Online casino is a fairly broad concept. Such establishments can provide access to a wide variety of types of gambling entertainment: from the simplest slot machines to roulette, poker or lotteries. The ways of playing also vary significantly. Most often, online casinos provide games on their website, but recently more and more players are using special downloadable clients for computers and laptops, as well as applications for portable devices casinos online (phones, tablets, etc.).
Main features of online gambling
Online casinos are fundamentally different from ordinary gambling establishments. The main feature of such entertainment is the use of a random number generator to calculate any results of the game. Slot machines in the hall of ordinary casinos have a similar principle of operation, but winning in more classic games: poker, roulette, blackjack, etc. in real establishments depends only on the case.
Demo games
Another important feature of online casinos is the ability to play slot machines for free and without registration. In classic casinos, this is not possible for obvious reasons. Their goal is to make money, so a free visitor takes the place of a real money player. On the Internet, there are no problems with the number of seats or a limited range of games. The free game not only does not harm the business, but even significantly increases the interest of customers in the institution.Availability
Today there is a tradition in the world to transfer all gambling establishments to special “gambling zones”. Thus, the state authorities of many countries, including the Russian Federation, try to control the activities of representatives of the gambling business. In this regard, online casinos look more and more promising and convenient form of entertainment. The availability of virtual projects is significantly higher than that of conventional stationary entertainment complexes. More than 90% of the population of the developed countries of the world now have stable access to the Internet. Therefore, it is much easier for a gambler to enter an online casinos than to specially go to a gambling zone.
The threshold for entering the game in online casinos is specially kept at a low level. The minimum top-up amounts are often set at 100 rubles or a few US dollars. This allows you to attract a large audience.
High percentage of returns
Each casino slot machine has a fixed percentage of funds returned to players. It varies depending on the manufacturer of the game. In ordinary establishments, it rarely reaches 95%, but for online casinos this figure is considered minimal. Top online casinos
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Licensing | Ensure the casino is licensed and regulated by a reputable authority. |
| Game Selection | Look for a variety of games, including slots, table games, and live dealer options. |
| Bonuses & Promotions | Check for welcome bonuses, ongoing promotions, and wagering requirements. |
| Payment Methods | Review available deposit and withdrawal options, considering convenience and security. |
| Security & Fairness | Verify encryption for data protection and fairness certifications by auditors. |
| Customer Support | Evaluate the accessibility and responsiveness of customer support services. |
| User Experience | Assess website design, mobile compatibility, and ease of navigation. |
| Reputation | Research player reviews and the casino’s overall reputation. |
| Transparency | Ensure reviews are transparent about affiliations and sponsorships. |
| Multiple Sources | Cross-reference reviews from different reputable sources. |
| User Reviews | Consider feedback and experiences shared by players in forums and communities. |
Bonuses and other types of incentives
The specificity of virtual establishments allows best online casinos them to offer various deposit or no deposit bonuses and coupons. Also, rewards can take the form of cashback (return of part or all of the funds spent on the game for a certain period) or one-time payments.
The lotteries of online casinos deserve special attention. This is one of the most common types of customer acquisition. Due to the large turnover of funds, many large online resources regularly give away prizes worth millions of rubles. Such a phenomenon looks like an unnecessary waste, but in fact, by attracting a large number of new customers, it pays for the costs many times over.
How online gambling works
In classic gambling games such as baccarat, poker, roulette and even bingo, the result depends on a huge number of objective factors. For example, a deal in poker depends on the quality of the shuffling of cards, their random distribution in the deck, the sequence of the deal, and much more. Slot machines in online casinos work on a completely different principle. All slot results are generated by a special program – a random number generator (RNG).
Video slots of offline gambling establishments and online casino machines work in a similar way. Manufacturers build their RNGs into them, which constantly produce sets of completely random values. The program performs millions of operations per second and never stops. The product of her activity is a sequence of 64 numbers. At the moment of pressing the “Spin” button on the slot, the program selects the current generated row and already processes it to display the results on the screen.
Further processing of the RNG data is no less important for the player than the set of numbers generated by the generator. The fact is that 64 values are often too many for slot machines. Most of them use only a few numerical results. For example, the roulette wheel gives the user only 1 number per spin. That is why a sequence of RNG numbers is superimposed on a special matrix that determines the result.
