How to play online casino games

By Wayne Goodchild

Online casinos are booming in popularity as more sites pop up every year, bringing with them a host of new and exciting games. These sites can be accessed using your phone and desktop, meaning you can play the games pretty much whenever and wherever you want. As such, it’s no wonder that the online casino market is expected to be worth £35.34bn in 2024. 

With more beginners entering the scene (and experienced players looking for new titles to try), we’ve taken a look at how to play casino games, what you should keep in mind while playing and how to register at online casinos.

What are casino games?

In broad strokes, a casino game is any game that requires you to gamble money to play it. The basic premise is that you place a bet, and there’s a chance for you to lose or win. Games at casinos are primarily divided into four categories (though there are exceptions): 

• Slots: These form the majority of the games you’ll find and have the simplest gameplay. Megaways, jackpots, ‘hold and win’ and one-reel games fall under this category. 
• Table games: These titles differ vastly in gameplay depending on the game. Varieties include blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, teen patti, sic bo and dragon tiger. You use (virtual) chips to play table games, with values varying per casino site to accommodate casual players and high rollers.
• Instant games: One of the newest casino game types, these include options like crash games, dice, mines, keno and scratchcards. 
• Live casino games: These titles generally follow the same rules as table games but with a human live dealer/croupier managing the game via video link. Some software developers have even created live slots.

Understanding the basics of casino games 

When looking at how to play online casino titles, the most popular game type, accounting for about 70% of casino revenue, is slots, so we’ll look at those first.

Slots

Slots use a layout of reels and rows, with symbols on them. Five reels by three rows (5x3) is one of the most common designs you’ll find. When a player presses the spin/play button, the reels spin for a moment. 

When they stop, specific combinations of symbols will result in wins. These symbols will usually have to stop on designated ‘paylines’, although a lot of modern slots use different pay mechanics such as ‘cluster pays’ or ‘pay both ways’.

You’ll also find a ton of different mechanics in slots, from Megaways (the number of paylines can increase up to 117,649 if not more) to progressive jackpots that increase with every bet made on that game.

Slots also come with adjustable bet sizes for each spin. Typically, you’ll be able to bet between £0.10 and £5 (per UKGC requirements). Other slots will let you adjust the volatility (covered below) or even unlock special features, like free spins.

You can read a slot’s paytable to see the winning combinations and bonus features, but it’s important to remember that wins depend on luck; each game uses a special algorithm called an RNG (random number generator) that ensures no two spins have the same result.

Roulette

This game has a history dating back to the 17th century. Roulette uses a spinning wheel with 37 or 38 pockets, depending on the variation. In American Roulette, pockets are numbered 0 to 36, with an additional 00. In European and French Roulette, there isn’t a 00 pocket. In every version, pockets alternate between red and black, but zeros are green.

As the wheel spins, a small ball is dropped in by a croupier. The goal is to bet on which pocket the ball will land. Some of the possible wagers include:

• A specific number
• Even or odd numbers
• Red or black pockets
• The lowest 18 numbers or the highest 18
• Low/middle/high groups of 12 numbers

Blackjack

All online table games are played against the house (ie. the dealer/croupier, or computer if it’s a non-live version). Blackjack is often considered as having the lowest house edge (aka the ‘best chance’ for a player to win), making it a very popular casino game. 

Typically, the player receives two cards, both face up, while the dealer places one of their cards face up and the other face down. The aim is to get your hand as close to 21 without surpassing it.

You have to look at whether you think your hand’s value will be closer to 21 than the dealer’s cards, depending on what their face-up card is. Cards are equal to their number, while the king, queen and jack (face cards) are equal to 10. The ace card can be worth either one or 11, depending on which works for your hand.

You can ‘hit’ to get more cards if you have a low value hand, or ‘stand’ if you’re happy with your hand. You ‘bust’ if your hand is more than 21 and lose your wager. You can also ‘split’ your hand to double your bet if you have two of the same cards. 

A ‘blackjack’ is if your hand is equal to exactly 21 and results in an instant win in most cases.

Poker

Most regard poker as a ‘game of skill’, and it’s very popular among expert casino players. However, knowing how to play casino online poker games can be challenging, as it’s also one of the most complicated games.

The basic premise is you have to possess the best hand. Winning poker hands include:

• Royal flush (10, jack, king, queen, ace from the same suit)
• Straight flush (sequential numbers from the same suit)

Through to lower value hands:

• Two pairs (from two different suits)
• A pair (from the same suit)
• High card (the highest value single card)

Although there are dedicated poker sites where you do play against other people, normal online casinos don’t have this type of poker. You’ll either face-off against the computer or a live dealer and you will need to have a better hand than what they draw.

