Introduction
When it comes to playing in an online casino, it may get a little confusing if it’s your first time. However, with the huge range of online slots and the wonderful bonuses, such as free spins no deposit, you’ll soon find it both easy and fun to play.
If you find navigating an online casino a little nerve-wracking, then we are here to help you along the way. We’ll give you the ins and outs of how to sign up, the games available, and casino bonuses, and answer the age-old question, ‘what is a wagering requirement?’.
Remember you need to be 18+ to gamble within the UK, and please feel free to visit BeGambleAware.org for information on how to gamble safely.
Sign Up
In order to get started on an online casino, you will first need to sign up and verify who you are and your age. Although it’s online, it’s still a casino, so they have to make sure you are 18 or over. You will have to provide some ID or documentation to prove your age and verify the account.
Once you have signed up and verified your account, you can set up your account with an avatar if there is an option to do so.
Make sure to check if the casino offers any welcome bonuses for signing up and how to claim them! Of course, every online casino will vary, so make sure you read the fine print.
Claim Welcome Bonuses
After signing up and checking if there is a Welcome Bonus, the next thing to do is to claim that Welcome Bonus! Most online casinos offer a No Deposit Bonus as a Welcome Bonus. This means players do not have to deposit to claim a free Bonus Credit. Some casinos offer a No Deposit Bonus straight into a player’s account after some Lobby Game, or they may claim it with a bonus code.
Another type of Welcome Bonus is the Deposit Match Bonus (or some variation of it). This bonus does require a player to make a minimum deposit. This usually falls between £5-£10. Once a player has made a deposit, the casino will offer to match that deposit by a percentage. An example of that is if an online casino offers a 200% Deposit Match, then a £10 deposit will be matched with £20 making it £30 altogether. This offer is also only usually available for the first deposit.
Choose a Game to Play
Once you have claimed either of the two mentioned bonuses, you can scan the online casino for the various games they offer. This can range from the following: online slots, online bingo, roulette, blackjack, and poker. Not every casino will offer all five, and some may even offer more.
Online Slots: slot games come in various unique themes such as fruit, Egyptian, and Irish themes. Slots are a game of chance typically made up of 5×3 reels and played at the press of a button to spin those reels. To get a win, you’ve usually got to get at least three matching symbols.
Online Bingo: bingo online is similar to traditional bingo. You pick a bingo room, pay for a bingo card/ticket, and wait for the numbers to be selected. Usually, with online bingo, the numbers are automatically marked off on the card for you. The first person to get a bingo line or a full house is the winner!
Casino Table Games: There are also table games like roulette, blackjack, and poker. Each game has its own particular rules, which can usually be found in online casinos. The online versions of the games are still very similar to their real-life counterparts.
Other Bonuses
Once you’ve chosen what game to play and got a bit used to the world of online casinos, you can check out the other bonuses online casinos may offer. Most tend to offer a Refer a Friend Bonus or something similar. With this bonus, you’ll either receive a code to share with friends when they sign up or a specific link they need to use to sign up. Once they have signed up, they should receive a bonus set by the casino. This varies from case to case as some casinos require the referred friend to make a deposit.
There’s also usually a game promotion bonus or Game of the Month Bonus where a particular game is promoted for the entire month, and players who choose to play this game during the promotional period will be in with a chance of claiming a bonus.
Wagering Requirements
Now all these bonuses tend to come with a wagering requirement. What is a wagering requirement, you ask? This is a set number of times a player must wager their bonus, provided by the casino before they can cash the payment out. An example is if you’re given a £10 bonus with an x20 wagering requirement, you’d need to wager £200 with the bonus before you could cash out any winnings.
Player Bonuses
Some casinos, not all, tend to offer prizes and bonuses for players who regularly play online casinos. The prizes will vary for each casino. You can always contact the online casino to check if they offer this bonus.
Ready To Play?
Now that you’ve got the hang of how to play on an online casino and what to expect, you can choose to play on any online casino you like. It is, of course, best to choose a licensed casino for your safety, so it would be wise to check these details. It would also be wise to check if the casino takes on any Safer Gambling precautions, as this is a good indicator of its ethics.
Not every online casino will be exactly as outlined in this guide. However, it can very much be expected to be similar.
Happy playing to you!
