How Do Casino Bonuses Work, does online casino really work.

Does online casino really work

Online casino sites to play on real money

But what exactly are casino bonuses and how do they work? Whether you are new to the whole online gambling world or a seasoned punter, the following article will answer all your questions, arming you with all the information you need, to get the most out of your gambling experience. The recent boom in online gambling has witnessed scores of virtual casinos popping up all over the internet, providing punters endless options for spinning the wheel or placing a bet. With so much choice currently available, online gambling sites need to step up to the plate with all guns blazing, setting their brand apart from competitors, and ensuring plenty of traffic flows their way. One of the best means of achieving such success is by offering welcome packages and bonuses, that are too irresistible to refuse.

How do casino bonuses work?

The recent boom in online gambling has witnessed scores of virtual casinos popping up all over the internet, providing punters endless options for spinning the wheel or placing a bet. With so much choice currently available, online gambling sites need to step up to the plate with all guns blazing, setting their brand apart from competitors, and ensuring plenty of traffic flows their way. One of the best means of achieving such success is by offering welcome packages and bonuses, that are too irresistible to refuse.

But what exactly are casino bonuses and how do they work? Whether you are new to the whole online gambling world or a seasoned punter, the following article will answer all your questions, arming you with all the information you need, to get the most out of your gambling experience.

Bonus basics

Any online casino adept with experience and knowledge will broadcast their bonus on their homepage, which should instantly draw the visitor’s attention. The welcome bonus takes the form of an introductory package for new customers, which grants certain rewards for registering with their site, and making a deposit. This initial offer comes in various varieties, from percentage matches to free spins, and always comes with strict rules and requirements. While it may look like the casino is giving away free money, with which you can embark on your gambling adventure, the reality is much more complicated.

Types of bonus

First of all, let’s take a look at some of the online gambling world’s most popular bonus offers.

• Match bonus: most modern casinos offer new clients a match bonus, which matches your initial deposit with a certain percentage up to a maximum amount. For example, if a site promises a 200% match on your first deposit, and you sign up with £50, you will have £100 bonus money to play with. Many casinos also spread match bonuses across numerous deposits

• No deposit bonus: as this name suggests, this offer awards new players bonus money or free spins, just for signing up, without having to hand over a penny. This makes perfect sense for inexperienced punters looking to get a feel of how online gambling works, without having to make an investment

• Free money bonus: casinos offering free money present customers with a particular amount, irrespective of their first deposit. For example, a bonus of £50, on initial deposits of at least £20

• Ongoing bonuses and special promotions: aside from the introductory package, casinos also offer clients regular promotions to keep them coming back for more. The scope and variety of such rewards differ remarkably, from luxury holidays to cash jackpots, so it’s a good idea to check a casino’s promotions page before signing up

Rules and requirements

This is undoubtedly the most confusing part of casino bonuses, as all offers come with fine print, and it is essential to familiarise yourself with all the details to avoid disappointment. Here are just a few issues to keep in mind when considering a casino bonus:

• Expiry dates: most offers fall under a time requirement, after which the bonus expires and any bonus money will be lost

• Selected games: generally speaking, casinos only allow bonus money to be used on a select number of games, and introductory packages are almost always dedicated to slots. Fans of table or live dealer games should do some research to find bonuses out there that can cater to their needs

• Wagering requirements: the play-through or wagering requirement is perhaps the most important aspect of the bonus, that players need to understand before making a commitment. The premise is relatively simple, you have to bet your deposit, bonus, or combined deposit and bonus, many times before your bonus becomes cashable. Online casinos usually set their wagering requirements between 20 and 50 times the stake, so it is absolutely critical that you are aware of the conditions beforehand, to ensure an enjoyable and stress-free gambling experience.

Pay outs at online casino: how do they work?

Have you ever tried to play at an online casino? If not, you probably have lots of questions before actually trying it out. Perhaps you would like to try online casino poker tournaments but are not really sure on how they work, how do you join, but most importantly: how do you cash out if you win?

Of course it is important to know that when you go ahead and do an online casino deposit, you are basically doing the exact same thing you would at a land based casino: using some of your cash to play a game. Of course, at a land based casino you will probably get your winnings paid off to you right away, while casinos online work a little different. Here is a quick online casino guide to help you understand how pay outs work on these websites, how long will you have to wait to get your winnings into your hands and some of the reasons why this process is a little bit longer than one would enjoy:

It is very important to keep in mind that each casino will probably have their own rules and terms when it comes to casino withdrawals and that you need to make sure you fully understand those at the time you want to request a payout. At the virtual casino, we have our own way to handle everything: from your online casino deposit to your cash out goes through a very secure process. This is how it works:

To be able to withdraw money, the first step is to log into your casino account and clicking on the cashier button, this will take you into your main screen, look for the WITHDRAW MONEY button and click on it.

There are several withdrawal methods that will immediately display, in our case we offer: click2pay, MG cash, neteller, overnight express (check), usemywallet, wire transfer or WU cash. It is important to keep in mind that most cash out methods will charge you a fee for their service. If you are not familiar with these fees, you can contact the customer service department at the virtual casino and they will give you all the pertinent information.

After you have requested your pay out and have chosen a payment method, the request is submitted to the withdrawals department where your personal information will be checked out to make sure no one is trying to use your account in a fraudulent way, also, there are different rules regarding withdrawals: if for example you used a bonus, a free chip or a coupon code, they all have different cash out rules, which will be verified by the withdrawals agents. If the withdrawal request does not meet the requirements, it will be denied within 72 hours after the request has been made.

In the case that the withdrawal does meet all cash out requirements, the approval takes within 10-15 business days of the date the withdrawal was requested. The reason why this takes so long is mostly because all the personal information needs to be verified in detail. After you request is approved, you will receive notification within 48 hours of the approval. At this moment you are required to verify all personal information one last time and will be given the choices of current payout options.

For each type of withdrawal request, there is certain documentation involved and the player need to comply with all of it in order for the withdrawal will be processed.

Another important thing to remember is that there are weekly cash out limits, in the case of the virtual casino, we have a max cash-out of $2,000.00 per week, however depending on your player status these can be higher, for example if you are a VIP player.

When will I finally get my money?

In most cases, payments are made within 7 –10 business days of approval; yet this is not an exact estimate as you can see and there is the possibility of a slight delay every once in a while, these mostly because of the banking issues currently undergoing gambling activities. Depending on the payment method you chose, the payment dates may also vary.

So now that you have a clearer idea on how do casino pay outs work, and have a better sense of the security methods used to make sure you receive your money, you might feel a bit less hesitant about doing a deposit to play, don’t you?

All about online gambling

By michael bluejay вђў last update: september 2019

What is online casino gambling? How does it work?

Online casinos have videogame-type representations of traditional casino games like blackjack, craps, roulette, slot machines, and even poker against other human players. You can play for real money, though all casinos let you play their games with play money, hoping you'll decide to eventually gamble with real money.

At most casinos you can either download their special software to play the games, or play the instant versions right in your web browser. (bovada has a good selection of play-in-browser games, and you can play for free without risking any actual money. If you see a registration box, you can close it and be able to play without registering.) to play with real money, you make a deposit with a credit card or by doing a bitcoin transfer.

Is it legal to gamble online?

More or less. Playing online doesn't break any (U.S.) federal laws. You might run afoul of state laws, but even there prosecution is rare, and in most states simple gambling is only a misdemeanor anyway. Legality aside, online gambling is already so common that the government can't do much to stop it. Internet casinos are doing a brisk business with U.S. Customers for this reason.

See my article "is online gambling legal?" for more details.

Are online casinos honest?

