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Online casino play has been one of the biggest growth sectors on the web over the past few years as new markets have been regulated, more design studios have popped up and gaming has embraced the mobile revolution.
It is remarkable to think that just a few short years ago, many casino players would have to travel vast distances to play at land based casinos and, even then, their choice of games was limited to perhaps a hundred games at most. Even travelling to another land based casino didn’t improve things much as the licensing laws and major players in the land based casino space meant that almost every casino offered the same selection of games.
As you can imagine this would make gaming become pretty boring, pretty quickly. It is one of the reasons that Las Vegas has become the gaming Mecca it has, by offering hundreds of different games and plenty of big jackpots, the jewel of Nevada traditionally catered to a huge gap in the market.
The internet however has changed all that – while Vegas is still arguably the epicentre of casino gaming – players now have huge choice over the type of games they enjoy, plus far more flexibility when it comes to when and where they get their gaming kicks.
The web has democratised vast industries as diverse as online trading, shopping, research and more and naturally, casino gaming has also benefitted. Playing online opens up casino gaming to people who may live too far away from a land-based casino to be able to play or who simply don’t have the means to afford the huge sums often demanded at private gaming clubs.
Online casinos have changed the gaming industry massively and opened up opportunities for everyone to enjoy premium quality casino games and play for life-changing jackpots.
No longer do you need to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to somewhere like Vegas or Monte Carlo, you can now enjoy brilliant casino games on your laptop, mobile phone or tablet, and even better, you can play at a level that suits you. Where traditional casinos charge high minimum bet amounts, online casinos charge players as little as 0.01 per bet, meaning anybody can play at these exciting games.
An Exciting New Change
The explosion of online casinos started in the early 90s and the momentum of this growth has barely slowed since as new innovations and platforms have become available. The earliest games were played almost exclusively on old-school PCs and were relatively simple games designed around the traditional 3 Reel online slots.
These “classic” style games were (much like the old snake game on your ancient Nokia) revolutionary at the time and attracted a whole new audience to the online gaming space. As more and more players discovered online casino gaming, the gaming studios that designed these games realised the vast potential of the new online gaming market.
Year on year there were improvements to gameplay, features and themes of online casino games as computer processing power and internet speeds gradually improved. With faster web speeds and better graphics, gaming designers could be more creative, crafting games that boasted new and exciting features like second screen bonus games, free spins options and more.
The next massive leap in online casino tech came with the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, which opened up a new frontier in online casino game development. The idea that players could take their gaming with them and play the latest casino games from anywhere and at any time was a total game-changer and the best gaming studios on the web switched focus to developing a new breed of game that worked as well on mobile devices as it did on laptops or PCs.
The iPhone, and later other powerful mobile phones like the Samsung Galaxy, helped to bring online casino games to an even bigger audience than ever before and unchained online gaming from a desk or office – letting players enjoy premium quality casino games at a time and place that suited them. This saw a gigantic increase in online gaming popularity as games were now faster, more accessible and totally flexible, meaning that players had total control over when and where they played and could take aim at the rapidly increasing jackpots available online.
In addition, the newer tech also meant that gaming studios had a much broader canvas to play on and could design games that almost matched console games for the level of interactive play and excitement. In fact there was huge cross over between the two industries as more and more online casino studios brought on board designers from a console background to add exciting new features to their games.
Getting involved in the world of online casino play
Right now is arguably one of the most exciting eras in online casino gaming as new ideas like 3D gaming and Virtual Reality offer the brilliant potential for an even more immersive, rewarding gaming experience. With so many new platforms offering such exciting possibilities, and gaming studios pushing the boundaries of what is possible, online casinos are set for an explosive next few years.
In this piece we’ll be looking at how you can take advantage of the latest advances in online casino games, and we’ll review some of the newest casinos on the web, plus we’ll take a look at the best gaming destinations online.
At Online Casino Rangers we take out gaming seriously so we’ll also scope out some of the newer breeds of mobile casinos as well as checking out the positives and negatives of no-registration casinos which are becoming increasingly popular with players around the world. Finally, we’re going to take a look at some of the best casino bonuses on offer to players at some of the most popular online casinos out there and we’ll give you advice on picking the right type of bonus for you.
Ready to jump in and get started? Read on for everything you need to know about online casino play!
New Online Casinos
As we have seen above, the growth of the online casino market shows no signs of slowing and new and exciting online casinos are opening all the time. While there are established players in the industry (which we’ll look at in the next section of this piece), some of the smaller, independent online casinos which have launched in the last few years offer a dynamic perspective on online gaming and have introduced some brilliant new ideas to the sector.
