What’s great about online gambling is that it comes in many different forms. If you want to spend some money gambling over the internet, there are numerous ways you can go about doing this. In this article, we’ll take you through some of the most popular categories in gambling.
We’ll give you a detailed overview of each category, so you can get a better idea of what it offers. When you’re done reading this article, you’ll no doubt have some ideas as to the sort of gambling you want to do yourself.
Slots
We can’t write an article on the most popular gambling categories without mentioning slots. These casino games are by far the most common type of game you’ll find at online casinos. In fact, just about every casino has hundreds of slots for players to enjoy; many of them have well over a thousand, in fact.
How did it happen that there are so many slots? The answer is simple: slots can be incredibly diverse. They can vary not only in their theme and design but also in their features and payouts. Some of the many themes that slots can come in include:
- Western;
- Asian;
- Outer space;
- Under the sea;
- Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt;
- Irish;
- Fairytale;
- Sports.
You may even come across branded slots. These are video slots that are themed to popular IPs such as hit movies and TV series. Some examples of well-known branded slot games include Jurassic World and Planet of the Apes. There’s also the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Megaways slot, which is based on the hugely successful TV game show of the same name.
As for features, these can make gameplay more exciting and engaging, and potentially more rewarding. When the first video slots were launched, they were very basic games. More and more features have been introduced over time. Below is a list of some common slot features:
- Free spins;
- Respins;
- Multipliers;
- Pick-me games;
- Mini-games;
- Expanding wilds;
- Shifting wilds;
- Random wilds;
- Expanding reels.
A particularly popular feature is Megaways. This is where each reel can have a random number of symbols on it from two to six. The more symbols are on screen, the more ways to win there are. Most Megaways slots have six reels with up to seven symbols on each and can have up to 117,649 ways to win on every spin.
Before playing a slot, have a look at its paytable to see what the features are. The paytable will also list the symbols and show how much you can win with each of the symbols. It’s a good idea to know what a slot machine has to offer before you start playing online slot machines real money.
There’s always the option to play for free. If you play for free, you can get used to a slot and its features without having to risk your money. Most online casinos let you play in demo mode once you’ve signed up. You can take advantage of demo mode whenever you like.
Another way to play for free is by using casino bonuses. Many casinos give out free spins that can be used on a single slot, a selection of slots or all of the slots the casino has. Each free spin is worth a set amount of money and gives you a free chance to win. Bonus money can also be used on slots; it’s free casino credit that you can spend just like real money, but with additional requirements.
Progressive Jackpot Slots
A particular type of slot game that’s very popular in online casinos is the progressive jackpot. Most online slots have a fixed jackpot. In other words, there’s a limit on how much you can win. With progressive jackpots, there’s no such limit. These slots have a special prize fund – the progressive jackpot – that starts off at a pre-determined amount of money and grows in size every time someone places a real-money bet on the slot. The more money people wager on the slot, the bigger the progressive jackpot gets; there’s no limit to how high it can get. Once it’s won, the winner is paid and the jackpot resets to its base amount and starts to grow again.
Progressive jackpot slots have regular features just like fixed-jackpot slots. They also have regular symbols with payouts, so you can still win decent sums of money even if you don’t win the jackpot prize. To win the top prize, you have to be very lucky indeed. Generally speaking, the bigger the progressive jackpot’s starting amount is, the lower the chances of winning it has. Still, you have to be in it to win.
Some progressive jackpot payouts are so big that they turn people into millionaires or even multi-millionaires. The biggest sum of money ever paid out to a progressive jackpot winner is €19,429358 – an anonymous player won this life-changing cash prize playing the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot.
Sports Betting
Then there’s sports betting. This is where you bet on the outcome of a single match/race or the outcome of a whole tournament. You can also place bets on an individual player’s performance and certain things happening in the match/race.
Many online casinos have a sportsbook section where you can bet on several dozen different sports and other similar events. Football, tennis, basketball, rugby, cricket, golf and boxing are some of the many sports listed at online sportsbooks. Betting on e-sports (multiplayer video game tournaments) is also widely available, as is betting on non-sports such as politics and TV show results.
Sports betting is great fun if you’re a fan of any kind of sport, or indeed any sort of event that has betting options available at sportsbooks. Before you start placing bets at sportsbooks, you should have a good amount of knowledge about whatever it is you’re betting. The more you know, the better informed your bets will be and the more likely you’ll be to do well.
Live Dealer Games
Finally there’s live dealer games. Many online casinos have some of these games available to play. Some sites have just a handful, while others have a few dozens or even more. Live dealer games are real-life versions of table games such as blackjack, baccarat, roulette and poker. They take place in special TV studios and are broadcast live for all players taking part. Sign up for a live stream of the game, and you can watch the gameplay in real time.
Many players prefer live dealer games to animated ones because they’re much more immersive, sociable and interactive, mainly because you get to chat with the other players and even the dealer. These games are also more exciting to play since they’re fast-paced and you only have a short window of time in which to place your bets and make decisions.
As mentioned before, many classic table games have live versions. However, some providers have created brand new live games that aren’t based on pre-existing casino games.
Finding a Suitable Casino
If any of the gambling categories mentioned in this article appeal to you, the good news is that there are loads of great online casinos where you can find this category. Nearly every online casino you visit should offer gambling opportunities in most, if not all, of the categories we’ve talked about above.
Finding your ideal online casino can be a time-consuming process. Thankfully, you don’t have to do it. Instead of spending considerable amounts of time looking for online casinos on your own, you can read reviews and see what casinos people recommend. Reviews let you know what the casino has to offer and whether it’s good or not. Below is a table summarising the key points that people take into account when making a choice:
| Category | What it Covers |
| Games | What games the casino has, what providers the games come from, and what types of games are available. |
| Promotions | What the welcome offer for new players is, what bonuses for existing players there are, and whether the terms and conditions are reasonable. |
| Loyalty/VIP | Whether there’s a loyalty scheme and/or VIP club, and what perks/bonuses loyal players can look forward to. |
| Customer Support | What options there are for getting in touch with the customer support team, and whether customer support is available 24/7 or not. |
| Payment Methods | What payment methods are accepted for deposits and withdrawals, what the wait time for transactions is, what limits there are and whether or not there are any fees. |
| Safety and Security | Whether the casino is licensed or not and what it does to ensure all those who sign up are safe and secure while at the site. |
These are some of the main points that a typical online casino review should cover.
It’s important to mention licences. Every type of gambling site should have a licence to show that it’s been independently checked over by a third-party regulatory authority, and has been given the go-ahead to offer real-money gambling services. If a site doesn’t have a licence, a review will mention this and will recommend signing up to a different site instead; unlicensed sites are always better to avoid.
Anyway, no matter which game is your choice, you should be very carefully signing up to the casino. It must be safe and reliable for you to be able to enjoy your gambling experience without any worries.
