A GUIDE TO ONLINE CASINO GAMES FOR INDIAN CUSTOMERS
Are you looking for some information about online casino games for the Indian market? If you are, well then you don’t need to look any further. I have worked in the gambling industry for over 13 years both as a customer and as an operator. I have learnt a lot about the different online casinos in the industry and the different online casino games.
I am keen to share my knowledge with my followers here and advise you on where you can find the best online casino games and what games I would recommend you to play.
WELCOME OFFER:
₹500 No Deposit Bonus
100% up to ₹600
UPI, Paytm, JioMoney, GPay, PhonePe, Bitcoin, Mastercard and more
WELCOME OFFER:
1 LAKH
+ 100% up to ₹600
UPI, Paytm, JioMoney, GPay, PhonePe, Bitcoin, Mastercard and more
Welcome Offer:
Welcome Bonus 300%
Free 50 Spins
HOW TO PLAY CASINO GAMES ONLINE?”
When you want to play casino games online you first need to decide what casino you want to play with. There are 100s of online casinos out there and it can be hard to find the right one. I will list below some of the things I think you should focus on and also explain why I think these are important.
First things first you need to confirm if the online casino you have picked accepts Indian customers. There is no law in India that makes online gambling illegal however some operators choose not to offer their services to customers in India. If you try access an online casino which does not accept Indian customers you may find one or more of the following;
- After loading the online casino a page appears stating you cannot access the site from your jurisdiction
- When you try to launch the registration page an error appears stating you cannot register from your jurisdiction.
- In the registration page, the country dropdown menu does not offer India as an option.
Most online casinos will list in their terms and conditions a list of restricted countries where they will not operate. This can be found in the footer of most online casino sites. Alternatively you can speak to customer support via live chat or email and confirm whether the online casino accepts India customers
DOES THE ONLINE CASINO OFFER YOUR CHOSEN CURRENCY?
If your chosen online casino does accept Indian customers then that is great. Next thing you need to do is confirm if the online casino supports your chosen currency.
If you are a fiat player you will likely want to play with Indian rupees or US dollars. Alternatively if you are a crypto currency customer you may want the option to play with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple etc.
In order to confirm what currency options are accepted you can do the following:
- Check during the registration process if you are asked to select a primary currency and whether your preferred currency is available
- Check the terms and conditions of the online casino to see what supported currencies are listed.
- Speak to customer support at the online casino to confirm if they support your preferred currency.
Please note that once you play a real money fiat bet at your chosen online casino the primary currency cannot be changed after this.
DOES THE CASINO OFFER YOUR PREFERRED BANKING OPTION?
Next thing you need to confirm is whether your chosen online casino offers a depositing method that you want to use. In most cases the depositing methods will be listed in the FAQ page of the online casino.
WELCOME OFFER:
1 LAKH
+ 100% up to ₹600
UPI, Paytm, JioMoney, GPay, PhonePe, Bitcoin, Mastercard and more
However if you cannot find the FAQ page the quickest thing to do is to ask the customer support team to tell you what depositing methods they support.
If you have already created an account at your chosen online casino you can quickly navigate to the cashier and a list of available depositing methods will also be visible.
Online casinos are always reviewing and adding different banking options. If your preferred payment option isn’t available it is always worth telling customer support what payment option you would like added.
They might be able to confirm that the payment option is being added in the future or alternatively they can pass the feedback to the product team for them to review.
IS THE ONLINE CASINO LICENSED AND REGULATED?
This is a very important step and something that a lot of online casino customers might not be aware of. Although there are no laws in place in India that allow or ban online gambling it is still important that it is licensed and regulated somehow.
Any good or trusted operator will have a licence of some sort which shows that the operator has been reviewed by a legal third party that has granted it permission to operate in certain locations.
If an operator is licensed it will always be listed in the footer of the website and in the terms and conditions of the online casino. Using Leo Vegas as an example, you can see below the details around their licence which allows them to operate in India
Leo Vegas have a Maltease Gaming licence which would be deemed a trusted licence which has various protections in place for the customer. If an operator has no licence there is nothing stopping them from disappearing with your money so please make sure you only play with online casinos that have a licence.
If you are unsure if a casino has a licence then simply ask the customer support team to provide you with details on the licence they hold.
IS THE ONLINE CASINO LICENSED AND REGULATED?
What is the point of joining an online casino if they don’t have the games you want to play? That is why you need to check out the selection of games that the online casino has to offer. We all know that the Indian market absolutely loves Live casino games.
The best online casino studios in the market in my opinion are Evolution gaming, Ezuigi and Authentic Gaming. There are dozens more to choose from though so make sure to find the one you love.
Outside of live casinos there is also a range of other games to choose from including table games, online video slots, video poker, lottery etc. The more game studios a casino has integrated the better selection of games you will have.
