New to Online Casino? Our Checklist
The good thing about online casinos is that you don’t need to be an absolute expert when you start out. Casino sites are designed to be easy to use, a customer service team is available to guide you step-by-step, and you simply learn by doing. After you’ve made your first deposit, played your first slot game, tried your luck on the roulette table for the first time, you’ll get the hang of it. Visiting your favorite online casino happens easily and naturally… and hopefully also leaves you with some winnings!
Security Checklist
There are an unlimited amount of online casinos out there, which is very good from the player’s point-of-view. However, this doesn’t mean all online casinos are trustworthy and secure to play at. The number one rule is to only play at online casinos that have been fully licensed. The licence comes from a body like MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) or UKGC (UK Gambling Commission). If the casino holds a valid licence, confirmation, and logo of this can be found on the casino’s front page. This body will control the casino’s activities, and all suspicious activity can be reported to them. Breaching the gaming laws can result in the casino losing their licence, and having to pay very large amounts of money. So it is in the licensed casinos’ best interests to contribute to fair play and to follow all rules and laws.
Bonus Terms Explained
All online casinos have the option for ‘free play’, which means the player can try various different games without making any deposits. This is risk-free playing and something we recommend for players that are newbies to online casinos. However, winnings from free play sessions cannot be cashed.
Most casinos offer welcome bonuses right after registration. This means that all you need to do is create an account with the online casino, and the welcome bonus will appear on your player account. You can start playing straight away with this bonus; you will just need to remember to wager it. Wagering means playing a certain amount of rounds of the game. For instance; if the bonus wagering requirement is 20, you will need to multiply it by the bonus amount, and you will know how much you will need to wager. If the bonus is 10 euros, and casino’s wagering requirement 20, you will need to wager 20*10=200 times. Once you have wagered the bonus money completely, you can cash your winnings.
Most online casinos also offer you a bonus from the first, second and third deposit that you make. This can be a fixed amount, for example, 10 euros for each of the deposits, or it can be for instance 50% of the deposit that you make. These deposit bonuses would normally have the same wagering requirement as the welcome bonus.
Learning Software
Online casinos use different software platforms on their website, and the software they use makes a big difference when it comes to the gaming experience. You should go for a casino that uses software that enables the games to load fast and work smoothly. The game selection should also be diverse, and the games should be available on several platforms, including desktop, laptop, and all mobile devices. We have previously written about the three biggest casino software developers, Playtech, NetEnt, and Microgaming.
