It seems like welcome offers would be easy to understand right? Well, they can be. But for most people, bonus terms are fairly confusing and full of peculiar lingo. There are a lot of industry specific terms used, and for anyone new or inexperienced in gambling, it can all be a bit confusing. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be.

If you’ve ever used an online casino or bingo site, you will have seen welcome bonuses. These offers are designed to welcome new players and celebrate their first plays.

It seems like welcome offers would be easy to understand right? Well, they can be. But for most people, bonus terms are fairly confusing and full of peculiar lingo. There are a lot of industry specific terms used, and for anyone new or inexperienced in gambling, it can all be a bit confusing. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be.

We get how frustrating it is to understand just what you will be getting with different welcome bonuses. How else can you make sure you’re getting good bang for your buck? That is why we have created this welcome bonus lingo guide. With this by your side, you’ll be able to make sense of whatever is thrown your way.

Terms you see and what they mean

Percentage Bonuses:

These are some of the most popular welcome bonuses on offer. They are a popular choice for online casinos. You may have seen 30, 50, or even 200% bonuses while browsing online, although the most frequently seen welcome bonus is a 100% one.

All this means is that you will be credited with bonus funds worth a percentage of your initial deposit. If you make a first deposit of $10 and get a 100% welcome bonus, your account will be credited an additional $10, leaving you with $20. Or, if you make an initial deposit of $100 with a 50% welcome bonus, you’ll receive an extra $50, meaning you have $150 to use.

Higher percentage bonuses are more likely to be capped, so don’t be surprised if you see a maximum bonus of $50 or $100 offered where the percentage is more than 100%.

Free Spins:

If you have ever played slots in a casino, you will have seen the term free spins thrown around. Happily, this welcome offer isn’t too confusing. It’s just what it sounds like, no-cost spins on a slots game. The casino will usually allow you to use your free spins on particular pre-selected games.

With a free spins welcome bonus, you get to bet without needing to put any of your own funds behind it. You can still win money, but you don’t lose your own money because you haven’t paid for the spins. Some offers will have a winning cap, meaning that if you get extraordinarily lucky and hit a huge bonus round or jackpot, you’ll only win as much as the welcome offer states.

No Deposit Offers:

This is essentially a free trial of a site. With a no deposit offer, you don’t need to make an initial deposit of any amount to receive the welcome bonus. Most casinos that offer a no deposit offer will offer $5 or $10, and you are not required to deposit any amount after the money is credited to your account.

The only catch is that you must use the awarded cash to play with the casino and cannot just withdraw it. No deposit offers are fairly popular with players because they allow you to gamble without risking any of your own money. No deposit offers will also come with huge wagering requirements too.

Wagering Requirements:

Many casinos attach wagering requirements to their welcome bonuses. These affect how you can use your deposit and prevent you from immediately cashing out, so you must understand what this term means before you get started.

So if you see a 20x or 40x wagering requirement, what exactly does it mean? You have to wager your bonus 20 or 40 times before you can withdraw. A $50 bonus with a 20x wagering requirement means you must bet a total of $1,000 before withdrawing the bonus.

Read our guide for a more detailed explanation of wagering requirements.

Cashback:

If you see a cashback bonus as part of a welcome offer, it means the casino returns a percentage of your deposit to you if you have a losing streak. It can be a continuous offer or only available for a limited time. Some are given on a specific game or the total of your losses over a certain period.

Reload Bonuses:

You can get a reload bonus (if offered by the casino you are playing with) when you deposit more money into your account. There are both flat rate and percentage reload bonuses available. These rewards are usually offered to players who deposit a minimum amount, either monthly or weekly. Some reload bonuses will also be tied to players using a particular payment option to make their deposits.

A casino may offer a flat fee reward of $5 for players making a minimum $50 monthly deposit, so you would have $55 to play with provided you put $50 in that month. Other casinos offer percentage reload bonuses. For instance, you get 10% if you make monthly deposits of at least $100. So you could deposit $100 per month and have $110 to play.

Welcome package:

You might see a casino offer a welcome package that includes an unbelievable amount of free spins and bonus funds. For example, a casino might offer a welcome package worth $3000 with 250 free spins, but this offer might be spread across between 3 and 5 deposits.

These kinds of offers may seem too good to be true, or too confusing to bother with. It’s important to read the terms and conditions and find out exactly what you are getting from each deposit, otherwise you could end up disappointed.

Now you know what all of the jargon in casino welcome bonuses actually means. Now you are ready to have some fun choosing offers that suit you.

We’ve found a number of ways you can experience the fun of the game without paying a penny. Read through our free slots guide to make use of the many generous casino welcome bonuses on offer for new players.

They say there’s no such thing as a free bet. But we’re here to tell you anything is possible! We’ve found a number of ways you can experience the fun of the game without paying a penny.

Unfortunately, unless you took a job as a slot machine tester or mechanic, it’s unlikely you’ll ever be handed a pile of free tokens in a land-based casino. So, online is the way to go. Here’s our guide to free casino games.

Demo games

Many online casino operators offer demo versions of their games – this can be as simple as watching a video of how a typical game would go, but many are fully interactive. They replicate real gameplay, allowing you to select your coin and bet value, and even offer cool bonuses like free spins or multipliers.

You may also be able to choose the number of paylines that you play with, which will influence how much you bet while playing the game. Then, either spin manually or hit autoplay to spin the reels automatically without needing to continuously press a button.

The benefits are numerous. The fun is immediate, you can play straight away without downloading any software or spending time going through a registration process. Most importantly, there’s no deposit required.

Of course, the downside is that cash prizes are not awarded. But whether you’re new to the games, keen to practice and gain confidence, or an experienced player looking to sharpen your skills, it’s a good idea to take advantage of these games, if only to decide whether you enjoy it enough before committing to putting down real money.

Welcome offers

Another way to give yourself a chance to get something for nothing is by making use of the many generous casino welcome bonuses on offer for new players.

Before you sign up to a casino, check to see whether they offer to match a certain percentage of your first deposit, along with any free credit or a number of free spins. Typically, this will be 100% but can range between 50% to 400%, and there will be a minimum deposit amount required for these offers to be applicable.

Often times they also come with a wagering requirement, which is the number of times a player must play through the bonus money before being allowed to make a cash withdrawal. Check out our guide which explains wagering requirements in more detail. Be sure to read the Terms and Conditions so that you can be sure you are getting a good deal, and be sure to make yourself aware of the risks!

