I’m not the most demanding of people to be perfectly honest with you. Outside of working hours, give me a cup of coffee and a TV remote and I can happily ‘while away the time’ for a few hours without too much fuss. However, of course we all like to get out and about occasionally, either for a typical night out consisting of a couple of pints, or something more of an ‘occasion’ like going to a fancy(ish!) restaurant, a concert or a casino. We live in strange times though, and a global pandemic now stands in the way of such carefree nights on the town. I have considered many a time trying to gain permission and access to my local casino via smoke signals, or by whispering secret entry codes and passwords outside of the door, but to no avail. During this lockdown I don’t have a cat in hell’s chance of getting in!

In decades of old, that would’ve been a complete disaster, but thankfully in the modern era, there are viable alternatives that offer just the same if not an even better and more varied casino experience than exists ‘offline’. So often, the problem with a local casino is that it’s something of a captive market; the only show in town, and they just know it. The online world is a completely different environment though. There are a considerable number of online casinos all vying for your custom and so they up the ante in terms of what they offer casino goers. They do so by offering incentives that make them stand out from the crowd. It becomes necessary to read trusted assessments of the top 10 online casinos and the like to really separate the best from the rest. This really is the only way to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck as well as an authentic online casino experience.

One important factor when assessing online casino sites is reputation. If comparison sites consistently declare a website to be trustworthy and standing out from the crowd, they likely do so for good reason. In this highly competitive environment, it’s also important to make sure that you have your eye on the best welcome bonuses for new customers, as this will ensure that you have more money to play with when you first join. Along the same line some casino sites offer free slots spins to their members and so there are numerous opportunities to gain ‘money for nothing’ (though there are sometimes wagering requirements and the like). Bet boosts and ongoing offers for existing members are also sometimes made available.

Casino review sites often also highlight the types of payment methods available with a particular online casino. This can really be a time saver. Other factors that differentiate casino sites can be the variety of games on offer. When you attend your average bricks and mortar casino, sure you’re going to find a few different slot machine options from time to time, but the change of pace may well be pretty glacial. In comparison it’s a different world online, there are hundreds of existing slots options, with new ones becoming available all of the time. If you have a favourite movie, or celebrity or slot theme you can bet there’s a slots game out there that ticks the box. So all in all, lockdown or not, if you love to play slots, roulette, poker or any of the other top casino games, a convenient and authentic casino experience is still available for you right now, and it’s only a click away.

Casino games have never been so popular as they are today. The internet, smartphones and tablets have made it possible for people to enjoy their favourite slots and table games from the comfort of their own homes. Before the late 1990s, the only way to play them would have been by travelling to a physical casino. 

According to data recently published by TechJury, more than 2.5 billion people now play these types of games. To serve this vast market, thousands of online casino sites have popped up all around the world. 

With so many sites to choose from, it can be difficult to know which one to choose, especially if you’ve never played in an online casino before. 

Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take to help you decide which one fits your needs the most. 

Step 1. Check if the Casino is Licensed

When you deposit money to and play games in an online casino, you want to be sure that your money and personal information are going to be kept safe. Thankfully, there are some really easy checks you can do to make sure. 

The first is to confirm that the casino is licensed. Here in the UK, all online casinos must be registered with the Gambling Commission. This is a government regulator that enforces the laws relating to betting and gaming and issues licenses to companies that want to serve customers from Great Britain. 

You can check that the casino has been issued a license as details of it should be displayed at the bottom of their website. You can also verify this yourself through the Gambling Commission website. Its public register can be searched by company name, domain name, or license number. 

For added peace of mind, you can ensure that the casino uses encryption on its website by checking for the padlock symbol in your web browser.

Step 2. Find Casinos Offering Generous Promotions

There is a lot of competition in the market, which means many online casinos offer promotions to encourage new customers to sign up with them rather than a competitor. 

The types of offers usually fall into a few categories:

• No deposit bonus – this is where you get a small amount of bonus credit to play the casino’s games for free when you sign up

• Deposit match bonus – where the casino matches your deposit amount (or a proportion of it), giving you more to play with

• Free spins – these allow you to play slot games for free

Some casinos may also give you free spins for being loyal. Some slot games may also award you with free spins when you unlock certain bonus features or land on certain symbols. 

With so many bonuses on offer, shop around and find the one that will be most valuable to you by considering the types of games you will play and how much you intend to deposit.

Step 3. Find Casinos That Offer the Types of Games You Enjoy

There’s little point in registering with an online casino if it doesn’t offer your favourite game, so it’s best to check first. Thankfully, this is really easy to do since most sites allow you to see their catalogue of options before joining. Some even have search boxes so you can just type in the name of the game you want to play and see what comes up. 

For lovers of blackjack and roulette, you’ll find that they’re available at practically every casino. Most will even have several variants of each so you’ll have plenty of choice. 

