Helpful Hints Online Gambling Tips
See our online gambling tips and best practices for insight on making online gambling more beneficial for you.
Online Gambling Tips
Gambling online from the comfort and safety of your home is truly an enjoyable experience. It’s also a new frontier for the entire world and one that’s still learning its way. As the online gambling industry matures, more innovation and progress will be made.
Online casinos are located in many, many countries. In some cases this has led to communication problems as different languages, time zones, work patterns, and cultures merge to do business together. Most of these issues have been overcome the last few years, both with the use of translations services and additionally advances in AI technology and other services.
Knowledge is Helpful
It’s actually a pretty exciting time in the history of the world. Almost all industries and business types have had to change the last 20 years due to the internet and technology advances.
When it comes to gaming, don’t get caught in a quicksand of miscommunication which unfortunately happens from time to time, even with the most reputable online casinos. If you have questions,get in touch with support and ask without delay. Generally speaking, the more knowledgeable you are about how the systems work and what everyone expects, the less problems you’re going to have.
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Online Gambling Tips and Best Practices
Here are the latest descriptions, explanations, and tips to help guide you through this.
- Bonuses
- Wagering or Playthrough
- Identification
- Speeding Up Cashouts
- Alternate Banking Systems
- Digital Currencies
We break down the tips separately and may add more over time.
Bonuses
Some may say “He who has the Gold, makes the Rules“. True or not online casino have specific rules and terms that must be followed, especially when it come to accepting and playing on bonus funds.
There is so much to say when it comes to online casino bonuses, I don’t know if it could ever all be said in one place! The rules change constantly, too, making it even harder to keep up with them. Here are some of the more important highlights to keep in mind when using a bonus> Always make sure you check the most current Terms & Conditions for each bonus you accept. Keep this point, regardless of how long you’ve been playing at the casino. Also remember that you’re not required to accept a bonus, which means they can’t put any conditions on anything you do with your own money.
Free or No Deposit Bonuses
Free, No Deposit, Bonuses – Some of these are cashable, some are not. They may come with a maximum cash out. Make sure you read all the Terms and Conditions for each freebie you accept.
Wagering or Playthrough Requirements
All bonuses come with some form of these, with rare exceptions here and there. What this means is that you must turnover that money a certain number of times with your gambling, before you request a cash out, if you win. Wagering requirements may or may not include your initial deposit in the total, also, so make sure you’re clear on that. A typical wagering requirement of 20x or even 30x means that if you deposit $100 and accept a $100 bonus, that equals $200; 20x wagering required on that means you must turnover $4000 in total bets, win or lose, before requesting a cash out.
Obviously the higher the requirement the more difficult it is. You also might be surprised at how quickly the playthough amount can climb while playing some slots. The best practice is to be aware of this.
Excluded Games or a Percentage of Games
Most, if not all, casinos have a list of games that you’re not allowed to play to fulfill the wagering requirements for the bonus. Some may count only a certain percentage of these games played. i.e., 10% of most video poker games, 2% of Classic Blackjack, etcetera. These games typically include Blackjack, Craps, certain bets on Roulette and other table games. Many casinos are now starting to exclude certain or all Video Poker games. Make sure you check the bonus Terms & Conditions each time you accept a bonus, if you’re hoping to cash out the bonus.
Sticky Bonuses
This is a trend with some online casinos. A nice feature for the true recreational gambler. Sticky bonuses are never cashable. This means you can use the bonus to gamble with. If you win anything from it, you can cash out the winnings but not the bonus.
There are usually still wagering requirements, but they’re usually significantly lower. Some casinos will remove the bonus from your account when you cash out winnings,. A few are starting to leave it there indefinitely until the time that you lose it during your play. A very cool new trend.
Identification Requirements
Often referred to as KYC. When you cash out winnings from an online casino, you will face this. Be prepared as this is often a requirement by the financial institutions of the casinos. We have all had times when we had to show a drivers license to write a check or use a credit card in a hometown store. You’ll usually only have to provide it once per casino, and sometimes not until you cash out over a certain amount.