For example, the slot contains 3 reels with 3 rows of symbols. For each reel, the RNG will give out its own sequence of numbers. The program only needs to select 3 values, so it will check the dropout matrix. In the matrix, each symbol is assigned a position. At the same time, due to the fact that there are less than 64 symbols in the slot, some of them get more positions, respectively, and a greater chance of falling out. For example, the scatter and wild symbols of classic slots will have only 1 position, while the cheapest symbols will get 2 or 3 chances to hit the screen. Thus, the slot matrix directly affects its return percentage.
Dishonest online casinos independently change the matrix in the source code of the slot machines, thus underestimating the return coefficient. That is why it is important for gamblers to pay attention to the availability of certificates of independent gambling software verification centers on the online casino website. It is also worth playing on slots from well-known manufacturers, since their products have the highest level of protection against hacking.
How online casinos appeared
First appearance
The first platform for online gaming business was developed by Microgaming in 1994. Immediately after its release, the state of Antigua and Barbuda passed a bill that allowed the issuance of licenses for the provision of online gambling. Thanks to these two events, the virtual gaming business was born.
Together with Microgaming, Criptologic is considered the pioneer of the online gambling industry. Its specialists were among the first to start developing special online applications and games. In 1999, the famous developer Playtech joined them.
Further development
At first, the industry developed at the expense of bookmakers and virtual counterparts of popular casinos. However, in 1998 there was another surge in user activity, which led to the emergence of a huge number of purely virtual projects. The reason for the excitement was the development and widespread implementation of the “progressive jackpot” concept. Its essence boiled down to the fact that part of the money lost by users was accumulated and given out in the form of a jackpot. The amount of such a prize grew very quickly and reached astronomical proportions, attracting the attention of more and more gambling public.
Since 2001, the online gambling business has become one of the most promising and highly profitable. Competition between gaming software manufacturers has increased significantly. This played into the hands of users. The range of games has grown significantly, and the quality has improved. Moreover, new gambling sites generated ever larger progressive jackpots. If in 2001 the maximum winnings were 415 thousand dollars, then in 2002 the lucky player received 1.5 million dollars. To date, the amount of payments for the largest jackpots reaches $ 10,000,000.
Online casino software manufacturers
Now all over the world there are more than 100 different companies that produce software for online casinos (best online casinos). However, the largest and most popular are only a few.
Igrosoft (Igrosoft)
A Russian company that has been counting its activities since 1999. She started with the development of boards for stationary slot machines. Today it is the most widespread provider of online gambling in the CIS.
A feature of Igrosoft slot machines is simplicity of gameplay, colorful cartoon design and a multi-level bonus system.
Among the developments are such popular slots as Crazy Monkey, Resident, Fruit Cocktail, Sweet Life and many others.
Novomatic
A large Austrian concern, the main activity of which is the development of software for online casinos. Founded in 1980, the company is still considered one of the highest quality slot machine manufacturers.
High dynamics of the game, big wins and a wide variety of themes are considered the signature style of Novomatic.
The most famous products of the company are slots Dolphin`s Pearl, Book of Ra, Lucky Lady`s Charm, Columbus, etc.
Playson
A relatively young game developer who confidently took a high line in the popularity rating. The main direction in development is slot machines with unique thematic content and modern 3D graphics.
The most popular Playson slots are Gold Rush, Bumper Crop, Dracula`s Family and others
Playtech
A promising innovative company that has been developing gambling platforms and slot machines for online casinos since 1999. According to the Pleitech administration, they are the largest online gambling provider in the world. This is an unconfirmed fact, but it is safe to say that this manufacturer confidently holds the top lines in popularity ratings.
The most common slots of the Plitech company are: Gladiator, Blade, Iron Man, King Kong, etc.
NetEnt
The developer of slot machines Netent, popular among modern online casinos, began its work in 1996. Since then, the company has come a long way, changing approaches to development, studying and applying the most advanced technologies and consistently offering excellent products.
A distinctive feature of Netent is the desire to integrate the most progressive visualization methods in their slot machines. Their slots are always distinguished by a bright saturated picture, smooth animation and non-trivial game mechanics.
