There is no doubt that online gambling is booming even among slots players who like land casino gaming. Online casino software developers and casinos are always coming with new and innovative ideas that are enticing many players towards playing at an online platform.
Finding That “Great” Mobile Casino
How hard could it be and what could possibly go wrong? Well plenty 🙂 A vast range of thrilling games, licensed casinos, an engaging experience and a chance for massive wins are some of the things that have contributed to the popularity of this industry thus far. With many people attracted to online gambling, the number of casinos has increased dramatically which is part of the bigger problem at large.
You will be surprised by the number of casino sites available on the internet today, and many new online casinos are being launched almost every day, unfortunately many are closing shop also and probably taking players funds with them to some bank in the Cayman Islands.
With the increase in the number of new sites, it is a big challenge to both new and veteran players to choose a good legit online slot casino to play at. As you may be aware, there are thousands of online slots titles from world-class software developers available in free play and real play modes but where to play them and at what casino is the hard part.
Our comprehensive guide below will help you to select a reputable casino with the latest and greatest titles in slots and games.
Where to Begin – Let’s Get Going
Several aspects must be considered when searching for a good online slot casino, including security and licensing, range and size of bonuses, payment options and reputation with players of several key points. We have covered all these factors and many more in detail to help you in your decision making.
Best Tips for Choosing an Online Slot Game
Online slots are among the most popular casino game variations today. There are lots of choices when it comes to slot games, which makes it choose the perfect title that suits your budget. Here, we have provided you with the top best tips to help you decide which titles and games are best suitable for you.
Casino Licensing & Reputation
The first and foremost thing is the license and reputation of the online casino site. There are many renown licensing and regulatory authorities in the world, including Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, Gibraltar Gambling Commission, and others.
The licensing authority of an online casino is determined by its geographical location. Even though online casinos don’t have a review section to determine their reputation, you can find complete reviews at some websites like ours or we also take our own reputation polls and use them as key ranking indicators.
Players must realize that license fees are very large and this must be passed onto players, some jurisdictions are self serving to themselves and nothing but a bureaucracy of sorts adding little benefits to players.
NB – we don’t agree with many reviewers that all the best casinos are the ones that are licensed in the UK, Malta or Gibraltar. We do agree that many (the majority) of rogue casinos have licenses from Curacao but we also know of and play at many sites that have a Curacao license and some casinos have no license at all – WTF! Yes, no license at all, but they are still good to play at and just as good as any casino licensed in the UK and Malta in many cases.
Bonuses, Freebies & Promotional Offers
Unlike their brick and mortar counterpart, online casinos offer a wide variety of lucrative bonus offers and promotions. These bonuses range from the welcome bonus, reload bonus, match bonus to loyalty bonuses. Most leading online slots casinos award players with decent welcome bonuses that are accompanied by free spins to enable test new video slots.
Most casinos have 30 to 50 times wagering requirements before you are allowed to cash out any winnings. Additionally, online casinos invite players to different promotional offers where you can be awarded free spins or free no deposit money to boost your gaming experience.
Most casinos give you the option to take the bonus or not to take when you sign-up.
Safe & Fair Gaming – No BS
Another crucial thing you must consider when looking for good online slots game is the safety and fairness it offers. All online slots are backed by a Random Number Generator (RNG). The role of this software is to ensure that the outcome is completely random and not influenced by an external factor. The RNG software must be tested regularly by independent accredited test facilities (ATF).
Leading ATFs in the industry include eCOGRA, Gaming Laboratories International, iTech Labs, and Technical Services Bureau. Also, online casinos offer a theoretical return to player (RTP) of between 95% and 99% on the bets played. For instance: If a casino is offering a theoretical return to player of 97%, it means that it will deduct $3 for every $100.
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
One of the biggest concerns with most online casino slots players is the payment options supported by the site. Most casinos have made it easy for players to fund or cash out winnings from their accounts using widely accepted options in the market. Deposits and withdrawals can be made using credit and debit cards, e-wallets, crypto currencies, pay by mobile, Paypal and bank transfers dependent on your location.
You don’t have to doubt your funds and financial information security because casino operators use the latest security protocols to ensure that they are protected from hackers and other unauthorized people. Before you start using any online payment provider, you must ensure that the company is PCI compliant and encrypted with the latest Secure Socket Layer (SSL) software.
Time to Cash-out Your Funds
You should not be waiting, and waiting, and waiting to get paid. Payments should be made promptly. Some of our best casinos will pay-out in hours, the others may take a few days when bank wires are required.
Customer Support – Awake or Sleeping
The customer support agents play a very important role in online casinos. Most good online casinos offer prompt 24/7 support service via email, live chat, and telephone. A good platform is one that is available in different languages to accommodate players from different parts of the world.
