The 10 Commandments of Online
Gambling!
(Reprinted with permission from Gaming
Day.com)
1.) Thou Shalt Know The Local Law
You should always know if it is legal in your area to gamble, even online. Don't
think just because you are gambling online, the law doesn't count. If you are
living in a state, country or province where gambling is illegal, it is also
illegal for you to play in online casinos. Always make sure you are not living
in such an area before wagering any money. In case you don't know, contact the
local authorities.
2.) Thou Shalt Know Thy Casino
By viewing the website of an online casino you can already tell if it is a
serious one. A good online casino will always have extensive info pages which
tell you exactly where the casino is licensed, who is behind the casino, their
exact local rules and guidelines, what their cash policies are and how to
contact them. Don't get fooled by glamorous looking casinos that don't even
provide an accurate e-mail address or customer support.
3.) Thou Shalt Play For Free
All the good online casinos offer a play for free option. You should always try
this option first, because this way you can check out the casinos games and
their odds. If the casino you are playing in does not have that option you
should go to a different casino. There is no need to give your money to the
first casino you lay eyes on. There are a lot of casinos out there and you
should try at least a couple of them before you start risking your money.
4.) Thou Shalt Demand Customer Support
As mentioned above, good online casinos also offer good customer support. The
least you can expect is a provided e-mail address and most even offer 24 hour,
365 days a year telephone support. Other casinos offer message boards or chat
rooms for their customers. Try out their customer support before you run
into unexpected troubles. If you don't, and run into trouble, there might not be
a way to contact them if it is a bad casino.
5.) Thou Shalt Know Thy Payoff Options
Most online casinos will re credit the amount of your original deposit back to
your credit card, but not your winnings. This is normal. They will usually send
you a check for your winnings within a couple of weeks; or they can deposit your
winnings to one of the other online banking systems like NETeller, PrePaid ATM,
etc. Some casinos even offer a wire transfer for a small fee.
6.) Thou Shalt Check Out The Bonuses
Every good casino offers bonuses for their players. These bonuses are made to
attract new players and keep regular players in their casino. This is standard
in any casino. They range from frequent player programs to referral bonuses, and
even sign on bonuses where you get up to hundreds of dollars free on your first
deposit. With these gifts casinos thank their customers and you have the
certainty that you don't just have fun gambling but even get little rewards for
it. Always make sure you read the Terms and Conditions of each casino's
bonuses before depositing there!
7.) Thou Shalt Know That Games Are Not Created
Equal
Never forget every online casino is basically just software. This mean the
payouts, house commissions, number of cards in a play and just about everything
can be set however the software programmer designs it. That does not mean
the games are set to win and cheat you out of your money. The laws with this are
really strict and casinos get tested all the time. It just means some online
casinos have better odds than others.
8.) Thou Shalt Protect Thy Data
Security is always very important if you sign up for anything, anywhere on the
internet. When it comes to the actual sign on process in an online casino there
are a couple of things you should always pay attention to. The following are
things you have to look out for to ensure the casino you are playing on is save
and secure.
First of all the casino should open a secure and
data-encrypted link to protect your info.
Your browser will tell you to check the little lock symbol
at the bottom of the browser and tells you this is a secure site you are
about to view.
The usual http:// on the beginning of the URL will
be replaced by https://.
It can never be mentioned too often, you always
have to look out for at least one of the above. Giving your personal address and
credit card number to somebody you trust is one thing but if your information is
not secured you never know who else can see it.
9.) Thou Shalt Play To Win
Since you are playing at home you should always take your time to make your
decision. Compared to an actual casino the advantage in an online casino is more
on your side. You can always use any information you have gathered to achieve
optimal play, whether this is a nice little strategy for Video Poker, a handy
Black Jack Chart, or any other info you have. Take your time. The machine will
wait for you to make your move regardless of how long it takes.
10.) Thou Shalt Enjoy Thyself
If you choose to gamble in an online casino you will be missing out on all the
charms a physical casino offers. The smoke, the free drinks, the hangers-on and
all that. Granted, you are playing in the comfort of your home but you might as
well do whatever it takes to get the most out of the online gambling experience.
Pour yourself a drink, get out your favorite snacks, put on your pyjamas, and
play away! There is nobody better to pamper the player than you. |