How to Start in Online Casino | A Complete Guide for Casino Beginners

It’s important to play at reputable casinos. We’re here to help you, read our detailed guide to how to choose an online casino. Reading these articles will help ensure that you fully understand what's involved with casino gambling and how it all works. They also contain advice on subjects such as how to make deposits and withdrawals. There are some top tips for new players as well, and details of some rogue casino sites you should try to avoid. The best online casinos will usually have the following qualities:

• Excellent security: nothing is as important as your security, while playing at online casino. Always makes sure the online casino you are playing at has high-tech security to ensure the safety of your funds and personal information.
• The best online casinos should have nice, fair and attainable bonuses and promotions for players. They should also be able give a fair pay-out percentage without unnecessary delays.
• The best online casino should be licensed under the government and several reputable authorities, regulated for fair practices.
• A wide variety of real money and free games to choose from is one of the features of a casino worth its salt.
• Effective and efficient Customer Support.
• A good interface and website navigation.
• Trusted Software Providers.

With the proliferation of online casinos, the online casino world has often been accused of being full of scammers, this is not true. The majority of online casinos out there are reputable. However, the industry does not come without scandals, there are some online casino sites that thrives on scamming innocent or unsuspecting players. So, we want to help you feel more confident in the online casino choices you make so you can avoid these rogue operators. To avoid rogue sites, first you have to know what they are and how to spot them. Rouge casino sites are casinos that have taken steps to unscrupulously rip off customers by offering bad software, refusing withdrawal requests, poor or no customer support etc. You will rarely see these sites advertised by affiliates, as their reputations have become so toxic as to taint anyone who does business with them. However, these sites generally hope to get away with their schemes for as long as possible in order to make as much money as they can before getting caught.

Characteristics of Rouge Online Casinos

• Bad Software
• False Advertising
• Bad Reviews
• Poor Customer Service
• Very few or no contact details
• No Payouts
• Unfair Terms & Conditions
• False Licensing Claims

To start playing in an online casino, first you need, a desktop or a mobile/smart phone. You will also need a stable internet connection and funds to deposit in your account if you are playing for real money.

This section is to provide you with a step-by-step guide on your first steps at an online casino. The first steps usually include choosing a preferred casino, registering an account, familiarizing yourself with the deposit and withdrawal methods, testing the customer service, testing the game and finally making a deposit.

How to Open a Casino Account

The first step to opening a casino account is choosing your preferred online casino.  Most sites will have a huge ‘JOIN NOW’ button somewhere on the homepage, and that's where you want to start. This will take you to a page where you have to enter some information about yourself. Here, you will put in your name, contact info, and such. Our suggestion is, if you don't want to clog up your work or personal email with casino offers, is that you create a separate email address for all your casino accounts.

You will need to put in more personal information like your date of birth here as well - don't mess this part up, as the site often asks for that kind of information to be confirmed if you lose your password along the way. Finally, you may be asked to enter your mobile number and have it confirmed to be able to join the site. We don't really like this step, as it seems like giving too much to the casino. We tend to recommend sites that skip this step or provide verification by email address.

The final step of the registration process is to select a username and password. Now, when you are setting this up, remember that your username will likely not be able to be changed. This is where joke names tend to come back to haunt players, especially if you are joining a site that offers multi-player games. Take a deep breath, choose a name you are comfortable with, and select a password that is difficult but something you will remember.

That should be it! You may be asked to confirm your account via email or text, but aside from that, your account is ready to be used.

How to Play Casino Games?

Once you have all the things listed above, follow these steps carefully to start playing your favourites games:

• Step 1: Download a casino app from the internet or your mobile store, you can as well go to the casino site through your web browser.
• Step 2: Sign up or log in a casino of your choice.
• Step 3: You can start by playing free mode games, but if you want to play for real money, you will need to deposit.

How to Play Demo Games?

Majority of online casinos frequently offer the option of trying out some of their demo casino games for free before actually playing them for real money. To play, all you need to is to click on the demo version which is usually found on the casino’s site. You might need to set up an 'account' to play for free (don't worry, they can't debit your card or anything if you don't give them the details); this is 'normal' and more to do with the software than anything else. 

How to Deposit Funds?

Casinos usually make the process of depositing money as easy as possible. All you need to do is log in at your preferred online casino, click on the cashier section, select your preferred method, enter the necessary payment details and the amount you wish to deposit. The deposit options available is usually found at the cashier section of your chosen online casino. The three major payment options are: credit cards, Wire Transfer and e-wallets.

Credit Cards

You can deposit money right away at all online casinos with a credit- or debit card. Cards like Visacard, Mastercard, Dinners Club, Playsafe card, Eurocard, etc. are accepted at most online gaming sites.