Pretty much. Most casinos don't cheat because if players lost their money too quickly they'd never return. Like every other operation, casinos depend on repeat business. Also, it's pretty easy for watchdog mathematicians like the wizard of odds to discover cheating by analyzing the results, and casinos who get caught cheating usually go out of business. So in short, there's more money to be made by dealing an honest game. Just like land casinos, online casinos make their money from the fact that the odds are in their favor. They don't have to cheat, they already have an edge.

Of course there are exceptions, like casino bar which had a crooked blackjack game. (they were quickly outed by the wizard, and their business soon dried up.) but cheating casinos are the exception and not the rule. In fact, the bigger problem with online casinos is that sometimes they take a long time to pay out a player's winningsвђ”or in the case of a big win they might try to claim some loophole to avoid paying the player altogether (like betsoft and betcoin.Ag). And if this happens to you then you're often out of luck, since online casinos are often unregulated or only loosely regulated.

For this reason, it's crucial to choose a reputable casino. I like bovada, because they've never failed to pay me, and payout complaints about them from my readers are exceptionally rare (and usually quickly resolved). Bovada has also promised that if anyone who clicks over to bovada from my site has a problem they can't resolve, bovada will allow me to try to mediate. (I can't remember the last time I was asked to do that in such a case, but I'm sure it's been over ten years.) bovada has its problems, but payout integrity isn't one of them, and since most online casinos don't serve U.S. Players because of legal uncertainty, bovada is as good as U.S. Players are going to get.

Of course, if you play anywhere else (or if you didn't sign up with bovada after clicking through from my site), and you have a payout problem, then you're on your own.

How do I get money in and how do I get paid?

You can often make a casino deposit simply by using a credit card, just by typing the number into the form on the casino site. That's hit or miss, because U.S. Banks will block the transaction if they figure out it's for an online casino, but they often don't know that and the transaction sails through just fine. I tested over a dozen cards and some worked and some didn't. (don't ask which ones worked, because what works and what doesn't is constantly changing, and also depends on the casino in question.)

If your credit card doesn't work, most casinos now accept bitcoin, using a service like bitstamp. If you're unfamiliar with bitcoin, it's basically a currency like dollars or euros, but it exists only electronically; you don't hold physical bitcoins in your hand. The way it usually works is:

1. You open an account with a bitcoin service like bitstamp.


2. You transfer money from your bank account to bitstamp (or competing service) to purchase bitcoin. Some services let you buy with ac credit card.


3. You send your bitcoin to online merchants who accept them (like online casinos), electronically, through a web form.

You can also use bitstamp or similar service to receive bitcoin from others, such as a payout of casino winnings:

1. The casino sends bitcoin to your bitcoin account.


2. The service lets you sell the bitcoin to convert it to U.S. Dollars.


3. You transfer the U.S. Dollars to your bank account.

Bitcoin accounts are sometimes a little trouble to set up, but once they're set up, moving money in and out is very easy. Bitcoin has replaced older casino deposit/withdrawal methods like using western union, which has high fees and horrible customer service. And paypal won't handle casino transactions.

For payouts, some casinos will mail you a physical check, but they're increasingly moving to bitcoin payouts, because it's easier for them and more reliable. They might require that you fax them a copy of your ID before your first withdrawal. Don't freak out, that's just standard security protocol at most online gaming sites.

Which casino should I pick ?

1. If you plan to play only with play money (as opposed to real money), then bovada, because they're the only online casino I know of that lets you play for free without registering an account. (if you see a registration box, you can close it and play without registering.)


2. If you're in NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, OR DELAWARE, see the list of casinoss at casinomeister.Us. Those states license a handful of online casinos to their residents, and regulation means there are player protections (such as dispute resolution).


3. If you're in ANOTHER U.S. STATE, then bovada. You can't play in a licensed casino if you're not in one of the magic three states listed above, then because there aren't any licensed casinos serving the rest of the U.S., because no one will license them, because of the legal gray area. So, if you're in another U.S. State, then it's crucial to pick a casino with a good reputation, because if you have a problem then you can't complain to a licensing authority. That's why I recommend bovada. Note that some states outlaw gambling, though in those states it's usually a misdemeanor and online gambling is almost never prosecuted. (more. )


4. If you're in another COUNTRY, then click the link to bovada and see where you wind up. Bovada sends non-U.S. Players to one of its sister casinos (owned by the same parent company), with the same good reputation as bovada.

Blacklists are obsolete

Websites (like this one) used to compile "black lists" of bad casinos to warn players away from them. But those lists were a nightmare to maintain, and they didn't prevent players from getting hurt by new, rogue casinos before those bad casinos could make it onto the blacklists. The modern, better method is white lists, which are short lists of casinos known to be reputable, compiled by respected webmasters.

On my site, I vouch for bovada, as my readership is mostly U.S. And I feel they're the best bet for U.S. Players. Casinomeister tests and validates casinos extensively and maintains a respected list of "accredited" online casinos, but none of them take U.S. Players, because none of the U.S.-facing casinos is regulated, because no decent regulating authority will touch U.S.-facing casinos until online gambling becomes explicitly legal. (it's not explicitly illegal, either, but it's not black-and-white enough for U.S.-facing casinos to get regulated.)

I routinely get email from readers asking me to help them because some online casino (not bovada) won't pay them. (this isn't a service I offer, but desperate players try anyway.) and 99% of the time, the casino isn't on casinomeister's "accredited" list, and is usually on casinomester's "rogue" list. This validates casinomeister's work, that he's doing a great job of identifying which casinos are naughty and which are nice.

Should I download the software or use the play-in-browser version?

Download is usually better, because there's a larger game selection, and the games load faster. But download isn't an option for macs, so on a mac you'll be playing the browser-based games.

By the way, if you play at multiple casinos, you might notice the games look the same. That's because there are only around a handful of software makers who provide the games to the thousands of online casinos.

Avoiding spam

Online gambling is big business, and many casinos think nothing of selling your email address to other casinos. And even if casino management doesn't have a policy of selling customer info, rogue employees sometimes do so. So, if you play online, use a separate email account just for your online gaming. If you start getting flooded with spam, just switch to another new email address for online gaming. This way your primary email account never gets spammed.

Playing with a macintosh / mac OS

Bovada has a nice selection of mac-compatible browser-based games. They get big kudos for being one of the first casinos to support the mac (possibly the very first casino to do so). Before they came along, mac users had no good options for playing online. Here's more on macintosh casino games.

Bonuses: A blessing and a curse

Online casinos offer free chips for making an initial deposit or subsequent deposits (like $250 to $1500 on your first deposit, usually offered at bovada). In exchange for this generosity, they require that you give them a certain amount of wagering "action" (aka "play-through") before you can cash out the bonus, spelled out in the fine print.

But the bonus system fuels lots of player complaints. Most casinos limit which games satisfy the playthrough requirement, and players who didn't read the fine print get angry when they learn that all their action didn't qualify. And all online casinos (including bovada) will cancel your winnings if they think you're trying to scam them on bonuses, like opening multiple accounts to claim multiple bonuses. (almost all casinos will give you a refund of your deposit in that case, just no payout of any winnings you'd earned.) it's perfectly reasonable for a casino to cancel a player's winnings when the player is actually trying to pull a bonus scam.

However, a casino might mistakenly think you're trying to scam them, and still cancel your winnings. And to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if that happened at even bovada at some point. My only advice here (besides not actually trying to scam bonuses), is to not open multiple accounts on the same internet connection. (e.G., father and adult son living in the same household shouldn't each have an account at the same casino.) also, make sure you don't open an account at a sister casino of one you've already got an account with. For example, if you've already got an account with bovada, don't sign up for a separate one at slots.Lv, cafг© casino, or ignition casino.

Note that some casinos cancel your winnings even if you satisfied their terms and conditions. The terms spell out how much play you have to give them, and you give them enough play, but they call you a bonus abuser and cancel your winnings anyway. I hate to sound like a broken record, but this is another reason recommend bovada, because they don't pull that kind of crap.