To find out how many games a casino has on site simply ask customer support. Alternatively, a lot of online casinos will show a list of the game studios they have integrated on site. Have a look around and see if you can find this information.
DOES THE CASINO OFFER ADEQUATE CUSTOMER SUPPORT?
In my opinion customer support is an extremely important aspect of an online casino. We are trusting these online casinos with our personal details and with our money. When help is needed I always expect customer support to be friendly, helpful and always willing to do what they can to help the customer.
Most online casinos offer customer support via email and live chat. Alternatively some online casinos now also use social media platforms like Facebook, twitter and also messaging apps like Whats App. When you arrive to an online casino I would suggest that you ask customer support some basic questions via live chat to get an understanding of what the customer support is like.
I would always advise don’t judge the customer support team on one agent. Sometimes you might be unlucky enough to get a ‘bad’ customer support agent. Instead speak to customer support a few different times to get a better understanding of what they are like.
If the customer support service is very good this will make your experience at the casino a lot better. I guarantee you there will be some issues with game play or withdrawing funds and you want to be able to rely on and trust the customer service team to be able to fix this for you.
DOES THE CASINO OFFER A GOOD WELCOME BONUS?
In my opinion customer support is an extremely important aspect of an online casino. We are trusting these online casinos with our personal details and with our money. When help is needed I always expect customer support to be friendly, helpful and always willing to do what they can to help the customer.
Most online casinos offer customer support via email and live chat. Alternatively some online casinos now also use social media platforms like Facebook, twitter and also messaging apps like Whats App. When you arrive to an online casino I would suggest that you ask customer support some basic questions via live chat to get an understanding of what the customer support is like.
I would always advise don’t judge the customer support team on one agent. Sometimes you might be unlucky enough to get a ‘bad’ customer support agent. Instead speak to customer support a few different times to get a better understanding of what they are like.
If the customer support service is very good this will make your experience at the casino a lot better. I guarantee you there will be some issues with game play or withdrawing funds and you want to be able to rely on and trust the customer service team to be able to fix this for you.
DOES THE CASINO OFFER A GOOD WELCOME BONUS?
All online casinos aim to have as much content as they possibly can across a wide selection of games. Below is a list of the top category of games that all online casinos will have and a brief explanation on each.
- Live Casino Games
Are you looking for the experience of a real life casino with real dealers welcoming you to the table? If the answer is yes then Live Casino games are what you are looking for.
The Indian online casino market is traditionally known for its love for live casino games. This includes live blackjack, live roulette and live baccarat to name just a few.
Live Casino games really give you the real life casino experience from your mobile, tablet or desktop device. Game studios live Evolution and Ezuigi offer top quality live casino products and are integrated with all the top online casinos.
- Video Slots
Visit any online casino and you will find a huge selection of slot machines. These games form the backbone of any online casino and a lot of the welcome bonuses are tied to specific slot games. At the smallest level an online casino is likely to have a few hundred slot machines whereas the top tier online casinos are most likely to have a few thousand.
The reason for their immense popularity is linked to how simple the games are. Slot machines are easy to understand and require very little skill when playing them. They are considered to be one of the easiest games that you can play a casino. There is very little skill attached to them and all you are required to do as a player is to place your bet and spin the reels.
Despite their simplistic nature, they are wrapped in exciting visuals and sound effects making them exciting for the player. They are also easy to repackage in different skins meaning you can have a slot machine based on any subject matter.
Some of the more popular slots are based on tv shows such as ‘Game of Thrones’ while others are based on movies such as ‘The Dark Knight’ and even musicians such as ‘Guns n Roses’ and ‘Jimi Hendrix’.
Online video slots are the most popular games you will find at any online casino. Casinos have 100s if not 1000s of these games available on site via a list of multiple games studios like Netent, Quickspin, Woohoo Games, Microgaming and the list goes on.
Video slots are simply traditionally land based slots played on a screen with various different themes and more enhanced features. These video slots are normally played with 5 or more reels and offer more paylines increasing your chances of winning at the online casino.
Video slots offer a wide range of in game features such as scatters, wilds, expanding wilds, tumbling reels, bonus rounds, free spins and various types of jackpots. I explain these different features in more detail here if you are interested in learning more about them.
In Video slots the customer has little to no decision power to make during the game and instead just spins the reel and waits for the outcome. A customers input may be needed if they enter a bonus round and are asked to make a selection or decision.
For example in a bonus round you might be given the option to gamble your winnings by selecting the colour of the next card.
I recommend you play some video slots using the free to play option available at all online casinos. This will allow you to test and play the game without using any real money.
Once you find a game you like you can then switch to playing for real and hopefully win big.I have listed my personal top 5 video slots at the moment here. Give it a read and let me know if you like any of the games too.
- Table Games
Table games are the same type of games offered in live casinos however in this instance they are not ‘live’ and instead are operated using a random number generator at the online casino. Table games are very popular and include games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps.
