I've had a number of people tell me that the main reason they don't play pokies online, is because they're not sure how to, it all seems a bit too complicated. So I've thrown together my top 5 tips for people who want to play online, but haven't tried to yet.
 

1. Choose a casino with a good reputation and stable software

All of the casinos you see on this website have been played in by myself personally, I have won in them and cashed out. You'll find thousands of casinos all over the internet and it's hard to know which ones are the safest.

Look to see where they are licensed and if they are regulated at all. Look for things like eCogra, (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) (from their website) eCOGRA is a management owned London-based player protection and standards organisation that provides an international framework for best operational practice requirements, with particular emphasis on fair and responsible gambling.

Look for the seal and you know that the casino adheres to high standards of fairness and accountability.

If the casino is not monitored by eCogra, you should check the licensing. Casinos licensed in most UK or European countries are generally considered safe as the licenses are very hard to get and cost a lot of money. Places like Alderney, Gibraltar, Malta and Kahnawake are considered safe options and you should feel comfortable playing in a casino licensed from those areas.

With software, I would recommend sticking with the most reputable software providers like Microgaming, Playtech, WagerWorks, Party Gaming, Cryptologic and Net Entertainment.

2 Play in your own currency

Wherever possible, play in your own currency and you'll have fewer issues come cashout time. Most of the casinos on this site offer the option of playing in $AUD.

3 Use your credit card first, if you don't have an e-wallet

Provided you have chosen a reputable casino, your credit card is actually one of the safest ways to play online. Check that the casino accepts your card and then use that for your first deposit. You are covered by your card issuer in the case of any wrong doing and to date I've never heard of anyone having credit card issues when they use reputable casinos.

If you intend on playing a lot more, I recommend getting an e-wallet and my recommended one for Australian players is Neteller.

You can deposit into your Neteller account safely with your credit card, then use the Neteller account like an online bank account. Casinos will pay you faster this way and you can also get a free Mastercard Debit card to use in ATMs all over the world, linked to your account. Very handy if you have a big win and want to pull some cash out.

You can read my Neteller review here

4 ALWAYS give accurate information

During the sign up process, make sure you always give your correct details. This is important for when you win and are cashing out. The casino will need to verify your identity and will likely request a LOT of information from you.

Do not freak out, this is for YOUR benefit, so no one can hack your email and try to cash out your money.

Signing up is usually a 2 minute process, but don't give fake names or addresses. Come cashout time, they will ask you to prove your address with a utility bill and will want to see your Passport or Drivers License, or both. This is totally normal and they will not use this information for their own gain.

5 Take full advantage of the Bonuses

Online casinos will offer you free money when you deposit. Unlike land based casinos, online casinos don't have massive overheads but they do have a lot of competition. They will use money to bring you in, so take full advantage of this.

At the very least, you should expect a match on your first deposit. How much they match it, will depend on the casino so you should shop around.

If you can afford it, and the casino will match you up to $200, you should deposit $200 and then you'll have $400 to play with. Always deposit the max you can on your first deposit, it is always going to be the best offer. The 1st deal is ALWAYS the best, so maximise it.

You don't have to play it all at once and you can come back any time and start playing again, it is safe in your casino bank account. Try to set aside a dollar amount per session (say $50), then you know you have 8 sessions to play, 8x the fun!

Make sure you check the Wager Requirement too, this is how many times you will need to cycle the cash before you can pull it out. It may seem like a lot at first, but you'll be surprised how fast it goes down. If you're unsure what a Wager Requirement is, check out this article.

Here are some live examples from trusted casinos.

Casino	Bonus Offer	Wager Requirement
	100% match up to $300 on your first deposit	Only 20x!
	100% match up to $200 on your 1st deposit, then 100% up to $300 on your second	50x
	100% match up to $150 on 1st deposit, then a number of match bonuses up to $1000	30x

For a limited time Platinum Play Casino is offering new players 1500 free bets on their pokies.

Platinum Play is a fun casino on the Microgaming platform. As most online pokie players know, Microgaming usually have the best selection of pokies and are bringing out new ones all the time.

Recently they released Thuderstruck II which is the followup to one of the most popular online pokies ever.

Fortunately the Thunderstruck II pokie is available to play on this special deal, so I suggest you have a go at it.

So what's the catch?

There is no catch really, you basically have a whole 24 hours to play down 1500 bets/credits or spins on your favourite pokies.

At the end of the 24 hour poeriod, whatever you have left OVER the initial 1500 credits, is yours to keep! (up to a maximum of $100).

To claim any winnings, you will need to make a deposit of at least $20 (this is to verify you are a legitimate person and not a bot), then you can pull out your winnings or use it to play any of their other 240 pokies.

How can I start playing?

Simply click any of the banners on this page of click the link below, you will be taken to a special page where you can start playing. You would be best to download the casino software to your PC and play it that way, youll find the reels spin better (no jerks and clunks like you get with a busy internet connection) and you'll find your games load a lot quicker.

