3 Things Casino Aficionados Wish They Knew as Rookies

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It’s true what they say: everyone starts as a beginner. It’s one of those incontrovertible, universal truths – or, in other words, exactly what you’d expect to see printed on a motivational poster in the breakroom.

But that doesn’t mean being a beginner isn’t frustrating (at best) and, often, at least a little intimidating. When it seems like second nature for everyone else, getting over those initial hurdles really is the toughest part.

The good news is that most online casinos are relatively beginner-friendly. Your typical homepage lays out everything like a box of chocolates, and all you need to do is figure out where to start.

At least, that’s how it seems. But there are plenty of things you learn with time that help make the experience better – and, sometimes, the wins bigger. The team here at 1Slots were all beginners once, too – so, without further ado, here are three of them.

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RTP does matter, and the sooner you get used to that, the better

We know, we know – it’s a lot easier to be drawn in by the design of a game – its theme, mechanics, narrative, and rewards structure – than it is to be drawn in by metrics and data. Unless you consider yourself to be a ‘numbers person’, it’s very easy to find yourself subconsciously ‘glazing over’ when you get to that collection of volatility, RTP, pay table, and pay lines.

They’re all important, and you’ll find yourself becoming a more discerning player as you grow your familiarity with these terms. But RPT is arguably one of the most important.

RTP stands for Return to Player; it’s represented by a percentage which itself represents the average amount of money ‘returned’ to players in the form of wins.

So, an RTP of 95% means that, on average, the game turns 95% of a wager. A wager of £10 would average a return of £9.10.

Of course, averages are a middle ground between two extremes. An RTP of 95% doesn’t mean you’ll only ever get that much back – if that were true, it wouldn’t be a very popular game. A lot of players must win higher or lower than 95% in order for that to be the average, so don’t go looking for RTPs of 150%. You’ll fail in that pursuit.

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It’s always worth reviewing the terms and conditions

At any of the best UK online casinos, bonuses abound. This is particularly true if you are a complete newcomer. With the competition between casino sites as high as it is, new players are never going to find themselves short on options for a warm welcome in the form of free spins, no deposit bonuses, and match bonuses.  

These bonuses are designed to be attractive and get you immersed in gameplay without a huge amount of fuss between arriving on the site and getting signed up and immersed in gameplay. Reputable casinos are not using hollow, too-good-to-be-true offers to lure you in, and a lot of these bonuses really are as good as they sound.

But there are always going to be restrictions, conditions, and terms that dictate how those bonus wagers or free spins are to be used.

The trouble is, we’re used to ticking ‘agree’ without thinking. A survey by Deloitte found that 91% of have accepted terms and services conditions without reviewing them first.

But experienced casino players are very adept at reviewing terms and conditions quickly. They know where to look and what information they’re looking for.

Really, the only way to get to that point is to start at the beginning, but the toughest part lies in accepting that terms and conditions really are worth understanding. They may have certain wagering requirements, limits on maximum winnings, time limits, maximum bets limits or deposit requirements. It’s always better to be aware of those upfront.

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Responsible gambling is not something you want to ‘learn on the job’

The idea of responsible gambling and using resources to learn how to keep yourself in check isn’t a formality; it’s the key to ensuring you can get the most of your time on these sites without replacing fun with worry and an unwelcome sense of playing beyond your means.

It’s never too early to set the right tempo, even when you consider yourself a happy-go-lucky beginner who’s just dabbling in a few different game formats.

Look at it this way. Either you figure out how to gamble responsibly at the very beginning and, ideally, avoid ever running into a brick wall, or you find yourself having to be reactive, dealing with a bad loss or an unwanted outcome that’s tipped you into the red.

The first is always better. No matter how casually you’re turning up to these sites, gambling is gambling, and it needs to be approached from the right perspective.