Category: online gambling

Important Considerations When Selecting the Right Online Casino

15 May 2013

Owing to the increasing popularity of online gambling, customers today have a wide variety of casinos to choose from. Unfortunately, not all these casinos promise safe, fair, and secure gambling as they are meant to scam unsuspecting consumers. When you gamble with real money, you often have to divulge personal information, credit card numbers, and other sensitive bank details that can be misused in the wrong hands. This is precisely why you should take your time, weigh your options, and choose the right online casino for real money gaming.

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Top Online Gaming Experiences for iPad Users

29 April 2013

In theory, the iPad should be perfect for playing online casino games. The touchscreen interface is perfectly suited to making intuitive movements like pressing slot machine buttons or moving chips around a layout, and its shape and portability make it comfortable to use in almost any situation. Unfortunately, Apple’s on-going and slightly childish spat with Adobe means that their devices are incompatible with websites that use the latter’s Flash Player - which also happens to be the de facto standard for interactive online casino gaming. But fear not, brave casino gamers, as there are plenty of online casinos that have adapted their online offerings for the iPad gamer - here are what we humbly consider to be the best versions of poker, slots, roulette, and blackjack for Apple’s wonder-slab.

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Gambling: The Most Profiting Online Business

20 March 2013

On the 18th day of the month of August in the year 1995, Internet Casinos Inc. became the first internet casino, offering 18 games. Today the online gambling industry boasts of 1400 odd websites and a turnover of 3 billion dollars per year. It is even more interesting to note that no other online business yields such high revenue than online gambling. Of the entire fraternity of online gamblers, 30% are based in Asia.

The Procedure of Online gambling and Sports Betting

Placing an online bet is a matter of just a few minutes. If one has a credit card to his name, he can get registered with an online gambling website and open an account for himself. Through this account, he can place bets of major sport events like cricket, Wimbledon, Formula One, horse racing etc. One can also opt for virtual casino games like poker, roulette, poker, blackjack etc. A bet can range from a few nickels to several thousands of dollars.

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The Essentials Of Playing Online Slot Games

16 March 2013

Everyone knows what casinos are, and everyone knows of slots, roulette and blackjack. So surely you know everything about the games that casinos offer, right?

Well, no.

Whilst roulette and blackjack may sound like the harder games to learn, you’ll actually find that slot games are the toughest to pick up since they differ greatly than the land based games everyone is used to. By the end of this guide, you’ll understand the basics of online slots which usually alienate players.

What Does It All Mean?

Online slots use a random number generator, also known as an RNG, which determines the random outcome that appears on the reels. This means you can’t predict what will appear by memorising what order the symbols appear in, as it changes each time. You’ll also find that online slots have features which most land based slot games don’t, including bonus symbols, which I’ll detail later.

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The Beginnings of Online Casino Gambling

02 February 2013

Can any of us, however young or old we might be really remember what life was like before we had the Internet? For anyone over the age of 30 or so the answer is probably yes but it’s not actually something we even really like to think about.

Online casinos did not emerge as soon as the Internet became more widespread but it did not take too long before some Internet savvy entrepreneurs discovered just how they could bring all the fun of casino gaming online and reach an audience of millions of people who may never have even seen in the inside of a land based casino!

The world of online casino gaming really began in 1994 when the tiny twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda created a commission, the Free Trade and Processing Zone, to issue legal casino operation licenses to those who wanted to try to create an online casino that would draw in players from all over the world, as long as they had a PC and an Internet connection.

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Clash of the Titans over Online Gambling: Social Media Versus Australian Government

18 January 2013

Online gambling is a term used to denote gambling that takes place over the internet. Online gambling, or iGambling, involves traditional casino games, such as poker and blackjack, as well as sports betting and bingo. From the inception of online gambling around 1994, legal controversy has ensued.