These offers give you the opportunity to have more chances of winning by giving you more funds to bet with, and therefore you get the chance to win even bigger cash prizes, so they are totally worth using.

No deposit offers

But is there a way to win real money without spending anything? Technically, yes!

Many new casinos give players bonuses of free spins or bonus money without first needing to place a deposit – these are called no deposit casinos. There’s no reason you can’t win real money playing like this! You are playing the game for real, the only difference is you won’t be using your own money to do so. The free spins or bonus from the casino will be used instead.

Also, some casinos don’t ask you to input payment details to be able to start playing and access their offers. They may require other forms of verification though, such as an email address and/or mobile phone number, so they can send a verification code to complete the registration process.

However, we must warn you – it can be tough to win money using this hack. The games might have high wagering requirements or capped winnings and, with a limited number of free spins or bonus money available, it can be hard to get a significant win. With games based on luck though, anything can happen!

If you do win money with your bonus or free spins, the casino may have requirements on how you use it which will be explained in the casino’s terms. Some sites may allow you to withdraw this bonus, while other casinos will state that you have to wager any winnings on their games.

But please don’t despair if you don’t win any real money from no deposit slot games! After all, you won’t have lost any of your own money and you’ve had a bit of free fun while spinning the reels.

You can find the best sites to play free games in our list of no deposit casinos. All the casinos we recommend on Canada’s Casinos have been thoroughly researched and rigorously tested for security, customer support, and gameplay. That way, you can be assured it’s a site of quality.

What’s the catch?

With thousands of free games available at countless online casinos, many wonder how it’s possible, or whether there’s a catch to all these offers. But there is a reasonable explanation: with so many sites to choose from, casinos are very competitive and want to keep and bring in as many new players to sign up as possible. That’s why they can afford to lure you in with sweet deals.

Be sure to only go to accredited casino sites. That way, you ensure the slots games are fair and governed by random number generators. Every site we recommend at Canada’s has been thoroughly vetted for safety and fairness, so feel free to take a browse!

If you’re new to slots, be sure to check out our online slot games guides and become aware of responsible gambling practice so that the games stay fun! Good luck!

If you've played slot games before, you've definitely come across the term "free spins". However that can mean different things depending on where you see it, so what does it really mean, and are free spins really free?

One of the most common promotions going, free spins are a great way online casinos draw in new players to their sites.

Free spins give you more chances to win playing your favourite games! That might sound too good to be true, but free spins work exactly the same way a normal spin works. The outcome of any spin is entirely random and as long as you understand what you’ve signed up for, they are a great freebie.

Read on to learn how they work, the common terms and conditions you need to be aware of and how to find the best bonus offer for you.

Why do casinos offer free spins?

This makes sense when you realise what you’re getting: a ‘spin’ is simply the name for one bet placed on a slot machine online. So free spins give you more opportunities to win without having to risk any of your own money.

It’s a risk-free reward as you can’t lose any money on free spins and all the money you win is still real money. So they’re appealing to all gamblers of all abilities, from novice to professional.

Almost all online casinos offer free spins to win over more customers and have a competitive edge on other sites. They realise how many other sites you could be interested in switching to, so they use free spin promotions to keep you interested. They may also be trying to promote a particular game, so they use free spins offers to tempt more people into trying it.

How to use them

If an online casino offers free spins as a casino welcome bonus or as a one-off special promotion, it will list detailed instructions on how to use them. Most times they will be added to your account automatically, though it might involve typing in a coupon code or agreeing to some terms and conditions first.

Bear in mind, the free spins you are given may only be valid for one or a limited selection of games, so be sure to check that before you start spinning.

Many online casinos will also offer free spins as a reward to those that refer a friend, follow them on social media, or for passing a checkpoint on their loyalty programme. You could get lucky and have them randomly awarded to you during your gameplay! Some casinos might even give you free spins on your birthday.

Are they really ‘free’?

While they’re free in the sense that you won’t ever have to play real money on them, it’s worth remembering that casinos wouldn’t offer them if they didn’t expect to make money in return.

The idea is that you’ll sign up to a new casino to take advantage of the welcome bonus, then keep playing there once you’ve used up your free spins. But remember, you are under no real obligation to stay loyal to a casino unless you like it! New casinos are launched all the time, so you can continue switching between casinos to take advantage of different signup bonuses whenever you like.

There are no deposit casinos that will give you free spins without ever having to put in your own money, but most require you to commit some money before you start playing. This can be as little as $5, but many have a minimum deposit requirement of $10 or $20.

If you read the fine print in the terms and conditions, you’ll get a better idea of what’s actually on offer. These will vary from casino to casino, but here are some common attributes to look out for:

• Restrictions on your winning total, for example, $100.
• Time limits you have to use them up, for example, within a week of signing up.
• Wagering requirements stating you must wager a particular amount of real money before being able to withdraw your free spins winnings. This is usually within the range of 20-40 times your original deposit but can go all the way up to 60 times.
• Incompatibility with other promotions and offers, so you can’t put your free spins towards special jackpots or deals.

These terms and conditions needn’t be looked at as hindrances or fun-spoilers – after all, you are still taking advantage of getting something for nothing!

What makes a good bonus offer?

When it comes to free stuff, the more the better seems like an obvious way to go. But actually, it depends on the details of the offer as a whole.

Free spins offers are often combined with other incentives such as a no deposit bonus or a certain percentage match on your first deposit.

It’s important to not get hooked in by the promise of a high number of free spins if it comes with unfair T&Cs such as extremely high wagering requirements or if the time limit is unrealistic for your gameplay. To be sure you’re getting the best deal for you, try to consider your gambling habits before you get stuck in.

For example, 200 free spins with a $100 deposit that must be used within 24 hours might not be so tempting to a casual gamer. They might prefer an offer such as 50 free spins with a $10 deposit that can be used over the course of a week.

To find out more about other good freebies to look out for, check out our guide on how to play slot games for free. Enjoy getting more bang for your bucks! Good luck!

Gambling is a fun pastime for millions of people all over the world, however problem gambling can and addiction can affect anyone. It is important to know how to set limits, take breaks and understand when your habits could become problematic.

Responsible Gambling is a term we see trustworthy casino sites and the media talk about a lot, but what does it really mean? The principle applies not only to the money spent (or lost) gambling, but also the amount of time spent gambling. Gambling responsibly means that gambling stays fun, safe, and not to the detriment of you or those around you.

Responsible gambling can be done both through personal habits and with the help of responsible gambling tools that remind you to take a break and control your spending.