New casinos are always a huge positive for the industry as they act as a breath of fresh air, supercharging creativity, launching different types of bonuses and offering players a unique mix of games.
In the past, traditional online casinos have generally offered players games from a single gaming studio, meaning that players have a choice of a couple of hundred titles (often designed in a similar style), however newer online casinos have introduced a whole new way to play online, by doing deals with multiple online gaming studios to bring their players hundreds of premium titles from a whole host of different gaming studios.
This helps to ensure that gamers have the best possible choice and can play a huge selection of great games from a variety of different studios, keeping their play exciting and different. There is also the added benefit for players in that they can take aim at jackpots from a variety of providers, increasing their chances of landing one of the truly big ones.
In terms of gaming studios which offer the best games, new online casinos generally look to powerhouse studios like Netent, NYX, Microgaming, Play ‘n GO, Big Time Gaming, Evolution Gaming and more. We’ll explore a few more of these studios later in the piece, but first let’s look at the new online casinos making waves in the industry at the moment and review what each of these offers for players (whether new or experienced).
Before you join an online casino (or before you open a second casino account!) check out our independently collected list of new online casinos for the best ideas, most interesting offerings and newest innovations in the online gaming space.
The top 5 things to look for in a new online casino
When it comes to new online casinos there are a number of things you should be looking for when judging quality and safety. We’ve been in the online casino industry a long time, so we’ve seen fads come and go and there is almost always a newer casino on the block that tries something quirky and “funky” but that offers little real value to players.
Use our short guide to judging an online casino with the criteria we list below and you’ll go a long way to decoding the offerings from new casinos on the web.
Here are the top 5 things to look for:
- Licensed casinos are safe and secure – Make 100% sure that the online casino you play at is fully licensed by an independent body like the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). You will almost always be able to tell as the license number and certification will be easily found on the home page. This is important as it guarantees your data is secure as well as ensuring you enjoy fair, prompt payouts.
- A wide range of games – this is crucial as you don’t want to join a new online casino and then discover they only have a few games from a single studio. Check out the casino lobby before you join and make sure they have a selection of games from at least 4 big online gaming studios. For more on online gaming studios click here.
- Safe, secure banking facilities – Depositing and withdrawing cash from your online casino of choice should be fast, free and easy. When selecting a new online casino make sure the banking facilities are top notch and that they offer methods like Neteller, PayPal and Skrill.
- Loyalty programme with Welcome Bonus – Good online casinos reward their players for playing with them often and this usually starts off with a handsome Welcome Bonus to kickstart your play. Scope out the casino’s loyalty page and find out exactly how much they offer to new players before you open an account.
- Mobile compatibility – Almost all new online casinos should be completely mobile compatible but remarkably there are still some that do not support mobile play. This is non-negotiable for most players, as you want complete freedom in your play. Again, check with the casino before you open an account and ensure that they fully support all iOS and Android devices.
These top 5 things to look for in an online casino will definitely help you sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to evaluating new online casinos. If you’d like more in-depth reviews of some of the best new casinos on the web, check out our online casino review section where we have independent reviews of some of the web’s top online gaming destinations. We hope these can help you make an informed choice about playing at newer online casinos. Check back often as we update this section regularly as new casinos launch or rebrand.
The new casinos to watch
With the above in mind, check out our list of some of the best new casinos on the web and see what they have to offer.
We’ve picked these new casinos as they have all launched recently and offer a very different playing experience to the majority of online casinos out there. This is by no means an exhaustive list of every single new casino available online but it is a short collection of those that we think are amongst the best new casinos in the online gaming space right now.
Deciding on the best online casino for you
- What type of games do you enjoy most
No matter whether you are a complete newbie or an experienced high roller, we all have games which appeal to us more than others and this is a great place to start when thinking about which casinos will suit you best. Some players love online slots, while others prefer table games like Blackjack, Roulette and Baccarat.
Knowing which type of games you enjoy allows you to select an online casino that tailors their game offering to your specific tastes. When you’re looking at some of the top online casinos out there, make sure that you spend time browsing their complete selection of games to make sure that there are enough of your preferred type of games to satisfy you.
Most casino lobbies have filter options to you can narrow down their entire portfolio to see just the games that you’d potentially enjoy the most. The best online casinos offer in the region of 700+ online casino games, so it is worth checking to see that the casino you’re thinking of joining has around this standard mark.
