A Millennial Guide to Online Casino Games

By Rob V | May 31, 2019

Over recent years, industry experts have noticed that traditional games of chance like slot machines are not as popular among Millennial gamblers as they have been with generations past.

On the whole, Millennial gamblers tend to gravitate towards games where skill plays a role.

If that describes you, you may wonder what the appeal of slot machines even is. You also might be wondering whether online gambling has anything to offer you.

Actually, online casinos have more to appeal to Millennial gamblers than the traditional land-based casinos of the past by quite a stretch.

If you do have an interest in gambling online as a Millennial, but are not sure where to get started or what games might interest you, this guide is intended to help you get your feet wet.

And just so you know, I am a Millennial gambler myself!

Millennial Trends in Gambling

What? We’re not making fun. This is one of the first images to pop up when searching “Millennial “!

First of all, let’s get some context on what has been going on with Millennials and gambling.

In a way, we have grown up in one of the most unique and unusual times in human history. The technology in our lives has transformed the way that we are educated, entertained, and try to make money.

This is given us a very different perspective on games of chance. The following trends have been the result of that different perspective:

We have moved away somewhat from completely luck based games in favor of games that involve skill such as poker and blackjack. We also prefer games with a low house edge like baccarat. We may be less interested in slots than our forebears, but we are more enthused about table games!

In fact, we are very interested in poker, given that we know we can participate in WSOP satellite tournaments both online and offline.

We have a strong interest in sports betting, leading to continued growth in that sector even as casinos have scrambled to keep up with our preferences in gaming.

Casinos have been making an effort both online and in brick-and-mortar environments to cater to our interests. That means that new games are being developed all the time, many of them involving skill.

So the landscape of gambling is transforming in response to our preferences. That means more and more possibilities for entertainment and profit.

Why We Millennials Are Less Interested in Games of Chance

You may have already thought through why you are more interested in games of skill (assuming you are “average” as a Millennial in this respect) than games of pure chance. But if you haven’t, here are some of my theories on why we have this preference which previous generations lacked:

We have been playing video games all our lives. These have essentially trained us to expect our skills to be challenged and rewarded. Traditional slots just don’t fit the bill. Plus, we aren’t big fans of microtransactions.

Many of us have had plenty of opportunities to play free versions of casino games online since we were young. In doing so, we have learned a lot about probabilities and house edge. We have essentially “wised up” to why the house will always win with slots, roulette, etc.

As we grew up and graduated during the recession years and right after, quite a few of us have only so much to play with in terms of funds.

We do have entrepreneurial spirits, however. While we don’t like the idea of slots chewing through our hard-earned cash, we do love the idea of getting rich at WSOP.

Some casinos have not responded well to Millennial customers. They have increased minimum stake sizes along with house edges, especially for table games that should not have high house edges at all. Thankfully, this is far from being universally the case.

Online Casino Games Which Are Perfect for Gamblers Who Prefer a Game of Skill

Now that we have put some context around this discussion, what are some casino games that you might enjoy as a Millennial gambler?

Obviously, a lot comes down to your specific tastes, which might not be “average” as a member of your generation at all.

Still, I will keep largely to games where skill plays an important part in this list as well as those with low house edges.

Blackjack

Just a plain old game of Blackjack. Not a hand I’d wanna go up against…

Blackjack is a game which involves a combination of skill and chance, but which does not require you to come up with elaborate personalized strategies.

This may make it ideal if you like a game which you can memorize “the system” completely. In fact, for every version of blackjack, that game’s “basic strategy” is the one to employ.

While there are other strategies out there, they are not mathematically optimized.

If you give blackjack a try and you find you enjoy it, you will find a lot more opportunities online to have a good time than you would at a land-based casino.

For example, there are 6 blackjack games available at Bovada. The same is true at BetOnline. CloudBet and other online casinos also offer blackjack with live dealers.

With so many variations of blackjack available, you will find plenty to entertain you.

If you’re playing blackjack according to basic strategy, the house edge can be as low as 0.28%.

Catch a Wave

If you enjoy playing blackjack, another game which you might find interesting is Catch a Wave.

This game was introduced at Foxwoods casino in 2001, so it is still not all that well-known or common.

At land based casinos, it is played at blackjack tables or tables with similar designs.

Play involves a number of steps. Without elaborating too much, it involves making predictions about whether the cards you’re dealt will be higher or lower in value than those which were dealt previously.

You play against the dealer in Catch a Wave, just as you do in blackjack. As with blackjack, there is also a “basic strategy” which mathematically tells you whether it makes sense to hit or stand for each card you are dealt.

Another commonality with blackjack is that Catch a Wave has a low house edge. Played in the optimal way, is only 0.50%.

Craps

There is no skill of any kind involved in craps, but I have decided to include it on this list anyway for reasons involving house edge.

There is no single house edge for craps because there is so many different types of bets. Some of them actually have very high house edges, but others have very low house edges.

For example, the house edge for Pass/Come is just 1.41%, and the house edge for Don’t Pass/Don’t Come is only 1.36%. There are even some odds bets which have no house edge.

So if you are deterred from playing slots and other casino games because of the high house advantage rather than the fact that they are purely luck-based, you may actually enjoy getting into craps.