Before you start gambling online, make sure the site you want to sign up for is reputable. These will adhere to a responsible gambling policy, meaning they actively encourage their players to act sensibly with their time and money.

How obsessive habits develop

It can be easy to develop a compulsive gambling habit. Gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system much like drugs or alcohol can. Some gamblers on a losing streak will start ‘chasing.’ This is when you bet even more and more aggressively to try to recoup your losses or to recreate that winning feeling.

This is where limits and gambling blocks come in handy. As a rule, it is sensible to bet only with what you can afford to lose and no more. Setting time limits is also a smart way to be certain that you gamble only as long as you can reasonably allow.

Time is money

If you need some extra help to limit your spending, you can set up deposit limits via your account settings. These can be put in place for a single gambling session or over a certain time period, such as a week or month. For example, you could set a limit of $100 per week. You would be able to deposit as often as you want up to the value of $100. Then, the limit will prevent any further depositing up until the point your limit wears off.

Additionally, you can opt to have the website provide reminders of the time you have spent playing. These will usually appear as a clock to the side of the game, but operators also have the option of pop-ups that pause the gameplay, reminding you at intervals of the time you have spent on the site. This is known as a ‘reality check’ and allows players to keep track of how long they are gambling for or to remind them to take a break.

The next step a player might take is a time-out. Like a deposit limit, this blocks a player from gambling for a specific period of time set by the player; usually, the options are 24 hours, one week, one month, or longer, up to a period of six weeks.

Self-exclusion

This is the most extreme option available for those who recognise they have a serious problem. If you are ready and willing to make a hard stop on gambling, you can ask the operator to exclude you (i.e. block you) so that the option to gamble is taken away and you won’t have to rely on self will to manage temptation.

Generally, you can self-exclude for a period of six months or more, meaning you’ll be blocked from gambling on the site and won’t receive any promotional materials. Self-exclusion can also be done for all sites with the help of third-party companies such as Bet Blocker.

Bet Blocker is a completely free, universal self-exclusion scheme. You can download it onto any of your devices (Mac, PC, tablet or smartphone) and it will take care of blocking your access to gambling sites. Take note that using Bet Blocker does not automatically withdraw any funds from your active accounts so be sure to check the casino’s policy before activating your block.

Help is at hand

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to problem gambling prevention. You can turn to them for more information, to find a dedicated counsellor and other talk therapy hotline options.

To make sure you are safe and supported, only bet with reputable operators that partner with industry groups that promote your wellbeing.

If you recognise harmful gambling habits in yourself or if you have concerns about someone you know, be sure to seek free advice from the RGC to learn more about the research, prevention and treatment of addiction.
If you would like to learn more about cyber safety, check out our guide on how to stay safe while playing at an online casino.

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games today. Read our complete guide to Blackjack to find out how to play.

This is one of the oldest and most popular casino games around today. It’s fast, it’s exciting and, if you’re playing against a dealer in a live casino game, it will fuel your competitive fire.

But even though it’s fun to play, it can be quite difficult to pick up an effective strategy, particularly for those that have never played before. The benefit of playing online is that you can practice without the pressure and high stakes of a Vegas casino environment.

The other benefit is that online gambling sites offer big sign-up bonuses to new players, usually adding from 10% to 200% to your first deposit, giving you more money to practice and win with.

If you’re new to the game or you’re looking to brush up some rusty skills, here’s our guide on how to play blackjack.

Back to basics: what are the rules?

Online blackjack’s rules are almost no different from the blackjack card game you would play at a land-based casino.

Your primary goal is to score 21 points or as close to 21 points as possible without exceeding 21. You are playing against the dealer’s hand, whoever gets the better score wins.

All the number cards (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) equal as many points their number, and picture cards (Jack, Queen, King) are all worth 10 points. Joker cards are not used in this game. Ace is worth either 1 or 11, depending on which is better for you. Sounds confusing, but you’ll pick it up quickly as you play!

If you are dealt a Jack, Queen or King with an Ace, your hand is known as “Blackjack”. This is an automatic win and can only be tied with if the dealer also gets a blackjack.

Stick or twist! What happens next?

When you choose a game of online blackjack, you will be playing against a computerised dealer and your view will be a graphical version of cards on the table.

Alternatively, you can choose to play a live blackjack game, meaning you’ll be playing against a real person who is live streaming the game on camera. You will be able to see them deal the cards out to you on a table and even hear them talk to you.

To begin, you will place your bet and hit “Deal” to trigger the dealer to start play. You will receive 2 cards from the dealer. They will also deal 2 cards for themself.

You will then be able to “hit”, meaning draw a new card, or “stand” to keep your total as is.

If you draw cards that take your total over 21, it is known as a “bust”, meaning you’ve lost that round. The dealer can also go bust.

The online game is typically played with multiple decks, each of which is reshuffled following each hand. This means it’s impossible to count cards and predict what the outcome of a game will be.

If you get a hand of exactly 21, you will often win a payout of 3 to 2, while any other winning hand will give you a 1 to 1 payout.

Betting buttons

To place a bet, you will probably have to click on a chip. They have different values ranging from £1 – £100 and will be indicated on the interface. The chips you clicked on will then be placed close to the middle of the table, which you can remove before the hand is played by clicking in that spot.

Deal: this starts the game

Stand: this ends your turn, meaning you’re happy to stick with the total cards you’ve been dealt

Hit: this signals the dealer/ computer to deal you another card. It can be used as many times as you’d like before going over 21

Split: this button means that you can split your hand into separate hands if they are of the same card value. You might want to do this if you are dealt two aces, for example

Double: click this button any time you feel that your hand is strong enough to double your bet

Now you’re up to speed on blackjack, why not learn a little more about how to play poker and how to play roulette?

When you’re ready to play, take a look at our list of the best casino welcome bonuses to start with the best possible advantage!

Poker is one of the more popular online casino games but requires a higher level of quick thought and strategy compared to other games. Take a look at our guide to ensure you have a solid understanding of the Hierarchy of Hands, as well as, poker variations available to play online.

Poker is a game for the cunning and daring. Though it’s complicated and requires quick thought and strategy, it’s undeniably fun to master!

Since the ‘90s, internet poker has been of the world’s favourite online pastimes, with thousands of no-limit hold’em games running simultaneously online 24/7 at all sorts of stake levels. Many say it’s unlike other games as it rewards skill more than chance.

The rules online are the same as in a casino setting, but you will have to focus more on the maths behind your bet than calling your opponent’s poker face. The real benefit of online casinos is that you can play at any time, for as long as you like, for any stakes you’d like, with friends or even on the go.

