Casino

Online Casino Bonuses and Promotions Explained

Online casinos have tons of advantages over land-based casinos and they are the main reason why millions of players are now favouring these online platforms over brick-and-mortar facilities. Experts believe that by 2025, the global revenue of online casinos is likely to exceed $100 billion and that would make them the highest profit earners in the gambling industry.

Some of the advantages that casino sites have are impeccable security, easy access, 24/7 availability, thousands of quality games, numerous accepted payment methods, as well as the main topic of this article – bonuses and promotions.

As the term itself suggests, bonuses and promotions are used to attract players to a certain online casino and provide them with extra rewards while playing. We are going to take a deeper look into this feature and explain everything there is to know about them. Without any further ado, let’s start breaking down the details.

Deposit vs No Deposit Bonuses

There are two main types of casino bonuses – deposit and no deposit. As the names suggest, if you wish to claim a deposit bonus, you need to transfer funds to your casino account. The welcome bonus is the most popular deposit bonus.

In most cases, deposit bonuses will provide you with a match bonus. Let’s say that you have a welcome offer that comes with a 100% match bonus. That means that if you deposit $20, the casino will top the deposit with another $20 (100% of the deposit). Of course, each deposit bonus has a minimum deposit requirement.

On the other hand, no deposit bonuses are players’ favourites. They do not require you to make any type of deposit to reap their benefits. There are three main types of no deposit bonuses:

  • Free spins
  • Cashbacks
  • Free play

Free spins and cashbacks will allow you to play selected games and win real money rewards, while free play does not include any rewards. Free spins can only be used on slots, while cashbacks represent the amount that the casino redeems to you. It is based on the losses that you had over a certain period.

Other Promotions at Online Casinos

Apart from the regular deposit and no deposit bonuses, online casinos feature a few extra promotions that are worth mentioning. First, we have the well-known tournaments in which the top-ranked players receive cash rewards and/or free spins.

Then, we have loyalty programs, which are designed to thank loyal players for their continuous support. Members of these programs need to collect comp points by wagering real money on the games. The higher they are on the loyalty program scale, the more benefits they will enjoy. Some of those benefits include personal account managers, higher withdrawal limits, faster withdrawals, exclusive bonuses, higher cashbacks, priority customer support, etc.

Terms and Conditions Are a Must-Read

Now, when claiming both deposit and no deposit bonuses, it is vital to know that there are terms and conditions that you need to meet in order to be able to withdraw any winnings from the bonuses. First of all, deposit bonuses come with a minimum deposit amount. All bonuses also have a maximum bonus amount that you can receive.

Not only that, but each bonus has a pre-determined validity period in which all terms and conditions need to be met. Market restrictions in terms of available games on which the bonuses can be used and countries from which they can be claimed are also available. Free spins bonuses usually have a maximum bet and maximum win that you withdraw.

Finally, some online casinos are known to restrict the number of payment methods that you can use to claim the featured bonuses. While this is a rare case, if you happen to come across restrictions of this type, chances are that Neteller and Skrill are the ineligible payment methods.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements are the single most important T&C which is why it deserves a sub-heading of its own. We often say that it is not about how rewarding the bonus is, it is about how high the wagering requirements are.

In layman’s terms, wagering requirements set the amount that you need to roll over before you can withdraw winnings from bonuses and promotions. They need to be met before the bonus expires, otherwise, you won’t be able to get your money.

Here’s how wagering requirements work. Let’s say that you have a match deposit bonus with wagering requirements set at x30. The minimum deposit for the bonus is $20, which is the amount that you choose to deposit. That means that if you want to withdraw the winnings from the bonus, you will have to wager a total of $600 – the deposit amount, multiplied by the wagering requirements.

The general rule with wagering requirements is the following: the lower they are, the easier it will be to claim the bonus and reap its benefits.

