Guide to online casino games UK

• Rules can be either very simple or extremely complex
• No skill
• House edge varies
• Variance varies
• Widely available

Slots come in all shapes and sizes. However, the basic concept remains the same, from the physical one-armed bandit of a brick-and-mortar casino to the modern mobile video slot.

Slot machines are the easiest game to play. You just pick your bet, make the reels spin and hope for a win. No skill involved, slots are 100% randomness.

There are different winning mechanisms, themes, features and payouts.

• Simple rules
• No skill
• Low house edge
• Low and high variance betting options
• Widely available

Roulette is one of the easiest games available in every casino. It doesn't require any skill, the rules are easy to learn and the payouts easy to remember.

Roulette features a wheel with 37 numbered pockets, ranging from 0 to 36. Next to the wheel, there's a betting area with the corresponding numbers.

Players can bet on single numbers or different groups of numbers. For example, a number can be either red or black, odd or even and big or small.

After the bets are made, the dealer spins the roulette wheel and launches a small white ball inside the wheel to spin in the opposite direction. As the ball slows down, it will bounce off the reflectors for random results, and eventually land in one of the pockets. This number is the winner.

The payout for each bet depends on how many numbers your bet covers. For single numbers, the payout is 35:1. If you guessed the colour correctly, the payout is only 1:1.

• Quite simple rules
• Requires skill
• Extremely slim house edge
• 1:1 and 3:2 payouts in the main game, more variance available in sidebets
• Widely available

Together with roulette and slots, blackjack is one of the cornerstones of any casino's table game selection. It's a must-have.

In other respectives, blackjack is the opposite of roulette. Although the rules are fairly simple, there is a learning curve in blackjack strategy.

Blackjack is played against the dealer with a standard 52-card deck. The object of the game is to get a higher value hand than the dealer by taking more cards. The trick is to not go over 21: if you do, you lose instantly.

Blackjack is an interesting, brainy game, where the odds for every possible situation have been carefully calculated. You don't need to know the odds by heart: there's a basic strategy chart that tells what to do with any given hand.

Although some of these moves may initially feel counter-intuitive, they can shave the house edge all the way to 0.5%.

In our blackjack online casinos guide, we will introduce you to the basics of the game and also cover advanced topics such as:

• Basic strategy
• Blackjack variations
• Side bets
• Card counting

In addition, we have our very own blackjack trainer app you can download for both Android and iOS:

• Blackjack trainer for Android
• Blackjack trainer for iOS

• Simple rules
• No decision-making mid-play
• Low house edge
• 0.95 or 1:1 payouts in the main game + sidebets
• Often available

Baccarat is a casino table game shrouded in ritual. It has the image of an exclusive game for players with deep pockets and/or a licence to kill. However, most casinos have it, and especially online, it can be played for small bets too.

The most widely available version of baccarat is punto banco. There are two main betting options: Player and Banker. These are just names of the two different hands that play against each other. They have nothing to do with you playing against the dealer. You can bet on either one, and your objective is to guess which hand is going to win. Apart from this, you don't make any decisions.

Baccarat card values and hand values

Baccarat is played with a standard 52-card deck, and there are usually 8 decks in a shoe. The card values are as follows:

• A = 1
• 2 to 9 = pip value
• 10 and faces = 0

The maximum value of a hand is 9. If the total goes to 10 or over, the 10 is deducted.

EXAMPLE: 8+8 is counted as 6 instead of 16.

Gameplay

After the bets are placed, the dealer deals out two cards face up for both hands.

If the hand's total is 8 or 9, this is known as a "natural". A natural automatically wins against other hands and the round ends.

If there are no naturals, the player and the banker hands may either stand or receive a third card. This is based on preset rules. More on these below.

After this, the value of hands are compared. The hand closer to 9 wins.

Payouts

The default payouts in baccarat are as follows:

• Player bet pays 1:1
• Banker bet pays 0.95:1
• In case of a tie, your original bet is returned

You can also bet on a tie, but this is a sucker bet for two reasons:

1. The house edge for the tie bet is a whopping 14.36%, and
2. If there is a tie and you had bet on either player or banker, you get your money back anyway.

House edge and RTP

In baccarat, the house edge differs between different bets:

• Banker bet: house edge 1.06%, RTP 98.94%
• Player bet: house edge 1.24%, RTP 98.76%
• Tie bet: house edge 14.36%, RTP 85.64%

Instead of paying a flat 1:1 on both banker and player hands, casinos deducts 5% of all banker hand winnings. This is known as the "commission". Casinos us commission because the banker hand has slightly better odds of winning than the player hand.