Here’s our guide to get you ready for the big wide world of online poker.

What you’ll need

The requirements to start playing online poker are very minimal and you can play on any device with an internet connection and a browser. There are also many poker apps for smartphones and tablets so you can play from anywhere.

You won’t need to put down much money to get started, either. You could start by playing for free by trying out a no-deposit casino. After that, most players deposit between £20-200 and can make it last quite a while, as long as you don’t make big bets outside of your budget.

However, you will need to have a good grip on the rules and how to play before you stake your first bet.

How to play No-Limit Texas Hold’em

This is the most common and popular type or style of poker in the world. To get started, you will need to click a game and wait for the table to be ready for you to join.

You and the other competitors will need to pay an ‘ante’, a small amount to start the game. Then, the fun begins. The dealer will deal everybody two cards which will be hidden from all the other players.

This is the point at which you choose whether or not you want to bet. You can fold, check or raise.

‘Fold’ means you want to skip the round. You can do this if you have a poor hand already, such as two low non-chronological cards of different suits.

‘Check’ means you wish to match the bet. You can do this if you feel you might get good cards coming up.

‘Raise’ means you want to increase your bet, which you should do if you feel you have a strong chance of getting a good hand.

The dealer will then place five community cards on the table. You will need to look at your cards and determine whether you can combine them with any cards on the table in order to create the best possible hand (see the hierarchy of hands below – and memorise them so you can recall them quickly! This is a game of fast decisions).

The best hand of all the players at the table wins. The payout depends on the odds determined by the game and the amount you bet in combination with the others in the game.

No-Limit Texas Hold’em is relatively simple to learn but complex to master, making it a great intro to the world of poker.

Other well-known poker variations you can play online include:

• Pot-Limit Omaha
• Omaha Hi-Lo
• 7 Card Stud
• 5 Card Draw
• Short Deck Hold’em
• Razz
• Chinese Poker

Hierarchy of hands

This is crucial to understand before you start your first game. Here’s a table of what to look for, along with examples of how they’ll look, with the best at the top and the weakest at the bottom. If you’re confident you have a strong hand, you might want to up the bet, but if it’s looking like you have a weak hand, you might want to fold to cut your losses.

1. Royal flush – A, K, Q, J, 10, all the same suit.

2. Straight flush – Five cards in a sequence, all in the same suit.

3. Four of a kind – All four cards of the same rank.

4. Full house – Three of a kind with a pair.

5. Flush – Any five cards of the same suit, but not in a sequence.

6. Straight – Five cards in a sequence, but not of the same suit.

7. Three of a kind – Three cards of the same rank.

8. Two pair – Two different pairs.

9. Pair – Two cards of the same rank.

10. High Card – When you haven’t made any of the hands above, the highest card plays.

In the example below, the jack plays as the highest card.

If two people play the same hand, the person with the higher cards wins. For example, a pair of threes will lose to a pair of tens.

Tournaments

Poker tournaments are extremely popular – the most talented players live like sports stars – thanks to the TV exposure of the World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour. But tournaments aren’t exclusive to rich and famous professionals. You can enter one online at any time.

Online tournament poker often works in this way: first, you pay your buy-in and get a stack of chips. Then the moment you run out of chips, you’re out of the tournament. The eventual winner is the player who collects all the chips. The prizes can wind up huge in these so they are worth checking out.

Now you’re up to speed on poker, why not learn a little more about how to play roulette and how to play blackjack?
When you’re ready to play, take a look at our list of the best casino welcome bonuses to start with the best possible advantage! Or if you’re looking for an extra interactive experience, look at our ranking of the best live casinos for the option to play against a real dealer!

Read our guide on how to master one of the most iconic and popular games found in both online and traditional casinos, Roulette.

This is probably the most iconic of all casino games! You’re probably already familiar with the roulette wheel as it exists all over popular culture, from classic Hollywood movie Casablanca to hit game show Wheel Of Fortune.

Indeed, the image of the spinning wheel is synonymous with the glamour and excitement of high-stakes gaming. Online casinos offer a great way to play roulette – you’ll never need to worry about rigged wheels or cheating players!

If you’re new to playing online, you’re in the right place. We’re here to help you brush up on the rules of the game.

The aim of the game

A European or French roulette wheel has 37 numbered slots: 18 red, 18 black, and a green zero. The American version has 38 – the extra slot is a double zero.

For each round or “spin”, a ball is set into motion around the edge of the wheel, eventually coming to a stop in one of the 37 slots. The aim is to guess where it will land. Players can bet on any outcome and can place multiple bets at the same time.

For example, you can bet for the ball to land on red or black, you could bet for it to land on sets of numbers such as 1 to 18, you could bet for it to land on odd or even numbers, you could bet on an individual number, or you could bet on any combination of these.

Once the ball stops rolling and the winning number is known, losing bets are swept off the board and payouts are made. Payouts will reflect the probability of the bet you placed.

For instance, if a ball landed on red 32, the players who bet on red, evens and 19-36 would all win. However, if anybody bet on the ball to land on 32 specifically, they would win more money as they picked a less likely outcome.

Unlike other casino games such as Poker, there can be multiple winners in a single round of roulette.

Types of roulette bets and probabilities

Aside from bets on individual numbers, roulette bets fall into two broad categories: inside bets and outside bets. The odds below are for European roulette.

Inside bets: so-called because the betting chip is placed on the inside of the table’s betting area, these have the lowest odds and the biggest payouts (up to 35:1).

Outside bets: these are arranged around the outside of the betting area and have the highest odds of winning but smaller payouts (1:1 or 2:1).

The house edge

You might have noticed that these odds and payouts don’t quite add up – for instance, betting on red has a 2:1 payout, suggesting 50% (or 18/36) odds, but the odds are actually 18/37. This is because the green zero provides a slight tilt in favour of the house, known as the “house edge”. (Don’t forget, you can still bet on zero!)

Button definitions

Here are the buttons you’ll need to get familiar with as you practice roulette.

• Spin – Confirm your bets and spin the wheel
• Double – Double your bet
• Clear bets – Remove all your bets
• Undo – Remove the last bet you placed
• Double and Spin – Double your last bet and spin the wheel
• Re-bet and Spin – Let your last bet stand and spin the wheel
• Re-bet – Change the bet you want to place

Can you have a roulette strategy?

When you play online roulette, don’t be fooled by thinking a number is “due” or that betting on certain numerical patterns guarantees success. The chance for any individual number to come up is 1 in 37 every single spin – regardless of what’s happened previously. The ball doesn’t remember where it landed last! The outcome of any round is entirely random and cannot be predicted.