If you're excited about the prospect of bonuses, and if bovada's isn't generous enough for you, then a site listing various bonuses by various casinos is latest casino bonuses.

All about online gambling

By michael bluejay вђў last update: september 2019

What is online casino gambling? How does it work?

Online casinos have videogame-type representations of traditional casino games like blackjack, craps, roulette, slot machines, and even poker against other human players. You can play for real money, though all casinos let you play their games with play money, hoping you'll decide to eventually gamble with real money.

At most casinos you can either download their special software to play the games, or play the instant versions right in your web browser. (bovada has a good selection of play-in-browser games, and you can play for free without risking any actual money. If you see a registration box, you can close it and be able to play without registering.) to play with real money, you make a deposit with a credit card or by doing a bitcoin transfer.

Is it legal to gamble online?

More or less. Playing online doesn't break any (U.S.) federal laws. You might run afoul of state laws, but even there prosecution is rare, and in most states simple gambling is only a misdemeanor anyway. Legality aside, online gambling is already so common that the government can't do much to stop it. Internet casinos are doing a brisk business with U.S. Customers for this reason.

See my article "is online gambling legal?" for more details.

Are online casinos honest?

Pretty much. Most casinos don't cheat because if players lost their money too quickly they'd never return. Like every other operation, casinos depend on repeat business. Also, it's pretty easy for watchdog mathematicians like the wizard of odds to discover cheating by analyzing the results, and casinos who get caught cheating usually go out of business. So in short, there's more money to be made by dealing an honest game. Just like land casinos, online casinos make their money from the fact that the odds are in their favor. They don't have to cheat, they already have an edge.

Of course there are exceptions, like casino bar which had a crooked blackjack game. (they were quickly outed by the wizard, and their business soon dried up.) but cheating casinos are the exception and not the rule. In fact, the bigger problem with online casinos is that sometimes they take a long time to pay out a player's winningsвђ”or in the case of a big win they might try to claim some loophole to avoid paying the player altogether (like betsoft and betcoin.Ag). And if this happens to you then you're often out of luck, since online casinos are often unregulated or only loosely regulated.

For this reason, it's crucial to choose a reputable casino. I like bovada, because they've never failed to pay me, and payout complaints about them from my readers are exceptionally rare (and usually quickly resolved). Bovada has also promised that if anyone who clicks over to bovada from my site has a problem they can't resolve, bovada will allow me to try to mediate. (I can't remember the last time I was asked to do that in such a case, but I'm sure it's been over ten years.) bovada has its problems, but payout integrity isn't one of them, and since most online casinos don't serve U.S. Players because of legal uncertainty, bovada is as good as U.S. Players are going to get.

Of course, if you play anywhere else (or if you didn't sign up with bovada after clicking through from my site), and you have a payout problem, then you're on your own.

How do I get money in and how do I get paid?

You can often make a casino deposit simply by using a credit card, just by typing the number into the form on the casino site. That's hit or miss, because U.S. Banks will block the transaction if they figure out it's for an online casino, but they often don't know that and the transaction sails through just fine. I tested over a dozen cards and some worked and some didn't. (don't ask which ones worked, because what works and what doesn't is constantly changing, and also depends on the casino in question.)

If your credit card doesn't work, most casinos now accept bitcoin, using a service like bitstamp. If you're unfamiliar with bitcoin, it's basically a currency like dollars or euros, but it exists only electronically; you don't hold physical bitcoins in your hand. The way it usually works is:

1. You open an account with a bitcoin service like bitstamp.


2. You transfer money from your bank account to bitstamp (or competing service) to purchase bitcoin. Some services let you buy with ac credit card.


3. You send your bitcoin to online merchants who accept them (like online casinos), electronically, through a web form.

You can also use bitstamp or similar service to receive bitcoin from others, such as a payout of casino winnings:

1. The casino sends bitcoin to your bitcoin account.


2. The service lets you sell the bitcoin to convert it to U.S. Dollars.


3. You transfer the U.S. Dollars to your bank account.

Bitcoin accounts are sometimes a little trouble to set up, but once they're set up, moving money in and out is very easy. Bitcoin has replaced older casino deposit/withdrawal methods like using western union, which has high fees and horrible customer service. And paypal won't handle casino transactions.

For payouts, some casinos will mail you a physical check, but they're increasingly moving to bitcoin payouts, because it's easier for them and more reliable. They might require that you fax them a copy of your ID before your first withdrawal. Don't freak out, that's just standard security protocol at most online gaming sites.

Which casino should I pick ?

1. If you plan to play only with play money (as opposed to real money), then bovada, because they're the only online casino I know of that lets you play for free without registering an account. (if you see a registration box, you can close it and play without registering.)


2. If you're in NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, OR DELAWARE, see the list of casinoss at casinomeister.Us. Those states license a handful of online casinos to their residents, and regulation means there are player protections (such as dispute resolution).


3. If you're in ANOTHER U.S. STATE, then bovada. You can't play in a licensed casino if you're not in one of the magic three states listed above, then because there aren't any licensed casinos serving the rest of the U.S., because no one will license them, because of the legal gray area. So, if you're in another U.S. State, then it's crucial to pick a casino with a good reputation, because if you have a problem then you can't complain to a licensing authority. That's why I recommend bovada. Note that some states outlaw gambling, though in those states it's usually a misdemeanor and online gambling is almost never prosecuted. (more. )


4. If you're in another COUNTRY, then click the link to bovada and see where you wind up. Bovada sends non-U.S. Players to one of its sister casinos (owned by the same parent company), with the same good reputation as bovada.

Blacklists are obsolete

Websites (like this one) used to compile "black lists" of bad casinos to warn players away from them. But those lists were a nightmare to maintain, and they didn't prevent players from getting hurt by new, rogue casinos before those bad casinos could make it onto the blacklists. The modern, better method is white lists, which are short lists of casinos known to be reputable, compiled by respected webmasters.

On my site, I vouch for bovada, as my readership is mostly U.S. And I feel they're the best bet for U.S. Players. Casinomeister tests and validates casinos extensively and maintains a respected list of "accredited" online casinos, but none of them take U.S. Players, because none of the U.S.-facing casinos is regulated, because no decent regulating authority will touch U.S.-facing casinos until online gambling becomes explicitly legal. (it's not explicitly illegal, either, but it's not black-and-white enough for U.S.-facing casinos to get regulated.)

I routinely get email from readers asking me to help them because some online casino (not bovada) won't pay them. (this isn't a service I offer, but desperate players try anyway.) and 99% of the time, the casino isn't on casinomeister's "accredited" list, and is usually on casinomester's "rogue" list. This validates casinomeister's work, that he's doing a great job of identifying which casinos are naughty and which are nice.

Should I download the software or use the play-in-browser version?

Download is usually better, because there's a larger game selection, and the games load faster. But download isn't an option for macs, so on a mac you'll be playing the browser-based games.

By the way, if you play at multiple casinos, you might notice the games look the same. That's because there are only around a handful of software makers who provide the games to the thousands of online casinos.

Avoiding spam

Online gambling is big business, and many casinos think nothing of selling your email address to other casinos. And even if casino management doesn't have a policy of selling customer info, rogue employees sometimes do so. So, if you play online, use a separate email account just for your online gaming. If you start getting flooded with spam, just switch to another new email address for online gaming. This way your primary email account never gets spammed.

Playing with a macintosh / mac OS

Bovada has a nice selection of mac-compatible browser-based games. They get big kudos for being one of the first casinos to support the mac (possibly the very first casino to do so). Before they came along, mac users had no good options for playing online. Here's more on macintosh casino games.

