If you're thinking about playing at a real money online casino, or even if you're already a regular player, there are always tips & advice that can help you get more enjoyment from your time online.
From choosing the right casino through to cashing out your winnings this article is loaded with useful snippets of information to help you along the way. We've condensed our top level tips into an easy to understand list so scroll down and absorb some knowledge!
Choosing Your Real Money Online Casino
Factor in these areas when selecting your real money online casino:
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Reputation: The No. 1 most important factor in finding the right real money online casino is its reputation. While all the casinos you see listed on our site have been vetted as legitimate, honest businesses, some are bigger and more well known than others. Opt for one of the bigger, more recognized casinos until you learn the ropes.
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Banking options: Make sure the real money online casino offers several deposit methods—and that those methods include ones to which you have ready access (e.g., a certain brand of prepaid card). Also make sure the casinos offer a number of withdrawal methods, including at least one that meets your needs. And be sure to note each casino's minimum and maximum deposits/withdrawals, as these will likely vary depending on the method chosen.
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Bonuses and promotions: Bonuses and promotional offers should always carry reasonable rollover requirements – ideally no more than 20x the initial deposit plus bonus amount before becoming withdrawable. Watch also for "miscellaneous" fees described in the terms and conditions of any bonuses accepted. These could negate much of the value of what appears at first glance to be a generous offer. Be sure to read the full details of any promos before claiming them.
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Game selection: This ties in with the size of the casino. The larger casinos usually feature more games overall, while some may excel in offering plenty of choices in a certain game category (video poker, anyone?). Check out our reviews for details on how many games are featured at each internet casino.
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Customer service: Be sure the casinos you pick offer round-the-clock customer support via live chat, email, and phone. How well the CS agents answer your questions is also important, but at least you want them available 24/7 in case you need assistance with an issue like cashing out.
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Software providers: Many of the real money online casinos use software from recognized third parties who specialise in developing games for the iGaming industry. Each provider has their own strengths and weaknesses so it's worth noting which casinos use your favourite developers. Examples include , , and .
Security At A Real Money Online Casino
This should go without saying but you should only ever play at licensed and regulated online casinos. Not only do they have to pass stringent tests in order to gain their license but they are then regularly audited to ensure everything is above board.
Look out for logos from recognized accreditation organizations such as eCOGRA, GLI and Technical Systems Testing (TST), which conduct game testing, random number generator testing and fairness audits respectively. Having SSL encryption certified by Let’s Encrypt, DigiCert or GlobalSign shows that any data you provide to the casino is protected during transmittal.
Also know that the games themselves are honestly constructed and operate randomly and independent of previous results. This applies both when you’re playing for free and real money.
Third party organizations test RNGs (Random Number Generators) to ensure they are producing outcomes that accurately reflect true randomness. Games are broken down into their core components and testers make sure that none of those components are designed or coded in such a way as to unfairly influence the outcome of a spin, hand or roll. Auditors also check things like payout percentage and make sure they match up with what the casino claims to be offering.
Aside from being a good way to protect players and keep them safe, all of these regulations and compliance checks mean that real money online casinos are able to offer official seals and certifications that they can display on their sites. Smart online gamblers use these logos as a way to quickly and easily vet the casinos they are considering joining.
Check for these seals to ensure your favorite casinos are legit:
Casino Loyalty Programs Explained
If you plan on making a real money casino a regular stop, consider signing up for their loyalty program. Here’s why:
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Rewards for regular play: Most real money casinos online offer some sort of loyalty program or VIP initiative. Depending upon how much you play, you can attain different levels within these programs, thus gaining access to higher levels of benefits.
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What are you “earning?” Don’t necessarily look at an internet casino’s loyalty program and think you’ll be earning lots of free cash. In many cases, players never actually receive cold, hard cash as a reward for their play. Instead, you might simply be climbing a ladder of free slot spins, bonus dollars (which generally must be played off at the casino before you can keep what you win) or even just progressively better gaming bonuses. That’
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Perks can be great: With all of that said, there are still many excellent perks & advantages offered through real money online casino loyalty programs. These can include backdoor ways of getting cash, like checks mailed directly to you, refunds on losses or even just profit boosters based on your level of play. Other perks may be non-monetary in nature, such as a real trip to a land-based casino affiliate with your online casino or tickets to sporting events. Still other loyalty program perks include things like dedicated account representatives, expedited withdrawals, special birthday gifts, access to tourneys & invitation-only games, merchandise and more.
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How much will you play? Think about how regularly you’ll be putting money into a real money online casino before deciding whether or not to pursue one of their loyalty programs. As a general rule, the more you play, the more you’re apt to get relevant casino – but it varies widely from one property to another.
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Can’t I get better bonuses just by claiming them directly, rather than via a loyalty program? In many cases, yes. Remember that any bonus received through a loyalty program will normally have either higher play-through requirements or shorter periods in which those requirements must be met before the bonus becomes withdrawable. Bonuses obtained apart from the loyalty program may have the same play-through requirements, but 30 days or more in which to meet them. This makes it easier to ultimately receive and keep your winnings.
Playing At a Real Money Online Casino
Keep these suggestions in mind while you're placing bets at your favorite site:
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Create a user name and password you can easily remember: It may seem obvious but you'd be surprised how many people have problems logging in because of a username or password they cannot recall.
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Take advantage of the practice or demo versions of games where possible: Almost every internet casino will let you play their slots and other games completely for free. This gives you a chance to get to know how they work, what features they have and, consequently, how best to play them for real money further down the line. Check out our before you start playing for real money.
