that you check out because the licensing bodies are there to protect you by giving online casino members a voice as well as reassurance.
The licensing authority determines the number and type of regulations that an online casino must adhere to before being certified by the licensing authority.
Imagine if online casinos were not regulated:
Without any regulations or if the regulations are soft, there is a good chance:
- You are not always being treated fairly
- You may not get paid for big wins
- Your personal and financial information is not being protected
- You have no voice if you have a dispute with an online casino
Licencesed casinos uphold consumer rights
Licenses allow online casinos to operate within their jurisdiction. This means an online casino that targets UK players must be licensed by the UK gambling commission, which is a strictly government operated entity.
Reputable online licensing authorities for UK, europe, and canada include:
These authorities are at the forefront of online gambling and the most proactive as well as trusted licensing authorities. They ensure that players, their funds and their personal information are being protected by making sure the online casinos pass cybersecurity tests and policy implementation.
- Consumer rights are protected
- Casinos must pay players for wins
- Finacial restrictions on the casino means player money is safe
- Player privacy must be respected or the casino will be fined
The best of the 3 casino licensing authorities above is the UKGC.
If you are a UK player, then you should only consider playing as an online casino lincensed by the UK gambling commission UKGC.
Saying that, both the MGA and GCC are also well respected licencing authorities for those players that are playing in europe.
Kahnawake gaming commission is a highly recognised casino licensing body that protects candians with consumer rights laws applied to any online casino that wants to operate in canada.
Each of these casino lincensing authorties have the following qualities:
- Regulations in place ensure that random number generators behind the casino games are regularly tested to ensure results are fair.
- Security such as sophisticated firewalls and 128-bit SSL encryption to protect transactions, information and accounts.
- Player account balances are kept separate from the casino’s own assets, operational costs, and cash flow forecasts for the business.
Finding the licensing (or proposed licensing) that an online casino has is usually straightforward. It is usually found in the footer of the webpage. If it is difficult to find, then you are probably best off avoiding the casino altogether.
Below is an example of ‘vegasparadise.Com’ where you can see that it has been licensed by both the UKGC and the MGA. Furthermore, it also has a seal of approval from ecogra which is also a big positive.
For players in the UK, the UK gambling commission (UKGC) insists that it licensees all online casinos that wish to cater to UK players.
This is different to some other countries that will allow their players to gamble online at online casinos that are licensed by regulatory authorities that are accepted by their governments such as MGA and GCC.
Are you able to play at the casino from your country?
The next consideration you will have to make is whether you can play the online casino from your country.
Fortunately, for UK players, you will be happy to know that each of the online casinos we have reviewed on our website are all legal and accepts UK players without any problems due to the UKGC.
- Make sure the online casino is legal in your country of residence
- Check if the casino is accepting players from your country of residence
If you have discovered that online gambling is illegal in your country, you are not going to be ‘legally’ allowed to gamble online at any online casino. You will also not be protected under local consumer rights laws.
How do I find you if an online casino is accepted in my country?
- Check the licencing authority (for UK the UKGC)
- Look at the online casino’s F.A.Q section
- Speak to the online casino’s support team
- Reading casino reviews
- Web-based versions of their casino that are mobile-optimised
- Created mobile app versions of their casinos
- The ability to support android, ios, windows mobile, and blackberry
- Is there a standalone app or software that needs to be installed?
- Poor customer service
- Long withdrawal processing times
- Too many documents needed with regards to making withdrawals
- Lack of game selections or limited payment options
- Lack of new game releases
- Slow server response times
- Lack of deposit methods
- Check out online casino reviews
- Speak with other online casino players
- Withdraw your winnings
- Deposit cash into your account
- Credit/debit cards
- Bank transfers
- E-wallets
- How quickly does the online casino process withdrawals?
- Check for pending times because this is usually where the hold up occurs.
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Paypal – only works on some online casinos
- Does the online casino run regular bonuses and promotions?
- Look for both regular bonuses + welcome bonus offer
- Avoid good welcome bonuses + low regular bonus offers
- Check the online casino’s VIP/loyalty program
- Players that like to change things up and play many different games
- Players that have a few firm favourite games
- Online slots will represent the clear majority of games
- Table games will represent a smaller number of games
- Which game providers supply the games?
- Microgaming
- Netent
- Playtech
- Quickspin
- NYX
- Play’N go
- Thunderkick
- Novomatic
- Betson
- Betsoft
- Variation of games available (if you like playing different variants)
- How busy are the LIVE dealer suites?
