Tips to playing at online casinos

Playing at an online casino offers many advantages over venturing out to your nearest land based casino, but the comfort and convenience aside, there are plenty of things to look out for to make sure your online experience is a safe and worthwhile one. We’ve provided some tips to enhance your real money online betting experience and ensure your safety when betting real money on the Internet.

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Pick a reputable casino

While the Internet has plenty of reliable, trustworthy options when it comes to real money casino games, there’s also plenty of dodgy operators out there hoping to lure unsuspecting players out of their hard earned money. To make sure you don’t fall prey to a rogue vendor, only ever play at licensed and legitimate casino sites.

If you’re not sure which venues are legit or not, stick with the casinos recommended on our website – each of these has undergone scrupulous testing to ensure it offers the highest standards for online players and is legally licensed and regulated by an esteemed gambling jurisdiction.

Here’s some of the key factors we look when determining if a casino is reputable and operating above board:

• It uses trustworthy software from a reliable game studio like Net Entertainment, Microgaming, BetSoft, Play’n Go, Quickspin, iSoftBet, NextGen Gaming, Thunderkick, Evolution Gaming, Ezugi, Playtech, Yggdrasil or a handful of others.
• It’s approved by eCOGRA – the watchdog for the online gambling industry.
• Any site requesting your personal or financial information is protected by a minimum of 128 Bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer) digital encryption, which you can identify in the URL bar when the address starts with “https://” and contains a padlock icon.
• It’s certified by a legal offshore jurisdiction like the UK Gambling Commission, Government of Alderney, Malta Gaming Authority, Isle of Man or Curacao e-Gaming.

We understand this is a lot to look out for, which is why we’ve done the hard yards for you by compiling a list of the most trustworthy casinos embodying these desirable traits in the table above.

Take advantage of welcome bonuses

Online casinos start with a leg up over their land based counterparts by offering welcome bonuses to new players simply for signing up for an account. It’s the Internet equivalent to entering a real world casino and someone walking up and handing you a bunch of cold hard cash to play with (although of course there are certain wagering requirements applying to welcome bonuses, so always read the full terms and conditions when claiming).

Welcome bonuses most often come in the form of matched deposit bonuses, where the site will credit your account with a certain amount of money based on the size of your deposit. For example, if a casino offers a 100% matched deposit bonus and you make a real money deposit of $100, the casino will match it with an additional $100, giving you $200 to play with straight off the bat. Free spins are also usually part of the bonus deal, which you can even sometimes get upon registration with no deposit required.

A hot tip when playing online is to sign up with multiple venues so you can take advantage of all the welcome bonuses on offer, giving you more for your money and is a good excuse to try out a few different venues before deciding which you like best. Check out the best online casino bonuses here.

Embrace the game variety

Whether you’re a dedicated blackjack player or a pokies fanatic, online casinos offer much greater game variety than you’ll find in a land based casino. Internet casino games also offer more affordable betting limits, providing a platform to play a wide range of games you might not otherwise have access to. With so much variety available, playing a wide range of different games will enhance your online gaming experience, with new content released regularly so there’s always something new to try.

These are the types of games you can expect to find in a single online casino platform:

• Pokies
• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Poker
• Baccarat
• Craps
• Video poker
• Keno
• Bingo
• Scratchies

The beauty is your one login gives you access to all the games offered within an online casino, so you can try as few or as many different games as you like.

Play for free

Online casinos also offer the option of free-play, where you can try games in demo mode before committing to any real money bets. Playing for free is a good option for players who want to shop around to try different venues first before wagering any of their own money, or for those wanting to familiarise themselves with a new game before risking a real bet. Whether you want to scratch up on your blackjack strategy, or see whether a pokies game has enough bonus features for your liking, free play lets you do so with no risk to your wallet.

Stick with secure deposit options

Reputable online casinos like the ones recommended in the table above have one important thing in common – they all accept deposits in AUD using a range of secure, trusted payment methods. Huge advances in online payment systems means you’re no longer restricted to just credit card payments; you can now transfer funds using a web wallet or keep your finances offline entirely with the use of a pre-paid e-Voucher. The common, most trusted online deposit options accepted for Aussies include:

• Credit & debit cards – MasterCard, Visa, Maestro
• Web wallets – Neteller, Skrill, ecoPayz
• Prepaid cards – Paysafecard (now incorporating Ukash)
• Online payment systems – POLi, EntroPay
• Bank transfers – via direct online wire or branch assisted

An important tip is to remember to select AUD when signing up for your account, as your chosen currency is difficult to change once you’ve already registered. Playing using Australian currency means you’ll avoid conversion fees and know exactly how much you’re spending and winning.

Use responsible gambling practices

Anti-gambling advocates often tout the risk online casinos present in bringing gambling into the homes, but what they don’t mention is online casinos have measures in place to support responsible gambling practices pubs and land based casino don’t have. Not only are all the top rated online casinos supported by organisations like GamCare and Gamblers Anonymous, but players also have the option to customise all kinds of betting limits to ensure they play within set restrictions. For example, you can set a time limit after which the casino will lock you out of your account, or a money limit where you can’t play after you’ve wagered a certain amount of your funds. There’s also the option to freeze your account entirely for a certain number of days or weeks if you feel your playing is becoming problematic.

As with all casino games, always bet within your means, never chase your losses and quit while you’re ahead. Take advantage of the customised limitations offered by online casinos to ensure your gambling practice remains the fun, recreational activity for which its intended. Read our guide to bad gambling advice you should avoid at all costs.