Online Casino Games – Best Online Casinos Guide

Archive for the ‘Online Casinos’ Category

The fact cannot be denied that online casinos are now becoming much more popular than brick-and-mortar ones, that the latter are now being threatened by the existence of the former.  But for the sake of fairness though, let us explore what makes one different from the other.

Comfort and Convenience Versus Glitz and Glamour

While online casinos provide you all the comfort and convenience you need to concentrate well on your games, brick-and-mortar casinos provide you all the glitz and the glamour that you see in movies.

With online casinos, you are given the advantage of playing inside the comforts of your own home, where you can even play in your PJs.  This is perfect for those people who play better when they are in comfortable surroundings wearing comfortable clothes.  Without a doubt, online casinos also give their players total privacy and anonymity in playing their games.

However, if you crave the enthusiasm of the crowd and the exciting lights and sounds of the casino, then you would probably do very well to play at a brick-and-mortar casino.  This way, you also get to dress up nicely because you are in a more extravagant environment.  The social aspects of brick-and-mortar casinos, too, are also perfect for those who love to be around people and enjoy meeting different people from all over the world.

Save Money Versus Spend Money

You also have to look at both casinos in terms of money.

If you want to save some money that you could spend for other important matters like bills and food or an addition to fatten up your bankroll, then online casinos is the best place for you.  At online casinos, you do not have to allocate any money for your traveling expenses as well as food and lodging budget because you can simply play your favorite casino game at home.

However, if you have the money to burn, you might as well go to brick-and-mortar casinos that offer you all the thrill and excitement that you are looking for.  They will surely give you a real casino experience – glitz, glamour, extravagance, sights, sounds, scents, and all.

Online Bonuses and Promotions Versus Brick-and-Mortar Bonuses and Promotions

This is one factor wherein online casinos totally beat brick-and-mortar casinos because they offer bigger and better bonuses and promotions.  The reason why online casinos have the ability to give you these much is because they have lesser operating costs as compared to brick-and-mortar casinos, so they can offer bigger welcome bonuses than the latter as well as provide greater promotions and bigger jackpot payout rates.  Because online casinos also have a bigger network, like those that are being run by one software provider, for example, they have the advantage of offering bigger jackpot payout rates from the bets pooled in from different online casino partners.

More Variety of Games Versus Limited Games

Online casinos also have the ability to provide more varieties of online casino games, especially since the number of games and their quality depends upon the software provider.

On the other hand, brick-and-mortar casinos can only provide a limited number of games because the tables like the blackjack, poker, and roulette tables as well as the machines like slot machines are going to take up a huge amount of space.

It does seem nice to see that online casinos will give you this much cash just for you to sign up and register with them, and it surely looks pleasant to the eyes that if you deposit a certain amount, you get to have a percentage of it deposited into your account instantly.  Some online casinos will entice you with a 100% match-up deposit bonus, while some will offer you more than that, even going up to 200%.

But before you drool over the bonuses that are being given away by online casinos, there is one thing that will put a damper on your excitement, and that is the wagering requirement.

The X Factor

The x factor in wagering requirements is the number of TIMES that you should wager the value of your deposit before you could actually withdraw your bonus.  There are online casinos, too, that not only necessitates you to bet _x the value of your deposit but also the amount of bonus that you have received from the online casino.  Some online casinos require that you bet only 5x your deposit and bonus, while others are far stricter, requiring you to bet 100x your deposit and bonus.  This is especially true if the bonus is huge.

Here is an example to easily understand this wagering requirement.

For example you deposited an initial amount of $100 at an online casino that offers a 100% match-up deposit bonus.  This then gives you $200 all in all to play and bet at online casinos.  Now, the only way that you can withdraw your bonus, the $100 free cash, is if you bet, say, 10x the value of the total deposit and bonus that you received from them.  This then means that you should play the amount of $2,000 all in all just to withdraw the $100 free cash.  Then you have to take into consideration your losses, too, in which case you might end up only having $10 more than what you have started out with; that is, if you lose more often than you win.

The Limitation in the Variety of Games

Another element added to the wagering requirements is that you cannot play at some games.  These games basically include craps, roulette, blackjack, and video poker.  Now, if you did not read the terms and conditions of the wagering requirement and yet you continued to play at any of the games that are exempted from the bonus, you will surely be disappointed to learn that all the bets you placed on the exempted games were not eligible for you to meet the wagering requirement.

The Need for Wagering Requirements

The reason why online casinos have wagering requirements is because they are offering free cash to its players, and the money came out of their own pockets, so they have to assure themselves that they are not risking the money in case the player only takes it and run.