- Can you play LIVE dealer games on your mobile?
- Is their customer service responsive and do they have a variety of ways to be contacted?
- LIVE chat
- Telephone
- Email forms on the website
- Requested call back to your telephone
- Social media
- Full name
- Full address
- Country of origin
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Mobile number
- Email address
Is the online casino mobile-optimised?
For anyone looking to join an online casino for mobile play, one of the first things to check before joining is whether the online casino supports their specific mobile device’s operating system.
Mobile gambling is growing at an unbelievable rate. This no doubt comes as no surprise due to the advance in mobile technology, and the fact that almost everybody has a smartphone or tablet these days plus easy access to the internet.
As a result, operators have either had to ensure that their online casinos have:
This is all made possible via mobile-optimisation software which essentially detects the type of device, the size of its screen, and its specifications.
The system then customises the website so that it fits perfectly with that device. As a result, it doesn’t matter if you have a 14” screen or a 5” screen on your mobile device, the software will stream a custom configured version of the online casino game so that it fits and runs perfectly on the specific mobile device requesting access to the game. – see the best UK mobile casinos here
Online casinos develop standalone apps for mobile players to use. These apps are developed for:
Most players prefer playing at the mobile casinos websites and through a browser, rather than through apps as the browser ten to have more games, and work smoother compared to playing through apps.
What reputation does the online casino have among players?
This has to be right up there with some of the most important deciding factors in our opinion. Even an online casino with suitable licensing can start to gain a bad reputation among players for varying reasons.
Here are some reasons online casinos can gain a bad rep among players:
There are many review sites that will be able to tell you if an online casino is reputable or not. Just like each of our extensive reviews, a good review site will research every component of an online casino.
Check out our extensive casino reviews because we let you know just how we feel about them.
In addition to online casino reviews, if you also know other casino players, you can speak to them to get their opinions before signing up yourself. There are also plenty of online casino forums you can visit.
Recap on how to get honest reviews about an online casino:
It always pays to do a little bit of research on any online casino’s before joining. Your due diligence might just save you a lot of trouble further down the line.
Payment and withdrawal options
Another big consideration you will have to make is whether the online casino has the ideal payment options for you.
Always check which methods the casino let you use to:
You will need to be able to deposit and withdraw money via your preferred methods in an efficient and convenient way. You will need to make sure you have a way to deposit and way to withdraw.
Usually, you will have the option of using:
While you are checking which methods to use to withdraw or deposit, you might want to check out the withdrawal times and pending times too, which we will cover in the next section.
This goes hand in hand with the previous topic as you will not only want a selection of payment methods to choose from, but you will also want these to be processed quickly.
In fact, a casino that can promise quick withdrawals (deposits are already quick) will instantly earn themselves interested players.
Nobody likes to win at an online casino and wait a week for their money. Unfortunately, there are many online casinos where this does happen – especially if credit/debit cards or bank transfers are the withdrawal method used.
E-wallets are usually the fastest way to get money out of an online casino but sometimes even this can take three business days depending on the online casino you have chosen.
Fortunately, there are some online casinos that can process e-wallet payments almost instantly. If you are looking for super quick deposits and withdrawals, then e-wallets are usually the best deposit/withdrawal options.
These are the 3 most popular e-wallets online casinos work with.
Online casino bonuses and promotions
In most cases, the first thing that any player will know about an online casino is the welcome bonus that it offers. These are designed to pull players in and will be advertised everywhere on the website of the casino.
While a welcome bonus on its own should never the only reason to sign up for an online casino, it should certainly be considered – especially if it is a good one.
You will find that you can get as much as £1,500 or more in match deposits in some places and even a ton of free spins as well. This could be for your first deposit only or spread across a number of your first deposits at an online casino.
It should be noted that you will not have access to this money straightaway, as in you will not be able to withdraw it or any winnings made from it. This is obviously to stop people just signing up and then withdrawing but it is also because the online casino has to have a chance to win this money back or at least some of it via playthrough requirements.
These playthrough wagering requirements will change from casino to casino and they could be as low as 20x the bonus received or as high as 50x. For that reason, it is always a good idea to look at the finer details of a welcome bonus rather than just looking at the big claims on the face of it.
While a welcome bonus is always something that is a big decider for players when they are looking for a new online casino, the regular bonuses, and promotions that online casinos offer should also be considered.
