The sizable number of online casino games can provide you with countless hours of entertainment. However, it can also overwhelm you in the beginning.

You can use this guide to learn more about internet gambling and determine which games most appeal to you. Furthermore, this page contains information on bonuses, casino apps, and free gaming.

What Online Casino Games can you Play?

Baccarat

From a gameplay standpoint, baccarat is one of the simplest casino games. You only need to choose between three wagers:

  • Banker hand holding the highest score
  • Player hand holding the highest score
  • Both hands tying

Baccarat features a fairly complicated scoring system. Luckily, you don’t need to understand the scoring system to play.

Instead, you merely need to choose one of the available bets. We recommend wagering on the banker hand due to its low house edge (1.06%).

Bingo

You begin playing online bingo by purchasing one or more numbered cards. The software draws random numbers to determine if you win a prize.

You must cover spaces on your card in a specific pattern to win. The winning patterns vary based on the type of bingo.

The 75-ball version (5x5 card) normally offers wins diagonally, horizontally, vertically, and on four corners. 

90-ball bingo (3x9 card) requires that you mark off a horizontal row to win. With two- and three-line games, you need to cover two and three lines, respectively, to earn a payout.

Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the world’s most-popular table games. By using strategy, you can lower the house edge. You can also count cards in Blackjack, but this strategy is typically effective only in land-based casinos.

Your goal is to beat the dealer’s score without going over 21. You can hit (ask for another card) or stand (stand pat on your score) to accomplish this goal.

Blackjack also lets you split hands and double down (double wager & receive one more card) in certain situations. These two actions help you boost winnings in favorable situations.

Depending upon the rules, online blackjack can offer over 99.5% return-to-player (RTP). Of course, you must master basic strategy and find the right games/rules to achieve this lofty RTP.

Caribbean Stud Poker

Popular for its progressive jackpots, Caribbean stud is a house-banked poker game that pits you against the dealer. You must form a better five-card poker hand than the croupier to win.

You can also place $1 side wagers to play for the progressive jackpot. The jackpot hits if you hold a royal flush.

This game offers side payouts for other hands too, like a straight flush (50:1 payout), four of a kind (20:1), and full house (7:1). 

Craps

Craps revolves around betting on dice combinations. The shooter rolls two dice to produce a combination, and subsequently, determine winning and losing bets.

You always act as the shooter in online craps. You place wagers by laying chips in spaces on the virtual board.

The craps board is confusing because it features so many bets. However, you can quickly get started by placing a pass line or a don’t pass line wager.

Keno

Keno is a lottery style game that sees you select random numbers on a ticket. Each ticket contains numbers ranging from 1 through 80.

You can normally choose between 1 and 10 numbers. The amount of picks you make affects your odds and top potential prize.

Once you’re finished selecting numbers, you can initiate the drawing round. The software will choose 20 random numbers to determine if you win or lose.

Roulette

Roulette is a classic casino game with a lengthy history. You play roulette by betting on where a ball will land on the spinning wheel.

This game affords many betting opportunities through inside and outside wagers. Inside bets, which are available inside of a numbered grid, feature a mixture of long odds and high payouts.

Outside bets, which are located outside the numbered grid, offer a combination of strong odds and low payouts.

You’ll find multiple roulette variations in online gaming. The main variants include:

  • American roulette - Wheel contains 38 numbers; 5.26% house edge
  • European roulette - Wheel contains 37 numbers; 2.70% house edge
  • French roulette - Wheel contains 37 numbers; “la partage” rule (half back on losing even-money bets) is in effect; 1.35% house edge

Scratch Cards

Much like land-based convenience stores, internet casinos also offer scratch cards. You scratch off the virtual opaque portion to reveal potential prizes.

Online scratch cards offer much higher RTP than lottery games offered at land-based stores. They also present fun themes (e.g. fairytales) and 3D graphics.

Sic bo

Highly popular in Asia, sic bo is also found in many internet casinos. It requires you to bet on combinations produced by three dice.

You bet by laying chips on the board. For example, you could wager on “Big” (score ranges from 11 to 17) or “Small” (score ranges from 4 to 10).

The software will shake up the three dice in a “cage.” It releases the dice from the cage to determine your results.

Slots

Slots dominate the majority of game selections. They encompass a broad range of games that differ based on bonuses, formats, paylines, and reels.

The earliest gaming sites featured a large number of three-reel slots. However, five- and six-reel slots are the most common today.

More reels give developers more options regarding paylines and features. For example, some six-reel games boast thousands of ways to win and multiple bonuses.

Pai Gow Poker

This poker variation sees you dealt seven cards. You must then form a two-card (“front”) hand and a five-card (“back”) hand.

Your goal is to beat the dealer’s two- and five-card hands. Hand strength is based on conventional poker rankings.

Your bet pushes if you win one hand and lose one hand in the same round. You lose your wager if you lose both hands. The dealer wins all ties (e.g. JJ vs JJ).

The back hand must be stronger than the front hand. This rule prevents you from loading the front hand whenever you possess weak holdings.

Video Poker

Video poker is the electronic version of five-card stud. It deals you five cards and allows you to swap out 1-5 cards during the draw round.

