Introduction to Online Gambling
Online gambling offers all the excitement and thrills of its real world counterpart, and you don't even have to leave the house. You can play at any time of the day or night, you have the same odds of a big win as in a real casino, and you don't even need to get dressed! Like many people, you may have been tempted to try an online casino but you are not sure how online gambling works. If so, this article is for you.
Firstly, you need to find the right casino for you. There are hundreds of online casinos on the internet, some good, some not so good. Depending on where you live in the world, you may be limited as to the online casinos you can play. Players in the USA for example have a limited choice of online gambling sites, as some casinos are no longer available to American players. Likewise, some online casinos do not accept French players.
It is virtually impossible to move on the internet these days without running across some sort of advert for an online casino, and for a new player this choice can be daunting. There are many portal sites and casino review sites online, which offer independent reviews of online casinos, and these can be helpful. Find a trusted source and read what real players have to say about the casino.
Some online casinos offer free money or no deposit bonuses to new players as an incentive for them to try the casino. These free bonuses can be a good way of trying a casino for real without risking any of your own cash. Be aware though. There may be restrictions to the games you can play with free money and there is usually a maximum withdrawal amount.
There are two main types of online casino, those offering virtual casino games and live dealer casinos. Some casinos offer a mixture of virtual and live dealer games. In the first type of game, the casino depends on a RNG, or random number generator to determine how the slots spin or which cards are dealt. RNG's have to be thoroughly tested to ensure fairness and randomness, so there is little difference between RNG games and real live casino games. Live dealer games operate by webcam and you can see the cards being dealt live by a real person. You can interact with the dealer as much or as little as you wish.
The games in an online casino are easy to play and even if you have never gambled before you can pick them up very easily. In addition there are extensive help files to teach you how to play and provide the rules of the games. Some casinos also offer an auto play function for card games which will automatically play for you perfect strategy if you turn this function on. All you have to do is sit back and let the software do the work for you.
Online casinos accept real money deposits which are then converted into chips or credits just like real life casinos. Unlike real casinos, you do not have to cash out at the end of each session and your money can stay in your account perfectly safe until the next time you want to gamble. Alternatively you may want to cash out your winnings and depending on the casino, you will be paid in anything from as little as a few minutes to several days.
You can make deposits and withdrawals at online casinos in many different ways, not just via credit cards. In fact some players may have problems depositing via credit or debit card depending on their locale. There are a range of popular web wallet services such as Neteller, UsemyWallet, Click2Pay, Moneybookers etc which can be used to make deposits and withdrawals without revealing your credit card details, ensuring maximum security. However, security is not usually an issue with online casinos; they operate stricter banking security than most online shopping carts. Ukash is a voucher based deposit system which is available in Europe and works similar to topping up a mobile phone. You can also wire money, send money via bank transfer or electronic check, use virtual gift cards and prepaid debit cards.
So, you have chosen a casino, downloaded it, opened an account and you are nearly ready to play. Before you make a deposit, check to see if you are entitled to any promotions or free money. Virtually all casinos offer sign up bonuses in order to make themselves stand out in an increasingly competitive market. Often a casino will give you a bonus on your first, second and even third deposits in order to turn you into a loyal customer. However, you may have to claim this bonus prior to making a deposit, this is usually as simple as entering a code into the cashier. Other casinos will credit the bonus automatically. Always check the terms and conditions of any bonus - and if you do not wish to play with a bonus you can always contact customer support to have the money removed from your account. Bonuses usually come with wagering requirements which you must meet before you can request a withdrawal. Wagering requirements may apply to deposit and bonus or bonus only. Some bonuses are known as sticky bonuses which mean they cannot be withdrawn, but are removed from your account when you request a withdrawal. Also be aware that when playing with a bonus there may be restricted games, and non-risk betting - i.e. betting on both red and black in roulette just to meet wagering requirements is prohibited.
Withdrawing money and winnings from an online casino is as simple as visiting the cashier and submitting a withdrawal request. Before submitting a withdrawal request ensure you have met all the wagering requirements on any bonuses which may be in your account. Depending on the casino you will receive your money in as little as a few minutes or up to 7 days. Most casinos pay winnings in around 48 hours.
In some areas winnings from online gambling are taxable; in some areas such as the UK they are not. If you do pay tax on winnings, remember losses are tax deductible so it pays to keep adequate records! Online casinos don't report to the authorities, so it is up to you to declare any profits.
So, this article has summed up how casinos work - there is only one element missing, a healthy dose of luck. Unfortunately, it is beyond the scope of this article to provide that, you will have to find it yourself!