Some online casinos will run daily deposit bonuses, promotions, or other special events that can lead to many more benefits and advantages for players.
Alternatively, other casinos can be a little lax once they get players through the doors via their welcome bonuses. They assume that once they have the player, the player will stay there rather than looking for another online casino.
If regular promotions are something that you want from an online casino, you should be looking for those that are known for providing them.
Also, many online casinos might offer a loyalty scheme or VIP program. The former is usually something similar to those reward cards you get from retailers where the more you spend the more points you will be given.
These points can usually be exchanged for cash to play with at the online casino or some other gifts.
As for VIP programs, these are usually reserved for the high rollers that bet big amounts or players that are regular visitors to the online casino.
These will generally bring added benefits such as priority withdrawals, increased withdrawal limits and personalised support among other things.
How many games does the online casino have available to play?
On average you are going to have a choice of between 250 to 1000+ games depending on the online casino that you choose.
Initially, there are 2 types of online casino players:
If this is you, then you are going to want an online casino that has an extensive catalogue of games to choose from. This would be a mixture of slots and table games.
You are unlikely to move away from your chosen games. I.E. You are an avid blackjack player or an avid slot fan only. A casino with a small collection of games is not such a bad thing for this type of player because they are only concerned with playing their favourite type of game.
It essentially comes down to your own preferences on the type and number of games that you like to see at online casinos.
For those looking to play online slots, it will more than likely come down to how many slots an online casino can offer. The higher number of slots usually means a wider variety of slots available such as classic slots, bonus slots, video slots, progressive slots, etc…
Anyone looking to play a particular table game, then your choice of the casino may not be down to the number of games available. For example, a player that only play roulette will look for the number of roulette tables and how many variations are available. The same applies to a baccarat, poker, or blackjack player.
LIVE dealer suits are very popular and quickly get crowded. Anyone looking to play at a LIVE dealer casino will want to ensure that there are plenty of dealers available so new tables open all the time. Also, the variation of styles of each game is another important factor.
If you are a fan of any of any of these types of games, it would be a good idea to check first if they have the games that you like before you go ahead and create an account at the online casino.
Many players will have their favourite software developers for whatever reasons. Whether this is down to the luck they have generally had on them, the enjoyment that they have had on titles from them or due to other aspects such as quality of graphics and animations will come down to personal preferences.
There are some are some serious names out there now that are responsible for producing some of the most popular online casino games.
If you do have a preference to which developers you prefer, you will find that some online casinos will stick to just one or two developers for their games.
However, if you would prefer to have an extensive range of games from a wide range of developers, then you will most likely want to check for an online casino that has games from several different providers.
You will find that some casinos will provide a selection of casino games from all the software providers above.
Do they have a good selection of LIVE dealer games?
If you like to experience online casino games that are about as close as you are going to get to the real thing, you are going to really love the many different LIVE suites of casino table games that are out there right now.
These live casino games are streamed to your computer or mobile device from studios or even real casinos and there are real-life dealers using the proper gambling equipment to determine your results.
We have only listed just a few examples of the classic casino games that you can play in a LIVE dealer casino. You will also find that there are many different variations of these games as well, so you are not limited to the same style of roulette or blackjack.
For instance, european, french, and american roulette tables are all variations of roulette available in online LIVE dealer suites.
You should also check other factors including:
There is nothing more annoying than choosing a LIVE casino where the LIVE table games are always full or there is a long waiting list or not being able to play on your mobile.
Make sure that mobile streaming to the LIVE dealer suites is available and that there are plenty of tables by using a reputable LIVE casino with one of the following LIVE dealer suites:
These LIVE dealer software providers provide plenty of tables, so you rarely have to wait to be seated. Even the blackjack tables are available thanks to bet behind features as well as plenty of dealers and tables available during peak times.
LIVE dealer games are not only great fun but because they are being played in real-time and with no random number generator software, you get to see your results as they physically happen rather than having them determined by software.
The quality of customer service is another area that you will want to consider when you are searching for a new online casino to sign up to. When you get an issue, the last thing you want to have is customer support that is slow to respond and even slower to bring your issues to a resolution.
On the whole, customer service has improved a lot across the online casino industry due to some strict regulatory authorities that are known to side with players if they have been treated unfairly. However, despite these improvements, there is always going to be some that offer up better levels of customer service than others.