Click here for your 1500 free spins

One of the things online casinos like to do is give you bonuses in the form of cash. Now don't be fooled into thinking this is the folding stuff you can put in your pocket, sadly no, the casinos will give you 'bonus' cash to play in the casino, but rarely will they let you walk out with it.

You see, your average land based casino uses things like free parking or cheap meals to keep you coming through the doors, but online casinos don't have that luxury, so they offer you what they call a 'Sign up Bonus' (a bonus they will give you when you first sign up) or a 'Reload Bonus' (a bonus amount of money given to you when you deposit subsequent times in the casino.

Are These Bonuses Useful?

Now before you worry that these bonuses are no good to you, hear me out:

Some casinos offer extremely generous sign up bonuses, sometimes up to $3000, even if you're only depositing say $100 or $200. They can do this by putting restrictions on how the bonus money can be played (which I'll explain shortly), but this also allows you to play games at much higher stakes than you normally would have been able to, helping you to meet your 'Wager Requirement' or 'Playthrough' faster.

The wager requirement (WR from now on) is the amount of times you need to cycle that cash BEFORE you are allowed to withdraw it. It's the casino's way of keeping you in the casino and not running off with their bonus money without even playing. WR varies from casino to casino and I would strongly advise you check out the rules for each casino before you deposit.

Before you get freaked out, TBH it's not that bad. On average you can expect a WR of around 15-30x depending on where you go and how much the bonus cash is worth.

The good news is that almost always, slots (or pokies) are the preferred game for casinos and they will allow 100% of your wagers to count towards your WR, whereas other games like Roulette and Blackjack will not.

Still confused? Here's an example….

Real Live Example Of a Match Bonus

Here's a match bonus of up to $200 being offered at Bet365 (these are the guys who have the Aristocrat pokies, so go ahead and click that banner!).

Now when you click through to their home page, look for a 'Promotions' link (most casinos have these at the bottom or near the top of the screen)

Then when you click through, look for the Terms & Conditions. This will tell you what the WR will be and any other terms. The Bet365 terms on this bonus are many, but the most important ones are at the top:

1. Deposit/transfer $20 or more to Games and you will be entitled to a 100% bonus up to a maximum of $200.
2. To bet with your bonus, play through the amount of your deposit/transfer once on qualifying games. You will need to play through your deposit/transfer and bonus 20 times prior to making a withdrawal. Please note your real balance will be used prior to any bonus funds.

So this one is easy to work out.

If we deposit $100 – they will match it with $100 = $200.

Then we need to play through or wager our deposit and bonus 20x before we can withdraw.

So 20 x 200 = $4000.

WOAH!

Now that may sound like a lot, but remember, you will be winning bits and pieces all the time, going up and down on your balance, and if you are playing Max Credits, your wins will be a lot higher. You will be surprised at how fast that WR will be met.

Most casinos allow you to ask support staff for a balance if it isn't showing in your balance.

Here's a few casinos with their respective bonuses:

In another article, I will explain the different types of bonuses you may come across including Sticky Bonuses and No Deposit Bonuses.

If you've been curious about playing in an online casino, but have been unsure about the safety and security of playing in an online casino, fear not. Here is a quick guide for playing in online casinos that will help you to make a more informed decision about where you play.

Regulation

These days most online casinos are regulated by the country they are licensed in and by an independent online casino regulatory body. Organizations such as eCogra (e-commerce and online gaming regulation assurance) regularly screen online casinos and ensure that their systems are all compliant. This ensures that everything from game fairness to payment processes are all legal and adhered to so the player can be assured of a satisfactory experience.

Look for the eCogra seal when you are playing online casinos to be sure they are playing by the rules.

.

Deposit and Withdrawal

For Australian and Kiwi players, you might find that your credit card will be rejected by casinos when trying to deposit. This can be for a number of reasons, but don't worry, it's not a warning sign or any reflection on your own credit record or anything. Some Australian banks are very paranoid when it comes to online transactions and Casinos fall into the category of 'shady' sometimes (doesn't seem to matter when they're draining your account at the casino!).

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, your credit card is one of the safest ways you can deposit money at an online casino as all transactions are timestamped and can be reversed by your credit card company as long as you can provide a plausible reason that you did not make those deposits. As far as credit card security, online casinos want to see you back so they don't want to make you feel unsafe or ripped off. They employ the highest encryption technology known to man and I'm yet to hear a genuine story from anyone who has had problems with their credit card information and an online casino.

If you prefer not to use your credit card, consider using a 3rd party banking facility such as Neteller. Neteller is the preferred payment solution for most online casinos and many will give you up to 15% MORE MONEY with every deposit, just for using Neteller! Also, this is the fastest way to withdraw your winnings, some casinos will let you withdraw instantly to Neteller accounts.