Bonuses: A blessing and a curse

Online casinos offer free chips for making an initial deposit or subsequent deposits (like $250 to $1500 on your first deposit, usually offered at bovada). In exchange for this generosity, they require that you give them a certain amount of wagering "action" (aka "play-through") before you can cash out the bonus, spelled out in the fine print.

But the bonus system fuels lots of player complaints. Most casinos limit which games satisfy the playthrough requirement, and players who didn't read the fine print get angry when they learn that all their action didn't qualify. And all online casinos (including bovada) will cancel your winnings if they think you're trying to scam them on bonuses, like opening multiple accounts to claim multiple bonuses. (almost all casinos will give you a refund of your deposit in that case, just no payout of any winnings you'd earned.) it's perfectly reasonable for a casino to cancel a player's winnings when the player is actually trying to pull a bonus scam.

However, a casino might mistakenly think you're trying to scam them, and still cancel your winnings. And to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if that happened at even bovada at some point. My only advice here (besides not actually trying to scam bonuses), is to not open multiple accounts on the same internet connection. (e.G., father and adult son living in the same household shouldn't each have an account at the same casino.) also, make sure you don't open an account at a sister casino of one you've already got an account with. For example, if you've already got an account with bovada, don't sign up for a separate one at slots.Lv, cafг© casino, or ignition casino.

Note that some casinos cancel your winnings even if you satisfied their terms and conditions. The terms spell out how much play you have to give them, and you give them enough play, but they call you a bonus abuser and cancel your winnings anyway. I hate to sound like a broken record, but this is another reason recommend bovada, because they don't pull that kind of crap.

If you're excited about the prospect of bonuses, and if bovada's isn't generous enough for you, then a site listing various bonuses by various casinos is latest casino bonuses.

How do online casino games work?

In this article we will attempt to provide an explanation of exactly how online casino games function. In each section the we will attempt to provide a short answer and an expanded explanation and these explanations will be added to and expanded as and when appropriate information comes to light.

Most of this article was authored by our resident casino software expert binary 128 (you can chat to him on the message boards). Binary 128 is one of the developers behind galewind software, the casino platform for pinnacle sportsbook.

What is a random number generator (RNG) and how does it work?

In an online casino a random number generator (RNG) is something that returns a number to whatever asks it for a number. It’s as simple as that.

Let’s use european roulette (single zero) as an example. The “wheel” spins, and needs to stop on a number between zero and 36. So, the “wheel” asks the RNG for a number between zero and 36. The RNG returns 17.

The RNG doesn’t know or care what is asking for that number. The ONLY thing that it does – when something asks it for a number within a range, then it makes sure that any number in that range has exactly the same chance of being returned as any other number.

• When a european roulette “wheel” asks it for a number between zero and 36, then zero has exactly the same chance of being returned as 1, or 17, or 36.


• When a video poker “dealer” asks it for a number between 1 and 52, then 1 has exactly the same chance of being returned as 2, or 23, or 52.

And that’s it. The RNG doesn’t know that in one case it is a roulette “wheel” that is asking, and in another case it is a video poker “dealer” that is asking. It doesn’t know what the number is for, or how it is going to be used.

In that way, the RNG is one of the stupidest parts of online casino software. Something asks it for a number, it returns a number, and its job is done (until something else asks it for another number).

Again, the ONLY thing that an RNG does – when something asks it for a number within a range, then it makes sure that any number in that range has exactly the same chance of being returned as any other number.

What does this mean?

The most important part of the quick answer was the statement – when something asks the RNG for a number within a range, then the RNG makes sure that any number in that range has exactly the same chance of being returned as any other number.

When the roulette “wheel” spins, and asks the RNG for a number between zero and 36, the RNG returns 17. When the “wheel” spins again and asks the RNG for another number, 17 has exactly the same chance of being returned as any other number. And when the “wheel” spins again, then again 17 has exactly the same chance of being returned as any other number.

When players see the number 17 returned three, or four, or five times in a row (or even more), then they start thinking “hey, this isn’t a random wheel! Is this game rigged!” that’s because people see things in “patterns”. People like to see “patterns” so much that they can see them in things even when there are no real “patterns” there at all. (let’s call it imagination.)

But, like I said earlier, rngs are just amazingly stupid. They have absolutely no imagination. AND, they have no memory. They don’t know what the last number they gave was, what the requested range was, who asked for it – nothing – no imagination, and no memory.

So, for an RNG, returning the number 17 to a roulette “wheel” three, or four, or five times in a row is … random. It doesn’t happen very often, and because it doesn’t happen very often the player notices it even more. If the roulette “wheel” stops on:

14, 12, 2, 3, 2, 34, 27, 21, 6, 15, 13, 22, 36, 9, 0, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17

Those five 17s in a row stick out like a sore thumb. “hey, this isn’t random. How can you have a pattern with five 17s in a row?”

There is no doubt – it can be a little confusing to think about it.

But if we look at that sequence of numbers above, then the first five numbers – 14, 12, 2, 3, 2 – have exactly the same chance of being returned as the last five numbers – 17, 17, 17, 17, 17. That is, the exact return order of 14, 12, 2, 3, 2 has the same chance of happening as the exact return order of 17, 17, 17, 17, 17.

This last part can be difficult to really understand, but … that is random.

How does a random number generator guarantee that any number in a requested range has exactly the same chance of being returned as any other number?

There are two methods to a random number generator (RNG). The first method is the one that generates a random number – I’ll call this method generate. The second method transforms that random number into something that can be used by whatever asked for it – I’ll call this method scale.

The generate method

There are 2 different types of things that can generate a random number – the first is a piece of hardware, and the second is a piece of software. A hardware example is the QUANTIS product from a company named ID quantique. A software example is named the mersenne twister algorithm.

The VAST majority of online casino programs use a piece of software to generate, and the mersenne twister is a very common software program. (galewind software uses it.) when I use examples in all of this documentation, I’ll tend to focus on the mersenne twister.

The generate method usually returns a number from one of two different generate ranges (depending on the software). Range #1 is [0 to 0.999999999999999]. Range #2 is [0 to 4,294,967,295]. (the mersenne twister uses range #2.)

The most important contribution of the generate method to the RNG’s performance – over the millions, or billions (or trillions) of numbers that it is asked to return:

1. There is no observable pattern to those numbers (aka correlation).


2. Those numbers are equally distributed across the generate range (aka bias).

In other words, the generate method returns a random number. No correlation is the “no one can guess the next number” guarantee. No bias is the “every number has an equal chance” guarantee.

There are all sorts of tests that can be run on the numbers that the generate method returns to determine their “quality” as “random numbers”. (link to test details 1. Link to test details 2.)

(the “quality” of the “random numbers” returned by the mersenne twister algorithm is considered excellent.)

The scale method

Since a large number of online casino software uses the mersenne twister to generate, let’s focus on the mersenne twister to talk about scale.

As we’ve seen, the mersenne twister’s generate method returns a random number in the generate range of 0 to 4,294,967,295. Obviously, these numbers are of no use to a roulette “wheel” that is asking for a value between 0 and 36. The generate method’s random number has to be transformed into a number that can be used by the “wheel”. Most importantly, it needs to be transformed without messing up the “quality” of the generate method’s “random number”.

Here is one way to make that happen.

The mersenne twister’s generate range (including 0) is 4,294,967,296 numbers. The roulette “wheel’s” requested range is 37 numbers. Divide 4,294,967,296 by 37, and we get 116,080,197.18919. Throw away the decimal and we get 116,080,197.

Now set up 37 “number bins”, one for each of the roulette “wheel’s” requested range. The first bin will return to the “wheel” the number 0, the second bin will return the number 1, and so forth. The last bin will return the number 36.