Baccarat

In baccarat, the dealer deals two hands, each containing two cards on the table, for the player and banker respectively. 

You place your bet on whether you think the player’s hand or the banker’s hand will be higher. You can also bet on a tie. If a hand total is more than 10, then the 10 is dropped (so a hand of 16 becomes six). Meanwhile, a hand equal to 10 becomes a zero (also known as ‘baccarat’).

Craps

Craps is a dice game that can seem complicated for new players, but it’s relatively easy to get into. You must place your bet before the ‘shooter’ rolls the dice and the two main types are:

• Pass line: You wager that the first roll (come out roll) will be a seven or 11. If it lands on two, three, or 12, you lose. If it lands on another number, the number becomes a ‘point.’ This point number must roll again before seven rolls for you to win.

• Don’t pass line: This bet is the direct opposite of the previous one. You win if the come out roll is a two or three and land a tie if it’s 12. A seven or 11 on the come out roll is an automatic loss, but you win if a seven rolls before the point number.

There are also other bets, like ‘come bets', ‘don’t come bets’, ‘place bets’, ‘odds’, ‘field bets’, ‘proposition bets’, ‘hardaways’ and ‘hop bets’, all of which are displayed on-screen so you can see which numbers they involve. 

Keno

This title is a lottery-style game you play using a card with numbers one to 80. You choose a set amount to mark (eg. 15 numbers), and place your wager. The host (for live online versions) or computer for normal online ones, will then call out/display 20 numbers, and you win depending on how many numbers you can match. It’s a thrilling yet relatively easy game, making it ideal for beginner and expert players.

Scratchcards

When looking into how to play online casino scratchcard titles, you’ll find that they operate much the same as physical scratchcards. You ‘buy’ the scratchcard, which is your bet. Then, you reveal the symbols below the icons, seeing whether you have a win or a loss. 

Our expert guide to registering at online casinos

The basics of registering with an online casino remain the same, even if the steps vary slightly. As such, you can follow our guide with most casinos:

1. Click the Register/Sign Up/Join Now button
2. Choose a username and password
3. Add all the necessary information, like your full name, address and mobile number
4. Ensure your account currency is correct
5. Read the terms and conditions and if happy, tick any boxes that state you accept them
6. Make your first deposit and start playing

When registering at casinos, it’s important to know what you’re signing up for. At FIRST, we always recommend reading the general terms and conditions and checking the casino’s iGaming licence, as the latter especially can affect the registration process. For example, UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) casinos require ID verification before you deposit. 

You can also check the available bonuses, payment methods and support channels to see if it’s a casino that suits your needs.

Tips to remember when playing casino games

Part of knowing how to play casino games is knowing the best tips to play safely. The following advice applies to all games.

• Only gamble using cash that you can afford to lose. This way, you won’t land yourself in financial distress and can more effectively control your bankroll.
• Always understand the rules. Take the time to test the game and read our detailed guides to ensure you know what to do. 
• Start with smaller stakes. By betting small, you can bet for longer, which helps new players familiarise themselves with the gameplay.
• Don’t start with house games. While all table games favour the house, you should start with ones that favour it less, such as blackjack and craps.
• Manage your gaming sessions. Set a time limit before you start playing so you don’t get lost in gambling. This way, you can take a break and not chase your losses or wins.
• Use responsible gambling tools. Options like deposit, wager, loss and session limits can help you enact restrictions on your gambling.

Important rules and regulations

You should know several important rules and regulations before playing online casino games. First and foremost, most providers require that you’re at least 18 to be able to play the games. Some will up this age limit, however.

Secondly, countries have different gambling laws. Some will allow it, provided the online casino has a local licence (eg. UKGC for UK players, New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement licence for NJ players in the states and so on). Some allow international licences, while others outright ban it. Ensure you’re able to legally play on a casino site before signing up.

All reputable casinos will state that you can only have one account per household, IP address, or player and that VPN use is forbidden. Further, almost all casinos will also require that you wager your deposit at least once before you can withdraw it.

Casinos will have different rules and regulations regarding the withdrawal process, win limits, maximum bets and so on. It’s also worth knowing that most casinos will restrict what games you can play if you claim a bonus and require that you verify your ID to withdraw winnings. 

Understanding technical game terms

Before playing, it’s important to understand the technical game terms you’ll come across. The most important ones are:

• RTP: It stands for return to player and applies to all slots, most table games and all instant win titles. It’s a theoretical percentage of how much a game pays out, over time. 

