Imagup General Magazine 2024
The Covid-19 pandemic and hybrid work models have caused millions of people to spend a lot more time indoors than before. Starved for entertainment, they have turned to the only unrestricted option they had – the Internet. That is why we have seen such explosive growth in online gambling in the last year or so. However, despite their popularity, there are some secrets online casinos aren’t telling you.
Bonuses May be Deceptive
To attract new and keep old players, online casinos are forced to fight tooth and nail. One of the most popular methods they came up with is offering generous bonuses. At the first glance, they look very tempting and people tend to think about them as free money. However, many of them come with strings attached and you should make sure to read the fine print in terms and conditions before accepting them. For instance, deposit bonuses usually come with wagering requirements. What that means is that, if the wagering requirement is x10, you have to place bets in the total amount of ten times the bonus before you are allowed to make a withdraw. So, if you have accepted a $100 bonus, you have to bet at least $1,000 before transferring money to your casino account. That is why some people opt out of them.
Not All Online Casinos Are Legit
The popularity of online gambling has been steadily rising in the last couple of decades. It was only to be expected that scammers would try to exploit this popularity and try to swindle people. One of the methods they use is setting up fake online casinos. You can deposit money and play games, but when you try to make a withdraw, the problems start. That is why it is important to research which casinos are legit before giving them your money. The best way to do it is to visit sites like Casino Bros and read some reviews. This way your money will be safe and your gambling experience won’t be ruined by conmen.
House Edge Can Vary
House edge isn’t something casinos like to talk about. The truth is that every single game in a casino has it, ensuring that the house has the advantage. You can easily find the house edge for various games online, but seldom will you find it on a casino’s website. In some games, the house edge can vary depending on how you play the game. For instance, the usual house edge for blackjack is around 2%. But with various strategies, a skilled player can lower it to just 0.5%, greatly improving his or her chances of winning. That is why casinos tend to pretend that house edge doesn’t exist.
Return to Player (RTP)
Return to Player (RTP) is a term used for online slots, describing a percentage of money a slot will pay out as winnings. If an online slot has an RTP of 96%, that means it will pay out $96 for every $100 of bets. In theory, that sounds wonderful for players, however, there is a catch. The RTP is calculated over a long period of time, sometimes even a whole lifespan on a slot. In practice, that means there could be periods when it will pay out significantly less than its stated RTP. On the other hand, there will be periods when it will pay out more, to balance the average payments. The problem is that those periods can’t be predicted and you can easily catch it in either of them.
It’s Not Always About the Money
Perhaps the most important thing casual gamblers should remember is that gambling is more about entertainment than making money. As long as you are having fun, it doesn’t really matter if you are winning or losing. Fretting over a few bucks you lost on slots or blackjack simply isn’t worth it. Instead, you should focus on the fun factor and whether you are enjoying the time you spend in online casinos or not. That is, of course, unless you are planning to make gambling a career, but that is a whole other level.
Casinos Are Tracking Your Actions
Everything you do at an online casino is recorded, from making a deposit to playing games. The moment you make an account, your actions, favorite games, betting patterns, deposits and withdrawal details, even the time of day when you play is noted and saved. All that data is fed to AI software which analyzes it, processes it, and sends it to marketing teams. In turn, these teams will come up with a marketing strategy approach fitted to you and designed to make you spend even more money on gambling. This all sounds ominous and invasive, but remember, you gave them the permission to do it when you accepted terms and conditions.
Bigger Bets Unlock Bigger Rewards
To access the best rewards while playing online slots, you need to bet maximum amounts. It sounds counterintuitive since you will play longer if you bet small and a longer time means bigger chances to hit a jackpot. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, since many slots will unlock their biggest rewards only if you are placing maximum bets. Small bets will win small rewards and vice versa. Bigger bets actually increase your chance of winning, that is why casinos aren’t talking about it. This is the reason why pro players are always playing in max bet settings. This can be a problem for players with smaller budgets, but there are ways around it. The easiest is to find a slot with a smaller max bet and play it, thus increasing your chances of winning.
Casinos Want You to Play Fast
The logic is pretty simple, the faster you play, the faster you will lose your money and be forced to make another deposit. On average, slot players spin the reels every five seconds. That means, in an hour of play, they will make around 700 bets. Even at a minimal bet, that amounts to a lot of money, especially if you are playing for several hours every day. Instead of mindlessly pressing that spin button, try focusing on the game and having fun. If nothing else, your money will last longer.