The banker bet commission and the underdog setting of the player form the house edge in baccarat.

In the light of math, betting on banker is a smart move in baccarat.

• Complex rules
• Skill required
• Low house edge
• Low and high variance betting options
• Usually available in some form

Poker is a card game that combines strategy, skill, psychology with a bit of chance. It's traditionally played against several opponents. In a casino version, you usually play against the dealer.

There are many different variants of poker available in casinos, but most of the versions have some shared characteristics:

• A common hand for all the players and one hand for the dealer
• An ante bet before the first cards are dealt
• Extra betting rounds before more cards are dealt
• Community cards that can be used by the dealer and the player
• Payouts based on your hand value

Here are some of the poker versions available in casinos online and offline:

• Casino Hold'em
• Texas Hold'em
• Caribbean Stud
• Three Card Poker
• Bet on Poker

• Simple rules
• No skill
• Medium house edge
• Low and high variance betting options
• Available in most live dealer casinos

Money wheel or wheel of fortune is one of the simplest casino games available.

The most widely available money wheel version is Dream Catcher by Evolution Gaming. The company has also released MONOPOLY Live, a very similar game. Both can be found in most live dealer casinos.

Playing a live money wheel game is a social experience, even online. The chatty host creates a gameshow atmosphere, and people can post comments and questions in real time chat.

Dream Catcher features a big wheel with varying amounts of numbered sectors. Here's how you play it:

• Place your bet on one or more numbers
• The dealer spins the wheel
• The wheel stops on a winning number
• You win your bet multiplied by that number

In Dream Catcher, you can bet on 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 40. The number determines:

• Who wins
• How much they win
• What are the implied odds of winning

The amount of sectors for each number differs, and there are a total of 54 sectors. For example, number 1 appears 23 times, whereas number 40 appears only once.

EXAMPLE: The payout for number 5 is 5:1, and the chance for the wheel to stop on 5 is roughly 1 out of 5, minus the house edge.

Multipliers

The wheel also features two bonus sectors: 2x Multiplier and 7x Multiplier. If the wheel stops on a multiplier, it's spun again and the wins from the next number are then multiplied.

The rules allow for the wheel to stop on the multipliers several times in a row. Those multipliers are then multiplied again, creating potential for massive wins. However, the odds for this happening are slim.

Dream Catcher RTP

The RTP of Dream Catcher varies from 90.57% to 96.58% , depending on which number you play. When it comes to odds, 10 is your best bet; 40 the worst.

Some really unlikely events (e.g. hitting the 7x multiplier twice in a row before landing on 40) have also been factored into the maximum RTP. Subsequently, the RTP in a single session may vary a lot.

MONOPOLY Live

Monopoly Live is an updated version of the Dream Catcher. It has the following betting options:

• 1
• 2
• 5
• 10
• 2 ROLLS
• 4 ROLLS

The numbered slots work just like they do in Dream Catcher: you win your bet multiplied by the number.

The 2 ROLLS and 4 ROLLS sectors start a 3D bonus game, featuring the classic Monopoly board game. You'll only get your share of the bonus game winnings, if you have placed a bet on the 2 ROLLS or 4 ROLLS sector.

The dice are rolled and the animated Monopoly guy in a top hat starts walking on the board. He starts from the GO square and gathers multipliers wherever he stops.

The multipliers grow towards the end of the lap, but there's also the jail and an income tax to worry about. You can also get random rewards from Chance and Community Chest.

The actual wheel also features two Chance sectors, with multiplier rewards.

• Complex rules
• Decision making possible after every roll
• Low house edge
• Low and high variance betting options
• Rarely available outside US land based casinos

Craps is a dice game that's especially popular in America. It's notoriously confusing to explain, but by playing it, you'll get the hang of it in no time.

Craps is a social game played with two dice. You usually go with the crowd and bet for the shooters to hit the total number they need in order to win.

Here are the main phases of a round of craps.

Comeout roll

The comeout roll is the first roll on the betting round, and it's used to resolve the Pass line bet. This roll has three possible outcomes:

• 7 or 11 - Pass: the shooter wins 1:1.
• 2, 3 or 12 - Don't pass: the shooter loses.
• 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 - number just rolled becomes the Point and the game proceeds to the next phase.