Remember, the wagering requirements depend upon the casino where you signed up with.

There are basically two types of online casinos – the web-based online casinos and the download-based online casinos.  Although almost all online casinos offer both formats, it will still be important for you to know the differences between these two as well as their advantages and disadvantages.  This way, you get to choose the format that can best protect you and your security and privacy while, at the same time, give you the best online gaming experience.

No Download Online Casinos

When you hear the term web-based online casinos, it basically means that you do not have to download the casino software in order to sign up, play and bet, as well as win at your favorite online casino game.

Flash or Java technology is used in the development of web-based online casinos, so with this type of online casino, you get to instantly play at the online casino without downloading their casinos software.  You only have to click their Instant Play button, and you will be taken instantly to the casino lobby where you will be given choices in online casino games.  Another obvious advantage of this type is that it does not take up too much space in your hard drive.  Furthermore, this allows you to access the online casino anywhere you are.

When it comes to the disadvantages though, you will find that there are some games not supported by the web-based online casino that you would have otherwise seen in their download-based online casino.  Plus, there might be some discrepancy in the quality of the games’ graphics and sounds, although, with a good software provider, you might not notice it.  Furthermore, it is not unusual to experience more lags and slower game speed when you opt to play in web-based online casinos, especially if there are more players logged into the casino, because you depend on the server to provide you the necessary files to play the games each and every time you log into the casino server.

Download Online Casinos

On the other hand, download-based online casinos require that you first download their casino software and install it into your hard drive before you could play and bet at their games.

The advantage that it gives the players is that the quality of the games in terms of graphics and sounds is far more better than the web-based ones.  You will also notice that the game speed is smoother and faster than the former and that you will experience lesser lags because the necessary files to run the game smoothly have already been installed into your hard drive, so you no longer depend on the game server for the necessary files to start.  Once you have downloaded and installed the software, you could easily log into the online casino’s server by clicking a shortcut button on your desktop.  The download-based type also gives you the benefit of an automatic updater.  This means that when you log into the server, you are assured that it will automatically update itself and give you the latest versions of the game.

As to the security and privacy, many opt to choose the web-based though because it poses lesser security risks since you are not required to download anything.  Another disadvantage the web-based online casinos bring is that it can take up too much space in your hard drive.

The very first thing that will attract any online player’s attention is the sign up bonus that an online casino offers.  The bigger the sign up bonus, the better it smells.  But before you get too excited about the sign up bonus and register at an online casino, there are some things that you have to understand about them first.

The Types of Sign Up Bonus

The sign up bonus is usually called a welcome bonus, and the type and the amount differs from one online casino to another.  They are usually given to entice new members into signing up with them, and the online casino usually gives it to its new members in two forms – a match-up deposit bonus or free cash.

When the online casino offers a match-up deposit bonus, then this simply means that the deposit you make will be matched up by the online casino by a certain percentage.  For example, you deposit $100 at an online casino that offers a 100% match-up bonus, then the amount of money that gets credited into your account becomes $200.  You can use your deposit bonus to place a bet or to play at other casino games.

The free cash is usually called a no deposit bonus where you do not have to deposit any amount for you to be able to play, bet, and win money at any of their games.  This is better since you do not have to risk any of your money.  In fact, the online casino will be the one that gives you free cash just for you to register and play at their games.

Again, the sign up bonus depends upon the online casino where some will give you a 100% match-up bonus, some 200%, and some even less.  Others may give you more or less than $100 worth of free cash to play with, while others may simply give you more or less than an hour.

Signup bonuses do seem to smell good, especially if you are a newbie to online casinos, but there is one thing that you have to know about online casinos’ sign up bonuses, and this is their wagering requirement.

The Wagering Requirement

Yes, online casinos will give you free money, but there is usually a catch to this – the wagering requirement.  The wagering requirement is usually the “terms and conditions” that you are obliged to complete before you can withdraw your bonus.

For you to be able to withdraw the sign up bonus, you have to wager, for example, 10x the total amount of the deposit you made and the bonus you received from the online casino.  Also, there are games that are exempted from the signup bonus, so playing at one of these games is not included in your meeting the wagering requirement.

As for the no deposit bonus and free plays, there are online casinos that will only allow you to withdraw your bonus and winnings if and only if you make a deposit and meet their wagering requirement.

So, you really have to choose the online casino that not only offers an excellent sign up bonus but a very reasonable wagering requirement at the same time.