E-Wallets

In case your credit card has been denied due to bank restrictions or deposit limits, then e-wallets such as PayPal, NETELLER, Skrill etc provide 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.

Wire Transfer 

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.

NOTE: Always use a secured payment option while depositing online. You can check our comprehensive guide to casino payment options for guidance to secured depositing options.

How to Claim a Bonus?

Generally, to claim all types of casino bonuses, you need to visit the online casino of your choice, and sign up, a welcome no deposit bonus would be credited to your account, to get other bonuses, you may need to deposit some specific amounts and play some games. After fulfilling the wagering requirements, you will be able to transfer the bonus winnings to your main wallet.

How to Request a Withdrawal?

To withdraw winning, players need to first initiate the withdrawal and then wait for their cash-out request to be verified and approved before the funds can be transferred to their bank accounts or cards. This can be done by simply log in to your player’s account and go to “Withdrawal” section. From there follow listed instructions. 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.

Wire Transfer: With Wire Transfer you can have your winnings transferred to your bank account right away. It is quick and easy but usually the casinos will charge you a fee for this service, so it is only recommendable if you win a lot.

NETELLER account: You can use NETELLER or some other e-wallet of choice for withdrawal. However, NETELLER has the advantage of being accepted for both deposits and withdrawals from most online casinos. You do not have to pay any fees and your winnings will be transferred to your account in a couple of days, making it a convenient option for your deposit/withdrawal needs.

There’s no shortage of games to play in casinos. As there are several hundreds of games and their variations available and new games are coming out all the time. Here are the most popular games you will find a casino:

• Slots – This includes all variations, like 3D or progressives.
• Table Games – This includes all card games, like Blackjack, Baccarat, and pai gow poker. It also sometimes includes dice games like Craps, as well as Roulette
• Video Poker – This includes all poker games played on a machine similar to slots.
• Specialty Games – This includes anything that doesn’t fit in the categories above, such as Keno, scratch tickets, lottery games, and bingo. It may also include Roulette or Craps.
• Others are: Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, CrapsLet Em Ride Caribbean Holdem Caribbean Stud Tri Card Poker Vegas Three Card Rummy Keno Scratchcards
• Other than side bets, other types of variations or twists to casino games you’ll find include:
• Live Dealer – Available only online. A real person will deal your game, which will be streamed live to the casino.
• 3D Progressive – Every (max) bet contributes a small portion to a single jackpot that can be won at random by someone making the max bet.

You can read through our Expert Guide to Casino Games in Online Casinos for further information on the most popular games in online casinos, best online casino games and which games to play.

As a new player at an online casino, you will find a wide variety of welcome bonus offers up for grabs. As a new player, it might quite confusing and you begin to wonder if they are worth playing with.

Here are the reasons why you should start playing with casino bonuses, first, casino bonuses give you the chance to hedge your bets because some online slots can be quite volatile. In fact, some slots coupled with certain bonuses may mean that you can play slots and be profitable! For example, an online slot that has a Return to Player percentage of 95 % (i.e. returns $ 9.50 for every $ 10 wagered) coupled with a bonus that clears at 10 % will give you a Return to Player of 105 % - in other words, you're beating the house!

Online casino bonuses are also a good opportunity through which gamers can make quick cash. Casino bonuses also double your deposit which could make a significant difference to the amount of games that you can buy with your money.

You also get to play free games on online casinos as part of incentives that these casinos offer their players, an example is the one-hour free play, a feature of free spins which allows players play any slot game free for one hour. The gamers are provided certain number of totally free rotates and also, they can take out the cash if they are able to gain in the game.

Online casinos offer reload and regular bonuses to their members meaning that players will be able to take advantages of bonuses more often than once, increasing your chances of winning a prize, and gives you more fun playing more without you having to spend more money.

The bottom line is that you need to find the ones that provide you with the best value based on your individual gameplay. You can take advantage of these bonus opportunities to boost your bankroll and enable you to play for longer. Nonetheless, always be sure to check the conditions attached to it to avoid any surprises later down the line. These issues sometimes can make the difference between being a winning and losing player.

Staying safe while gambling is one of the biggest favours you will ever do for yourself when gambling online. You can ensure your safety by researching on several factors such as:

• How long have they been in business? Older sites aren’t trustworthy because of their age alone. It’s also that there’s more history, more information – good or bad – available.
• Reputation: How do other players feel about them? Do they like them? Do they feel like the site has their best interest in mind?
• Banking and speed of payouts: Are they paying players? How fast? Have they missed payments? Are checks bouncing?
• Games: Have their games been tested for fairness?
• Promotions: Are they offering fair bonuses? Are their rollover requirements reasonable?
• Privacy: Do they say how they’re going to use your information? Are they the only ones who’re going to use it, or will they sell it so others can market in other words, harass you?
• Licensing: Do they have a license? Who gave it to them? Can you trust them?
• Jurisdiction: Who is overseeing this gambling operator? What commission? And do they take their job seriously? Some do and some don’t.