Pass line bet

If the shooter didn't roll an instantly winning or losing number in the previous phase, the pass line bet is resolved this way:

• The number from the Comeout roll is the point.
• The shooter tries to roll that number again before rolling a 7.
• If they get the point number, the pass line bet wins 1:1.
• If they roll a seven before that, they lose.

In case the shooter wins, they still continue to roll until they roll a 7. This is done to resolve other bets, explained below.

When the shooter rolls a 7 and loses, it's time to pass the dice to the next player.

Come

Come is like a pass line bet placed mid-round, i.e. after the comeout roll. Here's how come bet is resolved:

• 7 or 11 - come bet wins 1:1.
• 2, 3 or 12 - come bet loses.
• 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 - this number needs to come up again before the shooter rolls a 7.

Field

Unlike pass line bet and come bet that may take several rolls to resolve, field bet only applies to the next roll. Here's how the field bet works:

• 2 pays 2:1
• 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 pay 1:1
• 12 pays 3:1
• 5, 6, 7 and 8 loses

• Simple rules
• No skill
• Medium house edge
• High variance options available
• Limited availability

Sic Bo is an ancient dice game originating from China. Sic bo features 3 dice, and your objective is to guess what combination the next roll will result in.

The sic bo board with tens different betting options may look confusing, but it's actually fairly simple. You can bet on:

• Total sums
• Even or odd total sum
• Doubles or triples
• Featured individual numbers
• Exact combinations of two or three numbers

The payouts vary between versions and brick-and-mortar casinos.

Online, sic bo is just starting to find its global audience. Currently, there's only one widely available live casino version, Evolution Gaming's Super Sic Bo.

The payouts closely resemble the actual odds and the house edge is relatively modest. With the optimal RTP of 97.22% for the Big/Small bet, it's on par with European roulette.

• Simple rules
• No skill
• Medium house edge
• High variance
• Limited availability

Scratch cards, scratchers or scratchies - this form of gambling has many names. In addition to the physical version sold in shops, you can play scratchcards online.

The winning mechanisms in scratch cards vary. You usually need to reveal a specific amount of the same symbol to get a win. Different symbols usually feature different winning amounts.

Scratch cards feature different themes, game types, payouts and purchase prices. The physical versions in the UK range from £1 to £5. In the online versions, you can usually pick the bet per card yourself.

Although the appearance and winning mechanism of an online scratch card is similar to the physical version, the gameplay mostly resembles a single spin of an online slot. Sure, you can get in the mood by scratching your screen and revealing the symbols one by one, but no amount of hocus pocus is going to make a difference. The results of a round are determined by a random number generator.

• Simple rules
• Online bingo is automated and doesn't require any skill
• In live bingo, you need some reaction speed
• Medium house edge
• High variance
• Limited availability

Bingo is a social gambling pastime, usually associated with senior citizens. In addition to the brick-and-mortar bingo parlors, the game can also be enjoyed online.

The idea of bingo is simple:

1. Buy a bingo ticket
2. The ticket features one or more grids with numbers.
3. The announcer calls out numbers and you highlight those numbers on your ticket.
4. When you fill out a row, you yell "Bingo!" and get a win.
5. The game continues and the next player needs to get 2 rows for a bingo.
6. The round ends when the player with 5 rows (full grid) yells "Bingo!"
7. Alternatively, the round ends when a specific amount of numbers is called.

Bingo rules vary somewhat between games:

• Ticket price
• Payouts
• Different amount of possible numbers
• Horizontal rows only vs horizontal + vertical

The most popular bingo variant in the UK is the 90 ball bingo. The ticket features one or more 3-by-9 grids. They have both numbers that are already filled-in and some blank spaces. You only win from the horizontal rows of numbers. 

Online casinos specialising in bingo offer many different versions of live bingo. In addition, many sites feature RNG-based bingo games you can enjoy at your own pace.

• Simple rules
• No skill
• Big house edge
• Extremely high variance
• Limited availability

Lottery games are a very slow paced form of gambling with potential to win millions on one go. Here's how lottery works:

1. Buy a lottery ticket.
2. You wait for the draw. Depending on the lottery, there may be 1 to 3 draws every week.
3. You win if the numbers on your ticket match the numbers drawn.
4. If you match all the numbers, you hit a jackpot. This can be millions of pounds.