While it can be said that playing casino games at brick and mortar casinos provides a lot of entertainment and fun, it cannot be denied that online casinos offer a whole lot more to its players than the traditional brick and mortar ones.  In fact, brick and mortar casinos are feeling the threat that online casinos pose, especially since more and more players are singing up and becoming regular players at online casinos.

The Ease and Convenience of Not Leaving Your Home

This is, by far, the biggest advantage that online casinos can give its players.  They no longer need to set aside some cash just to travel to cities that provide a home to some of the most popular casinos in the world like Las Vegas and Atlantic City.  What the players only need is a fast Internet connection, a computer, and a sufficient bankroll to get the money rolling.

If you go to Las Vegas or Atlantic City, you have to have some money for your hotel accommodations, for your food, for your bets, and for your travel expenses.  But with online casinos, you need not allocate any money for the above, except for your bets, that is.  You can even play in your pajamas if you like to.

This gives you the benefit of saving money that could either go to your bankroll or to other important bills.

The Advantages of Having Bigger and Better Bonuses

This is the second most important advantage that online casinos give you – bigger and better bonuses.  Some casinos will entice you with a 100% to 200% match-up or signup bonus where your deposit is increased by a certain percentage offered by the online casino.  Aside from this, online casinos also offer daily, weekly, and monthly bonuses in addition to surprise bonuses that they give to their players.  These bonuses can come in the form of cash back and rakeback bonuses where you get back a percentage of the total money that you have deposited and wagered in the online casino.  Other types of bonuses that online casinos offer can be birthday bonuses and free seats to a major poker series.  Now, brick and mortar casinos, as we all know, cannot provide you these bigger and better bonuses.

These very generous bonuses are made possible by online casinos because they have lesser overhead or operating costs.  One, they do not need a bigger number of employees to make the online casinos work.  Two, they do not have to pay bigger bills for the usual maintenance costs of brick and mortar buildings like electricity and water supplies.  Three, online advertisement fees are cheaper than traditional ones because they do their advertising over the World Wide Web, and they do not need to make use of a large amount of printed advertisement materials, unlike brick and mortar casinos.

Because of the money they get to save, they give it back to their players in the form of online casino bonuses.

More Variety of Games

Because they are online casinos, you can expect to find some of the most popular casino games at their sites like poker, blackjack, slots, roulette, bingo, and more.  Aside from this, online casinos also offer specialty casino games like keno.

Because huge sums of money can be won if you play and constantly win at online casinos, it then became a source of income for some.  But earning a living from online casinos is not an easy thing to do.  In fact, it will involve a lot of risk, especially if you are a newbie to the game.  However, if you play your cards right, so to speak, then you can surely make a decent living from online casinos.

Practicing Your Skills

If you want to make a living from playing at online casinos, the first thing that you have to do is to practice your skills because you are going to depend on it to win.  Aside from this, you also have to learn the rules and become somewhat of a master at other games, not just the casino game that you are good at.

Fortunately, there are a variety of online casinos that offer free play.  You can sign up with them and play against other players so as to sharpen your skill, and if you are already feeling confident about the way you play, then you can try playing with real money.  Remember, the best way to practice is to play against players whose level of skills is the same as yours, but you have to make sure that you win against them so that you can move to the next level.

Another way to sharpen your skill is to read books about your favorite casino game.  Through this, you will learn more about the rules of the game as well as have a more deeper understanding of its rules.  Reading will also teach you tips and strategies which you could employ in your games.  Fortunately, it is not that difficult to look for books about casino games.  You can purchase them in bookstores or order them online.

By following all these, you will have a good preparation.

Managing Your Bankroll

Now that you are confident enough to play with real money, you should know that bankroll management is very important.  With this, you only have to learn that you should place a bet that will not drain your whole bankroll.  Remember, you will depend on your bankroll, too, to play and win money, so it will defy the purpose if you bet all in one sitting.  For this reason, you have to make sure that you know your betting limits so that you will not lose what you cannot afford.

If you are experiencing bad beats, stop and take a break from the game.  However, if you are having a lucky streak, know when to walk away if you think you have earned enough.  Do not be blinded by the thought of earning more because you might end up with nothing at all.

Join Tournaments

Joining tournaments is also the best way to win big amounts of money.  There are online casinos that provide tournaments with small buy-in fees that award not only a decent prize money but also a seat to major poker tournaments.

Now, the best way to earn huge sums of money is by getting a seat into major poker tournaments and making sure that you get to the final table or into the main event, but you have to remember though that winning a lot of money will never be made possible if you do not practice and known your limits.

