There is definitely a particular glamour, thrill and romance related to casino games, but unless you live near Atlantic City, within the state of Nevada, or (in some parts of the country) a significant Indian reservation, chances are that opportunities to play real in a real casino do not exist. Which has all changed, due to the web. Over the Internet, casino games are available to virtually everybody.

What Are Online Casinos?

Simply put, an “online casino” is like every other online business – it is a virtual, “cyber-version” of a traditional brick-and-mortar institution. Often known as “virtual,” and/or “Internet” casinos, these websites enable people to place bets on traditional games, and include:

excellent online gambler blackjack – online slots – online video poker – online roulette wheels

and just about all the best games you are familiar with.

Are the Odds Any Better Online?

Normally, odds and payback percentages for casinos online are about the same since they are for brick-and-mortar casinos. The truth is, here in the Digital Age, you could find a great deal of the same technology used in online games as you will in Las Vegas, especially with online slots; modern digital slot machines use random number generators. The more reputable sites which provide online games will publish verifiable payout percentage audits.

Are Online Casinos Dependable?

This really is certainly a common – and quite valid – issue. Individuals that run online gaming sites often lease software from a reputable third party, and as indicated earlier, will often publish payout audits.

Nevertheless, following the old advice of caveat emptor is wise when playing games on the Net. You will discover documented cases of fraudulent casinos, but interestingly, this fraud usually has little to do with the virtual games themselves. In most cases, the fraud involves unreasonable delays or outright refusals to pay withdrawals.

The good news is that on the web, reputation spreads fast. When fraud on the part 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 try to cheat by signing up with multiple identities to be able to claim sign-on bonuses, or take a screenshot and alter it with graphics editing software as a way to create a faked image of a winning online video poker hand or online slots jackpot so that you can attempt to claim winnings. Such players can be tracked and may find themselves locked out permanently.