Logistics of Gambling in Australia

The official ruling from the Australian Federal Government in 2000 made it impossible for online casinos created after the 2000 ruling to operate. One Australian online casino, Lasseter's Online Casino, effectively became the only legal online casino available to aspiring Australian online gamblers. The only recourse for Australians eager to roll the dice online became novelty gambling (without real money) or riskily gambling online via an offshore website.

Resurrection for Online Gambling?

Currently in Australia, a movement is underway to allow simulated casino games on Smartphones and similar devices. The idea is to change the previous ruling via-a-vis the Australian Federal Government in 2000 to more lax rules that allow online "for fun-only" gambling. The reframing of the 2000 Australian Federal Government's ruling would not regulate bookies and in-person sports betting, but would seek to alter how the Australian government deals with online poker, roulette and blackjack. Over the past 12 years, the 2000 ruling has prohibited casino games like poker from being accessed on cell phones and, most recently, Smartphones.

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A social network for gamblers and players?

17 October 2012

The idea of combining online gambling with social networking sites could have catastrophic consequences, especially if the operators do little to control which users are actually gambling. However, a social network for gambling is just what users have wanted for a long time and it is basically the leading social networking sites (together with various well-known software companies) that are merely responding to demand.

Currently there are licenced gambling portals such as bingo sites, poker sites, online bookmakers and online casinos where players can go online and place a legal wager, but only after having provided the necessary identification documents and after passing ID verification checks. With regards to social interaction, the only real way for players to communicate with one another is via the occasional instant messaging chat feature.

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Budget Tips for Gambling Online

13 October 2012

There are various tips that you can apply to your gambling strategy which should easily help you stay within your budget and therefore help you to not over-spend. One sensible piece of advice is to set a weekly deposit limit. This is an option which is available at most of today’s reputable online casinos. For example, you can set the maximum that you wish to deposit per week (or month) to $/€/£100.00 and once you have reached this amount, the casino will notify you.

This daily, weekly or monthly deposit limit can usually be adjusted somewhere in the cashier section and it is a great tool for helping you keep within your budget. The only problem is that this spending limit can easily be lifted by you at any time, so if you are the kind of person that has very little control over how much you spend, this is a pretty pointless feature to have. The thing is that online casino’s must be seen to be actively promoting responsible gambling in one way or another so this feature will always be available, no matter how pointless you think it may be.

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Online casino and gambling domains as great assets

20 August 2012

The online casino market in Italy appears to be booming, even in the current unstable economic climate that we are living in and it seems as though owning your very own gambling domain could fetch you a nice price tag. Many online casino and gambling domains have recently proven to be extremely profitable for many people.

Intelligent owners of these domains are aware of the potential that one of these gambling sites can generate in terms of revenue. People are snapping up these domains at quite a staggering rate.

According to Marketwatch, over the past twelve months there have been several Italian gambling domains that have sold for extraordinary prices.

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Who's filling the USA gap?

18 August 2012

Many of the companies that offered gambling services to US players were either shut down for business or they had to relocate and operate from a new offshore location. This left US players with very few portals to choose from, especially when compared to the selection that UK, Canadian, European and South African players have available to them.

The main secure portals for US players that keep popping up over and over again when you perform online searches include websites such as All Star Slots, Club USA (Club World), BetOnline, Win Palace Casino, Grand Parker Casino and of course Bovada (formerly Bodog but recently rebranded). Bovada remains the most popular out of all of these.

As of December 2011, online gamblers from the US could no longer place real cash wagers at bodog, which is why the company rebranded to Bovada.

Most US players will now be familiar with the Bovada brand. This secure gambling portal is accessible for US players. It is owned by the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group and in addition to using Realtime Gaming software it has also incorporated its very own proprietary software and Digital Gaming Solutions (DGS) software into its platform. Bovada has a modern and stylish feel and the smooth interface is extremely user-friendly.

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Will online gambling grow again now that USA is starting to open it's doors?

