There are many different game types in the world of online casinos, from simple slots all the way through to more complex table games. The sheer number of online casino games might feel somewhat overwhelming at first. However, once you’ve practised for a while, you’ll soon have a firm grip on your game of choice.
We aim to provide a complete overview of online casino games on this page, giving you a jumpstart in understanding them. You’ll find out everything from how to play the most popular online casino games to why you can trust the games entirely. So, if you’re new to online casinos – or, indeed, if you’re an old hand simply looking to refresh their knowledge – keep on reading!
Why Gamble at Online Casinos?
If you’re new to online casinos, you might still be wondering why exactly people choose to risk their money playing the wide variety of casino games. Well, there are two reasons. The first of these is the most important: people play online casino games because they love the rush of adrenaline and excitement it brings. Every spin of the slot reels or deal of the cards at the blackjack table could see you winning significant sums of cash, and what could be more exciting than that?
People also play at online casinos as they want to win money – although winning money should never be a player’s only intent. Slots can have prizes worth millions of pounds, while table games can also hand out significant payouts. With some games, such as blackjack, it’s possible to boost your chances of winning through strategy. However, with others, such as slots, the outcomes are based entirely on luck, so everyone has the same chances of winning.
How to Play Online Casino Games
It’s easy to play online casino games. Just follow the step-by-step guide below and you’ll be playing a game at your chosen online casino in minutes.
- Sign in to your online casino account
- Head to the cashier and make a deposit
- Using the menus on the site, find the game type you prefer
- Pick from one of the different games
- If unsure about what to play, you can play most games for free to test them out
- If you manage to win any money, it’ll be paid to you automatically
- You can then withdraw winnings or use them to keep playing
If you ever run into any problems at an online casino, you should contact their customer support team. Most casinos offer live chat to all players, which is usually the quickest and most effective way of getting help with your issue.
The Most Popular Online Casino Games
As already stated on this page, there are loads of different games found at online casinos. Below, we’ve explained the most popular of them, starting with slots.
Slots
At most online casinos, slot machines make up around 90% of the games. This sometimes means that there are over 1,000 slots for you to choose from at a single casino. Of all casino games, slots are one of the easiest, as absolutely no skill is required. Just decide how much to bet per spin, get the reels moving and wait to see if you can win a cash prize. At most slots, this cash prize is won when you get two/three identical symbols across a payline, starting from the first reel
Many slots also have bonus features, which make them even more exciting. Nearly all slots will have wild symbols, which substitute for other symbols on the reels, plus they almost all also have scatter – symbols that payout prizes when two or more are found anywhere on the reels. You’ll also often manage to start bonus games, which can be anything from free spins through to picking games. These bonus games are loads of fun and often offer substantial prizes.
Most slots have set prizes, meaning that the maximum prize is a specific amount. There are, however, some slots with progressive jackpots. These have jackpots that keep rising as more and more people play the game, meaning that they can sometimes grow to be worth millions of pounds. Some of the most popular progressive slots include Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune and Jackpot Giant.
Blackjack
Of all the table games, blackjack is one of the most popular. It’s a game played against the dealer, where your goal is to get closer to 21 than the dealer manages to, without ever exceeding that magic number. Beat the dealer and you’ll double your money, but if the dealer wins, you’ll lose your bet. If you get Blackjack, which is when you’re dealt an ace and a 10-value card, and the dealer doesn’t, you’ll receive a prize worth 3:2.
You’ll start with two cards, and you’ll then be able to receive as many more cards as you want until you decide to stop, or you go over 21. The dealer then does the same, although they have a few additional rules to follow, dictating when they take cards and when they stop. Once both you and the dealer have finished, the result is seen and, if you won, you’ll receive your prize.
Roulette
Roulette is the other incredibly popular table game found at online casinos, and most will already know the basic premise. Simply pick some numbers and then wait to see if the ball lands on the number you’ve selected. If it does, you’ll win a prize based on the type of bet you’ve placed. Bet on a single number and win, and you’ll receive a prize worth 35:1, which can translate into a giant boost to your casino balance.
You’ll find plenty of roulette variations at online casinos. However, the three most popular are European, French and American. The French version has the lowest house edge, while we’d avoid American roulette, as it has the largest house edge of the three versions, by some margin. This is because the American version has a double zero, which tilts the chances even more in favour of the house.
Baccarat
Baccarat is another game popular in casinos, and it is straightforward to play, as it requires no skill. Simply bet on the player, the banker or the tie, and you’ll win a prize if your prediction comes true. The winner will be the player with a value closest to nine. All cards in a hand are added together to come up with the value – if the value is 10 or higher, only the second digit is used. For example, 15 would be 5.