Other table games like baccarat, pai gow, and Caribbean stud poker are less common, so you may have to check a few sites first. 

If slots are more your thing, then you’ll find hundreds (or even thousands) offered by most online casinos. However, if you have a particular title in mind, you may have to search a little harder as the games offered by a casino will depend on the software provider(s) it works with.

Step 4. Have Fun

Once you’ve found the online casino that works best for you, it’s time to sign up, make your deposit and have fun playing your favourite games. 

The focus of the Hot Chip site is almost exclusively casino related. It’s a topic those who visit the site are of course especially interested in (unless they took a wrong turn). From an active interest in the thrills of bricks and mortar casinos, to online versions of favourites casino games such as roulette, poker and slots, the action never ends. We all enjoy the excitement and the thought of winning some easy money, or in the case of games like poker using our skill and calm to bring in some welcome cash. In my experience though those interested in probability and chance can often extend their interest to sports betting and the opportunities that too can bring.

While I’m keen on horse racing and the like my main sport of choice (in terms of enjoyment via watching, as well as betting) just has to the football. There are so many leagues, tournaments and games – so consequently betting opportunities too – that night or day it’s always possible to ‘have a flutter’. And even within individual games there are betting options galore such as half time – full time results, overs/under, number of corners, red cards, player to score, the list goes on. There are so many ways in football to end up landing a winning bet that if you have a good grounding in the sport you’ll often come out on top.

Aside from betting on specific events within a game to take place, it’s of course also possible to go for the good ‘ol traditional win bet. I’ve placed many a bet on Premier League games over the years for instance, from bets on ‘dead certs’ like top teams like Manchester City to ‘also rans’ like Sheffield United (currently at the bottom of the Premier League table). Of course when betting on odds on favourites the return frequently isn’t great, and so more often than not I instead opt for an accumulator bet (aka multiple bet, or acca). This allows me to centre in on the three or four results I want to come in and if they do I benefit from greatly improved odds. It’s fun to have a bit of money riding on multiple events too as it creates interest beyond a single 90 minute game.

So if you’re looking for a break or ‘time out’ from the spin of a roulette wheel or the dealing of cards, there’s certainly something to be said for turning your eye towards sports betting and giving a footy bet consideration. You never know what riches it might bring. It’s good to mix things up, and if you take to it and come out on top you’ll be thanking me for suggesting it!

You can’t deny that themes are essential to the success of the gambling industry. Throughout the years, they have appealed to customers to the point where players now have their favourites based on the title they are playing.

Themes are here to stay – empirical research on Springer Link highlights this beyond doubt – yet it’s easy to take them for granted. Users might assume that bright lights and cool sound effects are the reasons why they are so popular within the gambling sector, but this isn’t the case. To find out more about the role themes play within the gambling industry, please keep on reading.

Source: Pexels

Brand & Production Variation

The casino sector, particularly the online casino market, is very competitive. In essence, the market is saturated, and providers must think of smart ways to carve out a niche and attract new customers regularly. This is because Investopedia points out that the phenomenon is a point when a market no longer provides demand.

Themes, therefore, give brands the power to raise awareness of their offerings because they add features to ensure formats aren’t the same. Several new casinos have implemented this strategy when hitting the market, but none more so than Fruit Kings as it uses an environmental theme throughout its website. Whether players like slot machines or table games, they get to answer the call of the wild by unearthing jewels and treasures on their journey to become the Fruit King.

Audience Engagement

Another way that themes engage audiences is by making games more relatable. A product that is fun is one thing, but one that’s exciting and reminiscent of popular culture adds another dimension to the playing experience.

This is best seen through the lens of Hollywood’s camera, with the likes of The Gladiator and Jumanji inspiring a plethora of releases that make the theme popular to this day. However, themes are flexible, which means casinos can adapt to the times to ensure their products and services are timeless. A current example is the role of Netflix’s blockbuster, Tiger King.

64 million households watched the TV series according to Variety, so it’s no surprise to see the rise of jungle titles. For instance, The Savannah King and Cats are among the most in-demand slots available on any platform.

A Bridge between Gambling & Gaming

ce: Pexels

Gambling and gaming are markets that are intertwined. The biggest link is the introduction of in-play purchases within console titles, many of which are used within a gambling format. For example, Grand Theft Auto Online has a casino where players can place wagers, which is why WEPC reports that the market is worth around £120 billion.

There is a clear relationship that casinos want to build on as it allows them to appeal to a wider fan base. A theme acts as a bridge between the two formats because NCBI highlights how themes in popular video games have been around since the 80s. As a result, a theme is a perfect foil.

Themes set video games apart. In an era where the market has never been as competitive, and where popular culture trends merge into a single entity, this is crucial for casinos with massive gaming libraries.