Several forms of gambling have existed in the Sunshine State since 1931, and many still exist. Tribal casinos have been available in Florida since the 1980s, and an online gambling bill has now legalized gambling in 2021. The challenge with gambling online in Florida isn’t the unavailability of casino sites, it’s what every player must carefully assess before choosing one.
While it is not legally acceptable to play at online casinos in Florida, gamblers in the state can still play their favorite games on online gambling sites in states where the activities are permitted in the US or visit overseas sites. However, before players sign up with any site to play for real money, what should they watch out for?
Every player signing up with a gambling site has something at the top of their mind. The average player may prioritize bonuses and the ease of signing up. However, professional and savvy players will prioritize more than that. Here are some of the things a pro will prioritize.
1. Licensing
The only way to be recognized in any industry is through licensing and registration. It’s the same for online casinos operating within and outside Florida. Being licensed means the gambling site has ticked all boxes and can be trusted by players to fulfill all its promises and secure their data. This doesn’t mean unauthorized sites don’t operate; they do, and here’s how to know them.
Check for their license status. Every casino usually has a regulator’s badge on their website. It could be from the Malta Gaming Authority (Malta), National Excise License Office (Ireland), the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) (Canadian-based casinos), the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (the UK), or any other recognized authority.
If the gambling site of your choice has the logo of any regulatory authority, click on it to see if it takes you to their official website. If it does, your site is licensed, and you can play there.
2. The House Edge and Return to Player (RTP) Percentage
The house edge on a game is the percentage a gambling space will rake off your winnings. The RTP is the percentage you’d get from your winnings after playing in the casino. Your host chooses the house edge and RTP, meaning each online casino has a different percentage, depending on the one you visit. You should then shop for a gambling site with low house edges and RTPs to save enough percentage of your earnings without feeling cheated.
One of the ways to know if a site has high RTP and a low house edge is by checking their website. The average house edge is 1.4% for craps depending on your bet (that is 98.6% RTP), 5-7% for slot machines (93-95% RTP), 0.5-5% for video poker (95-99.5% RTP) and the list goes on. It’s 0.42-1.5% for blackjack, 1.06-14.36% for baccarat, 0.76-5% for video poker, 2.70-5.26% for roulette.
Do the math for the RTP the website should indicate. If you can’t find the quotes for RTP or house edges, check online for gambling review sites that could have the information.
3. The Kinds of Games Available
Several casino games are available on both new and established gambling sites. These are games like roulette, blackjack, slots, baccarat, craps, jackpot, video poker, keno, pai gow, Bingo, lottery games, and many others.
If you have a thing for social casino games, there is a lot in Florida, and you should be on the lookout for the likes of jackpot, slotomania, zynga poker, and other games that don’t disregard the state’s rules. You should also confirm the compatibility of the games with mobile devices.
Some gambling sites only make their games available on a PC or Mac. It isn’t easy to navigate and enjoy on mobile phones or apps, which shouldn’t be so. Therefore, confirm if you’ll enjoy the same audio and video quality while playing on your mobile device, just as you would on your laptop.
4. Consider the Promotions and Bonuses Available
Click baits, lies, opportunities to rake in more customers: bonuses are real regardless of what you call them. They’re incentives that every online casino will maximize to get you to sign up; it’s left to you to choose the platform with the best option. You should, therefore, find ways to maximize these perks for your good.
To get started, shop for different online platforms that offer bonuses. These bonuses include cashback, deposit, no deposit, welcome, or loyalty bonuses. Any of these bonuses can make playing and winning games easier since you can maximize them when you don’t have enough money. It could even be in the form of free spins or accessibility to demo versions of their games.
However, watch out for the policies attached to these bonuses. Some sites say that you can’t withdraw what you’ve won with these bonuses until you earn 2X or 3X of the earnings by betting with real money. Some can let you withdraw half while you leave the amount you’ve used to stake your game. Regardless of the site you choose, ensure their policy of using their bonuses is as friendly as possible.
5. Variety of Payment Options
The variety of payment options makes playing at an online casino easy. This lets you deposit and withdraw your money easily. The more their payment methods, the better.
This means you should look for gambling platforms that allow cryptocurrency, bank transfers, wire transfers, credit or debit cards, and e-wallet transfers. The variety makes it easy for you to choose the methods you trust.
6. Customer Support
Customer support is an essential part of all you must consider. After all, good customer support service promotes trust between gamblers and the casino establishment and helps with brand image.
This is because a site concerned about its customers will provide the best customer experience, which may include live chat and email support. Providing this support makes it easy to communicate when you have issues requiring urgent attention.
7. Security and Safety Measures
Gambling online comes with risks, but the security and safety measures of the casino can protect you. Start by checking if the site has SSL (Secured Socket Layers) encryption technology. This would mean your present activities are protected from hackers.
You should also check if the platform has HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), which is the padlock beside the link on their website. HTTPS protects your internet connection security to prevent hacking while browsing. Aside from these, check if there’s a way to effect two-factor authentication on your account.
Conclusion
The risk and thrill of gambling online mean you need the best services from the many online casinos available. While considering the ease of registering your account is essential, you should also prioritize factors such as a variety of games and payment methods. In addition, consider the safety measures in place as well as the quality and availability of the customer support team.