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Everything There is to Know About Online Slots

Online slots are the most played category at every online casino. Thanks to the fact that they have pretty straightforward gameplay and feature tons of fantastic rewards, they are appealing to both newbies and more experienced players.

Understanding how online slots work is of massive importance if you want to have the most pleasant gaming experience and maybe, win a decent reward. Of course, rewards are not guaranteed here due to the fact that these games are based on luck, rather than skill. With that being said, let’s take a look at everything there is to know about online slots.

Online Slots – The Mechanics

slot gamesFirst of all, let’s start with the grid. A majority of online slots have a 5×3 grid, meaning that they contain 5 reels and 3 rows. However, game providers are known for their innovative approach which is why you can come across slots with various numbers of reels and rows.

When it comes to the paytable, each slot has a specific number of regular symbols that will help you form winning combinations. Winning combinations are won on the featured paylines, which can be fixed or adjustable. The number of paylines depends on the slot and its grid. Up until recently, winning combinations could’ve been formed from left to right, right to left, or both ways. These days, new mechanics have been developed by game providers, with some of the most popular being:

  • Megaways
  • Infinity Reels
  • Cluster Pays

With the Megaways mechanic, the number of paylines varies from one spin to another and it can go as high as 117,649. With the Infinity Reels mechanic, the reels grow with each winning spin and thus, the number of paylines grows to infinity. Finally, the Cluster Pays mechanic is the most unique payline system in which there are no specific paylines.

Instead, you form a winning combination by landing at least 5 matching symbols that are touching themselves. With Cluster Pays, winning combinations disappear and new symbols replace the spots, thus creating cascades. Many slots that are powered by this mechanic also feature multipliers for every consecutive cascading win.

RTP and Volatility

Moving on, RTP stands for Return to Player. It signifies the stakes a game players receive on a specific slot over time. Logically, the higher the RTP is, the better the returns will be. The average slot RTP is around 96%, so anything above that is a decent pick.

Here’s how RTP works. Let’s say that you come across a slot that has 97% RTP. That means that for every $100 that you stake in the game, you will gain back $97 over a longer period. Volatility rate also plays a huge role as it indicates how rewarding the slot actually is. The rule here is simple – the higher the volatility rate is, the higher the jackpot exposure will be, but its hit frequency is lower. Additionally, the bet limits are also higher. Basically, there are three main volatility levels:

  • Low
  • Medium
  • High

Jackpots at low volatility slots drop often, but they are not too impressive. On the flip side, highly volatile slots have breathtaking jackpots, but they drop rarely. That is why medium-volatile slots are considered the golden middle and are the most popular.

In terms of personal preferences, low volatility slots are perfect picks for newbies, medium volatile slots are the best for casual gamers, while highly volatile slots are the best picks for high rollers.

Types of Jackpots

Speaking of the jackpot exposure, slots can feature one of two jackpots – standard/fixed and progressive. As the name of the first type suggests, the maximum exposure on standard slots is capped and is fixed. On the flip side, progressive slots feature a jackpot whose maximum exposure keeps increasing as players feed the game.

Bonus Features

What makes slots so entertaining is the fact that they feature tons of bonus features. Of course, these in-game bonuses vary from one slot to another. Some providers even have signature bonuses that they feature on most of their slots.

Some of these in-game bonuses include expanding symbols, free spins, Wild Reels, Cascading Reels, Tumble, bonus rounds, Bonus Wheel, Mystery symbols, re-spins, etc. The best way to learn how to trigger them is to read the game guide.

Gameplay

Finally, we are going to close things off by sharing a few words on the gameplay. After you’ve studied the paytable, saw what the featured symbols are and how to form a winning combination, all that is left is to set your desired bet. Then, click the spin button and wait for a potential winning combination.
Considering the fact that online slots by the world’s most reputable game providers are powered by RNGs, you can rest assured knowing that each outcome of every round is random and fair.

Before you can try out real money slots, it is also a good idea to play demo versions. That way, you will be able to get familiar with all of the slot’s mechanics better.


