Ryan's Thoughts"With an abundance of games now being offered by online casinos, the difficulty for players isn't whether or not there will be a game they enjoy, it's finding it."
Casino games, or games of chance, have been a part of the world since the times of the ancient Chinese and Roman civilizations.
- The first slot machine - the Liberty Bell - was invented by Charles Fey in the 1890s in California.
- Video poker followed the slot machine, while card games existed in different forms for centuries.
- The French are credited with putting together the first modern card games in the 14th century.
- Craps came from Egypt, while roulette is said to have been invented by Blaise Pascal, the mathematician.
Since the first online casino was launched in 1994 by Microgaming, the online casino industry has blossomed into a multi-billion industry.
- Today there are over 125 online casino software providers.
- Microgaming has the largest collection of online casino games, totalling over 800.
- There are literally thousands of games to choose from on the whole. This is evident at casinos that use aggregator platforms and showcase games from multiple providers together.
Our endeavor at HeadlineCasinos.com is to provide you with up-to-date information on the different types of online casino games: free casino games as well as real money play casino games. We have a database of articles for each game and we continuously add to it to ensure that you have up-to-date, high quality information to browse through.
Popular Online Casino Games
Slots
Slots are considered the most popular of all online gambling games across the world. This is clear whenever you enter an online casino. Out of all the games most casinos offer, it is usually the slots section that is the most plentiful. There are many reasons for this:
- They are not skill-based. You can have fun and need a little bit of luck to be able to pick up wins. And if Lady Luck is right by your side you may end up with a massive win as well!
- They all look great and come with fantastic graphics and animations backed by excellent sound effects. Some casinos even have 3D graphics on their slots.
- They are easy to play and offer quick results. All you have to do is click on the game, place your bet, hit the 'Spin' button and you get immediate results.
- They have built-in features like free spins and bonus rounds that increase the level of excitement when you play and also give you a shot at more wins.
Blackjack
Among card games the most popular is blackjack.
- This game is skill-based and fascinating to play.
- The winning possibilities are many and the game is fast-paced.
- You play against the dealer and not against fellow players.
Other Games
Other popular online casino games in include video poker, roulette, scratch cards, baccarat, and online table poker.
The Importance of the Return to Player (RTP) Percentages
One of the most critical indicators that can help you choose which game you want to play at an online casino is the Return to Player (RTP) percentage. The RTP is a percentile value that lets you know how much you can expect to win back for every pound you spend while playing a specific online casino game.
There are a number of things that you can know about a game from its RTP percentage:
- The amount you can approximately expect to win back for every pound spent on a game.
- The amount the casino is making off your deposits and wagers for a specific game.
- The house edge that the casino has for a specific game. The house edge is inversely proportional to the RTP; the higher the RTP the lower the house edge and vice versa.
So, if you have a game with a 100% RTP it means you have the same chances of winning as the casino. If the RTP value is, say, 97%, it means you get back £97 for every £100 you spend; the casino makes the remaining £3.
Knowing this makes it easy for you to pick a game to play; you would logically play a game with a higher RTP value. You can use the following formula to calculate the RTP for a game:
We use two games as examples to illustrate the RTP value and its use:
Jackpot 6000
This 3 reels and 5 paylines slot from NetEnt has a high RTP value of 98.9%. That automatically makes it a game that you would want to play, given that you can win back £98.8 for every £100 you wager on the game.
Treasure Nile
This is a progressive slot from Microgaming with 5 reels and 9 paylines. The RTP value for this game is quite low, at 92.11%. This is one game you would want to stay away from given the low RTP value, even though it is a progressive slot.
Types of Online Casino Games
There are different kinds of games you get to play at online casinos. In this section we have compiled for you information on all of these games. The games are listed out below. All you have to do is click a particular game to know more about it.
Click on a game to find out the following information:
- A brief introduction to the game
- A list of the top online casinos offering this game
- More information about different aspects of the game
- A knowledge database in the form of articles about different aspects related to the game in different categories including, among others:
- Background
- Bets and odds
- Hand ranks
- Rules
- Strategy
- Glossary
Online Casino Game Guides
Hybrid Casino Games Platforms and the Benefits for Players
Right from the beginning online casino operators have used software from specific providers to power their casinos. Today the new trend is the hybrid casino games platform. Hybrid casino games platforms are more like aggregator platforms. They aggregate games from different top-notch software providers and provide them all for the casino operators to use.
What are the benefits of these hybrid platforms?
- Wider range of games: The range of games is huge when you play at an online casino using a hybrid casino gaming platform.
- One point access to games from multiple providers: You can play games from the different providers at one casino, without having to move around from casino to casino.
- No download mode only: This makes playing the games faster and easier as there is no hassle downloading the games to your computer and using up memory space. Game updates also happen automatically on the site.
- Faster payout times: Payouts at these casinos are faster because they reduce or remove the pending period to speed up the payment process and make it more player-friendly. Of course, this means your withdrawal request gets processed instantly; you do not have the luxury of time to reverse a withdrawal request any more.
Some FAQs about Online Casino Games
The online casino game with the best odds or RTP value would be slots. There are of course variations in the RTP values of the different slots. One of the slots with among the highest RTP values is Ooh Aah Dracula by Barcrest Gaming at 99%. Other games with high RTP values include:
- Tropic Reels by Playtech also at 99%
- Jackpot 6000 from NetEnt at 98.9%
- Blood Suckers from NetEnt at 97.6%
There are quite a few slots that offer similarly poor odds in terms of RTP percentages. One game with one of the lowest RTP values is the Relic Raiders slot from NetEnt with a RTP value of 90%. A few other such games include:
- Fruit slots from Microgaming with a RTP value of 92.87%
- Super Lucky Frog from NetEnt with a RTP value of 93%
- Icy Wonders from NetEnt with a RTP value of 93.2%
Online casino games are legitimate. Online casinos have to acquire a license to operate within a multitude of jurisdictions across the world. These licensing bodies differ in quality depending on the country they operate in. Every casino we recommend on this site has received a license to operate within your jurisdiction, ensuring fair play, reliability and good service.
Theoretically you can cheat at online casino games. There are different ways to do it, including:
- Cloning accounts
- Withdrawing bonus money by skirting the terms and conditions like wagering requirements
- Card counting
- Player collusion
However, online casinos nowadays have stringent methods in place to check player fraud. They also levy different kinds of penalties if you are caught trying to cheat. These include:
- Forfeiture of your bonus and winnings from it.
- Labeling as bonus abuser.
- Suspension or termination of your account.
It is difficult to nominate one software provider as the maker of the best online casino games. The following, however, consistently develop high quality games:
- Microgaming: It has been providing high quality games since it launched in 1994.
- NetEnt: It is known for its innovative approach to game development.
- Playtech: It is known for its amazing Marvel and Hollywood slots.
- BetSoft Gaming: This is another provider that is known for its high quality 3D slots.