17 August 2012

Since December of 2011, the US seems to have been making steps which could lead to some forms of online gambling becoming legal. Congress appears to be easing the laws of internet gambling after passing legislation that could mean the re-emergence of the USA as a secure and regulated online gambling zone.

As soon as the majority of states follow in the footsteps of places such as Nevada (therefore having a relaxed approach towards online gambling in general), it will hopefully pave the way for a completely regulated gambling environment that offers players the services and security that they have long been pursuing.

America is certainly beginning to open her doors to online gambling by making some games legal. If all forms of online gambling are to eventually become legal across the nation, it could see games such as poker becoming available almost overnight at a large number of innovative gambling sites which already offer their services to players from around the world.

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How much was really wagered over Euro 2012?

15 August 2012

The following section takes a look at Euro 2012 and tries to find out how much was actually wagered during one of the most important events on the football calendar. This football tournament was comprised of 16 of the best European footballing nations and it began on 08 June, 2012.

The Euros (as they are otherwise known) is a popular footballing event that is second only to the World Cup. The actual final between Spain and Italy was held more than two weeks later on the first of July, but exactly how much cash was wagered during this period?

According to expert analysts, there was a staggering £508M (approximately USD$800M) taken in bets form British bookmakers up and down the country as well as from online gambling portals.

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The social predicament of online betting

03 August 2012

Over the past few years and with the advent of online gambling, it seems as though gambling in general is becoming frighteningly and increasingly more socially acceptable. Young and old can now place a bet at the click of the button, whether they are at home or even now on-the-go via the use of a mobile device. It isn’t the view anymore that gambling is a ‘mug’s game’ or that gambling is purely for degenerates.

Everyone is getting in on the action. With all this gambling on the TV and on the internet, we are without a doubt breeding a new generation of hardcore gamblers across the nation. For some people, gambling is something to be done at certain times of the year when famous events take place such as the Grand National horse race or the footballing FA Cup Final. But for others, the freedom to gamble online has really opened up a can of worms.

Unfortunately for many, gambling is starting to take hold of people’s lives and although (as mentioned) we know that is has become a more socially acceptable ‘pastime’, gambling is still the destroyer of worlds.

Just like any other addiction, whether it’s of the drug or alcohol kind, gambling can turn into a major problem if you are not careful. Sure, there are independent entities and some government-funded organisations that can help gambling addicts, but only a very small minority of the population that even recognise they have a problem will actively seek help.

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Live Casinos Have Staying Power

01 August 2012

Live Casinos are one of the most exciting additions to the online gambling industry in recent times. For many, travelling to a real life bricks and mortar casino is often out of the question. The next best thing is a Live Casino, which can be accessed from your computer and so for many players, this is the ideal substitute.

The reason why so many people are enjoying these Live Dealer Casinos is because you can get the taste of a real casino environment but from the comfort of your own home. A few major software companies now have their very own Live Dealer Casinos and the only way that you can access one is by signing up to the casino via their main website and then downloading the secure software. No games are available in the free play demo mode at any of today’s Live Dealer online casinos.

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Efficient Broadband: the Vital Prerequisite for Online Gambling

02 July 2012

Few of pastimes have been as captivating and enticing to mankind than gambling. Our natural inclination towards risk, combined with the spoils you expect to recoup should all go your way, creates almost the perfect montage. When this almost irresistible temptation evolved into online gambling networks its addictive essence tripled.

However, for all the entertainment of being able to gamble online, owning an efficient broadband is often overlooked and considered a luxury, rather than essentiality. A sluggish broadband connection can be used when gambling online, however is akin to a footballer taking free-kicks with battered boots. Here are just a few reasons why a fast and sturdy internet is an absolute must for those looking to win some money online

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Where do Online Poker Sharks tend to Play

22 June 2012

If you’re just starting out with online poker then you perhaps have heard about poker sharks. These are the people who like to take your money and they can do this quite easily. The question is, “how do you avoid the sharks?”

The simple answer is that you can’t, you just have to shape up and learn the game because this threat is unavoidable. This is why certain players were so aptly named – Sharks (pros) and Fish (amateurs).