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Pace yourself: It can be exciting to win and disheartening to lose, but neither of those emotions is any good for you in the long run. Playing a real money online casino should be fun – not a roller coaster ride through Ecstasy and Despair. To keep it fun, set limits on how much you'll spend when you start your session, and stick to them. Winning or losing has nothing to do with Time – it's an immovable object that's always ticking whether you notice or not. But the length of your playing session is entirely up to you, and we suggest making it an absolute limit – when you've hit that limit it's time to walk away, even if you're up or (particularly) there's a good chance you're going to lose more. Setting a time limit works the same - when the clock runs out, so does the session, whether you've had enough or had your fill. Combining the two methods is probably the smartest way to proceed - e.g., "I'll play until I win $50 or lose $25, or the hour is up, whichever comes first." Remember, the casino will always win - but that doesn't mean you can't too. And walking away the winner is a lot easier when you're doing it before you have a chance to become the house's latest loss.
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Cashing Out at a Real Money Online Casino
Consider these ideas and strategies when taking money out of a real money online casino:
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Know the rules: Before you even join a new room, take a moment to familiarize yourself with their withdrawal policies. Among the things you may want to note are any fees the room may charge for processing your withdrawal; minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts; how long it takes various forms of payment to clear; and any documentation you may be required to submit in order to process your request (usually some form of ID and perhaps proof of address). Also find out how requests for payouts are prioritized over credits or new deposits; in hard times some rooms have started requiring players to credit any proposed withdrawal amount against outstanding balance in their account, or any funds owed to them (such as bonus play that has since been fulfilled).
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Don't have just one option: Even if your favorite way to deposit is with a Visa card - or even a specific Visa card - don't make Checks, bank wires, MoneyGram and similar options time-consuming and expensive, but they may be your only choice of payout method if you haven't made deposiments using that form of payment. When you join a new room compare their withdrawal options with those you used to deposit and fill in any gaps that way.
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Be patient: Even with eWallets and other fast payout methods, it still takes a few days for a withdrawal to make its way back to you. Normally a approval period of 2-4 days applies before the transaction is completed. So when you make your withdrawal request, plan ahead. Don't assume you'll be able to access your winnings right away.
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Complete your profile: This may sound counterintuitive - after all, once the money's out, why not celebrate by immediately logging out and maybe even changing your password to prevent anyone from hacking your account? But in fact it's a good idea to fully complete your profile - including providing documents to prove your identity, age and place of residence - before cashing out. Why? Because asking for account documents (proofs of ID, address, etc.) is one of the common ways rooms stall on paying out - they claim they can't release your money until you've provided such documents and then put you on hold while your application winds its way through whatever approvals process the room uses. Completing your paperwork up front removes that excuse from play.
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Change your bank details -- Once your withdrawal has been processed it's always a good idea to change your banking details on file. That way if anyone were to steal your login details there is less opportunity for a would-be fraudster to steal your money. Obviously they won't be able to take money out unless they can add their banking details, which will be different to yours.
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Getting to grips with the lingo can be difficult for beginners when entering any environment for the first time. To help you out we've compiled a short list of the most commonly used phrases you're likely to encounter at an online casino.
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Bankroll: The total amount of money you have set aside for gambling at a real money online casino.
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Bonus: A sum of money offered to a player by an online casino as part of a promotion or welcome package. See also Free Spins.
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Free Play: Similar to a bonus but pays out in chips or cash that can be used to play any game on the casino floor. Typically larger than a bonus but often subject to higher play-through requirements. Sometimes offered as a second or third-deposit bonus since most casinos give new players FREE SLots or FREE SPINS on their FIRST DEPOSIT.
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Progressive Jackpot / Progressive Slot: A jackpot that increases in size each time is played but not won. Some progressive jackpots can grow to more than $1,000,000 - or even much, much more. Popular examples include , and Mega Fortune.
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Return to Player (RTP): The theoretical amount that a particular game pays out over time, compared to how much has been wagered on that machine. An RTP of 96% means that, theoretically, for every $100 wagered, the game will pay out $96 in wins (though of course individual players may experience wild variations from those averages in both directions).
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Hit: A winning spin, especially one which advances you to a bonus screen or other feature.
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Max Bet: The highest amount you can wager on a single spin of the reels. Usually Max Bet also activates all available paylines.
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Payline: A line across the reels of a slot or similar game along which symbols must align in order to produce a winning combination. Most modern video slots have multiple paylines running both horizontally and diagonally. Older "classic" slots typically have a single payline running horizontally from left to right across the center of the screen.
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Wild Symbol: A symbol which substitutes for any other symbol (with the exception of Scatters) to produce a winning payline where one wasn't present originally.
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Scatter: A symbol which produces an instant win or freespins regardless of where it appears on the reels - although exact rules vary from game to game. Many slots feature multiple Scatter symbols, each with its own properties and rewards.
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Stream: Used to describe a player live-streaming themselves gambling on a particular game - usually slots - in the hope of winning a big jackpot. The streams themselves are often broadcast via platforms like Twitch or YouTube Gaming, with fans of the streamer eagerly watching to see if their idol gets lucky.
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Drops and Wins: A type of promotion in which a real money online casino gives away large sums of money at regular intervals. Unlike most bonuses, Drops & Wins don't require any special action on the player's part beyond simply opening an game and playing it like normal. At randomly-determined intervals the game can award a random player a "drop," typically ranging from $100 to $25,000 or more. Less common are the "wins," which are exactly what they sound like - huge jackpots ranging from hundreds of thousands to over a million bucks. Both drops and wins are chosen at random from all players participating in the promotion - the more people playing the game, the smaller your chance of winning, but since many casinos run their Drops & Wins promos on very popular slots the actual number of players isn't as big a factor as you might think.
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Once you feel comfortable with the terminology you'll be able to navigate your favorite casinos with ease.