However, people might develop personal strategies depending on numbers they find particularly ‘lucky’ or through impulse. They might use this in turn with varying the amount they bet on each round.

Whether this really does improve your chances at winning can’t be proven, but it certainly makes things more fun. Whatever your method, be sure to gamble responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose.

Which is better: American or European roulette?

European roulette is the most popular type, but the American-style wheel is also well-loved. The payouts are the same in both versions, but due to the extra zero slot, the house edge is almost doubled in American roulette. So why do people play it?

The honest reason is simply that some people just prefer it. They might be used to playing in Las Vegas, where double-zero roulette is the most popular style of wheel. European roulette is often reserved for high-stakes games in US casinos, so some people would have started out by playing American roulette instead and are more familiar with it. However, if you want the best odds, there’s no doubt that European roulette is the one to play!

Now you’re up to speed on roulette, why not learn a little more about how to play poker and how to play blackjack?

When you’re ready to play, take a look at our list of the best casino welcome bonuses to start with the best possible advantage! Or if you’re looking for an extra interactive experience, look at our ranking of the best live casinos for the option to play against a real dealer!

When playing at an online casino, you want to ensure that your personal details are secure and you can play without worry. Read our guide to find out how you can stay safe as you play.

Safety first! That’s the motto. In most pursuits, our personal safety is something we should place a lot of emphasis on, yet in practice, it’s something we rarely give a second thought to.

This certainly applies to the world of online gambling. You might not have considered the risks. You might not know there are any, especially if you’ve been playing for years, incident-free.

So let us be the first to reassure you: running into a safety issue at an online casino is rare. But, it doesn’t hurt to educate yourself on what you should look out for, so you can play happily and free of concern.

Here are the main factors to consider when determining whether a site is cyber safe.

How to check if a casino is legitimate

The first thing you should look out for when choosing an online casino site is whether or not they hold a licence. This signals that the site is reputable, as to gain a licence, the site has to meet a certain number of standards that protect customers. There is no Canadian gambling licence, but common licences you will see are the Malta Gambling Authority (MGA) and Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (GRA). You will be able to find this information in the footer of the site’s homepage.

But a licence is not the be-all and end-all. Another strong indicator of legitimacy is positive independent reviews that credit the site’s customer service. If a site is suspicious or illegal, you will find out through reviews or high volumes of claims suggesting the site is withholding money. Every review on Canada’s Casinos is written by a casino tester who thoroughly vets each casino site for safety, so you can be sure our recommendations are fair.

Check the URL

Only use operators whose website carries an SSL certificate—this is clearly displayed in the URL bar with an https:// protocol rather than http://.

This tiny difference means a lot; it shows that it is a secure site. Thankfully, browsers are becoming stricter with online security nowadays and will often alert you if a website you visit is not secure.

You should also look for the padlock symbol in the URL bar. When you see this, it is indicating that a payment gateway is secure. With any online purchase, you shouldn’t risk giving your payment information to any site which doesn’t uphold these safety standards.

Always gamble responsibly

Before you sign up for a new online gambling website, it’s important to brush up on the facts of responsible gambling. Even if you think it doesn’t apply to you, it’s good to know what dangerous gameplay looks like to be aware of the warning signs.

All good operators have an easily-accessible responsible gambling policy so that if things get out of hand, you can take a break or exclude yourself from their site. Check their customer service options to see if they are open about what help is available and check in the site’s footer to see if they work with any gambling addiction prevention programmes.

In Canada, online casinos are not required by law to point you towards help from external resources, so it’s good to educate yourself rather than relying on the operator to intervene.

Equally, it is your own responsibility to make sure you play within your budget. If you feel yourself succumbing to the temptation of “chasing” (trying to win money back after losing), then it’s smart to set some monetary limits so that you only bet what you can afford to lose over a given time period. This will help to ensure that online gaming remains a pleasurable pursuit – it’s best to stick to the adage of “when the fun stops, stop.”

Payment methods

Casinos are in the business of attracting as many people as possible to their sites, which is why you’ll typically see them offering a ton of obscure payment options that you might not have heard of, including cryptocurrency platforms.

It can feel worrying handing over personal and private information to sites you’re not familiar with, particularly new casino sites that haven’t been around long enough to build strong reputations. But by using a payment method you are familiar with, you can ensure your money is kept safe.

There is no “best”  or “safest” payment method, it really does come down to personal preference. The most popular payment methods for many online gamblers are Interac and PayPal as they are the most efficient and incredibly secure. Using these services means your money is protected by their independent customer service systems, which will intervene on your behalf if you detect a casino is withholding funds or making suspicious, inaccurate transactions.

Be wary of flashy offers

A general rule of thumb that applies to many aspects of life is: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Many hackers or phishing websites may attempt to lure in prospective gamblers by advertising unrealistic offers such as matching bonuses and free spins with no wagering requirements.

Remember, casinos don’t like to give away free money. Be sure to find out how free spins work as they are a perfectly good and legitimate bonus to come across, but they only exist for the casino to eventually make some profit. If the deal seems suspicious, do your homework and read our casino reviews to ascertain whether or not they are real, or check out competing casinos to see if they offer similar deals.

Similarly, make sure you are familiar with the casino’s terms and conditions before you sign up and accept a casino welcome offer. Some illegitimate operators exploit loopholes to avoid large cash payouts, while others may be slow to pay your winnings – a sure-fire sign that something isn’t right. Good casinos are upfront with their payout time frames and usually list them in a table in their terms and conditions. Again, do your research and check reviews to make sure a site is right for you.

Your identity is yours and yours alone!

When you sign up to a reputable online gaming site, you will be asked to provide personal identification documents such as a scan of your driving licence or passport. This is to ensure that you are the person you claim to be. It is a legitimate and crucial protocol that prevents identity fraud, money laundering and underage gambling. If a website does not ask you to provide any proof of age, we strongly recommend you do not proceed further.

Once you’re signed up to a legitimate website, remember it is your responsibility to look after your data. Like with any online account, never share your password and do not leave yourself logged in on multiple devices. Ensure your account is protected with security questions that only you know the answer to.

Other details to look out for

If all of this is not enough, be sure to check for these policies listed in a site’s terms to be extra secure in your decision to sign up.