You can find out more about Neteller here.

Privacy and Information

If you take nothing else away from this website apart from this nugget of gold, don't ever forget it!

ALWAYS use your REAL information when setting up accounts with online casinos.

Do not panic. They will ask you a STUPID amount of questions and request a ton of seemingly unimportant information, but this is VERY important when it comes time to cash out. You see, the casino has to verify you are who you say you are, so you need to be 100% accurate with all your information.

Be prepared to give them scanned copies of your passport, a utility bill and a credit card statement. They will request these at cashing out time and don't be offended if they ask for these documents. If you check the terms and conditions of the website, they will state this very clearly and you are encouraged to read these before you play.

Rest assured that your information is safe. They want you to keep coming back, so they won't give your information to any other casino or institution.

To speed up the process, I suggest keeping a scanned copy of your ID and utility bills on your desktop so they can be easily accessed for emailing their security team.

Our Recommendation

All of the casinos promoted on this site are 100% verified safe to play in and withdraw from for Australian and NZ players. If for any reason you have any trouble with ANY of the casinos listed on this site, please feel free to contact me direct and I will help you settle the issue from the inside. Often the dispute is a misunderstanding over "playthrough" terms and conditions, so please ensure you have checked the terms and conditions properly before making a complaint.

For most people, I advise them to just deposit what they can afford to lose first, before going to far with any casino. Once you are comfortable with the casino and the way they handle your business, then you can decide to play more with them.

I recently met with a representative from The Palace Group (Spin Palace Casino, Ruby Fortune Casino) up in London and asked him a few questions about VIP players and what it takes to be a VIP.

What is a VIP Player?

Before we get into it, let me tell you that until I had this conversation I always thought VIPs were like the big whale players in land based casinos who were spending thousands of dollars an hour to get free rooms and drinks. It seems things are a little different in the online casino world, which is good news for you.

So what is a VIP Player? Basically casinos refer to their higher stakes players as VIP’s. These are people who invest a significant amount of time and wagers in a particular casino, so the casino rewards this loyalty by providing them with services and bonuses over and above what a regular player receives.

What does a VIP receive?

Once you reach VIP status, you are assigned your own personal account manager, this is like the land based version of a ‘casino host’. This person will help you out with your deposits and withdrawals if you have any issues and they also work with you on your bonuses or ‘comps’.

One nice example of this was a story of a senior aged woman who had been a VIP in a particular casino for quite a while and she had enjoyed many bonuses and gifts from the casino over the years for her loyalty. However, when asked by her host why she wasn’t able to play a particluar game, the host found out this woman had been playing on a beat up old laptop that was probably one of the first ones ever built!

The new games require a faster computer, so the casino bought her the latest model laptop and couriered it to her house. The woman was so happy, now she could not only play all the new games, but she was also able to Skype her grand children and watch them grow up from the other side of the world.

This story is apparently quite typical of the things hosts will do for their players.

Is it true the casino pays for cruises and holidays?

Yes, this is 100% true. In fact, last year The Palace Group took a couple of lucky VIP’s to Kenya, Africa where they went to a safari park and stayed in 1st class jungle accommodation (yes, it was in the jungle, but 1st class all the way!).

Cruises are the normal currency for VIPS and they run competitions that only VIPs can enter with amazing prizes up for grabs.

On top of trips VIPs also enjoy Loyalty Point bonuses up to 40% more points for every dollar wagered and access to exclusive VIP Tournaments which is where the REAL money can be won. VIPs also enjoy faster withdrawals from their account.

One Australian woman recently won over $4.1 million in Spin Palace Casino and the Palace Group VIP team flew down under to present her with the cheque in person!

So how do I become a VIP?

While the criteria is not strictly as laid out below, these are the basics to becoming a VIP Player:

Earn 150,000 Loyalty Points

Deposit minimum of $10,000

This is why it is very important to enroll in the loyalty club as soon as you start playing. Every point counts and you’d be surprised how fast those points stack up when you’re playing.

If you would like to become a VIP Player and be recognised for your loyalty, simply flick me an email (adam at pokiesecrets.com.au) and I’ll put you in touch directly with my manager at The Palace Group.

Branding itself as the 1st Online Casino, Gaming Club Casino (a popular place with Aussie pokie players) is now offering all Aussie players a 100% match up to $100 on their first deposit.

Most pokie players know that online pokies always pay out a lot more than their land based counterparts, and with Gaming Club boasting a 98.54% payout on it’s pokies, you’d be crazy not to try it out!

Our advice is to deposit the maximum amount allowable ($100), the casino will then match this amount and you’ll have $200 to play with!

$200 is going to go a LONG way in Gaming Club casino, you’ll love their massive range of pokies including the new Lord of the Rings pokie which everyone is so excited about!

Have a spin at Gaming Club casino today, you can download the casino from here:

Click here to download the casino