Playing your favourite games at online casinos may seem daunting at first but follow the 10 commandments below to ensure you enjoy your experience as much as possible. If you unsure of anything or need more advice, please feel free to Contact Us.
1. Make sure you can legally gamble online at a chosen internet casino
Online gambling is legal in most places but is illegal in certain countries such as the United States of America. It is vital to be conscious of the legalities in your country/area before you deposit and play online. Make sure an online casino is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. You can also use Google to check out the online casino of your choice. By the way, CasinoManual.co.uk only promotes licensed operators.
2. Investigate and research the online casinos you are interested in playing at
Making sure online casinos are legitimate shouldn’t be underestimated. There are 1,000s of online casinos out there so you need to look into certain facts before you part with your hard earned cash. The better operators out there will provide extensive information on who they are, where they are licensed, how they are audited, who their senior management is as well as how to get in contact with them.
Here at CasinoManual.co.uk, we suggest you do the research to avoid being disappointed. Look on casino player forums for example – these will provide you with valuable information on whether the casino you intend to play at has treated players badly, has not paid out winnings, has changed their Terms & Conditions suddenly or has simply taken advantage of a player.
As you will see once you do the research, the same online casinos keep coming up for both good and bad reasons. You need to look at where the casino is licensed, if they are certified by reputable organizations, how long they have been in business and if they seem to treat players fairly. Casino player forums or message boards will provide a good indication as to how an online casino treats their players. You have to also remember that a lot of people go on the internet to complain but if you see a recurring theme in terms of complaints and issues, they shouldn’t be discarded.
Undoubtedly, you will find websites that claim to be the authority on online casinos. Whilst some of them are reputable and have been around for a long time, tread carefully as some of these sites can hand out a seal of approval or certification depending on how much cash they receive in return. Active player forums are probably your best bet as like-minded players will challenge everything written in there. Research is key as you need to know who you are spending your money with – it’s up to you really.
3. Try to online casino for size
Playing for free is a must for any casino player – if the online casino of your choice has no option for you to play for free, you should leave immediately and never go back. As part of the UK Gambling Commission’s rules, you must verify your and identity before you start playing – many online casinos, such as LeoVegas Casino, do this automatically when you register.
Imagine the situation this way – would you ever buy a car without taking a test drive? The answer is surely not. Playing for free is a sure method to see how an online casino treats you. You may not like the games for example. You don’t want to spend your money and then discover this.
Play safe and try the online casino for free – simple. If you are worried about downloading a casino, rest assured all online casinos represented on CasinoManual.co.uk are safe to download and are virus free – most online casinos offer browser-based platforms due to advances in technology. If you want to play some of the most popular video slots around for free, visit our Play Slots section.
4. Research your chosen online casino’s customer service
The better casinos out there will provide toll-free telephone support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Be aware of other methods to reach the customer support such as Live Chat, fax, chat rooms and email. If you want instant responses, calling them directly or using the live chat function is recommended.
Local telephone numbers are important as it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to call them if you may need to reach them. You should call their customer support and ask a few questions or go on the Live Chat. This will give you a good indication of how they will treat you going forward. Also, you may be surprised and given a few free chips or a reload bonus.
Calling the casinos or going on live chat are probably the most effective as you engaging 1 on 1 with a customer support agent. Emailing the online casino may be quick and easy but it’s bound to take longer due to the volumes of emails they receive on a daily basis.
Ideally, you want to keep contact with the customer service teams to a minimum so you can concentrate on playing at the casino but you need to ensure that they exist and can handle any issue competently if they may arise.
5. Identify the online casino’s payment options
As a player, you need to choose what payment method suits you best – the quicker payments are sent to you, the better naturally. The better online casinos will offer you a whole range of payment options to suit your every need. They range from sending you a cheque, a bank transfer and instant options such as PayPal, NETeller and Skrill (formerly MoneyBookers).
Online casinos vary in the way they operate – some may charge you for using a certain payment method and others may not. CasinoManual.co.uk would highly recommend staying away from a payment method that would entail you paying a fee – the better casinos won’t charge. Different casinos also have different minimums in place – for example, in order to receive a cheque, they may ask that the minimum value be sent via cheque is £50. Simply identifying what suits you as a player is what matters.
CasinoManual.co.uk provides information on all payment methods that are commonly used by online casinos nowadays. In order to find out more about the various options that are open to you, visit our Banking Guide section.
6. Compare the bonuses available from the various casinos
Bonuses are used by online casinos to acquire your custom and then to keep you playing. Online casinos will offer you a wide range of options which include 1st deposit bonuses, reload bonuses, free spins, no deposit bonuses as well as loyalty bonuses.
Bonuses are common practice in online casinos so if the casino you are looking at is not offering any, approach with care. Saying that, if the bonuses are ridiculously large, this is also a cause for concern. Bonuses are used to reward you for depositing and playing with the casino. Your money will go further and you will have a larger balance to play with.
We recommend that you read the Terms & Conditions of all bonuses you are interested in. The online casinos are prone to abuse by certain games so they restrict certain games or increase the wagering as a result. We have a dedicated Exclusive Offers section at CasinoManual.co.uk – here you will find definitions of all the different types of bonuses as well as the best unique bonuses on offer from our recommended UK-licensed casinos.
7. All games differ from casino to casino
Blackjack may seem like blackjack but there are many different versions of the game online. This is because there are various software providers out there. CasinoManual.co.uk provides you with an insight into the reputable software providers around and details their games and functions as well as the online casinos that use them.
Saying this, payout percentages, games, number of decks in play as well as well design and layout can be different from casino to casino. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the odds are stacked against you dramatically but there are some differences due to operational preferences.
For example, 2 casinos using Microgaming software may offer single-deck blackjack but the payout percentages can vary from one to another. The online casinos themselves should provide you with these stats but if they don’t, take that as a warning and make sure you exit appropriately. Remember that all online casinos using reputable software publish their payout tables.
Make sure you do your research here as reputable casinos will publish their data over time to ensure transparency and that the games are fair. Again, if not sure, contact their customer service or visit casino player forums.
8. Make sure your personal information is secure
When you decide to take the plunge and deposit at an online casino, you need to factor in the security aspect. Giving away your personal and financial details is something that shouldn’t happen lightly so make sure you read the online casino’s privacy policy. Look out for online casinos that use secure, data-encrypted pages to protect your details.
Make sure the registration process is secure – you can do this by looking at the web address. If it starts with https:// instead of simply http:// this is good sign. Some less professional casinos will not protect crucial pages which can allow spammers to gather your credit card details and use them accordingly.
9. Play to win
Playing at an online casino is fun but the overall aim is to win right? Well, you need to be careful and play within your limits. Keeping a budget will allow you to play safely and will ensure you can only lose what you can afford. Don’t chase losses either as this will encourage you to take bigger risks which might resolve in larger sums being lost. Taking regular breaks will ensure you remain focused and alert when you are playing. Therefore, you will be able to make better judgments. Don’t let emotion get in the way of your casino experience as you may make bad calls but most important you need to learn to quit when you are ahead.
10. Enjoy yourself
Unfortunately, you will not be receiving free drinks and perks like you would at a bricks and mortar casino. But this isn’t to say you shouldn’t have fun playing your favourite casino games right? Get in the mood by becoming the casino floor manager yourself and treat yourself to an experience no-one else can match. All you need now is that big win!
Worried about your manage your money? Check out our Online Casino Bankroll Management Tips article.