Deposit limits – good casinos offer these to ensure players do not overspend and to protect them from losing money in credit card fraud

Audit certificates – legitimate casinos display these to show they uphold standards Technical testing – trustworthy casinos are tested by internationally approved testing agencies such as COGRA for fairness and payouts

Over the years ecoPayz has become a well-known payment option among users of online casinos. Read our guide to find out about how you can use it to manage your payments.

Set up in 2000, ecoPayz is a well-established eWallet service that has long been supported by online casinos. If you’re familiar with similar services like Neteller and PayPal, using ecoPayz will be fairly straightforward.

There are five levels of membership on ecoPayz: Classic, Silver, Gold, Platinum and VIP. Classic is the entry-level experience. Moving up through the levels gains you access to a series of extras like a dedicated payment card and increased spending limits. To upgrade to the silver level you simply need to verify your identity by submitting a valid form of ID, whilst to get higher up the ladder you’ll need to have held an account for an extended period of time and to have deposited a certain amount.

Pros of using ecoPayz

Easy to set up and use

It is free to create an ecoPayz account and the process is straightforward.

Fast transfer times

Payments are processed quickly with ecoPayz, with funds appearing in your account in a matter of seconds. A very wide range of currencies is available and you can make payments using any one you choose using the multicurrency facility, an advantage not always available with eWallets.

Secure method

ecoPayz has a strong security policy. It makes use of industry-standard SSL encryption technology in order to protect users’ data and its servers are securely located and protected. The service is also authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, a rigorous regulatory body, so you can rest assured that using ecoPayz is a safe and secure payment method. The company has been around long enough to have built up a reputation as a trusted provider.

Cons of using ecoPayz

Potential fees for transferring money to bank account

Fees of up to 7% will be charged for each of the services offered by ecoPayz. This is something to watch out for if you’re the kind of customer to regularly make small deposits. More details about this can be found on the ecoPayz website.

Using ecoPayz

Making a deposit with ecoPayz

1. Go to the cashier page of the online casino.
2. Select ecoPayz from the list of payment methods.
3. Enter the amount of money that you wish to deposit.
4. Confirm the transaction.

Withdrawing money with ecoPayz

1. Go to the cashier page.
2. Select ecoPayz as your preferred option.
3. Enter the amount of money to withdraw.
4. Confirm the transaction.

Creating an account with ecoPayz

1. Click on ‘Sign up’ in the top right-hand corner on ecoPayz website.
2. Choose a username, enter your email address and choose a password.
3. Select Canada from the list of countries, as well as your preferred language of contact and currency.
4. Enter your first name, surname and date of birth.
5. Enter your address.
6. Enter your phone number.
7. Enter the validation code to confirm your identity.
8. Agree to the site terms and conditions.
9. Choose whether or not to opt into promotional offers
10. Click on ‘Create Account’ to confirm all these details and create your ecoPayz account!

Using Klarna Instant Bank Transfer is a quick and efficient way of making payments on an online casino. Read our guide to this service to find out more.

Swedish provider Klarna is starting to become more widely used for making deposits in the world of online casinos. The service is probably best known for its ‘buy now, pay later’ option for online shoppers. This option is obviously far too good to be true for online gambling! As well as offering this service, though, Klarna has an instant bank transfer function which is becoming increasingly popular as an online payment service. It has become more widespread since the company’s merger with German financial providers SOFORT in 2014.

Read on for our thoughts on this payment method and practical tips about how to use it.

Pros of using Klarna Instant Bank Transfer

Very fast transfer time

Klarna offers a frictionless service: funds are transferred immediately, thereby eliminating the several hours’ worth of waiting that you might have to endure when transferring directly from your bank.

No fees charged

There are no fees involved when you make a deposit using Klarna. This is certainly one of the biggest selling points of the Klarna Instant Bank Transfer function. Hidden fees are so often a discouragement for those wanting to withdraw smaller amounts, so absence of these, combined with Klarna’s super-fast transfer speed, is a massive advantage to online gamblers.

No need to create an account

Since Klarna is not an eWallet, you do not need to create an account into which you then transfer funds. All you do is use your bank details to check out; the money is then transferred directly to the casino. This saves some effort on the player’s part and makes Klarna a very easy service to use; on top of that, it further enhances the safety and security of the platform, since there are no potential personal details to be divulged.

Secure payment option

Financial transactions made with Klarna will always be protected by encryption and payment records will be stored securely. In addition, as mentioned above, there is next to no potential for fraudulent activity since no personal details are required in order to make a payment.

Cons of using Klarna Instant Bank Transfer

Possible fees charged by bank

Although Klarna itself does not charge any processing fees, you may need to double-check with your bank to see if they impose any transaction fees.

Using Klarna

Making a deposit using Klarna

1. Choose your country and bank from the options on the available list.
2. Enter the login details from your online bank account.
3. If prompted, enter the confirmation code sent to you via text message or email.
4. Your funds have now been instantly transferred to your online casino account.

Using Klarna to withdraw winnings

Some casinos will allow you to use Klarna’s partner platform SOFORT to withdraw the money that you win. The process is simple:

1. Open the cashier page on the website and select Klarna or SOFORT from the list of options.
2. Type your account details into the box that pops up.

PayPal is one of the most popular forms of payment in the entire world, with over 350 million users and top tier security, it's a payment method you can trust. Did you know you could also use PayPal to deposit at your favourite casino sites?

PayPal might be one of the most widely used and recognised payment methods in the whole world, let alone for online casino players. For that reason, you’ll find PayPal is available at most of the best online casino sites on the internet. The company was founded in 1998 as Confinity, which developed security software, before merging with Elon Musk’s X.com in 2001 to become the PayPal we know today.

Paypal became a trusted household name due to being owned and used by eBay, making it easy for millions of people to pay for items and receive payment for the things they sold. You may already have a PayPal account, but why should you use it to deposit on a bingo or casino site?

We have a list of the best Paypal Casino Sites, check them out!

Player safety & security

PayPal is famous for its security – it’s one of the main reasons millions of people trust and use it worldwide. PayPal encrypts your information to stop unauthorised access to your data. Depositing using PayPal allows you to play bingo and slot games online without ever giving your sensitive payment details to a gambling operator/vendor, so you can play with peace of mind.

All transactions are monitored to help prevent fraud or identity theft with alerts triggered if any ‘suspicious’ activity is spotted on your account. You’re not liable for any unauthorised transactions made on your account and should always report them immediately.

Thanks to PayPal’s strict guidelines, only reputable sites are allowed to use its services. It’s particularly careful about the online gambling brands it works with, therefore it’s a positive indicator of high security when an online casino supports PayPal payments.

