Starting your online gambling journey can be a tricky business. Regardless of what level of experience you have offline, taking things online is a different deal entirely. There are other things to negotiate, like validating your account and picking the right methods for making your financial transactions which will all be covered here, as well as what to look for when trying to find the right online casino to play on.
Pick the right online casino
This can be difficult as you won’t really know where to begin. Searching online is a good place to start, and by looking at the online user reviews, and those from specialist websites. You’ll need to look for one that best fits your needs, so if you are a big slots player, then one with a large range of slots will be a good choice, or if you want as authentic an experience as possible, then you should go for one with plenty of live casino options.
How you play is important, too, if you like to play on the move or your access to a laptop or desktop computer is limited then it might be worth your while to look into online casinos with the best gambling apps. The quality of apps can vary considerably between casinos, so the online specialist sites are an important source of information.
Get your paperwork in order
Regardless of where in the world you happen to be, before joining an online casino, you will have to provide some sort of information to prove you can play legally where you are. This might involve several forms of ID like a driving license or passport or just an initial identifier like your social security or government ID number.
You’ll certainly need to complete this process before you can withdraw any winnings and many countries have their own version of ‘Know Your Customer’ legislation that is there to prevent money laundering and fraudulent activity on online gambling websites. For that reason, it is usually best to have this ID photographed or scanned and ready to upload on request.
Deposit and withdrawal options
You’ll also need to work out the best method for paying money into your online casino account and hopefully for taking winnings out as well. There are typically plenty of options available, from transferring money from your bank account, playing using a card, or opting for one of the very many e-wallet options, the most common of which will be PayPal.
They all have pros and cons. For instance, online banking is convenient, but you might not want your gambling activity showing up on your bank statements. Card payments might have additional charges, and with e-wallets, the transactions usually happen faster, but you will also need to fund that e-wallet from another source.
A few final thoughts
Starting on the right foot for online gamblers is not just about knowing how to play the games, but also about how to take that knowledge online, and by finding the right casino, validating who you are, and picking the right financial option, you are more likely to have a safer and more enjoyable experience.
