What should I consider when choosing an online casino?

Playing at online casinos is becoming increasingly popular. No wonder, after all, you can devote yourself to this pastime without leaving your home. The advent of modern smartphones and tablets has created even more opportunities. Nowadays, you can play at virtually any casino, wherever you are, wherever there is internet access. However, it is worth knowing what to consider if you are considering playing.

If we are considering whether to choose a Polish online casino, the most important factors, about which we write in more detail later in this article, are: licence, legality, choice of games, bonuses and promotions, payment methods.

The licence is fundamental

An absolutely fundamental consideration when choosing an online casino is whether it has the right licence. Without this, let's not even consider whether to take advantage of its offer. Of course, unlicensed casinos often tempt with much more attractive bonuses, but we have absolutely no guarantee that we will not be cheated. Remember, we give the casino our personal and often bank details such as our card number. The owner of an illegal casino can therefore do anything he likes with them, as he has no control over them, as they can often be located on the other side of the world. He may not even pay out winnings. If a casino is licensed, this means that firstly it must have met a number of requirements and secondly it is constantly supervised by independent government bodies. In the event that we find that irregularities have occurred, they are the ones we can turn to to resolve the dispute.

As far as licences are concerned, only one licence is recognised in Poland, issued by the Ministry of Finance. Only one casino, Total Casino, which is operated by Totalizator Sportowy, meets this condition. All others are illegal under Polish law. However, there is a conflict with EU law here, as other licences also apply in its territory. Among the most respected are the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, Curacao Gaming, or the one issued by the government of Gibraltar. Therefore, if we are outside of our country, we can quite legally play at online casinos that hold these licences without worrying about our safety.

Choice of games

Today's online casinos tempt players with a really wide selection of games that is unattainable for even the largest land-based casinos. There are often hundreds or thousands of different titles. It is therefore worth choosing a casino that has the best range of our favourite types of games. Many of them are expanding their offerings to include instant win titles or scratch cards. This can be an interesting diversification. A regular feature of modern casinos are live dealer games or games based on quiz shows. These involve seeing a real-life croupier on a screen, who deals cards or releases a ball in real time at roulette. This makes us feel like we are in an above-ground casino, without leaving the house. Then there is the possibility to take part in games based on quiz shows, such as Monopoly or Crazy Time. Just like their participant, you can win real money in them.

Bonuses and promotions

Virtually every online casino offers its players various promotions. Especially for new players, but regular players can also count on something. Usually this consists of getting an extra amount to deposit and a certain number of free spins. This is usually 100% on your first deposit, but sometimes more. There is also a certain upper limit of cash you can get to play with, which can be a few hundred zlotys, but also several thousand zlotys. This begs the question, where is the catch? Why does the casino give its money to play with which we can, after all, win something, thus depleting its income. Well, this is why you should always read the terms and conditions of such a bonus first. It can be, for example, the maximum stake or winnings, but above all it is about the required turnover, which is usually several dozen times. We are already explaining what this is all about. If the required turnover is, for example, 50x, and we got PLN 100 as part of the bonus, we have to wager it just that many times. That is, you have to put a total of PLN 5 000 into the slot and only then, if you have anything left, can you withdraw your winnings. You have to admit that you need a lot of luck to do this, but it is usually not impossible.

Payment methods

Payment methods are equally important. We need to choose a casino which offers the exact one we want to use. Modern casinos offer many of these, and often you can even use cryptocurrencies. It is almost always by bank transfer and payment cards. However, these are not the most secure methods, as you are providing sensitive data. However, there are gateways for making secure transfers such as Dotpay. The problem of security is solved by e-wallets. We can put money in them and then deposit it, for example, to play at a casino. In this case, we do not have to give its operator any bank details. However, a separate account needs to be set up. This is not necessary in the case of BLIK or prepaid cards. Then it is sufficient to provide the relevant number, which becomes invalid at the time of the transaction. These are therefore fully secure methods, but money cannot always be withdrawn using them.

Not only casino games

On the internet, you can bet on practically everything, not only on roulette fields. It really is a highly developed industry. A good example is the possibility of betting on e-sports tournaments, which appeared relatively recently. However, you can try to predict who will win the polls, whether a particular player will score a goal or even how many corner kicks there will be. Admittedly, this can be great fun, but it should only be treated as such. Remember that this is an adult pastime, so it can carry certain risks if common sense is not observed. It is very important to play responsibly. The basic rule is to 'say goodbye' to the money you have bet and treat it as a cost of entertainment. It is also a good idea to set yourself limits on the time and stakes at which you play.