Into each of these “number bins” we put exactly 116,080,197 numbers. The first bin will contain the numbers 0 to 116,080,196. The second bin will contain the numbers 116,080,197 to 232,160,393. The last bin will contain the numbers 4,178,887,092 to 4,294,967,288.

Finally, we ask the mersenne twister to generate a random number – it returns 2,031,403,430. (bin 18, which returns the “wheel” number 17, contains the numbers 1,973,363,349 to 2,089,443,545). So, the generate number 2,031,403,430 returns the scale number 17 to the roulette “wheel”.

A final note

You can see that the highest number that the mersenne twister’s generate method can return is 4,294,967,295. But the highest number in the last roulette “wheel” bin is 4,294,967,288. This is a difference of seven numbers.

If the mersenne twister’s generate method sends into the scale method one of these seven numbers, then the scale

Online casino gambling blog

Do online casino tips really work?

Everyone that ventures into playing casino games on the internet love to win and make money. The amount of money that you can make from playing internet casino games depends purely on your ability to understand the games and in your ability to implement winning strategies while playing your casino games.

Today the internet is flooded with a lot of information, tips and guides for online casino fans. Using these tips and guides people that gamble online hope to win in online casino sites and win a lot of money. However the question is whether all the resources that you see online really work and whether you will be able to really benefit from these online resources. You can find many good online casino tips and the effectiveness of the tips depends on the credibility of the sources. Not all the tips that you find online are contributed by experts in the online casinos. As you can easily guess only when one has vast experience it is possible to understand the game well and help others win the games.

In your enthusiasm to win big money playing internet casino games you should not try the online tips indiscriminately. By trying multiple tips you are only likely to waste a lot of time. Added to that, you will also be wasting a lot of money unnecessarily.

One of the important tips that every winner will give you is that you will have to look for credible online casino sites so that you can find a reliable online gaming environment. Only from reputed sources you will be able to get your winning money. Internet casino games are programmed to defeat the users but it does not mean that computers win all the time, experienced players will certainly be able to outdo the computers and win their jackpots. So if someone tells you that no online gaming tips really work then it is an extremist view which does not match the realty. There are hundreds of online casino fans winning a lot of money playing their favorite games. If it were not to be for the great winnings today the online casino sites would not be flooded with hundreds of casino fans.

Winning your online casino games first requires you to select the right casino sites and secondly it requires sound gaming strategies. Only when these two elements go hand in hand you will be able to have fun as well as make money playing in online casinos. It does not matter how many hours you play, as long as you are using the right strategies you will be able to win your games within a short time.

Make use of online casino review sites to pick your online casinos. Using the reviews you will be able to pick the best casino sites faster. Without the help of such online casino reviews you may have to spend a lot of time reviewing the casino sites which can of course turn out to be a boring task.

About random number generators

Have you ever read something or heard someone say that online gambling is totally legit because all the games are random?

Yeah, well, they’re wrong. The games aren’t random.

Now, don’t get us wrong. We’re not saying the games aren’t fair or that casinos are stacking the deck. They’re not – most of them anyway. It’s just that most people don’t know anything about random number generators (rngs).

We don’t blame them, though. It’s sort of a complex and technical topic. And that’s not a rabbit hole most people care to go down. Neither do we, so let’s tackle this topic from the surface instead. Just the basics.

Then let’s get into it. Below, we answer the most commonly asked questions about rngs.

What is a random number generator?

It’s a computer program that spits out results (seemingly) at random.

There are different types of rngs. The ones casinos use are called pseudo random number generators. What makes these unique is that they don’t need any external input (numbers or data) to produce an output. All they need is an algorithm and seed number.

New seed numbers (and results) are produced every millisecond. This is done simply by taking the last number or two produced and then using a mathematic operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc.) to create a new ‘random’ outcome.

But because there’s nothing random about mathematic operations – i.E. 1+1 will always equal 2 – a certain input will always yield the same output. That’s why rngs aren’t truly random.

It’s also the reason why rngs are hackable. Algorithms (and their operations) are fixed.

And there are only so many known algorithms in the world. If someone knew what algorithm(s) and seed number(s) casinos used, they could use that information to cheat the casinos out of millions of dollars.

We’ll show you an example later on of someone that did just that.

How do casinos use rngs?

They’re used for virtual games, which are games where there’s no dealer.

You’d think this mostly applies to online casinos. But offline casinos use them, too, for their virtual blackjack and roulette games, as well as for keno, video poker, and video slot machines.

Let’s take slots, for example. How exactly does an RNG work?

They assign a value to each symbol on a reel. And let’s say there are 12 symbols per reel, and this is a 5-reel slot machine.

The RNG would come up with a value of 1-12 for each of the 5 reels. The result would be 5 different symbols.

And if those 5 “random” symbols made a winning combination, you’d be paid according to the chart.

Can you cheat rngs?

In theory, yes. But most people aren’t capable of it.

There are exceptions, of course.

There was one (online) incident discovered in 2008. A guy, norman clem, was playing craps at world wide wagering. But he was getting the feeling that he was losing a bit too much. So he decided to track his wins/losses over the course of a year.

Norman recorded 3200 pass and don’t pass line bets, which should win about 49% of the time. But he didn’t. He won only 856 times – or 27% – which is too far off from the standard deviation. So he decided to post his results online.

Michael shackleford, the guy that built wizardofodds.Com, performed his own test and found that BLR software was rigging their games to increase the house edge.

Of course, this is a rare example. Most casinos we know of (and we’ve been reviewing them for years) don’t do this. There’s just more money to be made in the long run by being fair.

Plus, most casinos’ software is tested by 3 rd party companies. They’d never get away with rigging their RNG anyway.

We’ll talk more about testing in a second. But let’s look at one more example of someone rigging a random number generator.

His name was ronald harris. And he was a computer programmer who worked for the nevada gaming control board in the 1990s.

His job was to find flaws and errors in the software used for computerized casino games.

And, apparently, the temptation grew to be too much.

He used his knowledge to modify certain slot machines so they’d pay out large sums of money whenever a specific sequence hit and a certain number of coins were inserted.

Harris and his partner stole thousands of dollars – undetected – from vegas casinos between 1993 and 1995.

But then harris took it a bit too far.

Toward the end of his run, he shifted his focus from slots to keno. He developed a program that would determine the numbers the game’s RNG would select beforehand.

But authorities soon caught on. When harris’ partner tried to redeem a winning ticket, casino executives called investigators. Harris was found out and was arrested. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, but only served two.

He currently lives in las vegas. He’s listed on the nevada gaming control board’s black book and is prohibited from entering any casino.

So, assuming humans aren’t meddling with the programs, rngs should be fair.

But how do we know for sure?

What steps are taken to ensure random number generators are fair?

All reputable (licensed and regulated) casinos are tested. Their software is, anyway. This is done by independent 3 rd party companies.

One example of such a company is technical systems testing (TST), a company now owned/operated by gaming laboratories international (GLI).

They offer a full range of testing and consulting to both online and brick-and-mortar casinos and gambling companies.

They perform all kinds of services and testing evaluations, such as:

• Random number generator (RNG) evaluations


• Game and mathematics evaluations


• Ongoing RNG or game payout verification and reporting


• Live dealer, sportsbook, or betting exchange evaluations


• Lottery and pari-mutuel system evaluations


• Poker system audits


• Penetration testing and full security audits

Those that pass get a little badge and certificate that says their games are “fair,” which means they’re “random.”

That means their games aren’t influenced by outside variables like the number of credits in play, size of the (potential) pay-off, VIP cards, and so on.

It also means the machines meet the minimum payout percentages established by the federal and/or local authorities and gaming commissions.

For example, some states, like new jersey, only require that their games pay back 83% of all money that cycles through. But others, like nevada, have to pay back a minimum of 75%.

These rules are different depending on where you’re playing.