You would think that sharks would play on the high stakes tables winning $100’s per pot, but contrary to popular belief, many of these professional sharks tend to frequent the lower stakes tables in order to take the money from the fish, like taking candy from kids.

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Are Online Slots Tournaments Worth the Hassle

18 June 2012

To take part in an online slot tournament, you really have to enjoy slots. They have only become popular in the past few years and are still not yet widely available, plus it is only recently that they have gathered momentum and started appearing in more online casinos, but what is so fascinating about an online slot tournament?

To actually sign up to one of these, you must be a fan of online slots. It’s not important to love slots, but what’s the point in signing up for one if you don’t like slots in the first place? Although most of the tournaments don’t tend to last too long (in some cases just five minutes), the repetitive spinning of the reels can be too much for some players, but for a slot enthusiast, these tourneys are the best thing since sliced bread.

Some slots tournaments can last 20 or so minutes but some of the extended tourneys can last for an entire day, which will automatically pause each time you log out (not the tourney but your individual play). The entrance price for a slot tourney can range from low buy-ins up to the more expensive buy-ins for highrollers.

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What has happened since Black Friday - America's Darkest Day for Online Poker?

13 June 2012

More than 12 months have passed since online poker’s darkest day occurred in America. This section takes a brief look at what has happened since congress decided to make gambling online illegal and reveals what has actually happened since April of 2011.

Three of the founders of the world’s leading online poker sites such as Full Tilt poker were indicted by the US Department of Justice (D.O.J) and the F.B.I froze billions of dollars’ worth of player’s money. This happened overnight and left most players and operators in a state of shock. It was no longer legal for players to play in the real cash mode, or for these operators to process transactions with online payment companies or other banking institutions.

The online gambling companies were officially charged with serious offences. These offences included money laundering, illegal gambling and even bank fraud. This new act was called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and meant that players basically had no legal US based gambling portals to play at anymore and many other major offshore operators also pulled out of the US market altogether.

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Which Licensing Jurisdictions impose the toughest regulations on their Licensees?

11 June 2012

There are various different licensing jurisdictions around the world that regulate the online gambling industry, with some jurisdictions being tougher on their licensees than others and some are well-known to have higher standards than others.

This section explores the main licensing jurisdictions from around the world and reveals where the best online gambling portals are actually licensed from. Also, players should know that where these online casinos are actually licensed doesn’t always mean that this is where they operate from.

At the lower end of the scale of licensing jurisdictions (that don’t tend to impose strict regulations) are jurisdictions such as Panama, Costa Rica, Anjouan/Comoros and Belize. It is more likely that a rogue online casino would operate from one of these Central American online gambling licensing jurisdictions. It appears as though they hand out licenses to any old operator, providing they can afford one (and possibly a bribe as well) with little or no background checks on the casino operator.

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What is In-Play Betting and Why is it so Popular

09 June 2012

In-play betting is basically what it says, placing a bet while the action is in-play. Until recently, punters could only place in-play bets if they were either down at the local betting shop or over the phone at certain major high street bookmakers, and providing you had an active account with them. Today, almost every online sportsbetting site offers markets for in-play betting.

It doesn’t matter if you miss the start of a match any more because you can now place bets right through to the last minute of the game while betting in-play. Not all sports have in-play markets, but most of the major ones do, such as football, tennis, darts, snooker, rugby, hockey, American football, baseball, cricket and other sports, plus various other special events such as the recent hit TV talent show, The Voice.

While the actual event is taking place, markets become available that never used to exist. For example in football, punters can predict which minute the next throw-in could occur, when the next corner will be, when the next goal will be scored, who will actually score next, or even when the next bookable offence will be.

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Can I Continue Playing in my Favourite Online Casino when I Travel Abroad?

08 June 2012

Online gambling laws vary a great deal from one country to the next, so the best advice to give would be to perform some research yourself into whether you are allowed to legally gamble or not online in the country that you intend to visit.