Software Providers – Types of Games
There are several respected slots providers offering safe and fair gaming and a vast collection of slot games. A good software provider must be innovative and be able to understand the demands of the market. Most developers started with land-based slot machines, but with advanced technology, they have embraced online technology.
There are many iGaming companies releasing different types of slots including classic slots, video slots, 3D slots, and progressive slots. The big slot companies include NETENT, Microgaming, Ainsworth, Bally, WMS, Aristocrat, NextGen Gaming, Play N’ Go, IGT, Playtech, and Thunderkick.
It is important to understand that casino software is available in instant and downloadable versions depending on the software, these days mostly it’s all play in browser games. Regardless of your choice, you will have a great gaming experience in our suggested casinos.
Betting Limits & Self Exclusion
The casino should have all the tools that you need to set betting limits and budgets so you can keep within your limits. More tools like the ability to take a break from gaming should be available so you can cool your fingers for a while.
Casino Slot Types Guide
As aforementioned, their different categories of online slot games. Whether you are looking for simple, fun gaming sessions like three-reel classics, branded, 3D or some immersive gaming with modern video slots, you will find them in online casinos just like at your local land gaming venue.
Also, a good slot game must offer an array of special bonus features to boost your chances of landing huge payouts. Some of the most common features you will need in slot games include wilds, scatters, multipliers, bonus games, free spins, re-spins, and more.
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Possible Ways to Win
Most slot games come with paylines where symbols line-up to determine a winner. Depending on the provider and type of slot, the win lines in online slot games can range from just 3 lines like in a fruit game, to 243 ways to win like in many Aristocrat pokies aka 5 Dragons and Indian Dreaming and 3125 ways to win like in the Dolphin Coast slot. Some games will let you activate the win lines or use the fixed paylines as you want.
It is essential to understand that there are two types of pay lines; fixed and adjustable lines. With the ‘Fixed’ lines, you cannot change the number of lines to play with while the ‘Adjustable’ allows you to set the number of win lines. There are also those slots that allow you to win both ways, meaning, the paylines don’t have to run from the left to the right reel.
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Betting Ranges & Limits
Several online slot games allow you to adjust your bet lines and the coin value. The coin value is the number of coins you are allowed to bet per line in a slot game. A good slot game is one that accommodates both players with low and high stakes.
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Slot Bonuses and Features
Look for slots and pokies with the best bonuses and 2nd screen features, these are the ones that really can boost your credits when you hit the feature.
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Progressive Slot Jackpots
There are online slot games that offer players a chance to win life-changing jackpots. You will find different types of jackpots in online slot games, including a progressive jackpot, network jackpot, and local jackpots. Look out for slot games with the biggest jackpot prizes like Mega Fortune, Mega Moolah and Hall of Gods as some examples.
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Theoretical RTP & Volatility Variance
The theoretical return to player (RTP) is significant in every online slot game. This is the percentage you will be paid by a casino to a player in the long run. These figures expressed as a % out of 100 should be clearly displayed on the casino website.
Another essential factor is the volatility that the game offers. This will help you to understand the risk involved in every online slot game.
The casino should have a good range of low, medium to high volatility games.
No matter what you prefer, either taking some little or low risk spins or if you like living it large (betting the shirt on your back) the casino should have a broad range of low, medium and high volatility slots.
Low volatility games are the ones where there is not a big difference between the minimum and maximum payouts. Low volatility slots will produce plenty of small and mid-sized wins as opposed to high volatility that have large variances between the minimum and maximum payouts.
Medium volatility games are the ones in-between which should be self-explaining and best for the average player seeking to get some good gaming time with the chances for some nice wins.
The casino should list the games of low, medium and high volatility ratings so you know what to play and what to stay away from depending on your budget and playing style.
Cross Compatibility of Games
The important aspect to consider when choosing a good online slot game is the ability to be compatible with different devices.
Mobile devices have proven to be the future of online gambling. As such, many modern slots are optimized with the modern cutting-edge technology like HTML5 to enable them to operate smoothly on small screen devices powered by Android, iOS, Windows and Blackberry operating systems.
All modern casinos pretty much have 100% device compatibility these days so this is pretty much the norm now and hardly worth discussing.
Free Games Availability
As well, online slot games should be available to be played in free play mode at a good casino when you don’t want to play with real money and just want to have a practice.
There’s an App not for That
Most good casinos these days that offer free and real money gaming will not require you to install an app to play on mobile or tablet devices. You will play direct from your browser from your device.
Conclusion
Online slot games are among the simplest and fun to play casino games. Unlike table and card games, you don’t require prior experience to play online slot games.
The most important thing in gambling is to ensure that you stay safe at all times and don’t play with more money than you can afford to lose. Of course, you can choose to play in fun mode or sign up in a casino of your choice to enjoy
**Real money gaming guide for iPad, iPhone or Android players – these above tips are also relevant for casino gaming on a PC or Mac**