Players who are interested in trying their luck with online casino games can learn more about what they should know before they start with these essential online casino tips. This guide explains how to find a legitimate online casino, pick suitable games, understand volatility, manage bankrolls, play responsibly, and more. Here are the important tips that players should keep in mind.
1. Know the Casino
Before anyone can start betting on online casino games, they must know about the laws regarding online gambling in their province. Players can learn more about legal online betting with this comprehensive guide to Canada’s gambling laws.
Once players know that it’s legal to bet at an online casino in their province, they must find a legitimate online gambling site. A legal online casino provides players, including players in Ontario, with a safe, secure platform protected by digital encryption technology. It also ensures that real-money games are certified for safety and fairness by third-party auditors. Mobile optimization means that people can play on the go, too.
2. Know the Different Types of Online Casino Games
Players at an online casino will often have hundreds of titles to choose from. Here are three of the different categories of online casino games and how they work.
Online Slots
Online slots are the most abundant online casino games. Slots require no skill on the player’s part at all and are very easy to play. The basic gameplay in online slots is for players 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 players will receive a cash payout.
Slots come in many shapes and forms, from simple 3-reel slots based on casino fruit machines to themed video slots with a variety of bonus games and features. Slot themes allow the player to vicariously explore ancient mythologies, travel through space, hunt for treasure, go fishing, or even play hockey, while bonus games and features add variety to the gameplay with each spin of the reels — the list of themes and gameplay opportunities are only limited by a slot developer’s imagination. Slots also offer varying payouts depending on the slot’s RTP and volatility.
Casino Table Games
Blackjack, baccarat, roulette, sic bo, craps — these are some of the classic casino table games available to play in digital format. Here’s what players can expect from these popular casino table games:
- 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.
- Roulette wins are based on a spin of the roulette wheel, while the game provides a wide range of betting options.
- A roll of the dice determines the outcome of sic bo and craps.
In each case, advanced graphics and sounds create an entertaining game of chance. 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 has grown in popularity since its launch in the early 2000s, 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, such as Crazy Time and various money-wheel games. These entertaining spectacles invite players to sit back, take a chance, and enjoy the show.
3. Understand RTP, House Edge, and Volatility
Gameplay is one aspect to help players guide their choices. Other factors to consider are casino game RTP (return to player), house edge, and volatility.
A game’s RTP percentage is the percentage of a player’s spend they can expect to get back on average after a certain number of rounds (this number of rounds is very high and is usually measured in the thousands). Slots have an average RTP of 96%, but the actual RTP will vary from title to tile. Another example is blackjack, which has an RTP of 99.5% when played with perfect basic strategy.
An equivalent term for RTP is the house edge. This reflects the percentage of money the casino takes in on average over time and is expressed as a percentage. For example, if a slot has an RTP of 95%, then the house edge is 5%.
Volatility is an indicator of how frequently players 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 — players 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.
Players must keep these variables in mind when developing their online casino strategy.
4. Bankroll Management
Online casino bankroll management is a vital skill to master. A player’s bankroll is the money they set aside specifically for recreational gambling purposes that they can afford to lose without affecting their financial security. The size of a player’s bankroll will also determine what size of bets they can make.
When deciding how much to wager on a game, a bankroll management tip that players must keep in mind is to consider the size of their bets in proportion to their bankroll. Many players will divide the bankroll amount by 100 and use the result as a betting unit.
Say they’re playing blackjack with a bankroll of $100. Sizing their bets at $1 will allow them to play 100 hands. If they want to play longer, players must simply reduce their bet size.
Also, players must consider a game’s volatility. In general, the higher the volatility of a game, the bigger the bankroll players should have as a cushion in case there are any long periods of downswings that precede any potential upswings.
5. Play Responsibly
Of all the online casino tips and tricks that players should remember, responsible gambling has to be the most important. The golden rule for gamblers is to only play with money that they can afford to set aside and potentially lose. To play responsibly with their casino bankroll, it’s advisable for players to limit the amount of time they spend on casino games and stop playing when they lose or win by a certain amount.