Advertisements are a good way to get people to notice you, but you have to show them a good advertisement in order to attract them long enough for them to want to try your product.

The same can be true when it comes to online casinos.  They have to offer something “extra nice” so that players will be enticed into signing up with them, and one of these offerings is the online casino bonuses.

What is an Online Casino Bonus?

As stated above, the casino bonuses are those given by the online casinos to its new players who have signed up with them.  Registered and playing members are also given bonuses.

For the new members, they get to benefit from the signup bonus that the online casinos offer.  Sometimes, it can be as low as 50% of the amount that the player deposited, but then again, signup bonuses can also reach as much as 200%, so this type of bonus really depends upon the casino where you registered with.

As for the existing and playing members, they get to benefit from a variety of online casino bonuses.  You have the loyalty program where the players get to earn points just by playing at any of their games.  These points are accumulated and can be exchanged for freebies as well as cash.  In conjunction with the loyalty program, there is also the VIP membership.  Some online casinos offer six levels of VIP membership, and the only way to get to the highest level is to play and bet more.  But once you get to the top, you are going to benefit more.  Your deposit bonus gets bigger; you get to take advantage of their cash back or rakeback bonus; and you get to earn more loyalty or comp points which you can exchange for bigger and better items.

Aside from these types of online casino bonuses, online casinos also offer daily, weekly, and monthly bonuses together with free seats to the tournaments that they offer and a seat to major poker tournaments.

One bonus that you can take advantage of if you do not want to shell out some cash is the no deposit bonus.  With this, you can play for free, and any winnings that you might accumulate during the free play are yours to keep.

Not All That Smells Good Tastes Good

Although online casino bonuses are so enticing, you have to know that withdrawing them is a different matter altogether.  First and foremost, you have the wagering requirements to meet before you can really withdraw your bonuses.  The wagering requirement is the number of times that you have to wager the total amount of deposit and bonus that you received from the casino, and only after completing it will you be able to withdraw your bonus.  Some online casinos give you a wagering requirement of 100x your deposit and bonus, a huge wagering requirement, while some online casinos only require that you bet 20x your deposit and bonus.

As for the no deposit bonus, some casinos will not tell you that the only way to withdraw your winnings is if you deposit an amount.

A casino is a place where you could play and bet at your favorite card games and win money, and because of its popularity and because of the advancement of technology, it was made possible to bring these casinos online, thus, the online casinos.

Online Casinos in a Nutshell

Online casinos are just like the brick-and-mortar casinos where you are sure to find the traditional card games like poker and blackjack.  They also have table games like roulette and baccarat.  In general, the kind of casino games that you will see in a brick-and-mortar casino can also be seen in online casinos.  But aside from this, some casinos also offer specialty games like keno and poker dice.

Other than casino games though, there are some online casinos that also offer sports betting and horserace betting.

The Kinds of Online Casinos

There are generally two kinds of online casinos.  The first kind is the downloadable casino where you are required to download first the casino software before you can enjoy their games, and the second kinds is the no-download casino where you only have to click and get to instantly play at their casino games.

Nowadays, it is no longer surprising to see online casinos offering both kinds, so players are really given the freedom to choose how they can play at the online casino.

If you are thinking though about the quality of the games in a no-download version of the online casino, then you need not worry because software providers are now using state-of-the art technology to give you excellent casino games.

Playing at Online Casinos

Fortunately, software providers have taken into consideration that not all online players are Internet savvy.  For this reason, you will usually find it relatively easy to play at online casinos.  The moment that you have downloaded the casino software or have chosen the instant play version, you will be taken into the online casino “lobby,” and from there, choosing the type of casino game that you want to play at is relatively simple to do because they have been categorized as to their types.  You will see a section for card games, table games slots, new games, and more.

If you are not familiar with the casino game but want to try it anyway, then you can simply click the instructions button to be given a detailed set of game rules and instructions.  They are also simple and easy to understand.

Depositing and Withdrawing Money

Making a deposit as well as withdrawing your winnings is also easy to do.  They have a “cashier” section where you will be given a variety of deposit and withdrawal options.  You should know though that there are some banking methods that are not applicable to US players, so you have to check this out first before you sign up with an online casino.

Customer Service

If you are in need of any assistance, then online casinos also have a 24/7 customer care and service team that is always available to answer any questions you might have when it comes to their software, their deposit and withdrawal options, etc.  You can reach them via a variety of methods like phone, fax, email, and even through live chat.