PayPal also offers Buyer Protection, which covers users when there is a problem with a purchased item – if an item doesn’t arrive or isn’t as described, for example. PayPal will reimburse you the full purchase price (plus shipping) if you open a dispute in its dedicated Resolution Centre and your transaction is eligible.

Unfortunately, PayPal’s Buyer Protection service doesn’t extend to casinos as it excludes “gambling, gaming, and/or any activity involving a chance to win a prize.”

For more information on how to stay safe while playing at an online casino, read through our handy guide.

How to create a PayPal account

Creating a PayPal account is free and easy and there are no charges for using the service in Canada.

1. Visit the PayPal website or download the app. Click ‘Sign up’ and choose a personal account.
2. Enter your information including your name, email address and create a strong password.
3. Continue to add your address, DOB and phone number.
4. Add your bank account, debit or credit card details. You can choose to enter the information right away or later, however, it’s needed to verify your account.
5. You’ll then be charged $1 to your payment method and a 4-digit code will appear on your bank statement. Enter this to verify the account and refund the $1.
6. Finally, once you have filled out the form with all of the correct details, confirm your email address. (If you can’t find the confirmation email, check your junk folder).

How to deposit using PayPal

1. Go to your chosen bingo or casino site and click deposit.
2. Choose to add a new payment method and select PayPal.
3. Decide how much you want to deposit, you’ll then be taken to the PayPal login screen.
4. Enter your email and password and confirm your payment.

For more information about signing up and using PayPal to pay for things online, visit the PayPal website.

iPhone users know how fast, convenient and secure Apple Pay is, whether they're making in-app purchases or using contactless to pay at shops and restaurants. You might not know, however, that it's just as easy to use on online casino sites too!

In 2013, Apple announced that they had partnered with major banks around the globe to revolutionise the way we pay for things. Apple CEO, Tim Cook said that customers were unhappy with plastic cards, which was the basis for the innovation. He pointed out that traditional cards were “outdated and vulnerable” and riddled with security flaws that left people exposed to fraud and identity theft.

Apple Pay, on the other hand, is a secure solution that requires either Touch ID or Face ID to verify payments. It is, therefore, more difficult for an unauthorised person to pay using your bank card. The service launched in Canada in 2015 and is now available in thousands of locations and websites worldwide.

You probably use Apple Pay every day of your life to pay for things on your phone and in the real world, but why should you use it to deposit on an online casino?

Benefits of Apple Pay

Quick and convenient

If you have Apple Pay set up, you can deposit quickly and safely on mobile casinos without entering any bank card information or logging in to alternative eWallet accounts, such as PayPal, Interac or Bitcoin accounts.

Secure verification & safe payments

Unlike other online payment options, Apple Pay requires you to physically verify your identity using your phone’s biometric security measures to authorise any transaction, making it one of the safest payment methods available. Your payment data is also stored securely and safely on your device, meaning the only person that can access your payment details is you.

No fees

Apple Pay is free to set up and use, so you can deposit safely without incurring the expensive fees of other payment providers. Using Apple Pay is just like using your bank card and Apple has worked directly with banks to ensure it is a seamless payment experience with no hidden costs.

Drawbacks of Apple Pay

You can’t withdraw to Apple Pay

Although you use your bank card to deposit via Apple Pay, you can’t verify a withdrawal using it. Therefore, you’ll need to add your physical card as a payment method to withdraw your winnings. If you want to avoid adding your card details completely, we recommend depositing at a casino with PayPal as it’s also free, linked to your bank card and protects your financial information.

It’s only supported on certain Apple products

If you have an iPhone older than the iPhone 6 (which launched in 2015), then you can’t use Apple Pay. Likewise, if you have an Android or Windows phone, you can only use Google Pay, which currently isn’t accepted as a deposit method by as many casino sites.

You are also only able to use Apple Pay on a MacBook with a Touch Bar, which means other desktop computers and laptops aren’t compatible.

How to set up Apple Pay

If you have a compatible device, you can set up Apple Pay in just a few minutes.

On iPhone

1. Open the Wallet app
2. Tap the blue + button
3. Scan your physical payment card or enter your card details manually
4. Enter the code sent to you via text message to confirm your account
5. Voila! You’re ready to use Apple Pay to deposit

On iPad or MacBook (with Touch ID)

1. Go to Wallet & Apple Pay in your Settings/System Preferences
2. Tap Add Credit or Debit Card.
3. Enter the card details and security code and tap Next
4. After your bank or issuer verifies your card, tap Next
5. Start using Apple Pay

How to deposit using Apple Pay

1. Go to your chosen online casino and click deposit.
2. Choose to add a new payment method and select Apple Pay.
3. Decide how much you want to deposit.
4. When prompted, verify your identity using Touch ID or Face ID.
5. For more details on how to set Apple pay up on your iPhone, iPad or compatible MacBook, you can visit the official Apple Pay support centre.

InstaDebit is a great way to make deposits on online casinos. Read our guide to find what the main pros and cons are.

The growth of online gambling sites has been accompanied by a rapid rise of online payment platforms designed to make transactions as quick and efficient as possible. InstaDebit, whose website boasts that the service is ‘like paying with a cheque online, only easier’, has been around since 2003 and since become a trusted online payment solution for customers in Canada. With a very fast transaction time and top-level security, it’s no surprise that InstaDebit remains a popular choice.

InstaDebit works as an intermediary service to carry out transfers of money to merchants from your bank account. You can make use of it if you’re a Canadian resident aged 18 or over with a Canadian bank account. Read on to find out more about how to use InstaDebit and its main positive and negative aspects.

Pros of using InstaDebit

Safe and secure

As you’d hope, InstaDebit is a very safe service to use. 128-bit encryption is used in addition to firewalls, and accounts are monitored constantly. None of your personal information is divulged to any third parties. This strong emphasis on security means that InstaDebit has proved to be a highly reputable platform in the years since its foundation.

Excellent customer support

Feedback seems to show that most customers are impressed with the support system used by InstaDebit. The team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be reached by phone, email, post and live chat.

Exclusive bonuses

Online casinos commonly offer welcome offers and bonuses like free spins and no-deposit bonuses to new players. Customers using InstaDebit will be delighted to discover that many sites offer these bonuses specifically to them.

Mobile-friendly

InstaDebit is very flexible and works just as easily when you’re visiting an online casino on your mobile device as it does on your computer.

Cons of using InstaDebit

Only one bank account supported

InstaDebit only allows one bank account per account, so you cannot split your payments across accounts as you might be able to do using other platforms.