For those of you who are just going away on a break for two weeks or so and if you feel as though this is too long to go without playing in your favourite online casino you’ll be pleased to know that you should be able to log in to your favourite online casino from most destinations and you will probably still be able to place a bet, especially if you are using a computer in for example your hotel’s internet café.

You may notice a few precautionary measures trying to stop you, but allowing pop-ups for example will let you continue playing online poker or online roulette in the online casino you are already registered with. Some countries are very strict on not permitting online gambling in any form, but most of the time these countries have very few authoritative organisations that actually clamp down on the owners/operators of gambling portals, or the individuals themselves who play at these sites.

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Which Online Gambling Operators can't be Trusted?

06 June 2012

Rogue behaviour carried out by ruthless online operators comes in various different forms and whichever rogue attribute has been identified, it usually ends up with one or more players being let down in one way or another. Players must always be wary when signing up to an online casino because rogues keep surfacing on various radars.

News of a rogue casino doesn’t take long to circulate in chat rooms, reviews sites and online gambling information portals in general such as Casinoman.net, but before they are found out to be running scam operations, countless players are being ripped off. Before we talk about the actual operators, players must always ensure thatthe casino they intend to sign up to is fully licensed.

If it holds a license from one of the Channel Island licensing jurisdictions such as Alderney (the Alderney Gambling Control Commission), or from the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, the UK Gambling Commission , or by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, you can pretty much guarantee that you won’t encounter a rogue casino.

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How to gamble sensibly on slot machine on a budget

09 March 2012

If you are playing on an online slot with a budget, there are several different methods that you can apply to make the coinage stretch a bit further. Before starting, you can adjust the amount of cash that you are spending per spin, so as soon as you have launched your favourite slot simply reduce this number to the minimum amount allowed.

This particular option is available on ALL slots and is the most obvious way of prolonging the time that you can spend playing. If your stake is set to the maximum that your budget will allow, the total playing time could literally be over in seconds.

If you are playing on a Classic single line slot, you won’t be able to reduce (or increase) the number of winning paylines because it only has one, so your cash will therefore last even longer on a Classic Slot than it would do on an average Video Slot for that reason alone.

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Which USA companies are poised to take advantage when online gambling gets regulated in the States

17 February 2012

When online gambling becomes fully regulated in the US, there will be a variety of companies that will seek to take advantage of this lucrative industry. These businesses will be comprised of both small and large organisations, as well as the longstanding companies that have been in the industry for years and those that will launch in the wake of online gambling becoming fully legal.

The regulation of online gambling in the US will see a rise in new companies who will be looking to claim their stake in the estimated $4 billion that is spent by US players on a yearly basis.  It will be like a modern day gold rush and as usual, it will inevitably be the player that gets exploited.

New Jersey (which is already a major gambling state), along with Iowa, Illinois, New York and California are all now rushing to propel themselves into that elite group of states that hope to be recognised as the leaders in online gambling.  

It appears as though Washington and Nevada will be the first to start online gambling and to begin with, poker will be the main form of gambling in these states.

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Legal update of regulation in Online Gambling in Denmark

01 February 2012

Denmark has become the latest European nation to open up to online gambling. They have joined an ever growing collection of EU countries to pass legislation, which allows them to regulate online gambling.

So far, there have been 38 leading operators that have managed to gain a total of 55 Danish Online Gaming licenses including bwin.party, PKR, 888, UniBet, PokerStars, Betfair, Betsson, Cryptologic, Red Club Poker and Danske Spil. Denmark has followed in the footsteps of countries such as Spain and France who have realised the potential revenue there is to be made from this multibillion dollar industry.

More than half (20) of the companies that acquired an online gambling license from Denmark are in fact Malta-based operators. This new legislation was given the green light by both the European Commission and the Danish Parliament.