Qualifying hands vary based on the specific video poker variation. For example, Jacks or Better pays for a pair of jacks or better.

Meanwhile, Deuces Wild only pays for a three-of-a-kind or better. Deuces serve as wild cards and make it easier for you to get strong hands—hence the higher qualifying hand.

Play Free Online Casino Games

Online casinos give you the opportunity to play free games. You simply need to register for an account to get started.

The registration process calls on you to fill in the blank fields. Once finished, you must agree to the casino’s terms and submit your account information.

Free casino games offer both free entertainment and the chance to try games without risking money. We strongly suggest that you take advantage of this opportunity if you’re looking for new games.

Free gaming also lets you practice strategy before placing real bets. For example, you could hone your blackjack skills in a stress-free situation.

Deposit & Play for Real Money

You must deposit to play real-money online casino games. Most casinos feature a variety of banking options that you can use.

Here are common deposit methods:

  • Bank transfer - Send money directly from your bank account to a casino.
  • Credit card - Use Visa and Mastercard to fund your account.
  • Cryptocurrency - Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies serve as decentralized deposit options.
  • E-wallet - Neteller, PayPal, and Skrill are available throughout the gaming world.
  • Prepaid card - You can deposit via prepaid card after loading funds onto it.
  • Wire - Send a wire via your bank or a service (e.g. Western Union).

Online Casino Bonuses

Most internet casinos offer bonuses. Below, you can see information on different bonuses along with how you earn them.

Types of Bonuses

Gaming sites generally offer some or all of the following deals:

  • No-deposit bonus - You receive this bonus after registering for an account.
  • Deposit bonus - These offers are based on a match percentage of your deposit amount (e.g. 100% match up to $100).
  • Free chip - This non-cashable bonus lets you generate winnings that can be withdrawn.
  • Free spins - Free slots spins that give you a chance to generate winnings.
  • Leaderboard races - These competitions deliver cash prizes to the highest-volume players.

Bonus Codes

Many bonus deals require you to enter a code when registering and/or depositing. Bonus codes indicate the exact offer that you wish to pursue.

Here’s an example:

  • You want to qualify for a deposit bonus.
  • The bonus code for this offer is “DEPOSIT100.”
  • When making your initial deposit, you must input “DEPOSIT100” to qualify.

Not all gaming sites demand these codes. However, you should always check to see if a bonus code is required so that you don’t miss out on any deals.

Terms & Conditions

You need to meet terms and conditions before withdrawing bonus money. That said, you should read the T&Cs behind any deal before depositing.

Common terms include:

  • Playthrough - You must wager a multiple of the bonus (e.g. 20x) before cashing out.
  • Claim the offer - You need to claim a bonus through your account area within a given timeframe (e.g. 7 days).
  • Restricted games - Some games don’t count towards meeting playthrough.
  • Reduced playthrough contribution - Certain games count towards playthrough, but they do so at reduced contributions (e.g. 20%).
  • Maximum bet - You need to keep your bet sizes under a specific amount (e.g. $100).

VIP Rewards

Most gaming sites feature loyalty programs that offer rewards. You generate points through these programs based on your betting volume.

You can typically use these points for cashback, free spins, and slots tournament entries. Gaming sites with land-based casino partners may even allow you to spend points at their real-life locations.

Casino Apps & Browser Play

Mobile gaming is the predominant way to gamble online. Therefore, most casinos are compatible with both Android and iOS devices.

Gaming sites differ on whether they serve Android and iOS users through apps or browser-based play.

Online casinos that feature Android apps do so through their websites. After all, Google Play doesn’t allow real-money gambling products in its store.

Apple demands that gambling apps use their programming language. Casinos that comply with this request can list their apps in the App Store.

Some gaming sites require that Android and/or IOS users play through their browsers. In these cases, gamblers register, deposit, and play games through an internet browser—rather than downloading an app.

What is Live Dealer Gambling?

Some casinos feature live-dealer gaming. These table games stream directly from a land-based studio or casino.

Live-dealer gambling lets you enjoy a brick-and-mortar gambling experience without visiting a casino. Instead, you play through your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Below, you can see available games at live casinos:

  • Baccarat
  • Blackjack
  • Caribbean stud
  • Casino hold’em
  • Roulette
  • Sic bo
  • Super 6
  • Three-card poker

Most live-dealer sites don’t offer all of these games. However, live casinos usually feature 3-4 different games.

Baccarat, blackjack, and roulette are the most-common offerings. Casino hold’em and three-card poker are also available at plenty of gaming sites.

Fair Gaming

Online gambling requires you to maintain faith that operators won’t cheat you and/or run faulty games. After all, you can’t physically see a casino’s random number generator (RNG) determine results.

Internet casinos can provide you with more assurance by undergoing third-party testing. Most sites hire a third-party lab to test their games.

A testing entity examines casino games’ RNG, RTP, and odds. Once they have verified the integrity of the games, they issue a certificate to the relevant site.

Some online gambling jurisdictions require that casinos and software providers pass certification. For example, New Jersey and Pennsylvania stipulate that applicants obtain third-party approval before receiving a license.