Playing Online Casino Games

There is surely a certain glamour, thrill and romance connected with casino games, but until you live near Atlantic City, in the state of Nevada, or (in some parts of the country) an important Indian reservation, odds are that opportunities to play real in an actual slot online casino don't exist. That has all changed, thanks to the Internet. Through the World Wide Web, casino games are available to virtually everyone.

What Are Online Casinos?

Simply put, an "online casino" is similar to every other online business - it's a virtual, "cyber-version" of a conventional brick-and-mortar institution. Also called "virtual," and/or "Internet" casinos, these websites enable people to put bets on traditional games, and include:

- online blackjack

- online slots

- online video poker

- online roulette wheels

and most the very best games you're familiar with.

Are the Odds Any Better Online?

Generally, odds and payback percentages for casinos online are a comparable since they are for brick-and-mortar casinos. Actually, in the Digital Age, you may find a lot of the exact same technology found in online games as you'll in Las Vegas, especially with online slots; modern digital slot machines use random number generators. The more reputable websites that provide online games will publish verifiable payout percentage audits.

Are Online Casinos Trustworthy?

This is really a typical - and quite valid - issue. People who run online gaming websites often lease software from a respected third party, and as indicated earlier, will often publish payout audits.

Having said that, following the old advice of caveat emptor is wise when doing offers on the World Wide Web. There are documented cases of fraudulent casinos, but interestingly, this fraud usually has little to do with the virtual games themselves. Usually, the fraud involves unreasonable delays or outright refusals to pay for withdrawals.

What's promising is that on the Internet, reputation spreads fast. When fraud on the section of a casino website has been documented enough times, the internet gaming community labels it a "rogue casino;" online player's forums often maintain lists of such dishonest casinos, and these do not remain online for very long.

It works both ways, incidentally; some players attempt to cheat by joining multiple identities in order to claim sign-on bonuses, or have a screenshot and alter it with graphics editing software in order to produce a faked image of a successful online video poker hand or online slots jackpot in order to attempt to claim winnings. Such players can be tracked and may end up locked out permanently.

Wayne Hemrick is an original player of online casino games, online blackjack and online slots. He enjoys passing on his knowledge to fellow players across the world.