- Quality is paramount
Once you know what type of games you enjoy, it is crucial that you understand the quality of the offering at any online casino. This is often easier said than done as some online casinos boast titles from obscure gaming studios that you might never have heard of before. The trick is to know a little about some of the biggest online gaming studios so that you can see whether or not the casino you’d like to join offers games from the “super stars” of the online gaming world.
Fortunately we’ve made it easy for you to learn more about the best gaming studios with our game reviews which you can read here. We’ve also looked at some of the biggest, most well-known online gaming studios in the world including iconic developers like Microgaming, Evolution Gaming, Netent, iSoftBet, NYX, Ezugi, Endorphina and more.
The style and design of games is generally subjective but these main studios have built up a reputation for quality over many years and are collectively responsible for some of the most exciting games ever built. The awards won by these studios are an overwhelming testimony to their high standards and we’re confident that no matter which type of games you like, these are the studios that do them best. Make sure that any prospective casino you’re looking to join offers games by at least 4 or 5 of these bug studios.
- A safe, secure playing environment
Online player safety and security has come on a huge way since online casinos first launched and advanced security features are now standard at most good online casinos. Like any online purchase gateway, you want the online casino you choose to be trusted, secure and safe.
One of the best ways to ensure that you’re playing at a reputable casino is to check the site’s licence information. This will almost always be displayed prominently, either on the homepage or as part of the footer and the casino will always give this information out if asked.
Look for casinos licenced and regulated by the industry’s gold standards of verification like the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Kahnawake Gaming Commission, the UK gaming Commission or the Curacao Gaming Authority. All of these regulatory bodies will guarantee you the highest possible security standards, fair payout ratios and a safe gaming environment.
- Big jackpots and high payout ratios
The best online casinos all boast high payout ratios in the upper 90% range, offering players fair winnings and prompt payouts. This is important as when you play you want the best possible chance of landing one of those big money wins and the casinos that have higher payout ratios give you the best possible chance of doing so.
Also take a look at the jackpots available at a casino before you join, this is a good indicator of quality as the higher the jackpots on offer the more secure and reliable the casino is. It can also be worth searching online to see whether the casino you have in mind has recently produced a big money winner – for example a quick search when writing this article showed that a player at Hyper casino, which we touched on briefly above, recently won a €2.6 million jackpot at the casino.
Knowing that there have been past big money winners at a casino is an excellent way to gauge whether or not the casino can walk the talk when it comes to the sums on offer.
- Regular promos and rewards
The best online casinos reward players generously for playing often and this is one of our top indicators for casino quality. The rewards should start early, as soon as you join a casino, in the form of the Welcome Bonus. The top online casinos will offer you a generous package deal that will give your play a huge boost from the moment you start playing.
This should be supplemented with regular rewards, bonuses and special promos once you have opened an account. Some of the newer online casinos also boast things like Slot Tournaments, prize giveaways, VIP trips to exotic destinations and gadget giveaways to players to reward them for their play.
The best place to start when finding out about what type of bonuses and rewards a casino offers is their Promotions page or tab which should list all of their available promos and special deals. Look through and compare these to find the best offers out there (or read our comprehensive casino reviews to compare casinos directly!).
Online Mobile Casino
In 2019 there is no doubt about it, online casino play has definitely gone mobile! The amount of players now enjoying the best casino games on their mobile device rather than on laptops or PCs has grown exponentially and for the first time mobile games now outweigh all other types of players.
This is a huge shift for the industry as designers and gaming studios start shifting to a more “mobile first” approach where the advantages of mobile devices are hardwired into gaming design and development. In the past many online casino games were design primarily for larger desktop and laptop screens with mobile compatibility something of an afterthought.
This is no longer true as our mobile devise are now easily as powerful, and in many cases MORE powerful, that most laptops. It makes sense that big gaming studios design primarily for these exceptional devices and tailor their games to the way that the majority of players experience them.
So why has mobile gaming exploded in popularity so much and what are the advantages of playing on at an online mobile casino over a casino that offers more of a traditional approach with laptop and PC style games? Check out our list below for the top 5 advantages of mobile casinos, and if you are yet to join the mobile gaming revolution, start playing on mobile today to discover a more immersive, exciting gaming experience!
Top 5 advantages of mobile casinos
- The freedom to play your way
The world is ultra-connected and most of us are time-poor with little flexibility. We often struggle to make time for the things we enjoy and life’s little luxuries, like online casino play, so being able to enjoy these types of activities at a time and place that suits our hectic schedules is important.