5 Steps to Finding the Best Online Casino

How to Find the Best Online CasinosSo, dear readers, I’ve written about roulette, blackjack, and which games to enjoy on the go. But before you get to playing all these wonderful games, you first need to pick the perfect online casino.
Finding a good casino is hard. Not because there aren’t enough of them. Quite the contrary, there’s a jaw-dropping number of online casinos operating in the UK alone. And, as if that didn’t make things hard enough, new ones are popping up by the minute. Well, not literally, but you get my point.
So, if finding a good casino is hard, how do you go about finding the best one? First of all, I need to make something clear. I’m not going to give you the names of the top 3 casinos to play at. Because my preferences are mine, not yours, and I can’t tell you which the best online casino for you is. What I can do is make you aware of the steps you need to take in order to identify it yourself. So, here we go:

Step 1: Figure Out What’s Important to You

Do you like playing slots? Would you appreciate having a practice mode on the games? Are you going to play mostly on your mobile devices? These are all points to consider before you even start shopping for a good online casino. What good would it do to you if a slots fan told you to go to their favourite operator if you don’t plan on playing any slots? Think about it, maybe even write your top 5 interests down.

Step 2: Get as Much Info as Possible

As much as I’d like to advise you to try out a heap of casinos, I know that’s impractical. There’re just too many and the chances to come across a bad one is too big. Instead, find an informative site written and regularly updated by experts and read what they have to say. It’s their job to know which casinos deserve your time and money. I’ve found www.bestukcasino.org.uk to be particularly helpful.

Step 3: Give the Shortlisted Operators a Try

When you feel confident with the new information, pick 3 or 5 or even 10 casinos and really devote your time to them. Register, get whatever no deposit bonuses you can and play the games. Play the ones you love but also note other games that you might come to like. Are there enough variations of your favourite game?

Step 4: Pick Your Best Casinos and Stick with Them

Now that you know what you like and where to get it, stick with your favourite casinos because they are the best ones for you. These may be 3 or 5. Or, maybe, just maybe, there’s a single operator out there offering everything you want and need. It’s all individual.

Step 5: Keep an Eye on the Novelties

Once you’ve decided on the best casinos for you, do stay with them, but also keep an eye on other possibilities. Things change, casinos start offering bigger bonuses or better conditions. They add new software providers to their portfolios or make other significant changes to the games they offer. For example, I wasn’t impressed with the live casino at Betway but they switched to Evolution Gaming and it made all the difference. You never know – the next best thing might be just around the corner.


Odds and Roulette

RouletteThe first time I was ever exposed to roulette was when I was only a child, maybe about 7 or 8 years old. I was watching a very old movie on my parents’ TV, and I saw something that, even to my young mind, actually looked kind of fun – a few men sitting around a giant wheel, spinning it and placing bets on numbers. Of course, now that I’m an adult and am rewatching the same scene – from the classic movie “Casablanca” – I’m noticing quite a few things that I missed as a kid. The scene is masterfully directed, building up the suspense while clearly presenting the main character Rick Blaine as someone who is completely in control. I also noticed that despite the fact that, as the name would suggest, the movie is set in Casablanca (the largest city of Morocco), where the official languages are Arabic and Berber, the croupier is speaking French when talking about the roulette. Now that I think about it, it is entirely possible that the characters were playing French roulette – which is surprising, considering the fact that it actually offers the worst odds for the casino and the best odds for the players. But then again, should we really be surprised considering how easily Rick rigs the game to give the Bulgarian couple money?