Although the development of online casinos has brought a lot of advantages to many people, especially to those who enjoy gambling at casinos games, it cannot be denied that it brought with it some dangers.  In fact, these dangers are what some people are fighting against, and why online gambling is being regulated in the United States.

Online Gambling Addition

This is, in fact, the biggest danger posed by online casinos.  Studies have shown that there is an increased predilection to online gambling, especially since it is easily accessible.  Although there are now laws against gambling, it is a fact that it has not totally stopped many gamblers from gambling their money away.  Today, families who have gambling addicts are suffering from the ramifications of their addicting habits.  Homes and business have been lost, and relationships have been damaged because of this.

It is strongly urged that families who have gambling addicts have counseling to understand the problem as well as treat it.  In the same vein, the gambling addicts themselves are encouraged to seek professional help to help them combat this social disease.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Another big problem brought about by the proliferation of online casinos is that minors, especially those who are in their teens, are taught gambling at a very early age.  This is very much prevalent in homes that have a parent or both parents that play at online casinos.  Because children see their parents gambling online, in the children’s eyes, it then becomes okay for them to follow suit.

We all know that online casinos only accept individuals age 18 and over, but who can really say that all their players are of legal age to play and bet in their games?  No one, right?

Bankruptcy and Moral Problems

You win some, but then again, you lose some.  This is how it works with any casino, be it online or offline.  If you are having a continuous streak of luck, then good for you, but if you are suffering from bad beats, then you begin to panic and try to recoup all the losses that you have made.

Gamblers, especially those who are addicted to casino games, learn to hide their problems from their loved ones, and if they are losing more money than they are winning it, it can lead to bankruptcy and other moral problems like stealing and lying.  Of course, these problems greatly create a rift between relationships, and in the long run, not only has it ruined the financial stability of families but the family’s relationship itself has been ruined.

Hackers and Rogue Online Casinos

Online casinos have also opened up the doors to opportunistic individuals who want to take advantage of a not-so-Internet savvy individual.  Rogue online casinos were developed, and they have only one thing in their minds – to take online gamblers’ money and vanish.

Online gamblers are also vulnerable to hackers and other malicious third parties who want to obtain sensitive and private data, like credit card information, from the online players and use them for their own malicious purposes.

Knowing all these is very important if you are thinking of playing at online casinos.

Whether you want to play in an online casino for fun or for profit, there will always be a sea of choices for you out there.  Online casinos aren’t exactly a rare commodity after all.  They’re cropping up left and right in the online world.  But you how it always goes in this world, there’s bound to be a rotten one hidden among all the good casinos out there.  And in fact, there are several.  We call them Rogue Casinos.  They usually refuse to give the player the wins they get from bonuses, often citing unfair reasons.  And sometimes, they flat out refuse to give the player his payouts, especially if he managed to win big.  These rogue casinos are thieves in the guise of reputable sites and if you count the amount of money they scam collectively from the players, then you’ll see just how bad the problem is.

There are organizations dedicated to sniffing out these rogue casinos and blacklisting them so that they can’t victimize players.  However, there are still some that escape notice and also some that are not quite there yet and are thus unlisted.  So, really, the best thing you can do in order to protect yourself is to browse the forums and search for any testimonials from other players.  Also, you can watch out for these red flags that will tell you that the online casino is unreliable and of ill repute.

Bonuses that are too good to be True

The main reason why so many players are drawn by these rogue casinos is that they offer bonuses that are sky-high and are too tempting to resist.  But here’s a word of caution, if you think they’re too good to be true, then they probably are.  Don’t be blinded by promises of insane wealth.  After all, if what they claimed was true, then they would have probably gone bankrupt long before.  A good meter stick to use would be the bonuses that the biggest casinos offer.  Keep in mind that these large casinos can offer those bonuses because they’ve grown enough to comfortably support a rate like that.  Now, if a small online casino claims to offer bigger bonuses than what the famous sites do, be wary.

Unclear Terms and Conditions

Read the fine print – they would always say.  And time and time again, the wisdom of this advice is proven.  And really, anybody who forgoes this simple step almost deserves to be hoodwinked.  But really, almost everyone hates reading the terms and conditions, so more often than not, they check the “I agree” button without really considering what was written there.  And oftentimes, these terms and conditions are the safety net of these rogue casinos.  After all, if you agreed to something, even if it’s to your disadvantage, then naturally, they won’t be liable.  Usually, rogue casinos have unclear terms and conditions.  More so, they have very vague payout schemes, making it really easy for them to find a backdoor through which they can escape.