Throughout our reviews of online casinos, we always inform our readers of how good we feel the customer support is. What you want to look for is customer service that responds quickly, reaches a resolution quickly and has a number of different ways in which you can contact them.
Generally, getting in touch with customer service at the many online casinos is done via:
Test out the casino with some free games
Now that you know what you should be looking for from your online casino, the next step is to play some free to play games to get a feel for how they work. You are not required to deposit any money and can test out the many slots, table games, scratch cards, video poker games and instant win games using virtual credits that have no real-life value at all.
Almost every online casino will allow you to do this and in most cases, you do not even have to create an account.
Check out a number of games at your chosen online casino by playing free games to see if there is anything you like in particular. This is a perfect way to practise playing online casino games, understanding how the games work, and getting to know any rules that might be associated with them..
*please note that LIVE dealer games are the only games that you will not be able to play for free. This is simply because there are real dealers involved and they have to get paid after all.
Signing up for an online casino guide
When you do find an online casino that you are happy with and want to sign up for an account, this is fairly straightforward and can be done by following our series of steps.
Step 1: navigate to the homepage of the online casino and click sign up.
You will see a screen similar to below:
Here you will be asked to fill in some basic personal information such as your name, email, date of birth and contact telephone number.
Step 2: fill in your correct address (you will need to verify this when requesting a withdrawal)
Here you are asked to provide your full address and postcode as well as the country you are residing in.
Step 3: complete your registration by creating a username and password.
Finally, you will be asked to create an account by giving a username and password, declaring your gender and then indicating which currency you would like to use at the site. This will be followed by being asked for further information such as your full address and country of origin.
Summing up the entire process, depending on the online casino you are signing up for, you will have to provide various information such as:
All online casinos differ so you may be asked for some additional information such as your occupation and a security question that you can use if you ever need to speak to anyone.
Step 4: login to your new account:
Now all you need to do is log in with the username and password that you created. Some casinos may ask for an email address instead of a username but that is fairly straightforward to do as well.
Step 5: if required – download the app to the online casino
This will not be required for every online casino, so if yours does not have an app or is an instant-play casino that is done via the browser, you can ignore this step.
Here is an example from golden tiger casino:
You will usually be able to find a download button to click that will take the specific app store that provides apps for your platform be it ios, windows 10 or android. At the stores, you will have to click through a couple of steps to download the app but most of the process will be automatic after that.
If the online casino also has downloadable software for computers and laptops, this download will happen directly and will require you to decide where you would like the software to download to on your computer. Below is an example of what this will look like:
Once you have decided upon a location on your hard drive, the software will be downloaded and you will have to navigate to that location so that you can double click on the .Exe file to install.
A dialogue box similar to the following will appear on your screen and all you have to do is select run.
Once the exe file opens up and starts running this is when you know that the software is installing. It might look something a little like this depending on which casino app you are using:
You may be asked questions such as where you wish to install the software on your computer and what language you wish your casino client to use once its ready.
Then you just let the install finish and you are now ready to start playing at the casino – for free at least until you make your first deposit.
That just about concludes this in-depth guide that has been aimed at any newcomers out there and we hope that you have gained some valuable information about online casino and what you should be looking out for when you decide you want to try one out for the very first time.
Beginner’s guide to online casinos
How to sign up to an online casino?
Casinos try their hardest to get you to register and make your first deposit. The good news is this means that they do everything to make their signup process as simple as possible. Once you visit the casino’s website, you are prompted with a registration button. Upon clicking it, you need to provide basic information about yourself, such as name and email address. To only register, you usually won’t be asked for much more and in our experience, there is nothing to be concerned about. Your name and email gives the casino limited information and legally you can always click “unsubscribe” or “mark as spam” at a later time. Once you complete filling out these basic details, you’ll be ready to play in fun or real mode.
*T&C’s apply to each of the offers below, 18+ new customer offer, begambleaware.Org, click “play” for more details.
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What is a demo account?
Demo accounts or fun accounts are practice accounts to use before you make a deposit or when you have no funds in your real account. To play with a demo account, you will only need to provide basic information such as your name and email. To play for real money you will have to also provide your address, phone number, and other details.
With a demo account, you will be able to play certain casino games for free without making deposits. The casino chooses which games they allow you to play for free. This means you get a balance of play money chips, which you can use to wager on the slots and other games. Any winnings will also be in play money, and no real money is involved.
So what’s the point? Demo accounts are good practice for the real event and you can get to know your way around the casino.