They’ll ask you for a copy of a valid Drivers License with a photo. Depending on the property a valid passport might be acceptable. Often they request a current utility bill (the utility bill is to verify the name & address on the license). If you don’t have a utility bill in your name, they might accept cell phone bills. Others may consider credit card statements, bank statements. If they allow it you may blank out personal financial info you don’t want to send, such as bank account numbers. Be sure to leave the pre-printed name and address info clearly showing for them to see.
Scanners or Digital Copies
The best way to send this info is to scan it. Be sure to make it a readable, but manageable size .jpg file (picture file), and email it to them. If you don’t have a scanner at home, you can go to your local Kinko’s or other office services shop. Have your documents scanned onto a CD or thumb drive you can take home with you to use for several months at a time. (The office supply store is not a highly recommended method unless your only option.) In some cases you may be able to use your cell phone to take a photo of the document and use those images.
Speeding Up Cashouts
Wait! Don’t hit that “Reverse Cashout” button! In the past, it was customary for cashouts from casinos to take an average of 10 days to 3 weeks, but happily they’re getting a lot faster these days.
A trend among some of the Microgaming casinos, who usually put a minimum 24 hour “pending” hold on cash outs. It may be possible to “waive” your pending time or “flush” your winnings/cashout. When this is done it will start your cashout on its way to you immediately. Speak with customer support to see if this is available to you as they don’t do it automatically. If you use an alternate online banking system such as NETeller, you can have your cashouts in less than 24 hours. Several online casinos are starting to process instant, or near instant, cashouts. Keep an eye out for those when you’re looking for a new casino to play at. I don’t believe there’s any reason a casino should need more than 24 hours to process a cashout. The best method to combat slow cashouts are to use bitcoin and other digital currencies.
When you do a cash out for the first time at any casino, be patient. Monitor the account and if you have questions after a certain amount of time speak with player support.
Alternate Banking Systems
Over the last few years several “Alternate Banking” systems have sprung up to compensate for the US’s attempts to crackdown on credit card usage. Several of these have been highly successful as far as reputability, security, and convenience, and if you don’t already have any of these accounts, you should strongly consider opening one or two to maintain your flexibility. In addition, many of the online casinos offer extra deposit bonuses for using alternate banking. Here’s a partial list of the major ones.
NETeller
NeTeller No longer accepting US players. By far, the most useable, secure and dependable alternate banking system out there if your country is accepted. They offer the many major currencies. You can transfer money in or out via your checking account or deposit with your credit card. They’re very security oriented, but reasonable with excellent customer service via online methods, so bear with them if you have any minor security issues crop up.
InstaDebit
InstaDebit No longer accepting US players.. InstaDebit has only been around for a number of years now, but they’ve grown in popularity very rapidly. They mostly are used for CAD, USD.
MoneyBookers – Skrill
No longer accepting US players. Skrill has been out for about a few years and is a more Non-US based alternate banking system that’s started providing several additional services such as escrow, faxes, and more to their customers. In addition to US dollars, they operate with a HUGE amount of Euro, Asian, AU, Mid Eastern, and African currencies, making them the alternate banking system of choice for non-US residents.
Click2Pay
Click2Pay Not accepting US players. Click2Pay is being picked up by many, many online casinos as the newest alternate deposit method. Click2Pay operates with many major currencies. Click2Pay allows you to either pre-fund your Click2Pay has previously verified.
Digital Currencies
In recent years many realize how important digital currencies have become. Just hearing the word bitcoin and one immediately knows how much banking and payment systems have evolved. No doubt how poular bitcoin and other digital currencies such as Litecoin, Etherum, USDT, Tether and others have become.
Many online casinos already accept these coins for payment or withdraws. If not many of the other digital wallets allow for exchanges so you do not have to be left out.
Conclusion
The above tips and practices should help new players understand the basics better. Pay close attention to terms and conditions defined by the casino. Each casino you play at may have different terms so do not assume anything.
If you find yourself having a problem with an online casino and not able to get it resolved, remain calm. Keep in mind, trying to work directly with a casino program operator representative in a calm manner most often gets better results. This is where it was key that if you played on a bonus you followed the casino terms specifically. If you had broken their terms, it will be more difficult for a successful conclusion.
More information will be added to this page as it comes up, so check back from time to time for updating. Good luck in all your gambling!
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