Let’s set the scene; you’ve finally found the perfect casino which has the right safety features in place, your favourite slot along with a tonne of other games, with some great bonuses and promotions to get you started. All is right in the world until you come to realise that you cannot access the splendid gambling site because your device is not compatible with the online casino’s software! Fifty years ago, no such dilemmas existed as the concept of gambling in a virtual environment was completely unheard of. Today, the casino has invaded people’s homes and can be accessed anywhere from the long train ride commute to work to the beach on a bright summer’s day. All that’s required is an internet connection – with wi-fi virtually everywhere, establishing a connection is hardly an issue.

Before you begin gambling online, one of the most important things – if not the most important thing – is to consider the software used by the casino and to make sure that your system can support it. Each casino operator makes use of a software provider or multiple providers to provide players with a quality selection of games and casino incentives. The problem lies in the fact that not all software is agreeable with all operating systems. Thus, a casino site can be accessed in three ways, and there’s no need to pay for anything!

Download Casinos: A download casino typically requires players first to download the software before they can start playing. Although downloading a casino uses up memory, there is one prominent advantage to this type of casino. It’s considered a better option than the version which doesn’t require any download as it has excellent sounds, graphics and overall playability.  This is because they are not loaded via the internet but are instead situated in the client. This also means that they run faster than no download casinos and are completely safe to download.

No Download Casinos: Most casinos will have a web-based instant play version instead of a download, which means you can play your favourite games immediately from your device’s internet browser without leaving the gaming site and without hanging around for such a large file to complete the transfer. They are primarily for players that cannot fit the additional software on their computers or have a poor internet connection. Furthermore, we’re all aware that space can sometimes be a concern on most devices, with no download casinos, that isn’t the case. The games at these casinos are predominantly offered through browser plug-ins like Macromedia Flash, Java, or Macromedia Shockwave. They work on all modern browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. This version offers additional security and protection for players, seeing as Flash operations don’t leave a permanent imprint like downloads and installations do. This means that all evidence of your gambling can be erased at the click of a button while using another computer or secretly playing at work. Moreover, instant play online casinos can also be accessed from public computers.

Mobile Casino Platform: The inception of mobile gaming has added another level of complexity to the gaming scene with plenty of young tech-savvy gamblers opting for gaming on the go. This version offers flash-based games, which means two things; there’s no software to download, and the games can be played on most operating systems including iOS and Android. Many mobile casinos also offer downloadable apps for Android, iOS (iPhone and iPad), Windows Phone and Blackberry OS.

All types of casino games can be accessed from the mobile platform including slots, table games and live-dealer games. At the time being, not all casinos will have their full collection of games accessible from a mobile or tablet device. However, mobile gaming has risen in popularity and has become somewhat of a trend, so it’s only matter of time before gambling sites will have their complete games catalogues available on mobile.

Windows: An overwhelming number of online casinos are Windows compatible as the plurality of PC users use Microsoft Windows as their operating system, in the process excluding Mac and its followers. In fact, the Windows market constituted of over 95% of the entire gambling industry. For this reason, finding a casino that supports this system shouldn’t be a problem in the slightest. Quite the contrary, you’ll be spoilt for choice!

Mac: It took some time for online casinos to make their software compatible with Mac’s operating system. For a while, only Windows was available, at a time when Mac users were used to being shunned under claims that it had a negligible market share. Over the years, Mac users have significantly increased giving Windows a run for their money.

Linux: Over the last decade, Linux has become a popular operating system among PC users. It is open source software that provides users with a stable gaming platform and supports plenty of programs. As yet, casinos cannot be downloaded directly onto Linux. Instead, players using this system can play to their heart’s content through their browser.

Ubuntu: It’s rare to find online casinos which are compatible with an Ubuntu operating system. But you can still play your favourite slots in instant play through any browser offered by this system.

Flash: No download casinos require only standard browsers like Chrome, Mozilla, Opera Mini, and Internet Explorer, and they can be Flash-based or Java-based. Flash-based casinos deliver a rich graphical experience, on the other hand, they require exclusive access to large amounts of data.

HTML5: This is the latest markup language used to run on mobile devices just as well as on the most powerful desktop computers. This is perfect for players who enjoy playing from their mobiles and tablets as it allows players to experience in-browser mobile optimised gaming similar to instant play on desktop. HTML5 technology recognises the device you’re playing from and optimises the casino site to suit the device.

Java: No download Poker sites generally make use of Java as it’s considered a mature and stable program in the industry and it’s the closest you’ll get to a gaming experience comparable with a downloadable client. Alas, security concerns force you to disable the program in your primary browser and run the casino in an alternative one.

On a final note, to avoid compatibility issues, make sure that you have installed the latest version of Flash or Java software before you begin playing and, more importantly, that your browser is up to date.