And each individual machine will never change. Not without going through an extensive process, at least.

For example, if a nevada casino wanted to make any changes, they’d first have to notify the state. Then they’d have to use state-approved chips, which have a paper trail. Then inspectors check the machines (at random) for compliance.

All this to make sure the games are fair…and stay that way.

Conclusion

Well, that’s the random number generator (RNG) in a nutshell. They’re complex programs that ensure casino games are as random as programs can be. And they’ll stay that way, as long as they’re tested and not meddled with by crooked people.

Rngs are everywhere you look, not just in casinos. You don’t have to look any further than your smartphone or tablet to know that.

In fact, in april 2016, the TSA started using a randomizer app at one hundred different airports. All it does is choose left or right at random by using an RNG to tell each person which security line to go through.

It’s really no different than a casino RNG. Well, other than maybe the experience.

After all, you’re bound to have more fun using a casino RNG than the one used at an airport security line.

15 powerful gambling tips that actually work

The one thing you cannot legally guarantee when you gamble is that you’ll win your next wager. Assuming you play honestly you are taking on some risk. But even when you gamble there are ways you can manage the risks you take and improve the chances you’ll reap some rewards.

1. Use a simple bucket budget to manage your money

Effective money management is critical to good gambling habits and while many people do commit themselves to risking no more than a certain amount of money on any gambling excursion, you can create a better budget than that. But no one wants to saddle themselves with a complicated spreadsheet they have to consult on every game.

What you want to do is rotate your money as you play. Say for example you visit your local casino with $60. You could go in with 5 $10 bills, a $50 bill and 10 singles, etc. It would be better to settle on how many tickets you want to rotate. Three is a nice modest number, so get three $20 bills.

This way you can start out with small wagers and hope to roll them up. If you run through the $20 on your first game move on to a different game.

When you get to a point where you have doubled one ticket take your money and divide it so that you always have three tickets (or four if that is how you want to play). As long as you have as many tickets as you started playing with you don’t have to stop and think about your money.

A good rule of thumb is to pull any ticket that you have doubled in value. As long as you have at least one ticket with double value or greater you can risk playing down another ticket.

2. Look for smaller jackpots

Whether you are playing the slots, keno, or roulette you will see the temptation to play a game that promises a crazy payoff. Always remember that the money for those payoffs comes from the players.

So if you are playing the slots, pick the game that pays 4,000 max credits instead of the game that pays 10,000 max credits. Your chances of winning are better with the smaller payoffs. This is due to a low variance in the game design.

If you ignore all warnings from experienced gamblers to play keno, go for a small number of picks. The safest range of picks is 3 to 5. You don’t risk as much money because you’re more likely to win something.

3. Make smaller bets

Some gambling advice articles suggest you should “go big or go broke”. That is terrible advice. The faster you lose your money the sooner you will be done gambling. If you just want to get out of the casino then leave immediately and save your cash. Otherwise, stretch it out by making small bets.

Unless the rules of the game make it more likely that you’ll win by betting more there is no reason to “bet more to win more”. Your chances of winning or losing are the same regardless of whether you bet $1 or $100. But you have more chances to win or lose when you bet $1 than when you bet $100.

If the prizes are proportionally the same regardless of the size of the bet then you gain nothing by betting more. You’re not just multiplying your wins you’re also multiplying your losses when make larger wagers.

Some people sneer at the idea of playing small wagers. Ignore them. If they don’t do the math and see that they can stay in the game longer with small bets that is their mistake.

You might win $1000 with a $5 bet. That is always true. And if you played a $1 bet and only won $200 you may feel like you cheated yourself by not making that larger bet. Don’t do this to yourself. What you have to think about is how many more wagers you can make with your current bankroll, assuming you never win until the last wager.

The more wagers you make the more times you should win.

4. Play the short odds, not the long odds

It may not be as much fun to win $20 as to win $200 but the short odds tell you who most people favor in a game. When enough experienced bettors are favoring one competitor over another, that’s a signal you’re not likely to win on the long odds.

Yes, there is always that occasional event where something unexpected happens. It wouldn’t be gambling if we were never surprised. Conservative betting may produce modest wins but it produces more wins than aggressive betting, especially if you don’t like doing the research.

The same principle holds true in table games and slot games. In blackjack, for example, experienced players don’t like to be dealt a 15 or 16 in their hand. The chances of winning are less than if they are dealt an 18. And you can always hit on an 11 or less.

5. Don’t bet on the house edge

Most gambling experts talk about “the house edge” or how much the casino expects to earn from a game over time. This is a popular concept to talk about because it’s easy to explain and understand. The idea that the casino only rakes in a 1-10% of all player wagers makes it sound like you are going to keep at least 90% of your money. But the truth is that most people lose on a wager.

The low house edge doesn’t mean the dealer won’t get a natural in blackjack, that the roulette wheel will land on your number, or that the slot game will hit a jackpot on your next spin. The house edge means nothing on any individual wager.

And the same is true of “theoretical return to player”, which the yin to the “house edge” yang. If the house edge is 5% then the theoretical return to player is 95%. While that seems like a great ratio it is only relevant to a large number of wagers made over a long period of time measured in months or years.

They want you to pick games that are less likely to take your money through the basic rules. It’s still your responsibility to play wisely. Although some slot machines have a theoretical return to player that approaches the RTP of blackjack and baccarat most slot machines still have worse percentages. Even so, you can quickly lose your money at the blackjack table if you don’t know when you should hit and when you should surrender.

For that matter, if you have a choice between a table that allows surrender and a table that doesn’t allow it, play on the table with the surrender rule. When your cards have a low probability of winning it’s better to get back half your bet than to hope that the dealer will magically go bust. The best surrender rule is the early surrender, where you can fold before the dealer checks for a natural; unfortunately, most casinos now seem to favor the late surrender, where the dealer takes your bet if he has a natural.

Don’t assume the house edge is working in your favor. It’s working in the house’s favor. You still have to make good choices.

6. Stay with pass or don’t pass in craps

You can enhance these basic bets by betting on the odds but if you don’t understand what all the betting options are stick to the simple bets.

In any gambling game the more complicated the betting rules the more likely you won’t do so well. Those rules are there to give the house an advantage. A wagering option may only exist because the casino knows someone will try it despite the low chances of winning.

The higher the promise of payback the less likely you will win. The simpler bets work the same way for everyone.

7. Only play outside bets in roulette

There is a romantic notion that if you wait long enough your number will come in and then you’ll get your money back. This idea comes from too many people playing roulette the wrong way. The odds on a single number bet are 35 to 1. That’s a nice payoff but the chances of guessing a single number are worse (either 1 in 37 on european style tables or 1 in 38 on american style tables).

Casinos don’t like to offer wagers where the odds (pay off) equal your probabilistic chances of winning. They want the odds to pay less. That is how they lock in the “house edge”.

Outside bets in roulette pay less than inside bets but their chances of paying anything are much, much better. The closer your probabilistic chance of winning gets to 50% the more fair the game becomes to you. You’ll find that people have different opinions on where you should place your outside bets but as long as you keep your bets modest you can try different positions and form your own opinions. Your money will last longer this way.

8. Read the fine print

If you play the slots and spin up the top paying combination but don’t get the jackpot you’ll wonder what happened. Most likely you did not play the maximum bet, which on some games is required for the maximum payoff. This is true on many progressive slot games.

If a slot game has a pay table screen you should scan it before playing the game so you understand the rules. If the pay tables fit on the cabinet’s front panels, that means you’re playing a simple game but you should still look for those small words along the side or near the bottom that explain what the limits are.

Your expectations play a big role in how you gamble.

When you play a table game, if there is a little placard on the side of the table or standing in one corner, read it first.