The most popular type of roulette, the one you’ll most commonly find around the world and online, is the European roulette (which is different from French roulette, but we’ll get to that in a second). If you’ve ever played roulette in your life, chances are it was European roulette. The rules are fairly standard – 36 different colored squares (37 if you count the green zero), as well as options to bet on a color, on odd or even or on groups of numbers. As I said, standard stuff! As a result, most variations of roulette that you’ll find in online casinos (high stakes, low stakes, “Deal or No Deal” and more) are based precisely on European roulette. In America, however, roulette is a bit different, hence the moniker American Roulette for that particular version. The thing is, in Vegas they didn’t think that roulette was particularly profitable, so they decided to double the house edge and decrease the odds of the player. How? Well, the answer lies within the little green zero I just mentioned. When betting, most players like to play it safe and bet on colors, odd/even or number groups. However, that zero doesn’t really fall into any of those categories when it comes to roulette, so unless someone has specifically betted on zero, the house is going to keep all of the bets for that particular spin, thus ensuring that the casino gets something out of this. As I said, in the US the house edge is doubled, which means that a second zero (00) has been added to the mix, making it twice as likely for gamblers to lose everything. As such, American roulette has the worst odds of all.

What about French roulette, though? How is it different from European roulette, and why is it better? Well, as always, the trick is in the zero. French roulette functions literally exactly like its European counterpart, right down to having one 0, but there’s a substantial difference – if the house wins by virtue of the ball landing on 0, any players who lost get to take half of their bet back. That doesn’t really increase the odds in any substantial way, but it does give players a safety net of sorts – even when they lose, they don’t lose as much as they otherwise would. So, if you can help it, it’s always best to play French roulette. Just be wary of a nicely dressed Humphrey Bogart-lookalike whispering something about 22.


Pros & Cons of Online Blackjack

Online BlackjackWho doesn’t love blackjack, seriously? It’s one of the most popular casino games world wide, and with very good reason! It’s fun, it’s exciting, and it’s the closest we’ve got to Wild West-style shoot-out duels that don’t involve actually going out and murdering somebody. That nerve-wracking moment when you’re waiting for the dealer to hand you your next card so you can see if you’ll be able to get home the money or if you’ll lose it all is what gambling’s all about, condensed down into a single instant, and it is fantastic! Movies have been made about blackjack, many, many books have been written, mentalists like Derren Brown have made shows about winning at blackjack… It seems like this particular game, way more than, say, slots or roulette, has overtaken the public consciousness. Most recently, blackjack has begun invading even the final frontier! No, not space, though I’m sure that cosmic casinos are only a few hundred years away now. I’m talking about the Internet!

Yes, it only takes a look at a site like http://www.realmoney-blackjack.com/ to see just how deep the online blackjack rabbit hole goes. Thousands upon thousands of people have switched from playing physical blackjack to its online counterpart, while hundreds more are laughing at their decision. But who is right, in this case? It’s actually very hard to say, considering just how different the two forms of blackjack are. For casual players, the online version is definitely superior in practically every way. First and foremost, it provides the convenience that all online… things (be they casino or otherwise) offer us – constant 24/7 availability wherever you are. You don’t need to go to a casino and plan out your night around a game of blackjack – you can open up your phone on the bus or carpool to work and play a hand with no issue! It’s the same reason why Netflix will always be better than your local cinema – everything is better in the comfort of your own home.

On the other hand, if you’re a professional card-counting player, then I’ve got some bad news for you – your tricks aren’t going to really work online. Most games where you play against an AI have certain safeguards in place to make sure you can’t count cards even if you wanted to, and while playing against a live dealer they’ll usually shuffle the deck after each hand to keep the odds of you winning low (and even if they don’t, live casino games typically go so slowly that counting cards isn’t even worth it). But wait! Believe it or not, some online casino games have better odds than physical casinos! It’s all about exploiting loopholes in the AI, some of which are deliberate and some of which are accidental (though those usually get patched out pretty quickly). Then again, you’ve got to keep in mind that even all loopholes can’t make up for a good old night out with friends playing blackjack!

At the end of the day, the decision on whether you should stay at home and play online blackjack or go out to a casino is yours, as both options have pros and cons. My advice? Do both! I mean, it’s not like there’s a law saying you only need to take one side here! There’s plenty of blackjack to go around, am I right?


