Navigating the Online Casino Lobby: Tips for New Players

Online casinos like to set themselves apart from the crowd by having distinct visual styles and branding, amongst other things. They want to look different, but not so much that they become unrecognisable to the average player. That’s why you will often find that online casinos follow similar design practices when it comes to the site’s layout and user interface.

Accessibility is an essential aspect of website design that has not been lost on most modern online casinos. The level of accessibility and functionality reached by any given online casino can vary, so it is important to know what you could be missing out on. Keep reading to get a full understanding of navigating the online casino lobby to help get the most out of your online gambling experience.

A Walk Through The Online Casino Lobby

It is important to note that when explaining how to navigate the online casino lobby, we will be drawing from examples of the most common design practices used within the industry. Some sites may vary and try something different; others may have a highly focused target, such as can be found with crypto casinos, but overall, when you’ve become familiar with one casino lobby, you will find it much easier to understand one that may come with a different approach.

Online casinos generally follow the practice of displaying their logo at the top left of the site with an adjacent primary navigation bar. This bar allows you to access various parts of the site, including the promotions and payments, as well as the various game lobbies or sports betting features that may be available.

On the top right of the screen is where you can typically find a profile icon that can take you to your account settings. If you're not registered there will usually be a registration button in its place. The game lobby often doubles as the casino's homepage, which can be easily accessed by clicking on the main logo icon or the Casino button from the main navigation bar.

Within the game lobby is typically another navigation bar that allows you to visit various casino game categories. How these games are categorised will depend on the casino, but there will often be a dedicated section for slots, along with other categories that can include virtual or live table games.

You will often find a search functionality alongside the game navigation bar to allow you to search for a specific game title. Once you’ve opened your chosen game category, you will see many icons representing the different casino games you can play. Scrolling down the page will load up more games until you reach the bottom. The bottom footer of the site is where you can find important information, such as the casino’s licensing and links to other useful areas of the site, like FAQs and contact pages.

Searching for Online Casino Games

Online casinos can potentially have thousands of games available in the lobby. It can be like finding a needle in a haystack without proper navigation tools. The game navigation bar will allow you to find games grouped in preset categories determined by the online casino.

In addition to this, most modern sites offer a range of filters and search options to the player. Filters can allow you to search for games by provider or remove any games from the list that don’t include some kind of jackpot. Game themes, release dates, and popularity are also options available to the player. The search bar itself can also come up with suggestions and may try to find similar games alongside the one you are searching for.

Featured and New Releases

Featured games and New Releases are two game categories that are very common in online casino lobbies. The second one is pretty self-explanatory and provides a group of games that have recently been released. Sometimes, an online casino can be a little slow to update these, however.

Some games may not strictly be considered brand new, but it is still a great way to keep up to date with what developers have been releasing over the recent past. Featured games are those that the online casino wants to highlight to their players. They are essentially games that the casino recommends you try out. It could be due to a new update or a new partnership with a provider where the casino has picked a few titles to showcase.

Playing Casino Games for Free

When choosing a game to play, you may be presented with two options. You can play the game and enter the standard mode for the casino game, where you use your balance to place stakes and receive payouts.

The other option is to try the game out in Demo Mode or Freeplay Mode. This mode is available on most slots and virtual table games. It allows you to play the game under real-world conditions without staking any of your playable balance. Instead, you play with an unlimited amount of virtual funds. This is a great way to test out a new game or betting strategy without any of the risk of spending your own money. We highly recommend using this feature when trying a game for the first time.

Customise your Casino Lobby

In addition to all of the features and functions provided by the casino to help you find your favourite games, there are also options to customise the lobby yourself. Many sites these days allow you to highlight your favourite games, usually by clicking on a heart icon. This will include your selected games in a separate “Favourites” category.

There will then be no need to manually search for your preferred games every time you enter the lobby, as they will all be available within a single category customised by you. Being able to customise your casino lobby provides another level of accessibility that most people would most likely miss if changing to another site without it.

