Online Casino Basics

How to open an account

Online casinos have now been around for several decades and the technology behind them has progressed in leaps and bounds. When getting started, all you need is an internet connection, and some kind of desktop computer or mobile device (i.e. a phone or tablet) to begin the first step in your online gaming journey.

Creating a casino account is a fairly simple process:

• Do your research and find the right online casino for you
• Find the online casino you want and hit the ‘Sign Up/Register’ button
• Create your account by inputting your personal details (online casinos use the latest encryption tech so don’t worry about sensitive information being exposed )
• At this point, the website will probably ask you to submit certain Proof of Identity or Proof of Address documents such as a copy of your ID card or passport and a utility bill. This is completely normal and in line with mandatory KYC policies which must be followed by all regulated operators.

It truly is a straightforward process. The only part we’d advise is to read the Terms and Conditions carefully. Not all online casinos adopt the same rules about gameplay and user accounts.

To be safe, you can always check out one of our online casino reviews. We like to take the no-frills approach.

How to deposit and withdraw money

You can transfer money into your online casino account, in order to be able to make wagers and bets just like you would at a real, brick-and-mortar casino.
Nowadays, most operators offer a wide range of payment methods in order to provide their players with more variety when it comes to making deposits and withdrawals to their sites. These include most major credit/debit cards, bank Wire Transfer, e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller and Interac, as well as the option of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin in some cases too.
All of the ‘odds’ and ‘house edge’ ratios are set in stone by third-party organizations (like the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and Malta Gaming Authority). So there’s still a solid base of reliability and accountability present within the online casino community.

How to navigate a casino game lobby

Online casinos distinguish themselves from each other through unique themes and interfaces. You’ll find operators which prefer to stick to classic themes, while others will go for more quirky and gamified interfaces.
Aside from theme, online casinos also differ when it comes to the type and amount of games they provide. This is commonly referred to as the game lobby. A standard casino game lobby will include a healthy selection of slots, table games, progressive jackpots and other types of games such bingo, scratch cards and even live casino games in some cases.
Navigating a game lobby is usually fairly easy in most cases there will usually be a search function to help you locate your favourite games. On some websites, there are also filters which you can set to choose a game according to theme, style, payout, software provider or any other relevant criteria.

How to contact customer support

The best part about online gaming is the convenience factor. You don’t need to physically travel over to a land-based casino and waste precious time and gas money; as long as you have a secure internet connection, online casinos are within arm’s reach at all times.
That said, you may be a bit concerned about who turn to should you need help with any aspect of your online gaming experience since it’s not the same as having a real casino employee to ask for help. However, most decent operators offer fully responsive customer support so players can find assistance and get answers to any queries they make have. This usually comes in the form of live chat or phone support and is often available 24/7 so you can find help at any time of the day or night.

Key casino terms

Online Slots

At a land casino, you would sit at a slot machine and press a button. In an online casino, it’s pretty much the same but it’s all virtual. Over the years, software providers have designed technology that controls the mechanism of online slots according to certain standards.

This is in order to ensure fairness at all levels. Players click on the ‘Spin’ button – and the mechanics of the slot will power the slot reels. Thanks to online slots, gameplay is much more diverse and immersive than land slot machines.

Free Spins

Online casinos will sometimes give out ‘free spins’ on certain slot games. Or allow players to trade in points for ‘free spins’. The idea is that they’re spins you don’t need to wager your own money on.

Technically, while these spins are indeed given freely, they are not ‘free’ in the full sense of the word. That’s because you have to wager a certain amount of money (part of the wagering requirements) before being able to withdraw winnings made on these free spins.

Welcome Bonus

The welcome bonus is a special offer that online casinos give their new players when they make their first deposit. Meaning, players who create a new account with the casino.

Welcome bonus are usually ‘match-up’ bonuses, for example a ‘100% up to $100’ bonus. This means that, if for example you deposit $100 – the casino will match it with another $100 so that you can play with $200.

Some welcome bonuses also come with free spins. For example: 100% up to $100 + 50 free spins. Usually, these free spins can only be used on a specific slot chosen by the casino.

Wagering Requirements

Ah, the beloved wagering requirement.

A wagering requirement is the amount of times a casino will require players to play through their bonus and deposited money before they’re allowed to withdraw winnings.

So, let’s say you got a bonus of $100. And the casino’s T&C states that you need to wager bonus money 35x. This means that you will need to wager $3,500 with the casino before being allowed to withdraw winnings. Typically, you also have a time-cap on this requirement.

Usual wagering requirement amounts are: 20x, 25x, 30x, 35x, 40x. Anything beyond a 40x requirement is just ridiculous.

Live Casino

Live casino is the live broadcasting of a table game. Providers like Evolution Gaming have studios set-up with real dealers and real tables, which are streamed live in top-quality to casino players.

Several casino players can join a single live casino game and play together (and anonymously). Some super popular live casino games include: blackjack, baccarat and roulette.

RTP

RTP stands for ‘Return to Player’ rate. This is a built-in mechanism that determines the payout rate of online slots. It’s regularized by third party bodies like eCogra across most online casinos.

The average RTP rate for online slots should be somewhere between 94%-96%. Although, you will come across some slots that go below the 94%, or above the 96% all the way up to 98%. All of our slot reviews will also show the RTP of the slot.

Cashier

The ‘cashier’ section of an online casino is where you can make deposits and withdrawals. Just like the cashier at a brick and mortar casino. In fact, you might find it under the name ‘Deposits/Withdrawals’, or ‘Banking’ instead.

Here you will be able to see all the available payment methods for you. You can also check your balance from here, and set limits for your deposits.

Volatility

Volatility applies to online slots. It refers to the level of ‘risk’ involved in a slot game. There are three main levels of volatility:

• Low Volatility: slots which will not eat up a lot of your money, but which will also pay out more small wins than big wins.
• Medium Volatility: slots which are a happy middle of all this. They’ll eat up more of a chunk of money, but also payout a mix of frequent small wins and less frequent big wins.
• High Volatility: slots which will decimate your money if you’re not careful, but which also pay out rare massive wins. Small wins are infrequent in these types of slots.