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Understanding Online Casinos

The online gambling industry has changed the way we play casino games forever! No longer are we required to get suited and booted to enter a land-based casino – we can do it virtually all thanks to modern technology! Whether you’re a desktop user or someone who can’t bear to be parted from their mobile phone, there is a world of endless entertainment and winning opportunities out there (and it’s always available at the end of your fingertips 24/7), for both high rollers and conservative players! The Free Bets Casino Guru team have created some helpful points to consider when playing at online casinos in the UK or the EU. Check them out below.

What are the Best Online Casinos?

With hundreds of online casinos and thousands of games to choose from, where do you start? At the beginning, that’s where, and our helpful guide will aim to help you sort the good casinos from the bad, including recognising a good free bet casino bonus offer and how to speed up the withdrawals without even realising it! First up, you need to know the casino you’re playing at is legit; the real deal and you can tell this by looking at its gambling license. Scroll to the bottom of the casino welcome page where there should be details on where the casino is licensed and regulated along with license numbers and an address. If you can’t see this, you may want to head to another casino! There are a number of different gambling licensing bodies used in the UK, and each has its own unique set of requirements. The most common gambling licensing body used is the Gambling Commission, which is responsible for regulating all types of gambling in the UK. This includes casinos and betting shops as well as online gaming platforms and mobile phone apps. The three most common gambling licenses used for online gambling in the UK are the Great Britain Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Gibraltar Gambling Authority (GRA), and the Isle of Man Gambling Commission (GSC). All three license holders have strict criteria that must be met before any operator can begin offering their services to customers. These requirements include robust anti-money laundering measures and a high level of customer protection. Another licensing body that is a familiar sight on many legit UK casino websites is the Malta gaming license which is considered to be one of the most legitimate licenses when it comes to online gambling in the UK. This license is issued by the Maltese government in order to regulate and monitor online gaming activities, including poker, casino games, and sports betting. The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has stringent requirements that must be met before a company can obtain this licence, including compliance with anti-money laundering laws and provisions for customer protection. Furthermore, any company operating under the Malta gaming licence is required to provide 24/7 customer support via telephone or email. In addition to its strict regulatory standards, the MGA also offers generous benefits such as tax breaks on profits generated from gambling activity – both offline and online – free use of land-based casinos and hotels for recreational purposes, access to international markets through their own banking facilities, as well as peace of mind knowing that your money is safe with them. Gambling commissions also play a role in regulating online betting by monitoring operators and issuing fines or suspensions when necessary. Another common licensing body used is The Lotteries Corporation Limited (TLC), which regulates lottery sales in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Gibraltar, and Jersey. TLC also oversees EuroMillions draws as well as other major national lotteries across these jurisdictions.

Different Types of Free Bet Offers

UK online casinos often offer free bet offers and no deposit bonus offers because they know that customers love to try their games out before making a decision about whether or not to make a deposit. By offering these types of incentives, the casinos are able to lure in new players who will then spend money on real money wagers. In addition, by giving away free bets and bonuses, UK online casinos can also ensure that existing customers remain loyal. Online casinos will literally roll out the red carpet to attract new customers and this means lavish free bet welcome offers to boost your bankroll, your fun and your chances of winning. There are many different types of offers which can include any or all of the following:

• The No Deposit Bonus: The one most sought-after as it allows new customers to claim a set amount in bonus funds to use on any of the games housed at the casino! A no deposit bonus is free and will cost nothing to claim, however, the vast majority of operators will require a payment method to be added at the point of registration. “But why, I thought it was free?” It is indeed free, but operators are required to verify you are the correct age to gamble and that you are who you say you are – rules they must abide by in order to combat money-laundering and identity theft. So, what can you do with your no deposit bonus? These funds are to be treated as a virtual funds to try the games, you simply cannot sign up to claim the no deposit bonus and cash out without having spent a penny! There are terms and conditions as well as wagering requirements applied to these sorts of bonuses, which we will get around to shortly.
• Deposit Bonus: A bonus amount (percentage) which is applied instantly to your deposit! Typically speaking, the deposit bonus effectively doubles your cash (100%), giving you extra funds to play with. These bonuses can come as 100% (doubles your money), 200% (triples), 300% (quadruples) and so on! Many operators offer a tiered welcome offer which is designed to boost up to four consecutive deposits (maybe even more!).
• Re-Load Bonus: Once all welcome offers have been claimed, reload bonuses are awarded on subsequent deposits. Now it’s important to note that not all operators offer these types of bonuses, but that doesn’t mean to say they won’t in the future!
• Cashback Bonus: A percentage (usually 10%) back on your net losses. The timeframe for losses will vary from online casino to online casino, however, typical schemes run over the course of 24-hours with cashback being awarded the following day.
• Free Spins Bonus: A welcome offer consisting of free spins! You could be granted free spins as well as a deposit bonus (known as deposit package), delivering twice the fun than usual!

Can I Keep My Winnings from a Bonus?

A tricky question, but the answer is simple; yes and no! There’s no definitive answer to this without viewing those terms and conditions and here at Free Bets Casino Guru we highly recommend that all our visitors read through all the T&Cs with any offer! If you were to play at the likes of PlayOJO Casino – the online casino who guarantees there to be no wagering EVER, then yes, you can keep everything you win, whether that be from a bonus or your own funds! But, if you were to play at an online casino with ‘x’ amount of wagering, the answer would be more than likely – no! Wagering requirements are there to stop you cashing out before spending any money and while most operators are fair, you have some who are not! Low wagering requirements are anything between 1x and 10x, medium wagering requirements are 11x to 20x and high is 21x and above! “But what are they and how do you meet them?” Let say for arguments sake, you’ve claimed a free bet deposit bonus of 100% with a 10x wagering stipulation. You win £100 from that bonus and want to withdraw, but that 10x wagering requirement rule means your £100 in winnings will need to be played through (wagered!) 10x before being able to cash out your free bet winnings – that’s £1,000 on low wagering requirements! If you want 100% assurances you can keep your winnings, the best way would be to play at no wager online casinos or play with your own money – nothing more, nothing less!