One of the biggest advantages of mobile casinos is that you’re not chained to a desk or your office when you play, mobile devices have opened up casino play so much that you can enjoy Vegas style games whenever and wherever you want. Spin the Reels of your favourite slot on the bus after work, jump into a game of blackjack on your porch with a nice drink or spin to win a Progressive Jackpot in the bath! With mobile casinos anything is possible and your gaming experience has never been more free.
- Lightning fast gameplay
One of the most impressive technological aspects of the mobile device you carry around in your pocket every day is the sheer processing power packed into such a slick device. For example the iPhone 8 boasts an Apple A11 Bionic chip – a 64-bit ARM-based system as well as a neural engine which means it can process 600 billion operations per second.
So what does this mean for your casino gaming? You’ll enjoy lightning fast game play with zero lag and slick, smooth graphics. This enhanced technology capacity also gives designed and gaming studios more to play with and recent games have started to take advantage of the more powerful processing power to explore 3D games, AR games and more. Suffice to say the future of mobile casino games is very bright indeed!
- Greater security and payment options
Your mobile device is already ultra-secure with facial recognition and fingerprint security features keeping your details safe. With password and browser security on top of this, it is arguably safer to play on your mobile than on any other device, Added to this, there are a more diverse, flexible range of payment options available to you on mobile with some casinos adding the likes of Apple Pay and Android Pay in addition to more traditional options like PayPal, Skrill, Visa and Mastercard.
- High res screens for the tiniest details
The screens on mobile devices now offer a phenomenal resolution, the Samsung Galaxy 10, for example, boasts an Infinity-O Display capable of displaying high-res graphics in intimate detail with millions of colours for a genuinely immersive gaming experience. Feel each spin, hand and win more intensely with the action relayed in perfect HD quality visuals. Playing on your mobile is as close as you can get to gaming in real-life. The latest phones can also support Live Dealer offerings form big-name gaming studios and the graphics and speed of rendering makes this a thrilling gaming experience!
- Be at the forefront of a new breed of games
The power and capability of new mobiles have given designers more tools to create ever-more exciting games, introducing more interactive elements, expanding the possibilities of second screen bonus features and adding new, exciting character development elements. It has also allowed them to experiment with VR and 3D gaming and we expect to see a raft of new games launched exclusively for mobile in 2019 and beyond. If you play on your mobile device you’re at the cutting -edge of online casino gaming and will experience the best of the best games as they become available.
Online Casino Bonus
Online casino bonuses are one of the most valuable options for players looking to enhance their gameplay and offer gamers the chance to boost their balance and play with more freedom.
All good online casinos will offer a Welcome Bonus, as well as other more general types of bonus rewards and in this piece we’ll look at a few of the different types of online casino bonuses to help you decode exactly what you enjoy when you are awarded bonuses from your online casino.
If you’d like to find out more about casino bonuses in-depth, ready our Online Casino Bonus section where you’ll get tips on securing the most valuable bonuses for your style of play.
Welcome Bonus
The Welcome Bonus is the very first reward you’ll be given from any online casino and is usually paid to you when you make your first deposit. Used widely as part of the marketing material for online casinos, the Welcome Bonus is undergoing something of a renaissance recently as some of the newer online casinos realise it’s immense value to players. When looking and comparing different Welcome Bonuses, we advise you to pick one that offers a package deal with your rewards split over your first few deposits, rather than a single lump sum.
Free Spins Bonus
Free Spins Bonus offers are still very popular in the world of online casino gaming and there are a wide range of options available. Generally the casino will offer a set number of Free Spins and allow you to keep the winnings once these are completed. For example you may be awarded 10 Free Spins and once all 10 spins have been placed, your accumulative winnings are then paid into your account at Bonus Cash. This can sometimes be part of the Welcome Bonus but it is also common to see Free Spins awarded by themselves.
Deposit Match Bonus
The most popular type of online casino bonus, the deposit match bonus offers arguably the best value, When you make a deposit with a casino and they offer to “match” your deposit you will get a percentage of free bonus cash added to your account. This is usually in percentages of 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% and can give your bankroll a HUGE boost. For example, if you take up a 100% Deposit Match Bonus worth up to €100, you can deposit your €100 with the casino but when you open your account balance you’ll have €200 to play with because the casino has matched your original deposit by 100%, instantly doubling your cash!