Gambling Market in the UK – Q1 2016 – Overview

A look around on how the gambling market is doing in the land of Her Majesty, some changes in legislation and industry developments.The end of March is always a good moment to look back and draw some conclusions for the first quarter of the year. It has been a rough start for the bookmakers in Britain with the new taxations introduced on free bets. Those will come into play starting from the 1st August next year but have already been officially confirmed. Thankfully though, few weeks back, major players as Ladbrokes and William Hill saw their shares rising with traders explaining the peak with the British budget announced and the fact that it did not unveil any new taxes on the so called “sin-sector”. Ladbrokes’ shares rose as well with a huge 8.8% (before settling back to the still positive 4.9% higher). William Hill’s and Paddy Power/Betfair shares rose respectively 3.3% and 1.7%.

Still, maybe it is too early to celebrate – the Gross Gaming Yield (GGY) bands for gaming duty for UK casino operators are set to be increased for the accounting periods starting today or after (1st April 2016). The measure was confirmed even though it is still not clear what the increase will be precisely. At present, it is set in the Finance Act of 2015 and ranges between 15% and 50%, with 15% being paid for the first £2.3m GGY. For the next £1.6m operators owe the crown 20%, 30% for the £2.8m mark, 40% on £5.6m and 50% on the remainder.

It has not yet been revealed what the specific increases will be, but the changes will be made clear in the Finance Bill 2016 and will be in line with retail price index for accounting periods starting on or after 1 April. The bookies liable to pay that duty will have to go through the trouble of submitting not one but two returns – on for the interim period (3 months after the introduction) and another full one at the end of the 6 months accounting period. Just to clarify, all this applies to casino operators only. On the bright side, tax rates are said to not be expecting an increase in the near future, so let’s hope there will not be any nasty surprises there.

In other news, Sky Bet announced they are opening a graduate software academy. Pretty smart move if you ask me. They are investing £1.5 million in a center based in Leeds, UK, and a team of 25(ish) young and talented minds will join the academy in July this year. Andy Burton (Sky Betting & Gaming CTO) commented “By investing in graduates now we hope to play our part in ensuring there’s a pipeline of tech talent in Yorkshire. I look forward to welcoming the first grads in the summer.”

The Swedish Yggdrasil Gaming scooped “Software Supplier of the Year” for its futuristic unique games. They bagged the award on the 9th International Gaming Awards. It is their first one and they gladly accepted it. The company just rolled out officially on the UK market after being granted a license last December. They already have some major UK operators under their belt. Way to go!

Aaaand to finish on a positive, Titanbet got themselves a new brand ambassador – Liverpool legend John Barnes. He will be joining the team for the 2015-16 football season, much to the happiness of his fans. John has an official exclusive Titanbet blog where he is giving advice and commentaries on the world of online sports gambling. Pretty fun.

So, that’s it for now, you’ve been updated, feel free to come back for more soon!


The Rise and Fall of the Online Gambler

Up and downIf you’re here, that means you love online gambling at least as much as I do. There’s no two opinions about it within our not-too-small community – online gambling rocks! Going out to a physical casino can be very fun when you’ve got a nice company to come with you and a few hundred bucks you’d be perfectly willing and able to spend on gambling, but if those conditions aren’t met then you’ve got a bit of a problem. Going to the casino by yourself, without a good amount of cash, sucks. It feels like an incomplete experience, like you’re missing something that you were intended to have. That’s why online gambling is so great – you can have only a tenner in your credit card and, say, fifteen minutes of spare time after the kids are off to bed, and you can still have a very complete experience playing slots, bingo or placing bets on your favorite sports.