9. The only good betting system is no betting system

If someone tells you about their surefire betting system you should run away. Betting systems don’t work as promised. When you gamble you don’t know the outcome of any random game. Your betting system can’t change the probabilities or the payoffs.

Many betting systems are structured to recoup losses by increasing bets. The problem with this approach is that your chances of winning or losing, in most games, are the same regardless of how much you bet. Increasing your next bet because you lost on the last bet is the worst way to gamble.

Once you decide how much you are going to wager per game or spin, stick to that number. Divide the amount of money you are willing to risk on the game by your wager amount. That is how many plays you have to recoup your initial balance or get ahead.

10. Use time management and money management systems

You can’t change the odds and probabilities with a betting system but you can and should manage your gambling habits and budget. Too many players just walk into the casino, start gambling, and keep going without any idea of how long they will play or how much they will risk.

It’s okay to visit the ATM once, although you will save a few dollars if you withdraw your cash at your bank’s ATM. If you keep pulling money out of your accounts all night long, maybe you should take a break from gambling and come back another evening.

Setting a time limit on how long you play a game is good for several reasons.

• First, it gets you “out of the zone”. Casinos are designed to create a mesmerizing experience so that players keep gambling. When you take a break and clear your thoughts you can make rational choices.


• Second, taking a break and walking around for a few minutes is good for your health. Studies have shown that sitting for many hours at a time is not good for your heart health.


• Third, if you’re frustrated with your progress on a game then changing games can help you relax more. By setting a time limit you can assess how you are doing at a game and decide if you should try something else.

11. Play free games before playing for money

If you are out of practice or have never played a gambling game before, look for free versions of the game online where you can practice. Many websites now offer free games for roulette, blackjack, and slot games in a “try before you buy” spirit.

You can learn the rules of the card games without risking your money by playing free games. It’s not exactly the same experience when you play a computer but you should invest a few hours in studying how blackjack works by playing the free games with a tutorial. You can take your time looking up the probability tables on each hand.

This won’t make you an expert overnight but you’ll feel more confident when you sit down at that table with the live dealer.

12. When playing slots, pick cheap entertaining games

Most people play the slots and modern slot games offer a lot of fun options instead of just more bells and whistles. But beware the exciting branding on the new games. Before sit in that new full sound cabinet look at how much it will cost you to play the game. Watch someone else play it for a while. How much are they winning or losing?

If you play the game for the entertainment experience you want to monitor how much money you are winning or losing. If you can manage it, you just may be able to play a fun game without spending much money. But remember that no matter how much those bonus games play like “adult arcade games” you are paying far more per spin than you would pay for a turn at a real arcade game.

Hence, if you have a choice between a 25 cent minimum bet and a $10 minimum bet you may get more enjoyment from the 25 cent minimum game. Of course the newest games have higher wagering minimums. Just use good judgment when choosing an entertaining game to play.

13. When betting on horses, be modest

It’s okay to only bet win tickets when you bet at the racetrack. There are three basic positions you can bet on: 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd . The win ticket pays the best of the three basic bets. The place ticket bets on the 2 nd horse (it pays the same if the horse comes in 1 st or 2 nd ) and the show ticket bets on the 3 rd horse.

You can “box” your bets if you want to make trifecta wagers. A trifecta bet calls a specific order for the three horses. So if you think the number 7 will come in first, the number 5 will come in second, and the number 9 will come in third you can place that trifecta bet. But the chances of this happening are not great. You can improve your chances of winning the bet by “boxing” the horses so they pay if they all cross the finish line in any order (as the first three). The payoff on a boxed bet is less than on a straight trifecta.

Most racing experts advise against making show bets because a winning horse only pays for 3 rd place on those bets. But if you win you win, and that means you get some money back. If you’re just gambling for fun and not trying to make a lot of money at the track, place and show bets are safer.

The more complicated the wager you make the less likely you’ll win, but those big wins you hear about in the news are typically coming off the “exotic” bets. Just remember that it takes a lot of losers to pay for one big winner.

14. In blackjack, be prepared to split

Your chances of winning are better if you can split but you have to be able to cover the additional bet. It is wiser to hold back some money on your initial bet than to bet the last of your cash on a single hand.

Example

Say for example you are playing at a $5 table and you are down to $10. You might think, “well, I’ve only got $10 left so I might as well go all in.”

If you aren’t dealt a pair then you won’t kick yourself. But if you see a pair of 7s come up and the dealer face card is an 8, you’ll want to make that extra bet.

If you are dealt 2 aces or 8s and you don’t have any extra money you’re going to kick yourself into next week. But don’t do that. If you are about to spend the last of your budget on the game it may not make that much difference. It’s not like you can do anything with your last $5 bet and you are dealt two aces.

If you are playing at a table with a high minimum and there are lower minimum tables open, then moving to a the lower minimum table when your bankroll run low will give you more time to get ahead. You’ll keep that split option available longer this way.

15. Know what a skill stop slot game is

Many slot machine games allow you to press a stop button while the reels are spinning. This results in a quicker reveal of the outcome of your slot game but it does not change the outcome of the game.

However, there is a class of slot machine games that offer what is called a “skill stop”. On these games pressing the stop button does affect the outcome of the game. The availability of skill stop slot games varies by market and different laws may apply to how they are programmed.

You are more likely, on modern slot games, to see something like a first person shooter bonus round. These types of games may offer true skill stop play but most of them still only simulate the action and just prompt you to press buttons for the sake of keeping you engaged.

A skill stop bonus round may give you a targeting mechanism. A simulated bonus round may just prompt you to initiate an animated action sequence that corresponds to a randomly chosen outcome.

Read the game rules carefully. The help screens should tell you either that stopping the reels has no effect on the outcome of the game or they should explicitly tell you when and how you’ll be able to use a skill stop. They may not use the phrase “skill stop” but they may say “press the [X] button to interrupt the game” or “to shoot the monster do [X]”.

If you can find a skill stop slot game to play, practice the stop on the lowest possible bet. Don’t worry about what payoffs you may be missing. The skill stop option gives you a better chance for winning a bonus round. Some skill stop games may slow the speed of the spinning reel a little bit as a clue that the skill stop option is available. The option may only become active on a random basis.

Conclusion

Prudence pinches the purse, so to speak. Although gambling is all about taking risks in the hope of winning money, there are smart ways to gamble and dumb ways to gamble.

As a rule of thumb you want to keep your money in play as long as possible in order to take advantage of every possible win. This kind of strategy does mean you’ll win smaller prizes because you are risking less per gamble.

You also want to choose your bets carefully. It’s fine to play any random game if you don’t care how much you win or lose but if you are serious about gambling you should be making informed choices.

How do online gambling bonuses really work?

Bonuses are a big deal in the world of online gambling. They’re there to be taken advantage of, and if used wisely can earn players free credit at the top real money gambling sites.

On this page we’re going to break down the different types of bonuses, what you should be looking for in 2020 and how to best take advantage of the offers out there for UK players. Our aim to ensure you extract maximum value from the online gambling casinos you play at, and that means playing at the sites with the biggest bonuses on offer.

Read on as we cover the following key areas:

• Bonus basics


• Are they legit?


• Types of bonuses


• Poker


• What to watch for

Why do casino sites offer bonuses?

There are two main reasons why online casinos and poker sites offer bonuses, and neither is motivated by a purely altruistic quest to make you happy. It’s important you understand the business aims involved, as follows:

• Welcome bonuses are paid out when you first sign up and deposit funds at a site. These are designed to attract your business and get you paying real cash into an account at the site in question. The thought here is that the gift provided at the outset will be worth the investment if you become a long-term player.


• Other bonuses and promotions, paid out to regular players, are designed to keep you loyal and encourage you to play more often. Bonuses specific to VIP program players, for example, reward frequent play and/or a specific level of spending at the casino site.