Do I Need to Provide Documents to Register?

No, but you will when you meet a certain withdrawal threshold. In the UK, operators are required by law to verify your identity, it’s part of the licensing requirements, and this will either kick in on your first withdrawal request or at a set level of withdrawals. ID required will be a copy of your driver’s license or passport (photo ID) and well as proof of your address and a photo of your funding source. Don’t panic, you can disguise the middle section of your long card number and they don’t need to see the digits on the back of your card either.  Once verified, you’re a fully-fledged member and will no longer need to verify your account.

 

KYC (Know Your Customer) checks are required by most UK online casinos in order to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. These checks typically involve verifying your identity and checking that you are not a prohibited player. While this may seem intrusive, it is ultimately legal as long as the casino follows appropriate procedures for conducting these checks.

What Withdrawal Methods are the Quickest to Process?

E-wallets without doubt! Coral are among the quickest to process withdrawals in our opinion and whilst they aim to process your request within a few hours, those depositing via debit card may find they’re waiting up to 1-3 business days to get their hands on their winnings. To ensure your funds reach your account in double quick time, use an e-wallet such as PayPal. If you were to deposit via PayPal on LeoVegas or Casumo and request a withdrawal, you would find the funds in your PayPal account within an hour max! Meaning e-wallets provide almost instant withdrawals!

Can I Play Online Casinos on my Mobile?

Yes! Most online casino are instant play – meaning you can log in directly via your browser to play. You may find a free app within the app store on your mobile device, although the apps are not always the best way to play. It’s worth reading through the app reviews to ensure the developers update their mobile gaming apps as many do not. It’s also worth reading the users reviews about any limitations they may encounter when using the app that they don’t encounter while using a browser. The main benefits of a mobile casino app are the design and security although mobile devices with Touch ID or Face ID provide an additional level of security, meaning nobody can access your account without your finger or face anyway! 

Most Popular Online Casino Software Providers

NetEnt and Microgaming are the most popular with titles ranging from the progressive jackpot paying Mega Fortune and Mega Moolah to fantasy-filled fun in Red Riding Hood and Immortal Romance! All slots (regardless of the software developer behind them), offer big win potential for any level of bet; take Mega Moolah for instance, we’ve seen winners landing multiple millions of euros from the lowest of stakes – just 25p! Red Tiger Gaming with their revolutionary ‘must drop’ jackpot network is another popular company, so too is Evolution Gaming with their award-winning line up of live casino verticals and Play’N Go – the brains behind the Book of Dead slot franchise!

Best Live Casino Games to Play

This all depends on your taste really. The Casino Guru team enjoy playing classic slots but not everyone shares the same taste as us. If you are looking for an immersive casino experience, there is only one software company to look for – Evolution Gaming! Forget what you think you know about roulette, because Evolution’s Lightning Roulette delivers more thrills and much more wins than their rivals! In each round, up to five ‘lightning’ numbers are chosen and are awarded a multiplier of between 50x and 500x. If you place a bet covering these numbers and the ball lands in the pocket of these randomly chosen numbers, your bet will be boosted by the amount stated! Monopoly Live is another firm favourite among the online casino community with a multiplier wheel offering prizes, a chance element and aboard game bonus round! Land on the 2 or 4 rolls and enter a 3D, augmented reality bonus where Mr Monopoly will take you on a trip around his famous property trading game. Mayfair, Old Kent Road, Treasure Chest and Go to Jail are waiting to boost your bankroll! In 2020, Evolution Gaming unveiled its most immersive, fun-filled live casino vertical to date – Crazy Time and just like Monopoly Live and Dream Catcher, the wheel delivers multipliers as well as four bonus rounds, only each player is in charge of their own destiny! Take a shot at the fun-fair style games to shoot targets, ducks and candyfloss to win huge prizes!

What Are Megaways Slots?

The Free Bets Casino Guru team loves Megaways slots! If you have not played them yet you are in for a “reel” treat! Megaways slots were invented when Big Time Gaming (BTG) released the Bonanza slot machine back in 2016; a 6-reel engine packed with up to 117,649 ways to win in each spin! Rival software providers instantly saw how popular the reel mechanic was and were queuing to get their hands on it, so what did BTG decide to do? Lease it out! We now have access to a plethora of Megaways titles, each with a staggering number of ways to win and the trademark increasing multiplier within the free spin’s bonus round! Rainbow Riches Megaways, Royal Mint Megaways, Rick and Morty Megaways, Ted Megaways, Montezuma Megaways, Gods of Olympus Megaways and Majestic Megaways are just a handful of the Megaways titles on offer!

How Do I Know the Online Casino Games Are Fair?

All online casinos who have been awarded a legit gambling license have been put through rigorous testing measures to ensure their games and the outcomes are fair at all times. If there is any doubt over the fairness of the casino, gambling regulatory bodies would simply not award a gambling license! And, as an extra layer of fairness, all operators make use of what’s known as a Random Number Generator (RNG), which is an independently run piece of software that ensures all gaming outcomes are fair at all times. An RNG generates random numbers that are used in online casinos to determine the results of games. This number is generated through a process called entropy generation, and it ensures that each result is unique. The accuracy of RNGs is confirmed by independent testing agencies and auditors, neither the game operator nor the online casino has any influence over who wins or who doesn’t!