But online gambling can be a double edged sword. On one hand, there’s plenty of accounts of people who made it big by playing online casino. Just a few days ago, a woman from Scotland managed to win £2.5 million by playing an online slot. Just like the example above, the woman, who is a teacher and a single mom, was bored on Valentine’s Day and decided to play an online slot. This would’ve never happened if online gambling wasn’t a big thing. You can’t exactly just go to the nearest casino on Valentine’s day, abandoning a seven-year-old child alone so you can play slots, that kind of thing simply doesn’t happen, or if it does, the authorities should definitely be involved. And yet thanks to online casino this ordinary woman managed to become a millionaire. This isn’t even the only case, or, hell, not even the only case this year – last month, a man won the £2.2 million progressive jackpot for an online slot, breaking records and taking names.

The number of people who made it big (I’m not talking millions, just thousands) from online slots is gigantic. The online slot industry is one worth billions of dollars, so it’s really amazing to think that it’s capable of giving out so much money and still remain highly profitable. But that’s because not everybody wins. A few days ago, the news that the creator of NYPD Blue – an immensely popular police procedural which ran for 12 seasons – was facing bankruptcy after spending his fortune of 100 million dollars on gambling, including sports betting and online casino. David Milch had to sell off his mansions and estates and move in to live on a $40-per-week budget in order to curb his horrible gambling addiction. The very same institution which had changed the lives of so many people by making them millionaires brought an actual millionaire, and a very creative person, to ruin.

I suppose that the message I was trying to narrate with this article is that one shouldn’t be swayed by the messages of positivity overflowing the web. Online gambling is great as long as it’s done in moderation. Try to be more like the Scottish mom and less like David Milch. Striving for the jackpot is great, but if you feel like you’re way in over your head and may be headed towards an addiction, don’t forget to seek help while you still can.


Low Taek Jho – Who the Heck’s That Guy?

Casino RouletteIf you search his name in Google Images you’ll see pictures of him partying with Usher, Alicia Keys, Paris Hilton and Ludacris… He’s also been associated with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Britney Spears, Robert De Niro, Jamie Foxx, Kanye and Kim, Lindsay Lohan, Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, to mention but a few. He founded a production company which financed one of the biggest movies of the past few years – The Wolf of Wall Street. His name is Low Taek Jho and he popped out of thin air in 2009.

What made the tabloids notice Jho Low, as he’s otherwise known, was that he was dropping crazy money in New York and Las Vegas clubs, surrounding himself with celebrities and buying and renting extravagantly expensive condos. He’s also known to be the owner of one of the most expensive art collections in the world containing a Picasso that he bought for the mind-blowing $141 million. As you can imagine a big spender like this one is a perfect fit to the Las Vegas high roller and party scene. If you too consider yourself to be a big spender but Vegas is too far away from where you’re residing, then I would suggest you also visit highstakesroulette.co.uk for all your high limit casino needs.

But, as sweat as all this sounds, nowadays it’s actually not only fun and parties for Jho Low. His extravagant lifestyle and close connections to the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak led to him being entangled into the investigation of the Malaysia’s Government Investment Fund (1MDB). The fund is actually being investigated for financial fraud and money laundering simultaneously by the United States, Singapore, Hong King and Switzerland. Many of Low’s bank accounts have been frozen for the purposes of the investigation, as he’s reported to have been acting as a financial advisor to the Malaysian Prime Minister who also happens to be the head of the advisory board of the 1MDB. The investigations were actually motivated by the fact that close to $700 million dollars of the 1MDB money ended up into Razak’s private account while the organisation itself failed to pay $11 billion to its creditors.

In the midst of this scandal Jho Low claims that he has nothing to hide and that the allegations of his involvement in any type of criminal activities are false. It certainly doesn’t help, though, that the party boy businessman has started selling some of his high-valued assets fast. Among the latest sales are three precious artworks amounting to a total of $54 million – a Picasso, a Monet and a Basquiat. What will happen to the tabloid’s favourite party boy? We’ll stand by to see.


May The Odds Be Ever in Your Favor!

