5Casinos Beginners Guide
Have a quick look through our Beginner's Guide info below before you start playing at an online casino.
Beginners Guide to Online Casinos
Online Casinos first launched in 1997 and since then there has been a plethora popping up all over the web. It can become very confusing and generally all too much for some. You just wanted to sit back, relax and enjoy your favourite casino game!
5Casinos was designed to make your online casino choice easy.
We only work with reputable casino’s with a proven track record in providing you the customer with the best possible gaming experience.
Collectively the founders of 5Casinos have over 20 years online gaming experience and have worked for some of the largest online gaming sites in the world. We can help you choose a safe reliable and secure site for all your gaming fun!
What do you need to consider when choosing an online casino?
Games - do you like Roulette and Blackjack or are you more of a Slot Machine and Video Poker player?
Payout percentages - are very important as it shows you whether the returns are on par with or better than Vegas. All legitimate sites clearly state their payout ratio and we advise that you do not even consider a site that pays out less than 95%.
Casino Software – the majority of online casino sites require you to download their software to take full advantage of their offerings. Most offer you the option to ‘play for free’ so you can see which software and games you like the best and you can also trial any of the new game releases.
Some have a non download version however has general between 10-30 games where as the download versions have hundreds of games that can be played. But the real appeal of the no download version is that you can play anywhere and anytime and do not have to download software on your computer.
Most software providers releases new games from 4 -12 times a year, so you never get bored!
Playing for real – Once you have tried and chosen your favourite casino you will need to register a real account and deposit money to cash in for chips.
There are a number of ways to deposit with the most popular being credit or debit card. You can also use services such as money bookers, Neteller and pay pal at many sites. Most casinos offer and attractive sign-up bonus so make sure that you follow the sites direction on how to claim your free cash!
Bonuses - Like land based casino’s, good, reputable online offer incentives to try their casino and then reward loyal customers for their play.
This can come in the form of extra cash, casino chips, casino bonus codes and prizes.
Most sites offer Welcome Bonuses to new customers in the form of matching a percentage of your first deposit. For example on some sites you can receive up 100% match on your first deposit of between $20-$100! Offers can get even better than this, however be warned that some of the terms and conditions make them more complicated with rules such as meeting certain wagering requirements before your money is released and you can withdraw you winnings. Just be sure to read and understand all the terms and conditions before you start depositing.
The casino’s have excellent customer service representatives and free call numbers so if in doubt call them up and they will walk through everything with them. If you get no joy there, you can email and we will go through the details with you.
The online casino market is highly competitive and the variety of promotions for existing players is amazing.
Make sure you take advantage of our bonus review section; promotions and offers are changing all the time and 5Casinos.com.au has all the up to date information from the most trusted casinos.
Wagering Requirements – are how much you need to wager or bet in order to cash in on your bonus money or cash-out your winnings. For example you deposit $20 to get $20 free and the terms and conditions state that the wagering requirements are 10 times. This means that you must stake or bet $200 before you can withdraw your winnings. At times there will also be restricted or excluded games – they will be listed and this means that these listed games will not count towards the wagering requirements.
So now you know the basics to the world of online gaming – what are you waiting for? Get playing!!
FAQs
Playing online casinos for the first time can be quite an intimidating prospect and as a newbie you are more than likely to have a few questions about the whole thing.
We’ve tried to list some of the more frequently asked questions below for you, however, if there is anything not listed below that you are curious about please drop us a line and one of our online casino experts will get back to you as quickly as possible.
Banking:
Is it safe to use my credit card at an online casino?
Every Casino we list here at 5Casinos is a safe operator. They all offer a 100% secure service whereby your credit card details can be viewed by you and you only.
However, if you do have any concerns at all in using your credit card at an online casino then why not try a web wallet such as Neteller which enables you to deposit in numerous different ways?
Are the online payment sections at online casinos protected?
All of our listed casinos have digital encryption in the form of SSL (Secure Socket Layer) (129-bit). This security system is used the world over in online banking.
What deposit methods are there?
You will, of course, have to check each casino individually, but it’s in the casinos interest to offer as many as possible. Common payment methods include; debit card, loads of web wallets, credit cards, wire transfers, echecks and a variety of pre paid cards.
Will I be able to withdraw my winnings easily?
Winnings can be paid by cheque, transfer to your debit card, web wallet transfer or wire transfer – again it’s in the online casino’s interest to get you your payment as quickly as possible in the most convenient way for you so you should not experience any issues – none of us at 5Casinos have ever experienced any problems…
Bonus Questions
Why do Casinos give so much money away?
Its simply down to competition – there are so many online casinos that in order to get players to sign up with their casino above others operators offer bonuses to entice players in.
There must be a catch in giving away all this money?
