The Best Online Casinos for Beginning Players
When new players first explore the world of online casinos, the choices can seem overwhelming. Not only are there hundreds of games to choose from, there are hundreds of casinos too, and knowing which are reputable and which are not can be unclear. This article is an overview of online casinos from the perspective of beginners. Here you can find out about devices, games, bonuses and how to ensure your money is safe.
First up, you can access online casinos in three different ways, each is explained along with the pros and cons of each. After that you will find a quick run-through of the different categories of games available to play. After this you can find information on how to find the best casino bonuses for beginning players, before I wrap up with some safety advice.
How to Access Online Casinos
The main way of accessing online casinos is to download a software client onto your computer. There are dedicated Windows and Mac downloads readily available, and Linux users have the choice of whether to download a Windows version using an emulator – of use browser versions instead.
Downloading a full client has benefits in the speed and smoothness of the games. Your local machine does the work, which means less information exchanged over the internet. Cons are that you are stuck with one casino (at least until you download another one) and that it is not always possible to download on shared or work computers.
Apps are an increasingly popular way for beginners to access online casinos. There are Android and iPhone / iPad apps available at many major casinos. These can be found via the individual casino websites. Many games have already been adapted for the smaller screens of iPhones and Android smartphones, though not all – it is worthwhile checking out your favorite games in free-play mode before you commit to real money.
The final way to access casino games is via in-browser games. These use Flash or HTML5, and are very good quality compared to similar games from just a few years ago. They are ideal for shared machines (no download is needed) and is a great option for users of niche systems like Windows tablets / phones or Blackberries. One key advantage is that you can switch easily between different casinos to check out a lot of games. Note that Flash is not compatible with Apple devices without downloading a special third party browser.
What Games are Available?
Casino games are in three broad categories, which can then be divided further into many game types. These are slots, table games and novelty games.
Slots
This is a huge category, so huge that there are casinos dedicated to this area. Slots are increasingly themed and have ever more entertaining feature-rounds and often 3d graphics. You can still access traditional 3-reel slot machines, however most are now in the multi-line 5-reel video slot format. Many slots have big jackpots attached, some linked between different casinos that have the same machine.
Table Games
This category covers a wide range of games including roulette, blackjack, craps and casino poker variations – everything you might find played on the green felt in a real casino. There are many variations on each game, often with quirky side-bets or progressive jackpots.
Novelty Games
Bingo or scratch card type games come into this category, along with some innovative video-games, video poker variations and dice games like Sic-bo. New technology sees the casinos innovating with new ideas all the time, and you’ll find a lot of quirky and interesting games in this category.
Bonuses
This is an important subject for new players, since there are major differences between bonus offers which can look very similar at first view.
You need to compare welcome bonuses based on how many times you need to play-through the amount to receive the bonus. These ‘play through’ multiples vary a lot, from 20x at the best casinos through to 50x or even more. Other things to watch for with welcome bonuses are any restrictions in the games you can play, and whether the bonus expires very quickly or gives you a reasonable amount of time to work through it.
The other key thing with bonuses is to look beyond the initial welcome bonus and make sure there are plenty of ongoing offers at your casino. The best offer regular reloads, promotions and comps, plus VIP areas for their high-rollers. Make sure you see plenty of evidence of these before you commit, if your casino does not offer them then there are plenty of others who will.
Safety
Most online casinos are perfectly safe and will pay out winnings promptly. A small percentage is not reputable, and it is always worthwhile searching online for any big issues before you commit your cash. We recommend looking for brand names that have five years or more of service. It can also be smart to keep only what you need to play the games online at any one time.