ClubsIf you know anything at all about casino, you should be well aware that mathematics play a gigantic role in whether or not you’d win anything at all when playing. Whether it’s online casino or physical, winning is all about maximizing your odds and betting just the right amount in order to win the maximum amount of money every time. While there is a certain amount of luck involved, more in some games (such as slots) and less in others (blackjack says hi), generally it’s a combination of odds, skill and luck that can make every casino game your—Wait, what do you mean I can’t use naughty words in this article? Sigh… Editors, am I right? Well, let’s say it like that – if you properly understand how the odds of every casino game works, you’re going to be one step closer to deciphering it and making the best of it!

Slots

Slots are the most luck-based casino game out of all of them, so there’s really not a whole lot you can do to influence their behavior. A common strategy among slot players is to bet low, but not too low. This works especially well in jackpot slots or slots with bonus rounds (which, let’s face it, are the only ones you should be playing), as the big wins you’re going to be scoring aren’t going to be coming from when the symbols match up, but rather when you manage to activate the bonus game, which in a lot of cases nets you a whole lot of cash, maybe even a huge jackpot! So the best way to increase your odds is to bet low, but often. Another thing you should be looking out for is the so-called RTP – Return to Player percentage. Every slot has been programmed to keep some of the money invested into it and disperse the rest randomly among the players, so slots with a higher RTP are naturally going to be increasing your odds. 96% and up should be enough!

Roulette

Roulette is the easiest game to tell the odds of, since… Well, they’re right there on the board! Bet on a number and it’s a one in 37 (or, well, one in 38, depending on whether you’re playing European or American roulette) chance that you may win. Bet on a color, or whether the number will be even or odd, and you have a 50/50 chance of winning. Simple as that! While there are several complicated strategies about how you can maximize your winnings in roulette, there’s one that I always use. I pick a number (say, 26 black), then I’d bet a small amount of money on it, for example, 2-3 chips. Then I’d bet a much bigger amount (say, 5-6 chips) on the color of my lucky number, in this case, black. In that case, I have a 50/50 chance of scoring some profit while also leaving myself a smaller chance to win something much more.

Blackjack

Blackjack is extremely complicated to talk about in terms of odds… There are entire sites dedicated to calculating and determining blackjack probabilities, entire books written on the subject. In reality, it would take a mathematical genius to figure the odds out without card counting, which is illegal in many casinos and not applicable to online ones. If you count the cards, then you can relatively easily determine which cards are coming, when you should bet and when you should fold, because at the end of the day there’s only so many variations and possibilities left in the deck, but if you want to keep everything legal things start becoming much more difficult. To make a long story short, the odds are determined by the cards you have, namely – what their values are. The closer you are to 21, and the lower the values of the cards in your hand is, the higher the chance of going bust.


8 Facts That Every Casino Player Should Know

Eight -billiard ballThere are many beginner guides out there that cover all the little details that a new player should know about online casinos. The truth is, though, some of these details are easier to figure out than others so those guides are often filled with obvious and unnecessary facts that distract you from the ones that are not that obvious but you should definitely know. This is why, instead of yet another casino guide, I decided to simply make a post where I focus on those specific details that a new player might not konw. So here are 8 must-know facts about casinos sites:

Online Casinos Can Be Trusted

Many beginner players are suspicious about online casinos as they think they are rigged or spammy. Don’t get me wrong, to some extent it’s good that they are not diving head-first into playing real money games online, but the fact to the matter is that if a gambling site holds an official gambling licence, they are perfectly safe to play at. For British players, a legal casino would mean one that is licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission which makes sure that the sites under their jurisdiction are trustworthy, fair and regularly audited by independent testing agencies.

The Sites Won’t Provide Your Personal Details to Third Parties

When you register at a real money gambling site, you should always use your real name and address so that later down the road you can withdraw your winnings. Many people, of course, are not willing to give away their personal information that easily so they are often hesitant about opening an account at an online casino. The truth to the matter is that if a casino operator is legal, then they are obliged to have privacy policy where they explain how they would use and protect your personal information. There, they usually state that they won’t provide your sensitive data to third parties except to certain approved and trusted ones about which they let you know in advance. Furthermore, the websites are obliged by law to protect your privacy by any necessary means from third-party attacks by encrypting the connection between their servers and your computer with an SSL certificate.

