Online casinos continue to grow in popularity, and given that sports betting is now legal in the United States, it doesn’t seem like that trend will be slowing down anytime soon.

As such, many people are wondering exactly how to bet. There are so many people — especially casual sports fans — that have always been intrigued by betting, but were turned off by it, as “gambling” was viewed as something that only degenerates did. There were all sorts of tropes and connotations attached to it — virtually none of which were true — and they turned a lot of people off. And, most importantly, gambling was illegal in many states that didn’t already have casinos, so people that wanted to have action had to get it down with bookies, and that was a hassle, as well as a legal liability. That’s why many people, even though they may have wanted to, avoided gambling.

But it’s a new day and age, with opportunities aplenty, as sports betting is legal. That’s enabled so many people in states that didn’t already have casinos to bet for the first time, and they’re excited about it. They’ve been attempting to get educated on all the different ways to bet, and all the different casino games available — poker, blackjack, baccarat, slots, roulette and more. Not only that, they’re learning about the different sports betting options available, such as parlays, teasers, pleasers and more. And, in the horse racing world, they’re getting educated about exactas, trifectas and other options for bigger payouts.

So now that you know how to bet, let’s talk about where to do so, and what to look for.

Most importantly, when looking at online casinos, make sure that they’re operating on a safe, secure, encrypted server, so your privacy is protected, and your money is also safe on this website. You want to look for an established, professional online casino website that’s been around for a number of years, rather than a new one. If needed, you can search around and find reviews to find out which ones are legitimate, and which ones aren’t, because you want to make sure your money is safe.

And while legitimacy is probably the most important factor to focus on, user experience is important as well. Make sure that the website loads quickly, with not too many bells and whistles, on both desktop and mobile. Having a mobile app is certainly a plus, as not everyone wants to gamble on a desktop or laptop computer.

Lastly, make sure that the online casino provides you with a number of different deposit and payout options, so you can get your money down quickly, and also cash it out at the same speed.

So now that you know what to look for, you can begin playing at an online casino.