With the advent of the internet, casino gaming has become a pastime that anyone can enjoy from anywhere there’s a reliable connection to the web. The development of online gaming systems with advanced graphics, video chat functionality, complex rewards systems, and built-in community leader boards makes the digital casinos even more exciting than their offline counterparts for some players, especially those who would rather avoid the hassle of visiting a physical casino.
Of course, if you’re new to casino gaming altogether and you aren’t yet familiar with the most popular games to play, you might find yourself wondering which game to give a try first. Online Casinos has plenty of experience reviewing the web’s top gambling sites and casinos, so they know better than anyone which games are the most popular. To get you started on your journey to having the most fun possible in your chosen casino, here’s a list of our top five most popular casino games:
1. Slots
Slot machines are always some of the most played games in physical casinos and the same can be said for digital venues as well. Walk into any casino and you’ll find a sea of slot machines to sit down at, and on a busy night most of them will be occupied by gamers looking for the next big jackpot. In online casinos, there are no physical machines, which means you’ll never have to wait for a slot machine to open up and you’ll also never have to worry about a machine malfunctioning.
Progressive jackpots and custom icon styling give online slots a slight advantage when it comes to uniqueness and aesthetic appeal. There are literally hundreds of slot machine design themes to choose from, so each time you play you can look forward to seeing something new. Surveys have shown that roughly 50% of casino gamers opt to play slot machines each time they visit an online casino.
- Blackjack
Blackjack is another highly popular casino game, with more than 15% of gamers calling this their favorite game to play in an online casino. The outcome of this card game is still based mostly on random chance, but unlike slots, you’re not left entirely up to luck because you have the opportunity to employ various strategies during the decision-making times.
Every hand gives the player the chance to influence the outcome of the game with their decision, so statistically it is one of the most user-friendly games in terms of giving the player fair odds to win against the casino. In fact, in some variations of blackjack the house edge is only 1%, which means it’s almost a 50/50 split on whether you will win each hand. Although the rules of blackjack are relatively simple, learning the various strategies can give you something fun to do in your free time because there are at least a handful of different ways to play a winning hand.
3. Video Poker
While poker is more commonly played at real casinos where you can put your poker face into action in front of real people, online video poker can provide an ideal at-home substitute when combined with a simple webcam to make yourself visible to other players. While not as popular as slots and blackjack – most likely because of the advanced strategies and lengthier hand-playing times involved – poker is still considered one of the top five most popular games at any casino. The complexity of poker makes it difficult for everyone to jump right in and play, hence its spot at number three on this list, but it is still easy enough for the average casino gamer to learn and enjoy after a few introductory courses.
You can also practice against the computer before trying your luck against real human players, which would be wise considering the fact that many online poker players are advanced poker players with years of experience. Not to worry though, there are multiple variations of the game to choose from and some are more beginner-friendly than others. Also, many online casinos will automatically match you with players who have similar rankings and experience levels based on the online casino’s user records, which is something that can’t be done at a physical casino because there is no way to track the play record at the casino offline.
4. Roulette
Roulette is another game that is easy to play and provides some good entertainment when you just want to sit back and let random chance take you through the night. Few things are more exciting than waiting for the roulette table to stop spinning so you can see what your roll has landed you. The house edge is only slightly more pronounced than in blackjack in some variations.
For example, European roulette only gives the casino a statistical advantage of 2.7%, which means that if you were to play 100 games of roulette, the casino would only win approximately three more times than you. With that said, it’s best to mix roulette with other games instead of playing it all night long, as eventually that stat will catch up to you. If you can stay disciplined enough to quit while you’re ahead, roulette can offer up some big wins with very little gaming effort,
5. Baccarat
With some of the highest betting limits of any casino game, Baccarat routinely attracts the highest rollers in every casino. While this game is most popular in Asian casinos, it has found its way into the top five most popular list worldwide thanks to its high-stakes, strategy-based rule set. If you have a generous gaming budget and want to be among the wealthier players in a casino, baccarat would be an ideal game to get into. The interesting part about baccarat is that you can place your bet on either the dealer or the player hand, though the dealer still has a slight statistical advantage as in other casino games.
SPORTS
If you’d rather just place your bets and watch someone else do all the hard work, sports betting at an online casino is another popular option to consider. Other honorable mentions that are consistently popular among online casino gamers are assorted arcade games, scratch cards, and craps.