It Does Help to Know the Rules of the Games

Many beginner players think that in gambling it’s all luck and that knowing the rules and the specifics of a certain game cannot contribute at all to the end result. While for many casino games, such as slots, this is true, in other games you have to make decisions which can impact the outcome of the hand. I’m talking mainly about video poker and blackjack, where playing with the perfect strategy can reduce the house edge significantly and where knowing the rules and the odds can really help you get ahead. Especially in blackjack it’s very important to check the specific set of rules of the game you’re about to play, as pretty much all the variations available online are very different and, consequently, require different strategies.

Some Games Give You Better Chances Than Others

The rules and features of each casino game variation are set in such a way so that in the long run the casino wins a small percentage of all the money wagered on the game. This percentage is called house edge while the percentage of the money that goes back to the players as winnings is called a return-to-player percentage or RTP. The house edge and the RTP always amount to 100%. The theoretical RTP of each game is displayed in the help section of the game and is different for each game, usually raging from 92% to 99%. Therefore, there are some games that give you way better chances at winning than others. Just make sure to check the RTP of the game your are about to play, as if it’s too low, you might want to switch to another one.

Reading the Terms & Conditions Is, In Fact, Helpful

I know how annoying it can be to go through the terms and conditions of a site or service, but, unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil. When it comes to online casinos it’s good to learn about the rules for using the site in general, but it’s really crucial to read the terms and conditions for claiming the bonuses offered at the casino. This way you can learn how many times you have to wager the bonus amount before you can withdraw, which are the eligible games, the minimum required deposit for opting in and more really important details which you need to know so that you can take full advantage of the promotion.

Some Payment Methods Are Better Than Others

Each online casino supports a different set of payment methods, the most popular among which are Visa and MasterCard credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, Neteller, Wire Transfer, Paysafecard and Skrill. For the most part, it doesn’t matter which of these payment options you choose in terms of security but you might want to consider some other details. For example, some casinos apply fees for only certain payment methods which is something that you should definitely check and take into consideration before depositing. Furthermore, the different payment methods come with different minimum deposit requirements. But even more importantly, some payment methods are faster than the others. For example, if you make a deposit using an e-wallet, prepaid voucher or a credit/debit card, your deposit will be processed almost instantly while if you make a deposit using bank transfer you’ll have to wait up to 3 business days. When it comes to withdrawals, on the other hand, the fastest methods are the e-wallets. Note that though they are very convenient for depositing, prepaid cards cannot be used for withdrawals.

Online Casinos Come In Different Forms

You probably already know that the software that online casinos are using is usually developed by outside companies. These software platforms come in a few different forms. First of all, there’s the traditional download software of the casino which you can install and access directly from your desktop. Then there’s the instant-play platforms which is accessible from the site of the casino, directly in the browser. Furthermore, all online casinos also have a mobile version which is compatible with the most popular devices and mobile operating systems.

Playing Online Is Actually Better Than Playing Offline

Many players don’t trust online casinos and prefer to play at land-based casinos, but the fact to the matter is that online casinos are actually more trustworthy and generous than the land-based ones, as they are regulated way more strictly (as long as they are legal, of course). The games there are usually set at way higher RTP compared to land-based casinos which means that your chances to win are bigger. Furthermore, on the Internet there are way more promotions and juicier welcome packages. Even the guys that simply like playing and interacting with real dealers have no excuse – all reputable online casinos nowadays have live casino sections where you can play roulette, blackjack, baccarat or Casino Hold’em in the company of professional croupiers. You can get the same experience without having to set a foot outside of your home or while you’re on the go, on your Android device, iPhone or iPad.