There is definitely a particular glamour, thrill and romance related to casino games, but unless you live near Atlantic City, in the state of Nevada, or (in some parts of the country) a major Indian reservation, chances are that opportunities to play real in a real casino don't exist. Which has all changed, as a result of the web. Over the Net, casino games will be accessible to virtually everyone.

What Are Online Casinos?

In other words, an "online casino" is like any other online business - it's a virtual, "cyber-version" of a conventional brick-and-mortar institution. Otherwise known as "virtual," and/or "Internet" casinos, these sites enable people to place bets on traditional games, and include:

online blackjack - online slots - online video poker - online roulette wheels

and just about all of the best games you're knowledgeable about.

Are the Odds Any Better Online?

Generally, odds and payback percentages for casinos professional online bet are about the same as they are for brick-and-mortar casinos. The truth is, here in the Digital Age, you could find a great deal of the exact 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 greater reputable websites that provide online games will publish verifiable payout percentage audits.

Are Online Casinos Trustworthy?

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

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

The great news is that on the web, reputation spreads fast. When fraud on the part of a casino website has been documented enough times, the online gaming community labels it a "rogue casino;" online player's forums often maintain lists of such dishonest casinos, and these don't remain online for very long.

It works both ways, incidentally; some players try to cheat by signing up with multiple identities as a way to claim sign-on bonuses, or take a screenshot and alter it with graphics editing software to be able to create a faked image of a winning online video poker hand or online slots jackpot so that you can try to claim winnings. Such players can be tracked and may find themselves locked out permanently.