Opening Thoughts
Casino gaming has gravitated to a new level of success over the last 20 years, and while it wouldn’t be fair to say that it’s all down to the internet, given that casino games have been able to flourish for the best part of 300 years, there’s no disputing that they’re a great example of a traditional sector that worked with the rise of the internet, rather than against it, and ultimately, it has paid dividends.
It would be foolish to lump together all of the providers and designers in iGaming into one general, sweeping statement. There are, however, brick-and-mortar providers who were skeptical about the rise of online gaming and have either:
- Found themselves falling behind the chasing pack.
- Had to launch a digital version of their land-based brand or
- We accepted a smaller market share and focused on the land-based audience instead.
That’s not to say there haven’t been different types of games that have emerged in land-based casinos over the last 20 years, but the vast majority of innovation has stemmed from the online casino gaming world. If we’re discussing ingenuity and creativity that has allowed new types of games to emerge, then this is the place we need to look.
Free To Play Casino Games
Commonly known as sweepstakes games, they have emerged to hoover up this market, although you may also see them commonly referred to as social casinos. Believe it or not, thousands of gamers out there don’t have the idea of winning a jackpot at the epicenter of their gambling experience.
The games available at a social casino are no different from those found at traditional casinos, with sweepstakes providers mirroring the same slot games and poker tables you’ll find at a traditional provider. The critical difference is that you do not need to use your own money to play.
Social casinos use a range of in-game currencies, gold coins, or free coins that you can use as credits to play. Many gamers use social casinos to gain experience in what a live casino environment looks and feels like online without the added pressure of losing money. Some gamers don’t use them to gain experience; instead, they use the opportunity to explore different casino games and which ones they most like the feel of.
Social casinos offer a different type of experience, allowing users to avoid the time constraints and limits imposed as part of responsible gambling protocol at traditional online services. It’s probably not a good idea to spend hours a day playing sweepstakes games, but it removes the inherent risk that comes with traditional providers.
Traditional Casino Games
All of the games you can find at a traditional online provider are centuries old – some historians and experts believe that games such as blackjack date back over 500 years. Although some casinos offer smaller, niche avenues to gamble, most will have a common structure encompassing the most popular and recognizable games.
Traditional casino games have risen on a similar crest of a wave that esports has been able to. They fuse a popular market with the new, interconnected world of international competition to create brands that appeal to a mass international audience.
Blackjack
One of the stalwarts of casino gaming, blackjack has been able to capture an audience ever since it emerged out of Europe in the early 1700s. Blackjack is a relatively simple game to understand – you, the dealer, and any other players at the table initially receive two cards, and you must get as close to 21 without exceeding that number. If you go over it, you’re bust, and you lose the hand. If you end up with the highest total, you’ll win.
Poker
Although some thought the emergence of the internet might take away some of the aura and feel of poker, the last 20 years have shown that the proverbial town is big enough for both. This year’s World Series of Poker amassed the highest prize pool in the game’s history – a seven-figure sum for Jonathan Tamayo.
There are many types of poker, but the player aims to have a hand that trumps that of everybody else. When played at the highest level, it is a game that involves strategy, psychological edge, and mental fortitude. The top five hands are as follows:
- A flush – five of any suit – in any order.
- Full house – three of a kind and an additional pair.
- Four of a kind – four cards of the same rank.
- Straight flush – five cards in order, all of the same suit.
- Royal Flush – the best possible hand is a 10, Jack, King, Queen, and Ace of the same suit.
Slots
Slot games can vary in structure and complexity, but playing them doesn’t require too much prior knowledge. Slots can come in many formats and themes, ranging from video slots to 3D slots and themes as far-reaching as Ancient Rome or Peaky Blinders.
However, the structure and the way you play the games are essentially the same. You deposit your cash at a casino and choose your slot game, select your minimum bet, and get to know some of the terminology, such as:
- A number of paylines.
- The difference between wilds and free spin symbols.
- Wagering requirements – if you use a bonus to play.
- Max jackpot.
If you need clarification on any terminology or what the game offers, select the pay table before you play. It will give you a rundown of the symbols, their value, and what the bonus rounds offer.
Roulette
Another popular table game you’ll find at online casinos is the French classic – roulette. There are two main types of this table game, European and American, but the only difference is that the American version has a double zero on the wheel, while European roulette only has a single zero.
While roulette games might not have the same sort of complexities as poker, there’s a little more to them than slot gaming. The arrival of lightning roulette, double ball roulette, and 100 to 1 versions of the game has meant that there are dozens of variants to choose from.
However, the easiest way to remember roulette is that it’s a numbered table from 1 to 36. You can bet on the wheel landing on individual numbers, either of the three dozen sections on the table, the red/black, odds/evens, or first 18 or second 18 groups of numbers.
Conclusion
Although many other niche games are emerging online, and online casinos are keen to capture any potential new market ahead of their competitors, traditional games like blackjack, poker, slots, and roulette remain the four key games in the industry, and this is unlikely to change.
Some other games you might find include craps, Wheel of Fortune-style games, or Monopoly cash games, which have become a lot more popular throughout 2024.
It’s important to equip yourself with solid knowledge of how the games work, but more crucially, to understand responsible gambling. This means that any casino gaming you undertake is in a controlled environment where you control your time and monetary limits and only spend money you can afford to lose.
Casino gaming continues to grow as an industry, thanks to the internet, and it’s also a great source of information for those looking for more details about how games work. Ensuring you arm yourself with this knowledge before you gamble means you’ll be in the best possible position to enjoy the industry and what it offers.
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