The 10 Online Casino Tips for Beginners: Real Advice with Real Value

I’ve read countless online casino guides that talk about general concepts but fall short when it comes to specific details. I’m not being critical. I’m just saying that a lot of online gambling guides aren’t suitable for beginners.

This one is different. I’ve given you clear explanations and examples for all of my top 10 online casino tips. By the end of this guide, you’ll not only have a bag full of useful online casino tricks but also understand how to get the most from your time online.

1. Where to Gamble

The online casino you choose sets the tone for everything that follows. Choose the wrong casino, and you’ll not only have a subpar experience but also put yourself at risk.

The right online casinos I’m talking about are licensed. Unlicensed, also called offshore, online casinos are the wrong sites to use for a variety of reasons I’ll explain in the next section.

Before that, here are five features that all high-quality licensed casinos share:

1. A generous welcome bonus (worth over $500) and a variety of ongoing promotions with fair wagering requirements (such as low playthrough targets below 30).

2. A desktop site and mobile (iOS/Android) app that’s easy to navigate. Look for features such as one-touch search buttons, the ability to save your favorite games, and software that recommends things based on your preferences.

3. Plenty of high-quality games. Quantity is important (at least 500 games), but so too is quality. The best US online casinos have a diverse collection of games from top-rated software providers. This includes slots, table games, live games, and crash games.

4. Easy ways to pay. Deposits and withdrawals should be processed quickly and securely with reputable banking methods such as Visa, MasterCard, and Skrill.

5. Access to help whenever you need it. The top US casinos online have detailed FAQs and customer support agents available 24/7 via live chat, email, and social media.

2. Avoid Playing at Offshore Sites

Offshore casinos aren’t regulated by US state authorities. Principally, this means they’re illegal, despite being available in states that don’t have online gambling regulations.

There are various risks associated with using unlicensed casinos beyond the fact that they’re illegal. For example, they often use lesser-known payment processors and have games from software developers you’ve never heard of.

These sites also have inadequate support systems, which means there’s no recourse when things go wrong. Basically, it’s a bad idea to use unlicensed casinos.

Therefore, if you want to start your journey off on the right foot, stick to US online casinos with state gaming licenses, such as BetMGM Casino, FanDuel Casino, and Caesars Palace Online Casino.  

3. Optimize Your Casino Bonus

Casino bonuses are constants in a sea of uncertainty. By that, I mean online casino bonuses provide guaranteed returns if you comply with the wagering requirements. The same can’t be said for casino games.

You could make a mathematically correct move in blackjack and lose because the outcome is never certain. That’s why one of my best online casino tips is bonus optimization. Put simply, you need to become good at spotting generous bonuses and claiming them.

Here’s how to spot a generous bonus based on its wagering requirements:

• The minimum deposit/bet. Make sure this is as low as possible (around $10). Unless it’s a no deposit bonus, in which case you won’t need to add funds to your account.

• The top-end value. The best casino bonuses give you plenty of free credits or free spins in comparison to the amount you’ve deposited/wagered. In general, a bonus worth over 50% of your bet/deposit is generous.

• The playthrough. This is the amount of money you have to wager to make bonus credits eligible for withdrawal. Hitting your target converts the bonus credit to cash. Look for bonuses with playthrough targets below 30x if you want the best deals.

4. Learn Rules and Strategies

You can’t expect to win money if you don’t know the rules. Every online casino game has its own rules and wagering requirements, so take a few minutes to learn the basics before you start. 

Once you’ve got a handle on the basics, look for online casino tips and tricks. For example, basic blackjack strategy tells you when it’s best to stand, hit, double down, and split. 

We’ve got various casino strategy guides as part of our learning hub here at WSN, so make use of them.

5. Familiarize Yourself With House Edge and RTP

The amount of money you can win in a casino game is determined by four things:

• The payout table

• The amount you bet

• The Return to Player (RTP) value

• The house edge

Other than your bet, everything else is fixed. Therefore, the first thing you should do is check the payout table to see how much you can win based on your bet. Prizes will be multiples of your bet, e.g., 100x.

In addition to the payout table, RTP and house edge determine your long-term potential in a casino game. RTP is your expected return over an infinite number of trials. Put simply, if you played forever, the amount you get back would match the RTP.