Do I need to download a casino?
Some online casinos offer downloadable clients while others are played directly in the web browser. Those that offer a downloadable version will allow you to download the software from their site and play with your account details. The downloadable versions sometimes have slightly better graphics or faster gameplay.
How do I download a casino?
Downloading is a simple process. You will be prompted by the casino site to download their software. Once you click the download button, you will need to allow for the download and start the installation once the setup is downloaded. Keep in mind that when you are downloading files from the internet, there are security dangers to keep in mind. Check out our casino security guide to learn more about viruses and other security threats and how to deal with them.
Can I play casino without downloading?
Definitely. Most online casinos nowadays allow for instant play of the flash version of the casino. These are accessed directly through the web browser by visiting the operator’s website. Once there, you can register and start playing the games directly in the browser. Take a look at the more extensive comparison of flash and downloadable casinos to learn more.
How do I make deposits?
Making deposits at online casinos has been easy-peasy in recent years. Players can use their credit and debit cards, as well as a number of online payment processors, prepaid cards and other payment methods to get cash into their real money casino accounts. You can learn more about making deposits into online casinos by reading our detailed guide to payment methods.
How do I claim my winnings?
Just like making deposits, making withdrawals out of your real money account is straightforward although definitely more time-consuming. Once you have won, you can request a cash out using a number of payment methods, and you will normally get your money within 24-48 hours depending on the withdrawal method or as stated by the casino, this could come in stages, as some casinos have policies where you can only withdraw up to a fixed amount per month – (the range across the casino spectrum is huge).
What is a casino bonus?
Casino bonuses are special promotions offered by online casinos to entice players to play with them. They give you a certain amount of extra money, based on the size of your deposits, which can be used to play real money games with. Bonus money must be wagered through a certain number of times before you can cash it out, but it is still a great opportunity to boost your bankroll.
How much should I bet?
This is a tricky question, and it will be down to a number of factors. In general, consider your financial situation realistically and only gamble with the money you can afford to lose on entertainment. Don’t gamble money you need for your everyday life and make sure you bet small portions of your gambling bankroll at a time, so as to make sure you have fun for a long time.
How do I find my favorite games?
The modern online casino layouts allow for extremely easy games browsing. Online casinos like royal vegas allow players to search for games by name or browse through hundreds of games based on category and game type. Other casinos, such as william hill, offer similar functionalities and while the categories of games may differ slightly, finding your game of choice should not be too difficult.
What if I need help?
Every online casino out there will let you contact them using email, which you will generally get a reply within 24 hours. If that is too long, telephone lines and live support channels are usually available for players around (most of) the clock who can solve urgent problems. Learn more about casino supports in our dedicated guide to casino support options.
Can I play casino games for free?
Absolutely! There are many free money online casinos out there that allow players to play their casino games without having to make any deposits. Playing free online casino slots is easy and fun and does not include any financial risk. This way, you can become proficient at certain games before you start playing them for real money and make sure you are not making mistakes that cost you real cash.
How can I be sure a casino is safe?
Proper online casinos use many security measures to ensure their customers are protected in every way. The use of SSL certificates, encryptions and the ownership of various prestigious gaming licenses are some of the ways you can ensure that you are playing at a safe casino. We are here to help you discover which online casinos are actually safe for you. You can also check out our guide to secure payments to find out how to transfer your money securely even from your mobile device.
Can I play slots on my mobile device?
You definitely can. Online casinos such as unibet, 32red and royal vegas all offer their players a chance to access their favorite slots from the mobile devices. Mobile slots can be played either through downloadable apps or through flash versions which can be accessed from the mobile browsers. You can learn more about playing mobile slots in this dedicated guide.
Do I get to compete with others?
Slots may not be about playing against other players in general, but there are ways you can compete. Slots tournaments allow you to enter a pool of players and compete with others for your slice of a predetermined prize pool. Good places to find opportunities like this are at william hill and betway casino, you can learn more in this guide to online slots tournaments.
Can I play online casino from my country?
While most countries, allow for online casino play, there are some major jurisdictions that do not. If you live in the USA, for instance, online casino is 100% illegal, until further notice. Make sure you know local laws on online gambling before you try playing casinos online.
So, let's see, what we have: new to the world of casinos? Read our top ten beginner’s online casino guide that will help you on the right track. Get all the info you need before starting. +18. T&C apply. At online casino guide for beginners
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