To start, two cards are dealt to the player and two to the banker. Whether either the player or banker gets another card is determined by the total. Once all cards have been dealt, you’ll see whether the player or the banker has won or whether it was a draw. Bet on the player successfully, and you’ll double your money, while successful bets on the banker will see you double your money but then pay 5% commission on the winnings. Correctly predicting a draw sees you paid a prize of 8:1. While it pays the least, betting on the banker is the best bet, while you should never bet on a tie, as it’s the bet with the highest house edge, by a considerable amount.
Poker
Poker is very popular in land-based casinos, with Texas hold’em being the most commonly played variation. However, you won’t find poker of this type at a typical online casino, as it will instead have a dedicated section at the site if it’s offered at all.
You will, however, find some single-player poker games at most casinos, with the most popular being video poker. This game challenges you to make the best five-card hand possible – if it’s good enough, you’ll win a prize. Casino hold’em is also very popular, as are three card poker and Caribbean stud poker.
Live Dealer Games
One of the most exciting additions to casinos in recent years is live dealer games. As the name suggests, these games feature a live dealer beamed to your screen via a webcam. An interactive display is placed over the webcam footage, allowing you to play. The dealer will be able to see what you’ve decided to do and will act accordingly.
You’ll find that there are loads of different live dealer games available at casinos. However, the most popular are roulette and blackjack. Other commonly found games include baccarat, casino hold’em and three card poker. These games come from a wide variety of different providers, with a couple of the more prominent names being Evolution Gaming and NetEnt.
Play Casino Games Using a Mobile Device
It used to be the case that online casino games could only be played by those using a desktop device, but that’s certainly not the case anymore. Nowadays, nearly all casinos have a mobile-optimised website, which can be accessed using modern smartphones and tablets. The result? You can play your favourite casino games, wherever you happen to be.
To access mobile casino games, simply use the browser on your mobile device to access your preferred casino. You’ll then be presented with a site optimised for mobile, meaning that it will adapt to fit your screen perfectly and that you can control everything using your device’s touchscreen. Some casinos also offer an app for players to download – once downloaded, it just takes a simple click on the icon for the app to open.
You’ll find that mobile casinos and apps offer nearly as many games as desktop casinos and that all new games will be compatible with mobile devices. The features of the games will remain the same, plus the prizes will also be identical. This means it’s still possible to win hundreds of thousands or even millions when playing casino games using smartphones or tablets.
Understanding House Edge and Return to Player
One thing you need to be aware of when playing at an online casino is the house edge. It’s a phrase you might have heard of before, but what exactly does it mean? Well, it’s the term used to describe how much of an advantage the casino has over a player.
Slots generally have a house edge of around 4%, meaning that the house will, on average, win £4 for every £100 spent on the game. Blackjack has a lower house edge of around 1%, while the roulette house edge varies depending on the version – French roulette has the best house edge, coming in at just 1.35%. The lower the house edge, the better your chances are of winning money.
You might also hear about the return-to-player of a game, and this is a term that tells you the same thing as the house edge, but in a different way. Instead of telling you what the house will win on average, the return-to-player tells you how much the average player will win back. So, if the house edge of a game is 2%, then the return-to-player will be 98%. The higher the return-to-player of a game, the higher your chances are of winning when playing it.
Are Online Casino Games Fair?
Potential online casino players are often put off by one nagging concern: are online casino games fair? In the dawn of the online casino, this was a valid concern, but it isn’t an issue anymore. This is because all sites accepting UK players must have a licence from the Gambling Commission, a UK government agency that regulates the gambling industry. Their comprehensive oversight ensures that no online casino with a licence can do anything unfair to their players. To see if the Gambling Commission regulates a site, just check for its logo at the bottom of every casino page.
You’ll also find that many casinos have had their games tested by independent auditing companies, such as eCOGRA. These companies test out every game, simulating millions of spins, to check that the games are paying back as much money as they’re supposed to. If the games have been tested, you’ll usually find the logo of the testing house at the bottom of each page.
It’s also the case that there’s no incentive for reputable casinos to cheat their players. Online casinos are now such big business that the sites are already making a decent profit, and they don’t need to con you out of a few pounds to boost their bottom line. Cheating you isn’t worth the risk of losing their licence and therefore not being able to accept UK players.
How to Find the Best Online Casino Games
There are loads of different online casinos out there, so how do you go about finding the best one for you? The answer is simple: you look through our reviews, each one of which tells you everything you could ever need to know about the casino in question. You’ll find out about the games, bonuses, security and much more, and you can use the reviews to compare casinos and find the one offering precisely what you want.
Our reviews are written by online casino experts and give an honest overview of a site, discussing both negative and positive aspects. So, why not head over to our reviews now and find the online casino that’s just right for you?
Experience the Thrill of Online Casino Games Today!
Now you know pretty much everything you need to know about online casino games! You should now look through our reviews and find the best online casino for you, before heading there and trying out all the different games to find out which you love playing most. If you’re lucky, you could find yourself walking away with far more money than you started with!
