Online Gambling Beginners Guide

A Beginner's Guide to Online Gambling

Download or No-download - the choice is yours

Downloadable software casinos: Of the variety of casinos available online, a number can only run on Windows-based platforms. Generally, if you run Windows anyhow, it is recommended that you consider these casinos. They are generally quite secure and stable, and once they are downloaded, the minimise the amount of communications necessary between your computer and the casino gamer server, which makes them suitable for dial-up connections. The only downside is that the downloadable software file sizes generally range between 5 meg and 15 meg, so you need to make sure you really want to play at a particular casino before going to the time and effort to download it!

No-download casinos: A fair number of online casinos are Java-based and load directly in your browser. Others use Flash or Shockwave which run in your browser but may require the Flash (or Shockwave) plug-ins available from Macromedia. A major advantage of no-download casinos over their "downloadable software" counterparts is the fact that their games can be played on most computers and operating systems. Many of them are also accessible through WebTV. Despite being called "no-download" casinos, you to actually download graphics and sounds every time you play.

Common Casino Bonuses

Because competition between online casinos to attract and retain clients is fierce, operators offer a variety of bonuses - some in entice you to try out their games, others on receiving your first deposit. In the latter instance, bonuses normally comprise a fixed amount for an exact deposit into your online account (eg you will receive $20 free, simply for downloading Casino1's software, and a further $80 if you make a deposit within 48 hours), or a percentage of your deposit which is credited to your online account (eg If you deposit up to $500, Casino 2 will credit your account with a bonus of 30% of the amount deposited).

Online casinos can afford to offer these attractive bonuses because their overheads (staff, equipment, premises etc) are so much lower than those of land-based casinos. Besides, they generally make sure that you wager your deposit (as well as your bonus, generally) before you can collect your winnings!

You must read and fully understand the online game terms and conditions (these are generally included in your email offer of posted on the gaming website). Make sure you're aware of how long the bonus offer is valid for; know how many times you must wager the deposit and the bonus before you can collect your winnings; and understand which games must be played or avoided to ensure your winnings are valid.

Various ways of making online deposits

When you're ready to make your first online deposit, you can choose from a variety of different payment mechanisms:

By far the most popular is the Credit Card. Mastercard and Visa are widely accepted by online casinos. If your bank is based in the USA, you do run the risk of having the transaction rejected. This is because credit card companies have a rule in force that obliges casinos to identify the transaction as "7995: the purchase of tokens for the purpose of Internet Gambling". Since most US banks are wary of accepting these high-risk transactions, they automatically reject them.

But all is not lost! There are a number of other facilities available to you. You can open an account at FirePay or PayPal. You simply link your credit card to these accounts and instead of being labeled an "Internet Gambling" transaction, your purchase will be identified as a "pseudo-cash transaction". Some casinos will even offer you a bonus for making a deposit through FirePay and PayPal. For obvious reasons, they have become two of the most popular methods that North American residents deposit money into online casinos!

Western Union also offers a service to bettors who use their credit cards to send funds by Western Union online. Again, there are many casinos who incentivise clients to purchase by Western Union, or to go their local Western Union agent and deposit cash.

Other ways of depositing cash in online casinos are via Neteller, ACH (an electronic check), Layeway or by wire transfer, .

Let's get down to playing!

One of the most popular online gambling games is video poker. And there are a variety of different poker games. Most casinos offer two or three different types of online poker, but some of the better casinos can offer as many as 15 different forms of online poker, not to mention multi-hand video poker!

Table games like roulette, baccarat and blackjack are available at most online casinos. Other games like Craps, Casino War, Three Card Poker and Caribean Stud (the same games might be called different names) are also on offer at a number of casinos.

There are slots literally thousands of different types of slot machines - 3- or 5 reel, 9 line, three line, single line, progressive games, bonus games. The most popular and lucrative are the progressive slots because, as a rule, they often pay more and hit more frequently than they do in their land-based counterparts in Vegas. Jackpot Mania and Jackpot Madness are the two largest portals that feature these games.

All online gambling games are easy to learn and they play every bit as fast as, if not faster than, land-based casinos. You find some that are multi-player games and many that are single-player...whichever you choose, there'll always be a seat waiting for you!

How safe is online gambling?
As much as there are rogue casino operators who are looking to fleece their clients and run, they are in the vast minority. Most online casinos are regulated and reputable and honour their payouts timeously. You might want to read up on an online casino's credentials before committing to playing on it. Membership of, affiliation to or endorsement by regulating bodies like eCOGRA (e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) or the Interactive Gaming Council may offer you peace of mind.

It's a lot of fun!
Online casino gambling entertaining, immediate and often offers you better odds on winning than land based casinos. Set out your snacks, grab a few beers, settle yourself behind your PC and log onto your favourite online casino. Online gambling is here for the long run...welcome on the bandwagon!

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