Beginners Guide to Online Casinos

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Online Casino GuidePeople who want to relax by playing a few casino games can do so with ease at online casino sites. These are much more convenient than land-based casinos and often the payout is also larger. With online casinos, it is possible to play from the comfort of your home or when you are travelling, using a mobile device. While there are many great online casinos, you still need to do a bit of research to ensure that you are selecting the right one.

Top casino of the month - December 2024

Jackpot City

Jackpot City

Overall rating for Jackpot City4.5 / 5

Bonus Offer

$1,600

  • $1,600 Free over 4 Deposits
  • Fully licensed, Established in 1998
  • 600+ Popular casino games incl. live casino
  • Choose from many popular deposit options

18+ | New players only | T&C apply

18+ | New players only | T&C apply

Reliable, Safe, Trustworthy

Online casinos have to be reliable, safe, and trustworthy. This means that the games they offer are purely based on chance and not biased against the player. Moreover, the financial information provided by the player needs to be kept secure and the privacy of the player guaranteed. For this, one needs to look for online casinos that are members of a regulatory body such as TST or eCOGRA. You can also use reliable casino aggregating sites that have reviewed the online casinos and vetted them to further refine your search for a reliable online casino.

Transacting in your currency of choice

Players wanting to play online casino games for real money should look for sites that accept payments and make payouts in their currency of choice. This ensures that you will be able to quickly complete transactions without having o worry about the exchange rate.

24x7 Support

Casinos value their loyal players and reward them on a monthly basis in the form of free spins or match bonuses.

Tournament bonus

When joining an online casino it is important to ensure that they provide 24x7 live support either through a chat window or a telephone. This will help you resolve any issues that arise immediately and make playing hassle-free.

Free Money

Free money bonuses usually form part of a promotion or tournament award. They present as credits that can be used towards future bets. Some casinos for example offer loyalty points every time you play that can eventually be redeemed for free credit.

Payment Methods

Another vital criterion when selecting an online casino is the payment methods they are willing to accept. Select a casino that accepts credit cards as well as other payment methods such as Neteller e-wallets, Instadebit, and PayPal. Additionally, you need to investigate the payout options provided by the online casino and ensure that there is a convenient method that suits your needs. In most cases, the payout equal to the amount you paid will be made in the same way as your payment to meet regulations aimed at countering money laundering.

Payout Charges

Most online casinos do not charge for making payouts or only charge if you make more than one withdrawal within a specified period. However, you need to read the fine print regarding this and decide if the terms suit your needs.

Downloading vs. Web Browser Games

Most online casinos will provide you with an option to download the software and install it on your computer. This will enable you to play when you want after choosing the game you want to participate in.

However, if you are not comfortable with downloading the software, some of the casinos also provide a web browser version. However, this is not as fast as the downloaded version and not all games are likely to be supported on the browser version. Mac users will find these versions of use if their computer does not support the downloaded version of the games.

Before you download the software from the online casino, you need to check its credentials to ensure that the software will not also bring in a virus to your computer.

Mobile Games

Many online casinos now offer mobile games. You can play these on the go using tablets or smartphones. Mobile gamers can choose between downloaded apps and browser games much like the players who use desktop computers.

Promotional Offers and Bonuses

Once you have a shortlist of casinos that are safe and reliable and accept payments in your currency, you need to further narrow the list. For this, you need to look at the promotional offers and bonuses. Almost all casinos offer joining bonuses. Some offer to match your initial payment up to a large sum, while others make incremental bonus payments. You need to select one that offers you the best deal. Also, most casinos have rules about when you can withdraw winnings from the games played using the bonus offers. Often you have to have staked many times the bonus amount before you can withdraw the winnings. Look at the various options available before you make your decision about a casino to take advantage of promotional and bonus offers.

Jackpots

Most casinos offer jackpot games. To benefit the most from these, you need to look for progressive jackpots that will provide a large payout to the winner from cumulative games.

Free Games

Many online casinos will offer you the chance to play some games for free without money. This will enable you to test the software and also learn the rules of the game and become familiar with the system. You can use these free games to help select a casino or to try out new games before betting with real money.

Reviews by Customers

Another important way of ascertaining the quality of an online casino is to look at customer reviews and feedback. This will help you eliminate those that have received a negative review.

Registering

Once you have decided on an online casino, you can register by providing your name, address, date of birth, valid email ID, and user name. Some casinos offer an additional layer of security by asking for your mobile number. You can also choose to receive promotional material from the casino.

Online casinos provide a convenient way for those who want to take part in table games or slot games to play from the comfort of their homes. While there are plenty of legitimate online casinos, there are also a few rogue operators who are likely to make the entire experience unpleasant. You can select a reliable online casino by doing a little bit of online research and checking a few facts. Reading the fine print of the payout and other rules will also help ensure a better choice.

Top 3 Casinos for Beginners

Betway Casino
Betway Casino
Overall rating for Betway Casino4 / 5

Welcome Bonus

$1,000
  • 18+ | New players only | T&C apply
Royal Vegas
Royal Vegas
Overall rating for Royal Vegas4.5 / 5

Welcome Bonus

$1,200
  • 18+ | New players only | T&C apply
Casino Land
Casino Land
Overall rating for Casino Land3.5 / 5

Welcome Bonus

$800
  • 18+ | New players only | T&C apply