How does an online casino operate, and who's responsible for running it?
Have you ever wondered how an online casino operates? Then this article may have the answer. It explains the ins and outs of how an online casino operates, and provides a clearer understanding of what is happening to your money and what needs to be done to keep it running. It also provides information on who or what decides if you are to win or lose a card-hand or spin.
The four main parts of an online casino
An online casino exists of four main areas. These play a fundamental role when it comes to the running of an online casino.
The four main areas of an online casino are:
- Website
- Account
- Cashier
- Software
These areas interconnect with one another, enabling you to visit the website, open an account, make a deposit, place bets on the games and withdraw when you win.
Website
The website is the landing page, and displays all the information that the player needs to know. It can be compared with the building and entrance of a land based casino. The entrance is the homepage of the website which welcomes you and shows you all the options you have to continue on the website. All the inner pages of the website are the different rooms and areas in a land based casino.
The person who is responsible for the website is the 'webmaster' or a technical person. They keep the website up-to-date and publish new promotions or other news.
Account
In most casinos you can play with fun money without having to open an account. However, if you want to play for real money then you will need to open an account. The account page is similar to the registration desk of a land based casino where you have to register on the initial visit, and thereafter you only need show your personal membership card each time you visit.
The same applies to an online casino. You register one time only, and from there on wards, you can log into your account with your username and password.
An account can be easily opened by clicking on one of the relevant buttons on the homepage. You will be redirected to the accounts page where you can enter your details and set up an account.
From here on, any action that you take, will not directly take place on the website. The whole account and cashier page is controlled by the back office of the casino, and is embedded into the website via an 'API'. An API is basically a program that sends data from one platform to another platform. All actions that you take from here on, are sent to a back office system to save your data, and will automatically send a message or action back to the site for you to follow.
This means that in the event of a problem with the website, your data and history will always be saved somewhere else and can easily be transferred onto a (new) site.
Cashier
The cashier plays a vital role for casino owners. It is in this area that all transactions take place and players can deposit / withdraw their money. It works in a similar way to a cashier in a land based casino where players can buy and redeem chips for cash money.
For slot machines in a land based casino you can also get a special card to which you can add money to. This card can then be used in the slot machines saving you the hassle of inserting coins each and every time. When the card is empty you can add money to it at the cashier.
The same principle also applies to an online casino. You make a deposit in the cashier section of the casino, and your balance will automatically be increased with the amount of your deposit, in the same way the card balance in a land based casino will be increased with your payment at the cashier.
When you want to play a game, you will need to go to the games page and select the game you want to play. In a land based casino you would insert the card into the slot machine, the machine would then read the balance from the card and add it on the machine. In an online casino this will happen automatically when you open a game. You will also see the balance on the game. Throughout the game, your balance will either increase or decrease depending on whether you are winning or losing.
The cashier and account are controlled by the 'Fraud Manager'. They will carry out checks to ensure the player has opened just the one account and to track any suspicious activity/transactions to prevent chargebacks from credit card companies.
The Finance Manager of the casino mostly checks the requested withdrawals and will then go on to process them once they are approved.
Games / Software
Here is the only difference between land based and online casinos. The games in a land based casino are actually in the building and controlled by the game software in that casino. Having said that, some games are connected with other land based casinos, for example a jackpot slot.
With an online casino the games are operated and controlled by a third party company in a different location. The casino software provider runs the games on their platform and all the casinos who are working with this software provider are basically renting the games from them by paying a percentage of the revenue. The casino is taking the games via an API from the software provider and runs them on the site. Therefore, if ever there is a problem with the gaming provider, you still have access to the website, account and cashier, however you will not be able to see the game, and you will receive instead an error message from the gaming provider.
The above is very important to realize that an online casino never controls the games and that they are always operated by another company. This also means that an online casino can never change things on a game such as change any settings when it wants a certain player to lose or to win. The gaming providers use an 'RNG' (Random Number Generator) meaning that the results of a spin is decided purely by the RNG and not by a person. Also all games are checked by an independent organisation. This organisation will provide a certificate to certify that all games have been checked.
Other parts of a casino operation
Alongside the aforementioned 'four main areas of a casino'; there are also some additional parts, which although not fundamental, still play a vital role when it comes to delivering a good product and service.
Support
The support department is a very important part of the casino, as it provides help and support with any issues or questions that you may have.
In a land based casino you can walk up to a desk, ask a member of staff or even ask one of the dealers on the games table.
In an online casino however, there are no real dealers to put questions to. Even with a live dealer in an online casino you can not ask the dealers questions about your deposits or withdrawals.
Therefore, it's important to make a casino as personal as possible by offering options like email, live chat and phone service. The live chat option is the best option as you can obtain a direct answer, plus it won't cost you anything, unlike a phone call.
Affiliate department
In 80% of cases, a player visits a casino via an affiliate. A casino affiliate is a partner of a casino who promotes the certain casino via a special link with a unique code. The casino is able to see that a player is coming from that specific affiliate, and the affiliate will receive a commission from the losses of that player.
The affiliate can promote a casino by signing up at an online casino affiliate program using this special link by putting it on a website, advertising in social media or google adwords. They may use other sources of advertising, providing they use their unique link to do so. If they don't use the link, then the casino won't be able to see where the player is coming from.
VIP Department
Some online casinos have special people working for them who take care of the casino high rollers. These players deposit large amounts of money and therefore special treatment is required. They receive more personal attention, big casino promotions, special incentives and higher bonuses. Occasionally, the VIP Manager will take the VIP players on a trip such as going to watch a football match.
These are the main parts of an online casino, and hopefully it's provided you with a better insight as to how an online casino operates. So, next time you visit an online casino, you should hopefully have the reassurance that there is actually a whole team of people working there.