You can find some of this information on casino site, under the “about us”. To make sure, you can also read up their terms and conditions, the reviews about the casino from different sources online and also check casino blacklist.

The online casino industry is one of the biggest in the online world, nevertheless, there are many who still view the online industry with serious doubts as a result of popular myths that have been popularised overtime. We are here to help change the minds of those who may still be on the fence about playing and those who play under the guise of a conspiracy theory. Below, we present the most common myths about online casinos.

Disclaimer: While we are debunking several myths about the safety of the online casino world, there are still a few rogue operators that players should steer clear of when looking to play. Check out our rogue casinos page for more details.

Myth 1: Online Gambling is Illegal

Although there are places on the planet where internet gambling is either outlawed or exists in a legal grey area, gambling is legal in most places like UK, Sweden, etc. The government formally licenses and regulates the industry so that players don’t have to rely on shady sites. If you want to play with total peace of mind, just make sure you choose a casino that’s properly licensed. It’s the easiest way to be certain that the games are fair and you’ll be paid promptly if you win.

Myth 2: Online Casinos are Scam and They Only Steal Players Money

This is far from true, there may be the odd one or two that is best avoided, but these are the exception, rather than the standard. The chances of you coming across a casino that is a scam or can’t be trusted are incredibly slim if you are observant and careful enough. Spotting an untrustworthy casino is done easily enough – the tell-tale signs are always there. Read our guide on how to spot rogue sites for further details. That said, most online casinos go through the process of obtaining the proper licenses to show they’re reliable and can indeed be trusted.

Myth 3: All Online Casino Games Are Rigged

This is one of the most popular myths about online casinos. Since players are not sitting in front of a dealer or in a physical location, many of them believe that the games are rigged in the house's favor. This could not be further from the truth. While it’s easy to cry foul when you lose, casino games are generally fair provided you play at a licensed establishment. The fact of the matter is that players are much more knowledgeable than ever before, and online games provide game history which would allow those who wanted to run results through an algorithm to see if there are any discrepancies from the general game odds. When playing at an online casino, the vast majority of games make use of random number generators (RNGs) to ensure that what happens on the screen statistically mirrors what would happen in real life. These computer algorithms ensure that every spin, number drawn, card dealt, and roll of the dice is fair and random.

Moreover, it wouldn't be in the best interest of a casino to try to rig the games in their favor. Considering the fact that we live in a globalised age, any bad press could ruin a business in a highly competitive space. Online casino games are not rigged, but you are likely to play many more hands in the same amount of time as a live session, so you may see your bankroll dip faster as a result.

Myth 4: Online Casinos Never Pay Out Winnings

Any half-decent online casino will pay out each and every time a player win. If they didn’t do this, they would earn a very poor reputation and would lose their player base very fast; plus, they would more than likely get shut down sooner rather than later. Many casinos are especially glad when a player lands a large win and will help the player celebrate their win as this also serves as a sort of PR. Most of the cases of unpaid players are a result of those players breaking the terms and cheating. You can’t be sympathetic toward a player who goes against the casino’s conditions and doesn’t get paid. If he can’t play by the rules, the rules will not work in his favor. The bottom line is to always remember playing in trustworthy casinos, like those listed on our website under Bonuses & Promotions.

Myth 5: Casino Games Lag When You Start Winning

Some players have claimed to have games have lagging or frozen altogether during winning sessions. We think this might be a bit unlikely. First of all, if you are winning in an online casino, the casino wants you to play more hands, as the odds dictate that over time, the house always wins. With that in mind, why would they ever slow down the games?

Also, this problem might due to communication breaking down between the casino's servers and the player's device. Most often, it can be chalked up to a bad internet connection. There is nothing to worry about if you have a game stuck in the middle of play - the casino server also knows when the game has stopped, and when you restart the casino software, the hand will pick back up where it left off.

Myth 6: The House Always Wins

Casino games are designed to favor the house, or the casino. This is because casinos are businesses and they need to receive income from the games to stay in business. However, the idea that the casino always wins is false.

Though many end up losing money to the casino in the long-run, some lucky players manage to land large wins and end up making a profit against the casino. casinos do try to make a profit; otherwise, what is the point of them being in business? In fact, casinos do play fair in many ways. For example, Blackjack dealers cannot decide many moves for themselves; they must follow pre-set rules for their casino, and players have the advantage of flexibility. The trick is to cash in when you have made a big win. For example, if you made it a goal to stop after quadrupling the $ 1,000 you came with, stick to that goal and leave $ 3,000 richer.