Beginners Guide To Online Casinos

If you have never played at an online casino then this guide gives you all you need to know to get started. We cover a range of information including a brief history of online gambling as well as a step by step guide to getting started playing pokies online. If you have any questions check out our Online Casino FAQ section where we answer the most common questions.

A Brief History of Online Casinos

Gambling on the Internet first began back in the early 1990’s with sports betting although it was not until 1994 that the first casinos started to open. One of the first casinos was The Gaming Club – a casino that has remained popular to this day. In the last decade the industry has grown to be one of the world?s biggest forms of online entertainment.

Step by step guide to playing at online casinos

Its easy to get started playing online but if you’ve never played at an online casino then these are the steps you need to take to get started. They are as follows,

  1. Select an online casino where you would like to play
  2. Download and install the free casino software
  3. Register an account at the casino
  4. Make your first purchase of casino credits
  5. Collect your welcome bonus
  6. Start playing
  7. Collect your winnings

Selecting an online casino

There are a lot of different online casinos where you can play so you have to first decide which casino to play at. A good place to start is our Online Casinos section where we list the most popular casinos with the best pokies. All of the casinos we list are legally licensed, offer a great range of pokies, secure banking and have their payouts independently audited.

Downloading and installing casino software

All of the casino we list offer a free software download. This means you can get access to hundreds of pokies for free. Once you visit the casinos website look for the Download button and start the download. Once you have downloaded the casino and icon will appear where you saved the software. Double click this icon and follow the prompts to install the software.

Mac Users – Unless otherwise stated the free downloads are not Mac compatible. You can still play but will have to select the No Download or Flash casino option on the casinos homepage.

Registering a casino account

To play at online casinos you first need to register an account. Once you open the casino software you will be presented with two options for registering an account Free or Real Money. Select Free or Guest if you want to try out the casino in fun money mode. Select Real money if you would like to play in real money. Fill in your details and your account will be created.

Note – It is important to use your correct details as these are the details that the casino will use to pay your winnings. Entering false details is a bad idea as this can result in the closure of your account.

Making your first purchase at the casino

When you are ready to play for real you will have to make a purchase of credits at the casino. Visit the casino banking section and select a suitable deposit option. Select the amount you want to deposit and the deposit will be added to your account. For more details on funding your casino account see our Online Casino Banking section.

Collecting your welcome bonus

All good online casinos offer new players the chance to claim a sign-up bonus on your first deposit. Each casino applies their bonuses differently so be sure to read the bonuses section to find out how? much you need to deposit to claim the bonus and any associated terms and conditions.

Start playing pokies online

With money in your account you are now ready to start playing. Select a game from the casino games menu and that game will load. You are now ready to start spinning. Your account balance will automatically be transferred to the game you select. You can exit the game and select another game at any time. Our Guide to Playing Pokies Online has more details on how to play.

Collecting your winnings

Obviously you cannot just walk up to someone to cash out your winnings like you do when playing pokies offline. Instead you need to go to the casinos banking section again and select the Withdrawal option. Here you can enter your withdrawal details and the amount you would like to withdraw. Depending on the option you choose payouts typically take between 24 and 72 hours.

Note – Before you can cash out your winnings you will need to verify your identity with the casino. This is a security measure for both you the play and the casino. For more details on how the verification process works see our Verifying your identity article.

Ready to play?

You should now be ready to start playing pokies online. Check out the Top Online Casinos or if you have questions our Pokies FAQ is a great place to look.

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