Well, it is true that you cannot simply withdraw your bonus money without making a bet (all casinos will have wagering requirement attached to their bonuses) but the money on offer is legitimate – you just need to find the bonus best suited to your needs as a player.
What are wagering requirements?
Wagering requirements are put in place by online casinos to stop players getting a bonus and then simply withdrawing it. The ‘wagering requirement refers the number of times a play has to wager/bet their bonus before they are able to withdraw it. For example if a player has a wagering requirement of x2 on a $50 bonus. They would be required to wager $100 before being able to withdraw the bonus.
Can I play whatever game I like to clear my wagering requirement?
The likelihood is that there will be game restrictions on any bonus an online casino gives out. You will find that roulette, for example, will always be restricted because players could otherwise clear their wagering requirements simply by betting on red and black at the same time. You will find that on the lower hold games such as blackjack are likely to have higher wagering requirements attached to them.
Will I be required to make a deposit to claim bonuses?
In the case of most big casino bonuses you will be required to make a deposit
General Questions
Are the Games rigged?
Categorically NO! The team at 5Casinos have worked in the industry for over 20 years collectively and know that it is simply not in the casinos interest to rig any games. As soon as a casino is viewed as in any way shady by players it is dead in the water. All online casinos use extremely complex random number generators that determine each turn of the card or spin. All the casinos listed on 5Casinos have payout rates listed on their websites for all their game categories so you can check (from an independently audited source) that payout rates look correct.
Casino Bonus Guide
The team behind 5Casinos has extensive knowledge of bonuses because we used have all worked at online casinos. Some sites provide complicated terms and conditions and look great from the on-set but are not as good value as they first seem. 5Casinos only works with reputable casino’s that offer good value for money to their players and secure methods of depositing and withdrawing.
Following are some quick questions that need to be asked before choosing the casino and bonus that is right for you:
- What games do you like playing? Bonuses often differ depending on the games that you play. If you are a slot player you are likely to be eligble for a much better bonus than if you play blackjack or roulette where the house edge is only a few %.
- Do you have to deposit to receive the bonus?
- Can you withdraw your money and just play with the bonus? Most legitimate companies do not all you to do this as it is classified as bonus abuse.
- Can you withdraw winnings that you earn from the bonus money? Some casino’s do not actually give you ‘real money’ to play with. Some give away ‘free casino chips’ which means that you are free to play with the chips within the casino but you can not withdraw your winnings
- What are the wagering or betting requirements? Most bonuses require you to deposit the minimum requirement and then wager or bet up to 100 times your original deposit to release your original deposit and allow you to withdraw. The average wagering or betting requirements differ depending on what games you play. For example if you are a slot player your wagering requirements may be as low as 4 times!! And what’s even better is that many casino’s will reduce their wagering requirements once you prove that you are a valuable player. See our high roller section for more information.
- What monthly bonus offers does the casino have? It’s all very well getting a great sign-up bonus, but if the casino offers no attractive on-going bonuses to reward your loyalty and game play then find one that does!!!!
So why do casino’s giveaway money? What’s the catch?
Quite simply the answer is that there is no catch. With over 1000 casino sites on the net there is fierce competition to attract and retain new players. Large software providers like Microgaming, Wagerworks, WagerLogic Playtech and Boss Media have specialised bonus software that automatically grants the promotion once the terms and conditions have been fulfilled.
5Casinos only recommends casino sites that are trusted and safe and secure and that offer good value for money of bonuses. Casino bonuses allow you to enjoy your gaming experience longer and give you better value for money. It’s the casino’s way of thanking you for playing with them.
Online Casino Tips
Bonuses
- Always look at the wagering requirements on bonuses – this will tell you how much you need to bet before you can withdraw your winnings
Slots
- Why not play on a progressive slot machine? That means that you have a chance at winning one of the massive jackpots on the web while enjoying your favourite slot. It’s another way to win!
Blackjack
- Practice optimal strategy – see our strategy page for more details
Roulette
- American Roulette favours the casino slightly more than European Roulette because is has an extra ‘00’
Choosing a Casino
- Don’t just look at the attractive sign-up bonus. Look for casino’s that continue to reward you for your loyalty
- Does your online casino have loyalty or comp points that reward you for your play?
Beginners
- Do you want to download software to play casino, or would you prefer to choose one of the instant play casino’s?
Did you know?
- All the casino’s listed on 5casinos are independently audited by a third party to ensure the ‘randomness’ of the games
- 5casinos only refers casino sites with a proven track record of safely and securely handling your personal details
- All reputable casino’s have strict verification processes to ensure that it is actually you who registered an account. This is for your protection and security when dealing with your personal information. A number of validations are done behind the scenes however from time to time you may be asked to provide proof of address. This is a standard requirement and is done for your financial safety
Payments
- Look at the payout times for withdrawals – you don’t want to wait three weeks for your winnings!!





