Mention the phrase ‘casino games’ and it’s understandable that people might assume that they’re only available in casinos. That couldn’t be further from the truth, of course, with casino games playable in numerous different locations.
Here’s a quick explanation of the various places that you can find some casino games:
Play Online
Online casinos are becoming more and more popular as people choose to play from the comfort of their own homes rather than head out to a traditional ‘brick and mortar’ venue. It’s also made gambling much more casual as players can hop on for a few spins here and there rather than needing to make a whole night of it at the local casino.
Online Casinos
If you can’t get to a brick and mortar casino then an online casino is your next best place to look. Obviously there are tons of them online, so looking for a reputable one is the top priority that you should be investigating. Online casinos have any number of variations on casino games, from live dealer roulette and card games through to slot offerings galore.
They are essentially virtual versions of the casinos that you’d find in real life, but make sure you follow the same rules that you would on a trip to one of them and set yourself a budget. When you’re playing games online it’s easy to forget that the money you’re using is real and just keep on spinning the reels or asking for another card to be dealt. Play sensible but enjoy the sheer number of games on offer and all of the varieties that that includes.
Play In Person
The traditionalists among you may still prefer to play in person, or perhaps want to get the full casino experience, and if that’s the case then there are plenty of options to choose from. The UK has a variety of different options which range from small neighborhood arcades through to bigger Vegas style casinos.
Local Casinos
Hippodrome Casino London
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Real life casinos will always be the first port of call for those of you wishing to play some casino games. A quick search online will show you where your nearest one is and depending on where you live you’re likely to have a choice between one that is part of a bigger chain or one that is local and independent. Which one you go for is entirely up to you, but of course they both have their pluses and minuses.
Unlike in the online world where you can add new money to your account with relative ease, most real-world casinos ask you to pay for your gaming in cash that you exchange for chips, meaning that it’s normally easier to keep track of your budget. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t stick strictly to it, however. The biggest differences between an online casino and a real one are the number and variety of games on offer and the fact you’re physically playing them.
FOBTs
Man Playing on FOBT
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Speaking of staying in charge of your budget, perhaps nothing in the betting world has caused the same level of controversy in recent times as Fixed Odds Betting Terminals. Once referred to as the ‘crack cocaine of gambling’, a government review into their use resulted in the maximum stake playable on them being reduced from £100 to £2.
Their presence in the newspapers and the shift in maximum stake doesn’t mean that they’ve disappeared altogether. You can still find them in bookmaker’s shops on the high street and they offer different casino games for your amusement and betting needs. The change in maximum odds obviously limits how much you can spend, but you can still lose money at a rate of knots if you’re not careful.
Amusement Arcades
Amusement Arcade in Blackpool
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Head to many different seaside locations such as Blackpool or Brighton and you’ll find that there are all sorts of arcades on offer. Most of them are the sorts of games that allow you to win cuddly toys or tokens that can be swapped for prizes, but in many of them you’ll also find an area that is limited to people aged eighteen and over. In there you’ll be able to play the same sort of casino games that we’ve told you about already.
The sorts of games that you’ll be able to play here are obviously limited to what’s available, but in most cases they’ll be the same sorts of machines that you’d find in casinos. That means that there’ll be the usual mix of electronic versions of your favourite card games, roulette and so on. There are also normally plenty of slots on offer, so it’s something of a case of choosing your weapon. Just make sure you choose the game that suits you and has a decent payout.
Pub Fruit Machines
The last place that you’ll be able to find casino games is on pub fruit machines. These ones are reasonably self-explanatory to most people, having been available to play on in pubs from the moment that it was first legal to do so. They come in all shapes and sizes, with the classic ones being like the old-fashioned one-armed bandits. Of course, the more we move into the modern era the more that they have developed and changed to move with the times.
The majority of machines in pubs nowadays offer the user all sorts of different games, perhaps best defined by the presence of quiz games in which you can win money. That’s not the sort of thing we’re talking about here, of course, but it hopefully gives you an idea of the type of device we’re talking about. They also have computerised versions of all of your favourite casino games, so make sure you have a look through the options via the menu and you’ll almost certainly be able to find what you’re looking for.
Bingo Halls
If you were to rock up at the local Mecca or Gala Bingo hall you’d obviously be expecting to get involved with a game of bingo. That’s entirely understandable. Yet just as online bingo companies know that people who login to play bingo on their site might also fancy playing on a slot game or two, so do physical bingo halls accept that it’s not outrageous for the same target audience to want to play some casino games in between games of bingo.
For that reason any bingo site worth its salt will have a generous smattering of machines that offer casino games somewhere onsite. They’ll mostly be slot machines that offer either the more traditional games that you might have played in the past on a one-armed bandit or else the more modern computerised games that have countless lines and ways to win. Regardless of the games on offer, though, the theme is still the same: casino-style games that will be engaging.
Adult Gaming Centres
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Putting the word ‘adult’ in front of anything makes it sound a little bit more risqué, though in the case of adult gaming centres that’s because of the fact that the venues are given over entirely to slot machines and games that only adults can play. That’s why it’s a requirement of the licence to open one that a sign is put by the front door declaring them to be for people aged eighteen and over.
Usually about the size of a normal shop and boasting a name such as ‘Cashino’ or ‘Slots Of Fun’, adult gaming centres offer you the opportunity to play slot machines and similar style games that offer decent prize money that is usually larger than your initial stake. Most of them also offer other games such as computerised roulette and bingo. Generally, though, the main thing you can expect to encounter are slot machines and lots of them.