Online casinos are an untapped source of interesting and crazy facts that can easily make your jaw drop. From unexpected facts that benefit players to lesser-known statistics that may seem too far-fetched to be true, online casinos -and the gambling world in general- have it all.
We’ve put together a list of lesser-known but extremely interesting facts that may surprise you about the way online casinos work and how big their influence is in the world as a whole.
1. Free casino bonuses actually exist
Although there are many casinos that claim to offer free bonuses but end up imposing a ridiculous set of restrictions upon them, free rewards actually exist. Players must find them in reliable online casinos, though, not in just about any gambling site.
For example, the Wild.io no deposit bonus allows you to collect 50 free spins and easily cash them out after you’ve spent them. All you need to do is use the money to play other games on the site until you complete the wagering requirement.
2. Casinos earn most of their profits from a minority of players
The so-called “casino whales,” which are the biggest gamblers that visit an online casino, are responsible for over 90% of the profits earned by each casino. The average player makes up 80% of a casino’s player base; these are people that simply visit the site to gamble some money before they leave or move on to a different activity.
3. Slots are designed to be more boring in the United Kingdom
Due to how strict gambling laws are in the United Kingdom, online slots are played at a much more restrictive pace than in other countries. Slots must spin for at least 2.5 seconds, they don’t have autoplay elements or turbo spin features. Likewise, wins that represent a net loss cannot be celebrated, which is why British slot games tend to have fewer animations than their worldwide counterparts.
4. Swedish casinos can only give you ONE bonus
Under Swedish law, regulated operators may offer just one bonus per player. Due to this restriction, most Swedish casinos provide gamblers with a welcome offer, and that’s it. The lack of bonuses is actually one of the reasons why many Swedish players opt to visit international casinos instead of nationally licensed ones, even if it’s forbidden by the law.
5. You can find lists of every legal casino in most entities
Online casino licensing entities, such as Malta’s MGA or Curacao’s GCB, keep a public record of all licenses and companies that hold them. You can actually find which casinos hold legitimate licenses and which ones don’t by taking a look at the various available registries.
6. There’s a live casino in a 16th-century fortress
Playtech’s live casino studio, located in Riga, Latvia, is an 8,500 square meter complex literally built on top of the old city’s 16th-century fortifications. The country as a whole has become one of Europe’s biggest gambling hubs thanks to its permissive laws.
7. Slower pace means less expenditure, according to studies
In an online experiment with over 1,000 real-money roulette players, published in ResearchGate, forcing a 60-second delay between roulette spins caused players to wager significantly less money in the long run. This is the same reason why slots in the UK have a slower pace.
8. Slots are weirdly addictive
There have been studies that showcase that people with zero slot experience need nothing but three sessions of 200 spins to develop mild signs of addictive behavior. What’s most surprising is that this is unaffected by wins or losses!
9. Different games can come with different tax rates
In parts of Europe, classic technical games (like slots) are taxed at higher GGR rates than live-dealer or table games, which is done as a way to discourage players from playing games that are solely designed spin and not think. For example, some countries with varying tax laws charge 35% of profits on technical games vs. 30% for live games.
10. Crash games are actually banned in many countries
Instant-win or crash games (which are games where a multiplier rises until it randomly busts) look simple, but regulators see them as high-speed, high-volatility casino games that could pose a threat to players. In Australia, real-money crash games offered to residents are illegal under the Interactive Gambling Act, and the UK also sees them as a potentially risky type of casino game.