What are the Best iGaming Verticals for Beginners?
Posted by Harry Kane on Friday, June 10, 2022
If you’re new to the world of online gambling, there’s no doubt that you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to the dazzling array of verticals available. This applies across iGaming (online casino gameplay) and remote betting too, with the UK home to one of the most lucrative and progressive marketplaces in the world.
While this may change to some degree in the wake of the government’s upcoming white paper on gambling and its wider review of the 2005 Gambling Act, for now it can be hard to select your preferred games and verticals (never mind wager responsibly and within your means at all times).
So, it’s important to develop an understanding of the online casino market in particular and determine which verticals offer the best value to beginners. We’ll review some of the best options for beginners below, while offering some betting and strategy tips to keep in mind at all times.
#1. Online Slots
Let’s start with a basic assertion; games of chance tend to offer considerably more value to beginners than those that require some form of skill and strategic thinking. This is a key distinction, and while you cannot control the outcomes associated with games of chance due to the use of random number generators (RNGs), they’re much easier to understand and appealing to casual players.
Online slots are arguably the ultimate game of chance, as they require you to randomly spin a fixed number of reels and look to land predetermined winning combinations of variable value. You can also unlock bonus features and gameplay through most online slots, and while such elements are usually triggered randomly, they can unlock larger and more frequent payouts.
Slots also dominate the iGaming space, accounting for more than two-thirds (approximately 70%) of the total gross gaming yield (GGY) in the UK marketplace. So, the vertical boasts an incredible selection and diversity of titles for both casual and serious gamblers alike, while there’s also a growing number of games that are themed and heavily influenced by films, television series’ and other elements of pop culture.
Slots are incredibly easy to comprehend and play, making them ideal for beginners. Most online casinos also make their slots available in demo mode, which means that you
can play them indefinitely and get a feel for their gameplay without having to commit your hard-earned bankroll. This is a huge consideration, as you can take tentative steps towards playing for real money and minimising your risk of loss over time.
The slots vertical also offers a variable and broad return-to-player (RTP) rate, which describes the average amount you can expect to recoup for every £1 wagered through a particular game or vertical. Typically, a slots’ library will feature and RTP range of between 89% and 97%, depending on the game’s underlying level of variance, the frequency of payouts and the maximum jackpot in play.
Usually, slots with lower RTP rates provide larger payouts at a lower frequency, whereas games with a higher rate of return deliver more regular (and modest) prizes over time. So, you can select games that suit your level of experience and appetite for risk, enabling beginners to target certified slots with an RTP rate of 97% or above.
#2. Roulette
Online table game iterations are much less popular than slots, but they still account for around 15% of the total GGY in the UK’s iGaming market. The two most popular table games remain roulette and blackjack, the former of which is also a game of chance that sees the spin of a wheel and its outcomes dictated by an advanced RNG.
While there are different types and iterations of roulette (we’ll touch on these further below), the game usually starts when a dealer spins the roulette wheel and sets a small, metallic ball in motion. When the wheel stops, the ball will land on a number ranging from 1 and 36, and players will either win or lose depending on the wagers that they placed while the wheel was in motion.
The most popular iteration of roulette for beginners is European roulette, which offers an RTP rate of 97.3% and a corresponding house edge of 2.7% (the latter can be calculated by subtracted the RTP from a value of 100%). Conversely, American roulette features a wheel with an extra ‘zero’, lowering the RTP rate to just 94.7% and causing the house edge to peak at a whopping 5.3%.
Rarely, you’ll also find French roulette iterations available online, which are almost identical to the European version and boast a starting RTP rate of 97.3%. However, this format also features the popular ‘La Partage’ rule, which enables players to retain half of their wager if the ball lands in the zero grove. This lowers the house edge to 1.35% and increases the RTP rate to 98.65%, making it an ideal choice for beginners wherever possible.
Regardless of your preferred iteration, however, you’ll have to master a broad range of inside and outside bets with roulette, from selecting singe numbers to wagering on whether the ball will land on red or black or an odd or even number (both of which are even money markets). There are other options available too, and understanding these will help you to cover as much of the roulette wheel as possible and optimise your broader betting strategy.
#3. Blackjack
We’ll close with blackjack, which is actually categorised as a game of skill and one that doesn’t always appeal to beginners. This is because you can use a rudimentary numerical ability to appraise the hands drawn and estimate your chances of winning in real-time (especially when
playing with a minimal number of decks) and deploy betting strategies to minimise the impact of loss.
There are also a huge number of blackjack iterations available online. Broadly speaking, however, the game will pit you directly against a dealer as you’re drawn an initial hand of two cards. The goal is to build a hand with a value that’s as close to 21 as possible, while exceeding this number will see you go ‘bust’. The combination of an ace with a 10 or picture card is the perfect hand, as this is a ‘blackjack’ and impossible to beat (although a dealer can equal it).
Crucially, blackjack offers one of the most competitive RTP rate for beginners, with this peaking as high as 99.6% with some iterations. This translates into a minimal house edge of 0.4%, optimising your chances of winning with every single hand and boosting the amount of cash that you recoup over the course of your iGaming session.
The key is to target blackjack iterations with the most favourable rules. For example, games with a smaller number of decks offer an advantage to those of you with strong numerical skills, while some games also compel the dealer to ‘stand’ on a hand of 17 and afford you a far greater chance to overtake this.