The rules and winning mechanisms vary between lottery games. Here are some of the key elements:

• How much is the ticket?
• What's the main prize?
• Can you choose your own numbers?
• How many possible numbers are there?
• How many numbers are chosen?
• How many numbers are drawn?
• How often is the draw?
• Are the winnings paid out all at once or in instalments?

There are different kinds of lotteries available online and in betting shops. In online casinos specialising on lottery, you can take part in fascinating lottery draws around the globe, including:

• Euro Jackpot
• Powerball
• El Gordo (the Spanish Christmas lottery)

• Simple rules
• No skill
• Massive house edge
• High variance
• Limited availability

Keno closely resembles the lottery, but there are some key differences:

• Keno has more frequent draws, but the jackpots are smaller.
• You can choose how many numbers you play.
• Payouts are in relation to how many numbers you played, not just how many you hit.
• You can choose your bet.

Keno is a fun, simple game that offers far more betting options than lottery. However, it has a high house edge compared to most other forms of gambling. Depending on what version you play and where, the house edge in Keno can be over 10%, sometimes even more than 20%.

Casino games are a versatile form of gambling and feature a vast range of games. Some are hundreds or even thousands of years old and originate from ancient civilizations. Others are more recent innovations.

With the older games, the name of the original innovator has been lost. From the more recent game inventors, we can list:

• Blaise Pascal - A 17th century French mathematician and inventor of the roulette wheel
• Charles August Fey - Invented the first coin-operated slot machine in San Francisco in 1894.
• Geoff Hall - Created and patented Blackjack Switch in 2009 and has invented other recent blackjack variants.

Most casino games are purely games of chance. This means you have no way of affecting the outcome of the game or improve your chances of winnings.

Other games have some element of skill: by making smarter decisions, you can significantly lower the house edge in these games. Games with an element of skill include blackjack and poker.

While we cannot offer a sure way to win in casino games, there are ways you can limit your losses. For example, see what we have to say about money management and gambling rookie mistakes.

Online casino games are powered by a random number generator and a mathematical model that determines whether you win or lose. Behind the flashy images and intuitive user interface, it's just computer code.

Many game suppliers don't bother with coming up with new mechanisms for every new game. As a result, a new online slot may just be a reskin of an older game with different theme and graphics.

Depends what you're after.

The casino game with the smallest house edge is blackjack, providing you play it well.

If you're not interested in paying your dues and spending the time necessary to master the blackjack basic strategy, you should check out our section on how to choose a casino game. We list different games best suited for different preferences.

Blackjack. Providing your strategy is perfect, you can take the house edge down to 0.5%. This means that for every £100 you bet on blackjack, on average, you win back £99.50.

However, learning to play blackjack well enough takes some effort.

If you're looking for a game with a small house edge and no skill involved, check out baccarat. Remember to bet on banker, as this bet has the lowest house edge, around 1.06%.

• Blackjack
• Baccarat
• Red dog
• All variations of poker

• Sic bo
• Craps

Casino games are games of chance with a built-in house edge. By playing them, you take a conscious risk that you're going to lose more than you're going to win.

Does this mean they're rigged? No.

Online casino games have to undergo a rigorous inspection before they can be offered to players. When online games are published, they are tested and certified by independent testing agencies.

Without such a certificate, the game supplier has no business operating in regulated markets, such as the UK.

Inspection bodies include companies such as Gaming Laboratories International, BMM Spain Testlabs and eCOGRA. Some are competent to test only online casino games, whereas others can also certify physical slot machines, bingo games and casino equipment.

The UK Gambling Commission provides the full list of testing bodies authorised to certify products for the UK gambling market.

Depends on the definition. There are a dozen or so main types of classic casino games. However, each has several variants.

For example, there are dozens of rule variations of blackjack and several versions of roulette. Are these separate games?

Online slots is the biggest category of casino games. On Bojoko alone, we have listed over 1,000 slots. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This depends whether you're playing online or offline. Online casino games offer more flexibility and usually a wider selection of games too.

In online casinos, your can start betting as low as:

• Roulette: 10p on individual numbers or outside bets
• Blackjack: 10p per hand
• Slots: 1p per payline

In brick-and-mortar casinos, there are human dealers operating the table games, and those people need to get paid. That's why the minimum bets can be quite high compared to the online casino. In a land-based casino, expect to bet at least:

• Roulette: £1 on individual numbers, £5 on outside bets
• Blackjack: £5 per hand
• Slots: 1p per payline