No Download Casinos
Once upon a time, the only way to enjoy casino games and slots was by downloading cumbersome clients to the desktop.
That's fine if you have just one account, but what if you want to access 100 casinos for that bonus/progressive/loyalty programme?
Nowadays, thankfully, no-download casinos allow games to be played instantly in the browser. All that's needed is a simple log-in and password, and a few tweaks to your browser settings.
Advantages and Disadvantages of No-Download
Perhaps the biggest plus of a no-download casino is that it will work on your machine, whatever your operating system. Because games load via the web browser, both Mac OS and PC Windows players can take advantage. Even Linux players can gamble on slots and table games if they have the right browser installed.
In fact, many of the leading online casinos ONLY have no-download clients for their players. And they're pretty solid too.
Benefits:
- No need to download a bulky client to the desktop
- Login on multiple machines anywhere
- Many slots and games in 2015 work in-browser
Downsides:
- Not as solid as a download client
- Not always a full games suite available
- Users must keep an eye on security
Playing At Instant-Play Casinos
Enjoying no-download casino games and slots is easy. Head to an online casino and make sure it has a straight log-in option on the homepage. Register for an account by creating a username and password.
Most casinos allow you to try out slots and games for play-money first before committing. That can be done even before registering a new account.
Once you click on a slot or game, it will load in a separate window in your browser. Depositing funds or visiting the customer support is all done via the browser as well. You can still enjoy the same security when playing for real money as with a download client as SSL protocols are in place to protect your funds.
System Requirements
Generally, no-download casinos work in Adobe Flash. Flash allows for animated tables and slots, The beauty of Flash is that not only are games compatible, but a range of solid browsers are compatible too. Therefore, an up-to-date Adobe Flash Player is required to be installed. You can even test your Flash version at the Adobe website.
Before you register, then, make sure Adobe Flash Player 11.3.300 or higher is on your system. If you have Flash already, it's worth upgrading to 19.0.0.226 to avoid crashes and potential hacks. The newest version was released in 2015 and it's a good idea to have it installed.
What's happening these days, though, is that HTML5 is being used more and more for online slots. It transfers well between mobile and desktop platforms, and the security issues surrounding Flash are avoided.
Next, your web browser. You need to ensure your machine can handle the latest browser to power the casino.
Internet Excplorer 8 and up, or Chrome 25 and up are good for PC users. Mac no-download players should have Firefox 8 or Safari 5 as standard installed. This way you can avoid any issues with games not loading. In some cases, Flash has been blocked by Firefox, so make sure you have a back-up browser ready.
If you have a firewall installed on your machine, it may affect your ability to access a casino site and its games. It's worth ensuring the security settings are fixed to allow gambling sites. This can also be the case with some Internet providers.
Internet Connections and WiFi
A no-download casino is only as good as your Internet connection. A good broadband connection over 2mb is preferable. Some casinos let you check the local bandwidth in your area as well to make sure sites aren't getting congested.
The beauty of no-download slots and games are that you can play on the move anywhere. If you're out and about on a laptop, however, make sure your local WiFi connection is solid. There's nothing worse than a slots bonus round going down mid-spin if the local Cloud connection is a bit flaky.
If you do get disconnected, log off and log on again to get back to the action. The casino should put you back at the point of the slot game you were at when you were booted out.