Craps is offered by the majority of online casinos, so you should have no difficulty finding games to play at any of our recommended casino sites.

Baccarat

Baccarat, like craps, is not a skill-based game, but it is a casino game which may appeal to you if you are looking for a low house edge.

There are only three types of wagers that you can place on baccarat. You can bet on the banker, the player, or a tie.

You should never bet on a tie. The house edge is 14.36%. But the house edge for a bet on the player is just 1.24%. It is even lower if you wager on the banker, coming out to 1.06%.

So when it comes to stretching your dollar for luck-based entertainment, baccarat is hard to top.

Poker

Poker is probably the most appealing option for gambling online or offline from a Millennial perspective.

While luck is involved, skill plays a major role. And unlike blackjack or Catch a Wave, strategies for poker are personalized.

This means that learning to play poker is quite involved if your goal is to be good at it. You not only need to master the basics of the game, but also create strategies which are superior to those of your opponents.

If you have not played poker online, you may be wondering if it is different from offline poker with regards to the skills you need.

In some respects, the answer to that question is definitely “yes.” He will not be able to observe the behavior or expressions of the other players, nor will they be able to observe yours.

But you can actually track some of their behaviors and decisions with the help of software, and you can analyze those behaviors.

That means that you can still develop strategies to counteract specific players who may frequent the same online casinos that you do.

Prefer not to data-mine, and want to avoid having other players do the same to you? There are some sites (Bovada is a good example) which take steps to prevent this from happening. So if that is your preferred play style, you will find plenty of options.

Online poker games and opportunities include:

Various types of poker games with fully digital interfaces
Live video poker with real dealers
Weekly poker tourneys
WSOP satellite tournaments

If you become skilled at poker online, the rewards can be extremely lucrative. Below are some sites we particularly recommend:

Bovada

As you can see, simply heading over to Bovada presents you with many choices immediately you find the game that’s right for you.

As mentioned a moment ago, this casino randomizes and rotates players very effectively, which prevents data-mining. As described in our full Bovada review, features include:

BetOnline

This site is one which we recommend specifically because it is a favorite among recreational gamblers, and has a lower percentage of serious players.

That means that if you are serious player, there are plenty of fish here that you can pick clean.

It also may make for an easier learning curve if you are still a complete newbie.

See our full BetOnline review.

Video Poker

If you like poker and do have an interest in slot machines but don’t like the idea of relying solely on luck to win, video poker is another casino game online which may appeal to you.

You can think of video poker is a kind of hybrid between poker and slots. As with a slot machine, you begin by selecting a coin size, and then clicking on “deal” (as opposed to “spin”).

The game will deal five cards, like you would get in five-card draw. Once you have a chance to look at the cards, you can decide how many of them you want to hold or replace.

If you decided to replace some of them, the game will deal up some new ones, and you will see your final hand. Payouts are determined according to the pay table.

What is interesting about video poker is that there are some people who are skilled enough at it and fast enough at it that they are able to earn a full-time income from it.

This takes a lot of practice and quick reflexes. But if you are simply looking for something which is fun to do in your spare hours and which might be able to result in a little extra cash, you may very well be able to make reliable money playing video poker online.

You will find a huge variety of video poker games online to enjoy. As an example, BetOnline alone has 17 different versions!

Skill Based Slots

If you do not like games of pure chance, you may shy away instinctively from slot machines. But you might want to consider taking a look at the selection of slots on online casinos. Nowadays, there are skill-based slots cropping up.

How can a slot machine involve skill? Formats vary, but usually skill comes into play via a bonus round which you might trigger with a certain spin.

These bonus rounds feature mini-games. These too can vary quite a bit from one slot to the next.

If you play well during the bonus rounds, you might be able to trigger additional free spins, higher payouts, and other rewards.

Most of our recommended casino sites feature hundreds of slot games to try. Sign up for any one of them, and you will probably discover a significant selection of slot games which test your skill and reward you for your technique.

Sports Betting

Pro gambler – Yeah, hard to become, but easier than becoming a rock star or a starter for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that quite a few online casinos also offers sports betting. So once you have created an account, you will be able to play online casino games and wager on your favorite sports.

Sports betting requires a lot of skill in order to succeed. But it is possible to build a career out of it, just as you can playing poker or video poker.

Some of our recommended online casinos which also have sports betting include:

Bovada
BetOnline
Intertops
CloudBet

You’ll find competitive odds and outstanding promotions for sports betting on these sites (not to mention great casino bonuses).

Where to Play Exciting, Skill-Based Online Casino Games Now

If you are frustrated by casino games with high house edges and/or no skill involved, you are not alone. Most of the Millennial generation feels the same way.

But many Millennials also are not aware of how many opportunities there are to play online casino games which do involve skill and which feature low house edges.

Now you have learned more about those games as well as some of the best online casinos to join if you want the widest selection along with exciting features and bonuses.

Visit our reviews page now to learn more about the casinos I have recommended in this article as well as others you may enjoy.

And of Course, As Long As You’re Here, Make Sure You Also Take a Look at –

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1 Bovada	98
2 Sloto Cash	96
3 Slots.LV	95

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1 Gnome Sweet Home	98
2 Instant Inferno	98
3 Goodfishes	96
4 The Haunted Carnival	95
5 Faerie Spells	95