Looking to play casino games online but not sure where to start? Ease your way into recreational gambling by following the top casino tips and tricks. In this guide, you’ll learn how to find a legitimate online casino, pick suitable games, understand volatility, manage your bankroll, and play responsibly. Keep reading for the details.
1. Know Your Casino
If you’re considering playing online casino games, it’s imperative that you play on a legitimate site that puts the player first. BetMGM Casino provides players in Ontario with a safe, secure platform protected by digital encryption technology. It also helps that BetMGM Casino has a variety of real-money games certified for safety and fairness by third-party auditors. Mobile optimization means that you can play on the go, too. The only proviso is that you have to be 19 years or older and physically playing from Ontario, which is where BetMGM Casino is legally available in Canada.
2. Know Your Online Casino Games
Take a look at BetMGM Casino’s games lobby, and you’ll immediately realize that there are hundreds of titles to choose from. But where to start? It helps to break the catalogue down into categories.
Online Slots
Online slots are the most abundant online casino games. Easy to play and oozing with entertainment value, slots require no skill on the player’s part at all. The basic concept is to bet on the outcome of a spin of the slot reels. If the symbols line up the right way, they form winning combinations, and you get paid.
Slots come in many shapes and forms, from simple three-reel slots based on casino fruit machines to themed video slots that tell stories through a variety of features. For example, stages of a journey can be represented by different bonus rounds. In this way, slots enable the player to vicariously explore ancient mythologies, travel through space, hunt for treasure, go fishing, play hockey — the list is endless.
Casino Table Games
Blackjack, baccarat, roulette, sic bo, craps — these are some of the classic casino table games available to play in digital format at BetMGM Casino. Blackjack is a game of skill and chance combined, challenging the player to beat the banker to 21 and win their bet. Baccarat is a fast-paced card-based game of chance with simple betting options. Timeless roulette provides betting options ranging from simple to sophisticated, all based on a spin of the roulette wheel, the ultimate symbol of fortune. A roll of the dice determines the outcome of Sic Bo and craps. In each case, slick graphics and sounds create an authentic casino atmosphere. To keep things fair and square, outcomes are determined by random number generator (RNG) software.
Live Dealer Casino Games
Live dealer games combine the convenience of online play with the advantages of having a real live dealer. This rapidly growing category is taking the gaming world by storm, with new titles by various developers appearing regularly.
Live casino table games like blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and craps are popular with players. Some of them provide a classic gaming experience, while others mix it up with unique live casino features like random multipliers.
Another popular category is live game shows like Crazy Time and various money-wheel games. These entertaining spectacles invite you to sit back, take a chance, and enjoy the show.
Which type of online casino game suits your style? To find out, go exploring at BetMGM Casino.
3. Understand Volatility & RTP
Gameplay is one aspect to help you guide your choice. Other factors to consider are volatility and RTP. Volatility is an indicator of how frequently you can expect to win and how large the payouts tend to be. As a general rule, low-volatility games offer frequent but smaller-sized wins. In high-volatility games, the hits are less frequent, but the payouts are bigger.
Some games have varying volatility. In roulette, for example, even-money bets (e.g. red or black, odd or even) have low volatility — you can expect to win fairly often on average, but at odds of ±100, the payouts are moderate. Straight-up bets on a single number are the opposite. Wins are rare, but when they come, they pay out handsomely at odds of +1,700.
Another important measure is a game’s return to player (RTP) percentage. This expresses the percentage of a player’s spend they can expect to get back on average after a certain number of rounds (usually measured in the thousands). Blackjack, for example, has an RTP of 99.5%, when played with perfect basic strategy.
An equivalent term for RTP is house edge. This reflects the percentage of money the casino takes in on average over time. If a slot has an RTP of 95%, then the house edge is 5%.
4. Manage Your Bankroll
Bankroll management is a vital skill to master. In fact, it’s so important that some call it an art. Your bankroll, of course, is the money you set aside specifically for recreational gambling purposes. The purpose of bankroll management is to hedge against variance so you don’t run out of money too quickly.
A top casino tip is to size your bets in proportion to your bankroll. Many players will divide the bankroll amount by 100 and use the result as a betting unit. Say you’re playing blackjack with a bankroll of $100. Sizing your bets at $1 will give you enough to play 100 hands. If you want to play longer, simply reduce your bet size.
In general, the higher the volatility of a game, the bigger a bankroll you should have to cushion you in case the downswings precede the upswings.
5. Play Responsibly
Of all the online casino tips and tricks, this one has to be the most important. The golden rule is to only play with money that you can afford to set aside and potentially lose. To stretch your bankroll, it’s advisable to limit the amount of time you spend on casino games and stop playing when you lose or win by a certain amount.
Play Casino Games Online at BetMGM Casino
Ready for a premium online casino experience? Register at BetMGM Casino to explore a broad range of online slots, casino table games, and live dealer options. Play for real money on mobile or desktop.