Online gambling, or iGaming as it’s become known, is an umbrella term given to real money wagering activities that are carried out in the digital realm. The global iGaming market is a huge segment in the gaming industry, with some reports estimating it was worth over $63 billion at the end of 2022. In some territories, iGaming operators are now outperforming brick-and-mortar casinos and betting operators, meaning that gamers like you have more choice than ever before.
This burgeoning market provides an accessible way for adult gamers to access a huge variety of gaming options, betting opportunities and ways to compete in gaming tournaments. So, whether you’re looking to get started with NFL betting online or are moving into playing casino games online, keep reading to discover everything you need to know.
Online Casino Gaming
Like their brick-and-mortar counterparts, online casinos allow players to actively participate in a vast range of casino gaming and real money activities, all from the comfort of home. Online casinos are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, offering you unprecedented access to classic games like roulette, blackjack and much, much more.
How do Online Casinos Work?
If you’ve ever played in a land-based casino, you’ll already have a pretty good idea of how online casinos work. As you would in your local casino, when you log in to an online casino, you can place real money bets on various casino games. The main difference is that all the gaming takes place in the digital environment, meaning you can access a casino platform from your laptop, tablet or even smartphone wherever you have a working internet connection.
Digital gaming platforms and mobile casino apps work on a membership basis, so you will need to register for an account and deposit money into it before you can participate in real money games. Registration is free, and, more often than not, you’ll find attractive sign-up bonuses that you can take advantage of when you make your deposit (more on that below). Reputable operators will also conduct strict Know Your Customer checks before approving your application, so you can be sure that the security of your personal and financial data is prioritised from the outset.
What Games Can I Play?
A more apt question would be, what games can’t you play at an online casino? While the exact amount of games and variations you can play differ from operator to operator, as a bare minimum, you can expect a platform and gaming app to be stocked with card and table games, slots, video poker, and live dealer gaming options.
Card and Table Games
In any casino, the blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps tables are often the most popular in the venue, and the same is true for online casino platforms. These games are the bread and butter of real money gambling.
Digital Slots
Everyone loves a slot machine! Thanks to digital technology, you can experience immersive and engaging slots when you play online, including progressive jackpot slots with huge prize pools.
Video Poker
Just as you’ll find video poker machines dotted around a brick-and-mortar casino, you’ll also find this fun variant at most online casino platforms.
Live Dealer Gaming
One of the more recent innovations in iGaming is live dealer technology. This enables players to interact with real-life dealers and place bets on games that are conducted using real equipment.
Online Casino Bonuses
Undoubtedly one of the most attractive features of remote gambling, online casino bonuses are promotional offers that are used to both attract new players to a platform and reward existing ones. We’ll cover bonuses in greater detail in a separate article, but the main ones you can expect to find are:
- Welcome bonuses
- Match deposit bonuses
- Free spins offers
- No deposit bonuses
- Cashback promotions
Online Sports Betting
Online sports betting, as the name suggests, is a convenient way to place wagers on sports like horse racing and football or any other outcomes using the power of the internet. Digital sportsbooks and betting apps have become hugely popular in recent years due to them being much more convenient to use than high-street bookmakers.
How do Online Sportsbooks Work?
Just like online casinos are the digital form of gaming venues, online sportsbooks work in the same way that high street bookies do. You can access a variety of betting odds and markets in a digital platform, and you’ll also have the option to place bets on a wider range of events, including elections, entertainment, eSports competitions, etc.
In the same way that you need to register for an account at a digital casino platform to place bets online, you’ll need to set up an account with a digital bookmaker. Once your account is approved, you can make a deposit and start betting. Most online betting sites will offer a welcome bonus, too, often, in the case of a free bet offer if you deposit a certain amount.
What Betting Options are Available to me?
There’s a reason why online betting is now more popular than betting on the high street: the variety of betting markets and options that are at your fingertips! Not every bookmaker will provide opportunities to bet on the same markets, but they will all offer core betting options:
Moneyline bets
The most straightforward of bets in which you back one team, player or figure to defeat another.
Spread bets
Spread betting is more complex than simple moneyline betting, and it involves wagering on an accurate outcome of an event, such as the favourite team winning by more points than the spread.
Accumulator bets
Also known as parlay betting, when you place an accumulator bet, you’re backing multiple outcomes in a single bet.