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Which US States will move first to allow online gambling in 2012

25 January 2012

There have been many states that have been pushing and lobbying for legal online gambling for years now. It’s not a case of just one or two states that are keen to legalise the industry and assist in making the industry fully regulated. There are numerous states that are showing an active interest and are now pushing for change.

It is common knowledge that the US state which is furthest ahead in approving and permitting requested applications for online poker licenses is Nevada, and the institution to approve such gambling portals and hand out licenses to these websites is the Nevada Gaming Commission.

The District of Columbia will also be one of the first most likely to allow online gambling in 2012. There are already predictions from certain expert analysts that US players will soon be able to legally log in to their favourite online casino and start wagering with real money, as early as this year.

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Will online gambling take off on the ipad?

20 January 2012

If we look at how popular online gambling is from a mobile device, we can safely assume that gambling on an iPad is really going to take off, in a big way. The UK currently has the largest number of online gamblers who access their accounts from a smartphone or similar device and we know that there are a great deal of iPad users out there so we can safely say that putting these two together, the iPad gambling phenomenon will soon take off.

There are now various apps available that allow players to place a bet with their favourite sports betting site or online casino and players are literally lapping these apps up. The iPad is certainly taking online gambling to the next level, giving players more chance than ever to experience an online gambling experience on the move without ever having to turn the computer or laptop on and at the same time these players are privileged with outstanding, innovative technology.

The visually stunning graphics and pristine clarity, together with the fact the games can be played in the landscape mode or they can flip the device around and view the screen in portrait mode offers players a unique e-gaming experience. There are numerous sports betting sites that have developed some wonderful apps making it easier than ever for players to place a wager.

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What does 2012 have in store for online gambling in the USA?

15 January 2012

To say that online gambling in the US will be totally legal in 2012 would be a very optimistic statement. However, progress is being made, albeit slow progress and until the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIEGA) is abolished, the wider community of online gamblers in the US will have to continue looking to find other ways of legally being able to place a wager at an online casino.

There have been a lot of stories circulating that American players are closer to being able to play online but the truth of the matter is that there is still a great deal that needs to go through the courts and there are still many more decisions that need to be made by Congress.

Before there is a possibility of widespread legal online gambling in the US, individual state laws will need to be modified and updated. Nevada will more than likely be the first state to allow all forms of online gambling, but again, this isn’t going to happen overnight.

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Top 5 Online Casino Bonus Terms & Conditions to Look Out For

16 November 2011

When you enter any promotional offer at any online gambling site, whether it is a poker site, sports book or online casino, players should read the small print so they are clear about how special offer actually works.

Number one:

Everything is clearly explained in the Terms and Conditions (T’s & C’s) regarding all promotions. A player should thoroughly read through these and if they are unsure about any of the information, they should contact the customer support. Failing to fully understand the T’s & C’s could result in disappointment. If the support are either less than willing to help you or don’t explain things clearly, you should try your luck elsewhere and leave this casino alone.

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The State of Online Gambling on Mobile Devices

14 November 2011

The current state of online gambling using a mobile device with regards to the services and technology seems to just keep on improving at an exponential rate and is becoming more and more popular. The innovative apps and unbelievably high tech mobiles that are currently available have led to a sharp rise in players now playing ‘on-the-go’.

Just a few years ago, mobile gambling was introduced, where players could place a bet on their favourite sport, or even on the X-Factor results. Now players can enjoy playing on Poker Apps from their favourite poker site. If their favourite site hasn’t launched an App by now, you can be pretty sure that the company has an application that is currently being developed or is already in the pipeline.

From the birth of mobile sports gambling, and to the introduction of poker apps, payers can also now experience a range of casino games, accessible from their mobile device, wherever they may be. People could be sat on a park bench or on their way home from work on public transport, fully immersed in one of the numerous casino games such as Roulette, Blackjack or Video Poker that are now available. Players can also play on Slots and Instant Win Games such as a Scratch Card (Scratchies). Other games that are proving to be popular on mobile devices include both Keno and Bingo.

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