Finding Offers and Rewards

The main navigation bar usually has buttons that allow you to access VIP loyalty and promotional pages. Some online casinos do allow you to access these pages straight from the game lobby, however. When scrolling down the list of games, you may find icons that refer to a specific promotion or rewards system. Clicking on them will take you straight to an explanation of what is on offer. You could, for example, be scrolling down a list of slot games and see an on-site promotion for an offer granting free spins. Clicking on this promotion will take you to a page that explains how you can qualify for the offer, as well as any additional terms tied to it.

The casino’s VIP program could also potentially be found here, which will usually involve providing players with rewards that are accrued from placing stakes with real money. Many of these loyalty programs include multiple rewards tiers, as well as customised or enhanced promotions. Not all online casinos offer a loyalty program, and not all loyalty programs are created equal. So, it’s best to take a look at it before registering at a new online casino.

Special Events in the Casino Lobby

Another thing you may notice while scrolling down the list of games within the casino lobby is special events. These are typically packed into the left or right side of the page. These special events could include an ongoing or upcoming on-site tournament or could be showcasing a progressive jackpot game that’s close to bursting.

Leaderboards for various events can also be shown here to allow you to see the top-ranking players quickly. It’s also just a great feature that enables you to know what’s going on at the casino. Rather than having to click through various different promotion pages, it just sits right there in the lobby, front and centre, so to speak.

Managing Responsible Gambling Tools

All licensed and reputable online casinos must provide players with responsible gambling tools to empower them to play safely. These tools include deposit and spending limits that can be customised for a specific amount and timeframe. Reality Checks also allow you to limit the amount of time spent on the site.

Responsible gambling usually has a dedicated page that can be found in your account settings or at the very bottom of the casino lobby (for LeoVegas it's LeoSafePlay). We always strongly recommend that you make the most out of these tools as they ensure that you don’t spend above your means and that gambling remains a form of fun and entertainment.

Additional Casino Lobby Features

Modern online casino operators spend a lot of time and resources to provide a seamless experience between playing on your desktop and mobile devices. Casino game lobbies might move things around a bit, with the main navigation bar or game categories being centred at the bottom of your screen on mobile devices. Generally speaking, it will all remain familiar though, and the order in which categories are presented or where you might find responsible gaming tools will largely remain the same.

A simple website or app design is usually preferable when playing on mobile devices. It provides less clutter to sort through to find what you are looking for, as well as giving a more optimised performance on your device. An online casino with lots of flashy graphics and animations will require more from your internet and device. It is, therefore, sometimes better to appreciate the “less is more” approach when it comes to looking at a site’s theme and design.

Whether you are playing on a mobile or desktop device, many sites offer a variety of language and currency options to choose from. Language options will usually be represented alongside a national flag to make it easy to recognise, even if the site’s default language is not your own.

These options can usually be found at the top right of the page adjacent to the account settings button. It is important to note that many online casinos will only allow you to pick a specific currency when first setting up an account. However, the site’s language can be changed at practically any time.

Another great feature is quick access to the casino’s customer support team. While there will most likely be a dedicated “Contact Us” page, you will often find a “Help” Or “Live Chat” button hovering at the bottom of your screen when on the lobby page. This can give you instant access to a contact form or the customer services live chat functionality. You can then contact the casino without having to leave the lobby.

Conclusion

While most online casinos follow similar design practices, not all manage to reach the same level and balance between functionality and accessibility. There are many sites that will not have all of the features and options available to players. That is why it is highly recommended that you play around with an online casino and see what features it has available before creating an account.

Being armed with information gained from guides such as this will empower you to know what should be expected from an online casino and what you might potentially be missing out on at your current favourite site. Be sure to also check out some online casino reviews to see what industry experts say and then weigh it up with your own preferences. In the end, it comes down to what suits you best, even when it comes to navigating the online casino game lobby.