A crucial mistake many players make is to assume that it’s literal, eg. that a 96% RTP means you will get £96 for every £100 you bet. It doesn’t work like this. It means £96 total will be paid out for every £100 bet by everyone. That means 99 players could bet £1 and win nothing but one person bets £1 and wins £96. Although a higher RTP (97%+) is better, it’s worth noting that it always works in conjunction with volatility when it comes to payouts.

• Volatility: Sometimes called ‘variance’, volatility refers to the level of wins you can expect. Low volatility games typically show more frequent wins, but often in lower amounts. High volatility games can land infrequent wins, but often in higher amounts. Medium volatility is usually a good balance between these two extremes.

• House edge: The house edge is the other side of the coin from RTP. It refers to how much the game favours the house (the casino). If a game has a 96% RTP, then the remaining 4% from 100% is the house edge. As such, over the game’s lifetime, 4% of the wagers will go to the house. 

Our top strategies for different games 

We examine some of the best strategies for different games. Keep in mind these aren’t the only ones, but rather some of the most reliable we discovered at FIRST.

Slots

As these games are entirely luck-based, the best strategies are ones that state how you should choose a slot and manage your bankroll:

• Select a slot with the right RTP and volatility to match your play style. If you only play games for a few rounds, then choose low-volatility games over high-volatility ones.

• Lower your bet amount after triggering the bonus feature. It’s unlikely that you’ll land the bonus feature again within the next few spins. Rather, lower your bet amount for a few spins to limit your potential losses.

Roulette

Roulette has several strategies, though which ones you use depends on your playing style:

• Martingale: Double your stake after a loss and reset it to the minimum stake with every win. This strategy requires a substantial bankroll, is very risky, and is only effective on even-money payouts.

• Fibonacci: Use the Fibonacci numbers sequence (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, etc) to determine your bet amount. If you lose your even-money bet, then move on to the next number in the series. If you win, then move back two numbers.

Blackjack

Blackjack has a few universal strategies:

• Stand: 
• If your hand value is 12 to 16, and the dealer’s face-up card is two to six, don’t take any more cards

• Hit:

Take another card if:

• Your hand value is 12 to 16, and the dealer’s face-up card is seven to ace
• Your hand is an ace and a card from two to six

• Double Down: 
• If your hand equals 11 and the dealer’s face-up card is two to 10
• If your hand is an ace and a card from two to six

• Split: 
• If your hand is a pair of aces or a pair of eights
• Avoid making insurance bets, as you lose more in the long run

Poker

Normal poker strategies, such as bluffing and playing aggressively, don’t apply to online poker, due to the absence of other players. As such, the best strategies are ones that involve managing your bankroll, as noted above. 

Due to the amount of variations you can find on casino sites, if you’d like to play live dealer poker we recommend spectating a few games first so you can get used to the rules and bet types (live demo play is never available). However, video poker titles often come with a free demo, so you can actually play a few rounds before using real money.

Baccarat

Baccarat players can use many of the same betting strategies you’ll find at roulette games. However, there are also other tactics you can use when learning how to play casino games like baccarat:

• Pair bet: A strategy where you track cards in a spreadsheet and calculate your odds of making a successful pair bet.

• Paroli System: Double your bet when you win and revert to the original stake when you lose. However, you can only double it up to three times before returning it to the original stake.

• Labouchère System: Use a sequence of numbers to determine your bet amount. You always bet the sum of the first and last numbers in this sequence. If you lose, you add the bet amount to the back of the sequence. Meanwhile, if you win, you remove the first and last number of the sequence.

FAQs

Is there a trick to casino games? 

No. Although some casino games include an element of skill, like poker, most are entirely luck-based, so there’s no way you can influence the outcome. The best tricks are ones that help you effectively control your bankroll and losses.

How do I know what slot to play? 

Choose a slot type based on your gaming style. It’s always a good idea to look for ones with high RTPs. However, also consider the available bonus features and what themes you enjoy.

What triggers a slot to win? 

Slots payout according to how many symbols land, whether it’s the base game or a bonus round. Most slots pay out for three matches and up, but some ‘cluster pays’ slots can pay out for over 15 symbols, for example.

Is there a pattern to winning slots? 

No, as wins are based entirely on luck and RNG. 

What is the smartest bet at a casino? 

The smartest bet can vary depending on the player. Some people will say a bet on blackjack is the smartest, as it has the lowest house edge. However, the smartest bet will be one that you can comfortably make in a game where you understand all the rules and possible outcomes.