Are casino bonuses a con?

Our advice is always to read the terms of a bonus offer very carefully before getting too excited. Some bonuses may sound incredible as advertised, but when you dig into the conditions it may be the case that there are certain caveats involved that dilutes the value of them

That being said, we don’t want you to be a cynic either. Bonuses can be a truly great way to up your bankroll on free funds, and if you to play the top UK sites you’ll be suitably rewarded for a choice you were going to make anyway.

What types of bonuses are there?

Let’s look at some of the most common types of bonuses offered by online real money gambling sites.

• Match bonuses are when the casino site offers to match a percentage of your deposit amount, to a set limit. These are typically seen as entry offers, or welcome bonuses, where your initial deposit(s) are bolstered with funds from the casino itself. For example, a 100% match bonus on your first deposit of up to £500 would see the casino pay in £500 additional credit if you went with the full amount.


• Reload bonuses tend to be offered to existing players. They also reward the act of depositing funds into your account, with the casino paying in extra funds either as a match or percentage match.


• Loyalty bonuses reward players who spend good time and money at an online casino or poker site. They are sometimes evident as VIP programs that provide ever-greater benefits as you climb the ranks. You might get better reload bonuses, for example, or access to special tournaments.


• Cash-back bonuses give the promise of some money back if you lose. They’re a form of insurance that cuts your losses.


• No deposit bonuses are how the industry refers to starter offers that don’t require the player to pay in a single penny. You get to gamble for real money without depositing, with the idea that you’ll be suitably impressed you’ll go on and spend.


• Referral bonuses are very simple. You get paid for referring a friend to play at the casino or poker site, with the reward generally triggered when that person deposits funds and sets up an account.


• High roller bonuses are set up to reward big real cash deposits at a casino. It might be that for any deposit of £500 or more, for example, you qualify for a percentage match bonus that isn’t offered to players paying in less.

Poker-specific bonuses

There are some bonuses that you’ll only really find when playing online poker, linked to the specific game format and number of tournaments on offer. Here are a couple of examples:

• Freeroll poker tournaments are bonuses in the sense you can get playing poker for real money prizes without paying a penny for entry.


• Bad beat bonuses are paid out to great poker hands that lose. They are typically structured so a percentage of the pot pays into fund, and that fund ultimately pays out to the winner of the bad beat bonus.

Things to bear in mind

As outlined earlier, it’s really important to read the terms and conditions attached to bonus offers. We’ve all heard the expression that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. That can certainly apply to bonuses and online gambling.

Here are some key things to be aware of:

• Don’t be thinking you can just pay in a deposit, accept your welcome bonus and then withdraw the whole lot for a profit. It doesn’t work like that as there will be conditions attached to cashing out. The funds paid in by the casino will generally serve as play credits rather than cash you can take out.


• Advertised bonuses often require activation by a set level of play at the casino site. It might be that the match bonus offered is paid in gradually as hit certain play requirements.

In conclusion

We’ll sum things up by saying online gambling bonuses are a great thing, providing you understand them fully and know the best sites to play at. The great part is we’ve already highlighted the very top bonus sites for UK players, so all you need do is click the links and getting taking advantage of them.

Good luck taking advantage of all that free credit and reaping the system for all its worth. Here’s hoping it pays off with some big-money victories at the best online gambling websites.

Make the most of online casino bonuses

When visiting an online casino in the united kingdom, players stand to earn huge cash bonuses and other substantial benefits starting at right the first signup.

How does an online casino deposit bonus work? That largely depends on what kind of bonus you’re dealing with. Have a look at our guides to learn the ins and outs of bonuses, including specific bonus types, strategies, and wagering requirements. Learn how to claim and qualify for all the benefits you deserve. Bonuses help you get the most out of your online casino games in the UK, and we’re here to help you maximize the effect.

Online casino bonuses 101

In short, an online casino bonus is a sum of cash offered to players, under certain terms and conditions, as an incentive to sign up or stay loyal to an online gambling site.

Just like in any competitive marketplace, online casinos try to outshine the competition to attract and maintain as many players as possible. That’s why every casino worth its weight offers some kind of cash incentive. As UK casinos aim to outdo each other, you stand to profit. We’ll cover the different types of bonuses here in our online casino bonus guide.

Bonus varieties you'll discover

Your favourite real money casino likely offers a few different types of bonuses, which may be confusing to some players. Usually, most bonuses come as match bonuses, where the casino will match any cash a player deposits. The best part is that match bonuses often exceed 100%. Here, we’ll break down the most common bonus varieties.

No deposit bonus - these are convenient offers where the casino offers free cash to play online casino games without requiring you to make a deposit beforehand. Typically smaller in amount, no deposit bonuses are great for getting a feel for new games.

Free spins/bets - free play options, including free slot machine spins or freeroll poker tournaments, give players a chance to earn real money prizes or test new games without the risk of making a large deposit. Not to be underestimated!

Welcome bonus - the welcome or sign up bonus is essentially free money for signing up with a new online gambling site. Most commonly a match bonus, this cash might double what you initially deposit to a new casino. In a 100% match bonus, for example, your £150 becomes £300.

Bonuses and promotional offers aren’t just advertising stunts for gambling sites online. When used wisely, bonuses offer key support for real money gambling, buffering your bankroll and helping to level the playing field in various games. They also act as goals for seasoned players, with some sites offering high roller perks only available to those who’ve had a certain amount of success.

Is there a catch?

Reputable casino sites are transparent and upfront about any requirements and restrictions on bonuses, but this means that all players should take the time to read through any terms and conditions. Many bonuses, including initial deposit bonuses, are time sensitive. That means you’ll need to make your deposit on a specified date or within a certain amount of time. Most also come with wagering requirements, which we’ll cover in the next section.

In general, most customer service staff are more than happy to walk you through any questions you might have. We’ve found that most issues with bonuses can be prevented by informing yourself beforehand.

Cashing out your winnings

Bonuses offer countless perks for your wallet, such as keeping you in the game longer without reaching too deep into your own pockets. You can also essentially test out new games for free without the risk of losing when you’re still a beginner, whether with free spins or cash. But of course, online casino sites don’t offer hefty bonuses just so players can cash out and never visit the site again. That just wouldn’t make sense. Rather, bonuses should be seen as a springboard to your future winnings.

Each casino has a slightly different set of rules for withdrawing your bonus winnings, but, in general, they require you to bet a certain amount or play for a set amount of time before you can cash out your winnings. This amount is often termed the ‘wagering requirement’ of a casino.

For example, let’s say that the casino is offering a 100% matchup worth up to £100 and you decide to take advantage of the entire amount. You deposit £100 and get £100 in bonus money, bringing your account balance to £200. But how much of this cash belongs to your main cash balance, or winnings, depends on the wagering requirement.

If that the wagering requirement is 20 times your wager plus the bonus (£200 x 20 = £4,000). That means you will have to wager, not lose, £4,000 to meet the wagering requirements. If that seems tricky, here’s an easier way to think of it. If you bet £10 per spin on the slots, you would have to spin the reels 400 times to meet the requirements at online casinos.

Knowledge is power

On our top-rated UK casino sites, bonuses and free spins and play are an amazing way to pad your bankroll, or to test the waters of new games before making the commitment of a larger deposit.

Of course, even with bonus cash or casino bonus codes, you should always gamble responsibly. This means reading up on the terms and conditions, including the wagering requirement, of each bonus offer, so you know exactly how and when you can cash out. When used wisely, bonuses buff up your playing time and effectively increase your chances for a big win or progressive jackpot. What are you waiting for? Redeem your online casino offer today!

So, let's see, what we have: here we try to outline in the simplest possible way how casino bonuses really work and what you need to know before making your first deposit. At does online casino really work