Popular NetEnt slots: Gonzo`s Quest, Jack Hammer, Starburst, etc.
Betsoft
The English company Betsoft was founded in 1999. Since 2005, she has been producing 3D slot machines. The development and implementation of its own software solutions for gambling helped this manufacturer implement the most promising gambling platform – Shift. It was announced for 2017 and will mark a new milestone in the history of online gambling production.
Betsoft devices: At The Copa, After Night Falls, Black Gold and others.
MegaJack
The original name of the MegaJack company was Casino Technology. It was founded in 1999 in Bulgaria and has since become one of the most recognizable brands in the world of gambling. Megajack slot machines have always been distinguished by their simplicity, ease of control and special appeal.
Many people know such masterpieces of the gaming industry from MegaJack: Aztec Gold, Champagne, Slot-o-Pol and Pirates Island.
Belatra (Belatra)
The Belarusian company Belatra entered the stationary slot machine market back in 1992. About 10 years ago, they decided to move their activities online and developed several dozen excellent online casino slots. The games of this company are especially popular in the CIS.
Famous Belatra slot machines: Chukcha, Fairy Land, Alkatraz, etc.
SkillOnNet
The Greek developer of online casino software started its work in 2005. Having relied on the graphics and visual appeal of slots, Skillonnet quickly achieved cooperation with leading European casinos. In addition to the visual component, the main trump card of SkillOnNet is progressive jackpots.
The most popular devices of the manufacturer: Black Gold Rush, Ghost Pirates, Lucky Girl and many others.
Cryptologic
The Irish company Cryptologic was opened by two brothers in the basement of their parents’ house in 1995. By 2000, the company had become one of the leading developers of special gambling software for online casinos. In 2007, the development was used by the world famous Playboy brand to create its own online gambling establishment. Today the company is a subsidiary of Amaya Inc.
During its existence, Cryptologic has released many popular slot machines such as Superman, Green Lautern, Diamond Tower, etc.
FAQ 1: What Should I Look for in an Online Casino Review?
When reading an online casino review, there are several key factors to consider:
- Licensing and Regulation: Ensure that the casino is licensed and regulated by a reputable authority, such as the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority. This ensures fair play and accountability.
- Game Selection: Check if the casino offers a wide variety of games, including slots, table games, live dealer games, and more. Diverse options cater to different player preferences.
- Bonuses and Promotions: Look for information about the casino’s bonuses, including the welcome bonus, ongoing promotions, and any wagering requirements. This helps you understand the value of playing at that casino.
- Payment Methods: Review the available payment methods and check if they are convenient and secure for your location. Quick and reliable withdrawals are essential.
- Security and Fairness: Ensure the casino uses encryption to protect your personal and financial information. Also, look for information about the fairness of the games, often provided by independent auditors.
- Customer Support: Evaluate the availability and responsiveness of the casino’s customer support. A helpful and accessible support team is crucial for resolving issues.
- User Experience: Read about the overall user experience, including the website’s design, mobile compatibility, and ease of navigation.
- Player Reviews and Reputation: Consider the feedback from other players. Online forums and user reviews can provide valuable insights into the casino’s reputation.
FAQ 2: Are Online Casino Reviews Trustworthy?
Online casino reviews vary in trustworthiness. Some are written by reputable sources with no bias, while others may be influenced by promotional agreements with the casino. To determine trustworthiness:
- Check the Source: Look for reviews from established and respected sources, such as gaming industry websites, forums, or news outlets.
- Cross-Reference: Compare multiple reviews from different sources to get a well-rounded view. Consistency in feedback can be a good sign.
- Watch for Transparency: Trustworthy reviews should disclose any affiliations or sponsorships with the casino. If a review lacks transparency, be cautious.
- Consider User Reviews: User reviews on forums or community websites can provide valuable insights from players who have firsthand experience with the casino.
- Use Common Sense: Be critical and use common sense when reading reviews. If a review appears overly biased or too good to be true, it might be worth approaching with caution.
Ultimately, it’s essential to gather information from a variety of sources and exercise your judgment when using online casino reviews to make informed decisions about where to play.