Online casino gaming has grown majorly in recent years, becoming one of the most popular hobbies and pastimes of billions of adults. A 2020 study found that over a quarter of people worldwide wager and 17% of the UK population wager online.
Since the gambling industry shifted its focus from land-based casinos to online play, the sector has gone from strength to strength. Most all bookmakers and casinos now have their own apps making it easier than ever to wager on your favourite casino games all from the comfort of your own home.
It has become such a success in fact that from April-September 2020, the GGY was £5.9 billion in the UK. Of that figure, 52% came from the online and remote casino sector.
Most of this success can be put down to the rapid advancement of technology in the 21st century so far. With faster broadband, smart-phones, increased data coverage and bettering graphics you now have tens of thousands of casino games right at your fingertips.
If you are yet to begin your journey into online casino and are not sure where to start, look no further. Here we will discuss how best to make the most of your online casino experience.
Take advantage of signup offers
As a new customer you have the luxury of using bonuses and signup offers. Most casinos offer these, but they will vary by provider. Let’s take a look at some of the most common.
- Matched deposits: Matched deposits do exactly as they sound, they match your first deposit with bonus funds. So for example a matched deposit offer of up to £50 means that every penny deposited the first time you use the casino will be matched by them. So deposit £20, receive and extra £20 in bonus funds.
- Free spins: This is as straightforward as it sounds. Sign up and be rewarded with free spins to use on online slots.
- No deposit bonuses: This offer will give you bonus funds upon creation of your account without having to deposit.
- Discounted deposits: Some casino sites have requirements for players to deposit a set amount which is typically a high amount. However, some casinos do offer discounted deposit requirements. For example, some online casinos in New Zealand now offer $5 deposit for their players offering them the opportunity to play without depositing a large amount.
Most casinos will require you to make certain wagering requirements before you can use these offers or withdraw winnings. For example, a 1x wagering requirement on your £20 bonus funds means you must use up all of your bonus funds at least once before you can withdraw.
Offers are not limited to new customers however. Many casinos offer loyalty bonuses to their current customers which could come in the same form as any of the signup offers discussed above.
There are so many casinos offers to take advantage of as a new customer so don’t hesitate to shop around for them. Many affiliates will even do the hard work in searching for you.
It is also important to stay safe when using an online casino. There are some dupe websites that are unlicensed, and you can end up losing your money when giving over you bank details.
Luckily there are a few ways to be vigilant of this. Let’s look at how best to stay safe when using an online casino.
Visibility of Terms and Conditions
Any trustworthy casino will be upfront with all of their Ts & Cs, making them clearly visible for their customers. If they are not on the homepage as most will be, look for a ‘Help’ or Support tab and this is where you should find them.
Some of the most important terms you should read are the withdrawal policies and security options.
This will tell you about minimum withdrawals, disconnection policies on their games, how they keep your information safe and more. If you cannot find Ts & Cs on a casino website or app then it is best to steer clear of using it.
Secure Payment Methods
A good sign of a casino’s credibility is the number of payment methods that they accept. Keep an eye out for established methods such as PayPal, Skrill, Visa and Mastercard.
Again, research the security of their methods by visiting the site of the provider that you will be using. This will tell you how or if they will cover you should you fall victim to a scam website and also how they protect you when depositing.
Check For Licensing
Every legal online casino must be regulated and licensed by an international regulatory organization. Some of the most noteworthy organisations are the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling commission. If you cannot find any sign of licensing, then stay away and report these sites.
If they have been granted their license, you can find their stamp on the bottom of the casino’s website along with detail of their licensing. They will also have a license number.
These are essentially the universal signs of a trusted casino. If you cannot find these anywhere and you have opened an account with the casino, you should consider closing it immediately.
Choose your favourite games
Once you know you can be safe in using your casino, the best part is choosing your games. Thankfully, we are spoilt for choice these days with tens of thousands of games on any given online casino app/website.
You may be a traditionalist who enjoys table games like roulette or blackjack. Or maybe you enjoy your gaming and prefer a more immersive experience, so you play slots complete with mini-games and bonus rounds. The key really is finding what you enjoy the most.
Hopefully this guide has given you a good idea of how to make the most of your online casino experience. The most important thing is you stay safe and have fun.