Fees

Creating an InstaDebit account is free, but there are still fees for using the service. Making a payment to a merchant from your bank account costs $1.95 each time. Withdrawing money from InstaDebit to your Canadian bank account carries a fee of $2. This might discourage players who typically gamble small amounts, especially since these fees are fixed rather than percentages. This is certainly an aspect of the service for which other payment options like PayPal, which is free to use, might seem more attractive.

Using InstaDebit

Creating an InstaDebit account

The process for setting up an account with InstaDebit is relatively straightforward:

1. Click on the ‘Log In/Sign up’ button on the InstaDebit homepage.
2. Enter your first name, last name, email address and postal code, and create and confirm a password, before solving the reCAPTCHA.
3. The next step is to provide your street address, date of birth and Social Insurance Number.
4. Your account is now ready to use.

After you have created your account, you will need to verify your bank details in order to make a withdrawal. A small deposit will appear on your bank statement: this acts like a PIN. Log into InstaDebit, click Verify Account and enter the deposit amount shown on your statement in order to complete the verification. This will in turn allow you to increase your spending limit.

How to make a payment using InstaDebit

It is incredibly simple to use InstaDebit to facilitate a payment on an online casino.

1. When the time comes to check out, select InstaDebit from the list of payment options.
2. Log into your account.
3. Approve the transaction.

You do not need to pre-register for an account; if you want, you can sign up for an account straightaway during your first transaction and start using it from that point on.

Wagering is a keyword used across all casino games, be it slots, bingo, instant win, or card games. Take a look at our guide to ensure you fully understand the term.

This is one of those gambling terms used in slot games that’s essential to know and understand as a beginner. Though, even well-practised players can use some brushing up on the specifics sometimes!

Casino welcome bonuses usually come with a set of conditions that need to be met before you can withdraw your winnings as cash and wagering is a key one used across all casino games, be it slots, bingo, instant win or card games.

When you receive bonus money from an online casino, more often than not, you will be asked to fulfil a wagering requirement before you are allowed to make a withdrawal. If you don’t meet these wagering requirements, your bonus money will never be converted into real money for withdrawal.

They are always listed in the offer or the site’s terms and conditions but can be a bit confusing if you’ve never seen the term before. Here’s our short guide to everything you need to know!

A definition that makes sense

A wager is simply the name for the money that is spent on a bet. You could say either “I put down a 10¢ wager on one spin” or “I bet 10¢ on one spin”.

Therefore a wagering requirement is simply the required amount you will need to bet in order to meet the conditions of the deal.

You could think of it as how much you will need to play through before you can withdraw your winnings. Alternatively, a casino might frame it as a requirement that you need to play through before they will award you a bonus.

Wagering requirements are usually written as a number with an x to demonstrate the number of times you will need to play through. For example, 10x means play through the amount 10 times or 30x means play through the amount 30 times.

So, if you had a £10 bonus with a 40x wagering requirement, you would need to play through $400 before you can withdraw your winnings.

You can do this any way you want – you could bet 10¢ 4000 times, or 20¢ 2000 times, or $1 400 times – any combination works, as long as the total comes to $400.

Remember, this is not the amount of money you need to lose, it’s only what you need to play through. Whatever is left over at the end is yours to continue playing with or withdraw.

To find out what the wagering requirement is on a deal, look for the terms and conditions listed with the offer. Usually, this is in the fine print under the promotional image, but you might also need to click a link to a longer page of terms and conditions. From there, you can search the page by clicking Ctrl + F and typing “wagering”. This should take you to the place in the text that clearly indicates the wagering requirement of the offer.

Why do casinos have wagering requirements?

Casinos are in the business of making profits – don’t get your hopes up thinking they want to give away free money. If they offered new customers free spins or welcome bonuses without requiring you to put in any of your own money, they’d go bankrupt quite fast! Players would simply accept the offer and immediately withdraw the cash.

From the casino’s perspective, wagering requirements are there to ensure people play the game and hopefully enjoy it enough to stay loyal to the site.

Are wagering requirements a con?

Wagering requirements are a legitimate and commonplace condition at almost all casinos. As long as you understand what you’re getting, you can match your expectations accordingly.

Remember you’re ultimately getting a bonus for free. Take our example from before: if you had a $10 bonus with a 40x wagering requirement, you would need to play that bonus through 40 times before you could claim winnings. So, if you’re lucky and make $400 off the bonus, it’s yours to withdraw! But you might not make it that far before you lose too often and run out of money –  no worries. All you’ve lost is a free £10, and you hopefully had fun doing so! Any of your own money you deposit won’t have a wagering limit and is yours to play with and withdraw as you like.

The only exception to this is that some casinos include the initial deposit you made in order to get a bonus within its wagering requirement. This is not common, but it’s worth checking the terms and conditions to be sure if it applies.

You can expect a casino to set its wagering requirements anywhere between a 5x and a 50x depending on the game. Note that online blackjack and roulette often have lower wagering requirements than slot games.

Essentially, the lower the wagering requirement the better if you’re looking to snap up cash quickly. If you have more of a long-term strategy with slots, this won’t matter as much. If you find a deal with a wagering requirement on the lower end of the scale, lucky you! If the requirement is much higher, it’s not necessarily a write-off. Consider how much you like the casino in general and whether the bonus comes with any additional benefits that make it worthwhile.

How can I use this information to my advantage?

There is no way to guarantee to project a series of results on any slot machine as they work by random number generators. Each result is entirely random and independent of all the results that came before. Some card games can be counted at land-based casinos, but computers make that feat a lot harder as the deck gets continuously shuffled to ensure unpredictable results.

Some players like to calculate their potential winnings from a casino deal by taking into account the wagering requirement, RTP (find out more about what RTP is here) and volatility of a game. However, we recommend choosing a casino you find fun and entertaining as this tends to count for a lot more than a strategy.

What are wager-free bonus offers?

There are some casinos that will give you a bonus deal with a 1x wagering requirement or none at all! They are also called ‘zero wagering’ bonuses. The benefit of these is that any winnings from these sorts of bonuses are immediately accessible to the player once they’ve been won.

These are not to be confused with no-deposit casino bonuses. These are welcome bonuses which do not require the player to deposit a sum of money before they can receive the bonus. Check out our guide on how to play slots for free if you’re interested in making real money out of a casino without having to spend a penny, but be warned, it’s likely you’ll eventually have to put some money down in order to withdraw big, worthwhile results!

Now that you’re up to date on wagering requirements, be sure to brush up on some other online casino know-how, such as how to play slots for free!