Online Roulette
One of the oldest games to be found on the casino floor and one that usually draws the biggest crowd. This is the definition of a game of chance and luck. You as a player can do nothing to influence the outcome and can only hope that the ball lands in a favourable position. It is the uncertainty that makes this game so popular and one that can be found in every online casino.
The uncertainty associated with the game is also what allows the player to either make enormous gains or walk out with absolutely nothing. You can bet high stakes and walk out with a lot of money or go broke in an instant. However, the game caters to every type of player and you can play with small stakes as well making roulette safe and entertaining.
Blackjack
Another popular casino game that can be found at online casinos. Also referred to as 21, there are several variations of blackjack that can be found offering different levels of excitement and profitability for the player. The objective of the game is fairly simple – you are required to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. However, achieving that is easier said than done.
Unlike the above-mentioned games which rely purely on luck, Blackjack is one of the few casino games where skill plays an important factor. You can actually improve your chances at blackjack by practicing and applying different strategies.
Baccarat
A popular game that also goes by the name of Punto Banco, Baccarat is a popular casino game in China and many other parts of Asia. Favoured by the high rollers, this game can be learnt in a matter of minutes and requires you to bet on just three possible outcomes – the player, banker or a tie. Most online casinos on my list will provide Baccarat in their casino games library.
Video Poker
Introduced into land based casinos in the 70’s, video poker has been played by millions of people the world over. The game starts with you receiving five cards from a deck of 52. After the cards have been dealt, you have to the option of discarding one or more of them in exchange for new ones drawn from the same deck. After the draw the virtual machine you are playing at will pay out if the hand matches the winning combination.
Unlike the table version, you also has the option of discarding all five cards if need be.
Craps
The rules of this dice game are extremely simple. You are required to guess correctly the results of the rolls or a series of roles of 2 dice. The most notable difference between playing craps at a land based casino versus an online casino is the is the social interaction.
The land based comes with people shouting which can add to the fun but for some they want to avoid that. This is why playing craps online can be fun on your own as well!
Andar Bahar
A relatively new entrant to the world of online casinos, Andar Bahar is game from Bangalore which dates back hundreds of years. The game has spread like wildfire over the rest of the Indian subcontinent due to its simplicity.
It is often played in villages, during family gatherings and you can find people playing it under trees, parking lots and even the floor of trains!
Teen Patti
Teen Patti has its origins in the 16th Century Britain game called Three Card Brag. Three Card Brag can be described as one of the earlier versions of poker where you had to bluff your after being dealt the cards.
It comes as no surprise that Teen Patti which translated into ‘three cards’ in English or, तीन पत्ती in Hindi is also referred to as Indian Poker.
Today the game has reached unprecedented heights and can be found on both Apple and Google Play store. More and more online casinos have also taken note of its popularity and are now including it in their arsenal of casino games.
Rummy
Rummy is a popular card game enjoyed in the sub-continent. Experts consider it to be a cross between Rummy 500 and Gin Rummy while some believe that Indian Rummy evolved from a version of Rummy in South Asia, Celebes Rummy, also called Rhuk. Each player is provided with 13 cards and is required to make sets out of these.
A single deck is used when playing with two players and two decks are chosen if there are six players. Each player is required to draw one card and discard a card as well till he or she creates the sets in accordance with the rules of the game. The first person to complete the set wins the game.
The majority of the leading games studios create top quality tables games which all the online casinos offer. New studios like Woohoo games have created top quality table games with specific games for the Indian market like Andar Bahar and Teen Patti Rapid and Teen Patti Pro.
Table games require a lot more strategy and decision making than video slots. Therefore if a customer plays a perfect strategy in some games this increases the chance of winning. Although table games have less in-game features than video slots if played correctly they can be very profitable.
- Video Poker
Video Poker is a game based around a 5 card poker draw. Customers who play video poker have a level of control over the outcome of the game and the game has one of the lowest house edges.
There are various different types of video games but the fundamental rules remain the same which are as follows:
- You are automatically dealt five cards
- You have the option to hold or discard any or all of the cards you were dealt.
- All cards that are discarded will be replaced with a randomly drawn card.
- If the remaining hands match any of the qualifying poker hands, you will win the corresponding prize.
- Bingo
Not a regular feature of land-based casinos, a game of bingo is usually enjoyed inside bingo walls with several hundred participants. However online casinos are more than happy to host bingo on their platforms, a game hosted by a computer.
The computer draws out the bingo numbers and all you have to do as a player is to sit back, relax and hope that your chosen numbers are called out!
My favourite games for Indian customers
- Live Blackjack by Evolution (Live Casino)
- Live Roulette by Evolution (Live Casino)
- Andar Bahar by Woohoo Games (Table Game)
- Cricket Kings by Woohoo Games (Video Slots)
- Dream Catcher by Evolution (Live Casino)