For example, if a game’s RTP is 98%, you can expect to win, in theory, $98 for every $100 wagered. This, as I’ve said, is a long-term expected value. Therefore, your results in the short term could exceed the RTP.

House edge is the casino’s advantage, and it’s the inverse of a game’s RTP. If the casino has a 1% advantage, the game’s RTP is 99%. 

6. Watch Out for Gambler’s Fallacy

I could talk about fanciful theories and superstitions in gambling all day long. However, I want to keep this online casino guide concise, so I’ll stick to one.

Topping the list of illogical thoughts is the gambler’s fallacy. Someone who falls victim to the gambler’s fallacy thinks that past results have an impact on future outcomes. In some cases, this is true.

For example, if a card has been dealt in blackjack, it can’t be dealt again, which can influence future outcomes. However, in the majority of casino games, this isn’t the case. 

What’s more, even in games where card removal is a thing, the impact it has on your long-term EV is low, unless you know how to count cards. So, in almost all cases, looking for patterns is futile. 

I see the gambler’s fallacy pop up most in roulette because players think they can spot trends based on numbers that hit in the past. The truth is that one spin of the roulette wheel doesn’t affect another. 

Why would it? How could it? Despite this, people still track numbers in the hope of finding a pattern. The fact is this: roulette spins are independent events. There aren’t any patterns, so don’t waste time looking for them.

7. Learn When to Stop

Learning when to stop is the most important skill in gambling. 

There’s a whole section of WSN dedicated to responsible gambling. Start there if you need to learn the fundamentals of responsible gambling and bankroll management.

What I want to discuss is how you can use that information to your advantage. One of the biggest advantages experienced gamblers have over newbies is their ability to stop when things are going badly and when they’re going well.

Here are two online casino tricks I use to stop at the right time:

• Consider the amount of time you’ve been active: We can only concentrate for so long. My advice is to split your session up into blocks of time before you take a break. I like to play in 20-minute blocks. 

• Consider the overall experience: If you’re not enjoying yourself, stop playing. It’s that simple. Don’t let negative emotions cause negative results. I also stop my sessions when I’m tired or easily distracted.

8. Learn How to Manage Your Bankroll

Everyone has their own limits. The amount I can afford to gamble will be different from the amount you can afford. That’s why experienced gamblers are guided by their bankroll.

A bankroll is money you’ve set aside for gambling. It’s not all the money in your bank account. It’s money you don’t mind losing.

I’m not saying you want to lose it, just that you should be prepared for a run of bad luck to drain your bankroll and not be affected by it.

Here are my top two online casino tips for managing your bankroll:

• Size your bets in relation to your bankroll. In most cases, your bets should be no bigger than 1%-2% of your bankroll.

• Set limits. I like to set limits for wins and losses based on the money you take into a game. I like to use the 50/30 rule. I stop when I’ve won 50% of my starting stake or lost 30% of it. For example, if I sit down at a blackjack table with $100, I’m happy to stop if I win $50 or lose $30.

If you only remember one of the online casino tips and tricks in this guide, make sure it’s how to manage your money.

9. Play Casino Games for Free First

Why pay to play when you can try before you buy? That’s my quirky way of saying that you should use an online casino’s free-play demo games.

These games allow you to play as if the chips have a USD value. In reality, they don’t. They’re virtual credits that don’t subtract a cent from your bankroll.

This means you can learn the basics of games you’ve never played before or enjoy your favorites without any risk.

Playing demo games is fun, but it’s also smart because you get to test a new US online casino without any financial commitment.

10. Complete KYC on Time

I’ll bring this online casino guide for beginners to a conclusion with a point of order. Licensed online casinos in the US must comply with strict regulations, one of which relates to customer safety.

Casino operators are legally obliged to conduct Know Your Customer (KYC) checks. These checks verify that users are legit, which, in turn, helps tackle fraud, money laundering, and criminal activity.

Online casinos that do everything possible to tackle crime are safer for everyone. That’s why you should make it a priority to complete the KYC process when requested. It’s easy to do. Just make sure your registered details are correct and send the security team these documents:

• A copy of your passport/driver’s license/official government-issued ID

• A copy of a recent utility bill

• A copy of your bank statement (if required)

Send these documents on time, and you’ll not only make your chosen casino safer, but you’ll also become a verified user who can avoid most common casino withdrawal problems.