Beginners: Gambling Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) by Online Gamblers
2. Are online casinos games honest and fair?
3. Why are the casinos giving away large bonuses?
4. Is it safe to use my credit card at online casinos?
5. How do I start playing for real money?
6. Do I need to download and install a software to play?
7. How do I choose an online casino?
8. How do I collect my winnings?
Is it legal to gamble at an online casino?
As far as it concerns the online gamblers who operates from their homes, yes,
it's legal in all States. There are several countries (communities) and states in the USA that have laws prohibiting online gambling,
but most laws prohibit the accepting of bets and operating online casinos and
lotteries; not the placing of bets and playing at casinos.
These states are: California, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan,
Missouri, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
That's why currently all online casinos are operated from outside the US. Most are
located in the Caribbean and Kahnawake, where online gambling licenses are
available. There are also UK and Australian licensed casinos. Despite over 80% of online gamblers are from USA some casinos
do not accept bets from US residents because the lack of corresponding
licensing agreements. Recent US anti-online gambling legislation try to
restrict cash transfer to gambling sites through US banking system (Credit Cards & Bank accounts) but do not prohibit playing
at online casinos. Moreover, this law is not released yet and, probably, will
not be released despite some banks voluntary block cash transactions to online
gambling sites. Use Neteller, Click2Pay, Citadel, PaySpark and other alternative
(non-credit-cards) payment methods
and collect even more bonuses. See also legal resources concerning online gambling in our directory
to learn more.
Are online casinos games honest and fair?
Almost all online casinos listed here use gaming software of independent parties: Microgaming,
OddsOn, Playtech and CryptoLogic.
Casinos have no incentives to cheat you because they have enough profit built-in with the house edge and player mistakes.
As a business standard, the payout percentages are monitored by PriceWaterHouseCoopers or
other big 5 accounting firms. You can find monthly reviewed payout percentages
of different online casinos at our Best Payouts page. The only problem you can face is the
ways you will receive your winnings (most casinos have definite wagering
requirements for cash outs),
so read the Cash Out / Withdrawal section of the corresponding casino or our
casino reviews to learn how and when you can withdraw your winnings.
Why are the casinos giving away large bonuses?
The casinos
are happy to give you the opportunity of trying out their games and playing for
some time for free. You will
find that as a regular player at any of the casinos listed here that you will be
included in special promotions and be able to enter all sorts of
contests. Some casinos even pay you each month for your loyalty in form of comps
programs. Remember that that's not a real money in your pockets, just electronic
chips. Usually, these bonuses should be wagered several times before being
cashed out. On average you cannot win a lot using these bonuses, however, if the
luck is on your side you do can take advantage of the free cash and win. Another reason why casinos give away free money is the
competition among the online casinos. The casinos try to attract
and retain real, regular players by giving away some part of their profit.
Is it safe to use my credit card at online
casinos?
All of the casinos that you will find here have high
security measures in place and process millions of dollars of players
transactions every year. However, because of some limitations imposed by credit
card issuers, it's better to open an account with FirePay, Netteller,
Citadel, Click2Pay
or Prepaid ATM and use it to fund your accounts in several casinos.
There are also good regional payment solutions like UseMyBank for
Canadian residents or UKash for UK based gamblers. See
Payment Options page for details.
How do I start playing for real money?
After
installing casino software or starting flash or other browser-based games you
can open a real account and try your luck. You may fund you account by credit card, by check, or by wire transfer.
With your credit card you can deposit money quickly and start playing immediately. But don't forget
about Neteller, FirePay, Gaming Card, PaySpark or other systems. Most of the casinos allow you
to open a guest account and play for free. Use it before you get known
all the game rules and be confident playing the game.
Do I need to
download and install a software to play?
Not necessary. Some casinos
offer no download or browser based (usually Macromedia Flash) games. No download games can be played at
any computer in a matter of minutes / seconds while software download based games require
installation of the software to play. Nevertheless, download based software
games usually have better graphics, are more secure and allow more room to
configure them to your taste. Note: sometimes the odds for the same games in
download and Flash based versions are differ, usually in favor of download
version..
How do I choose an online casino?
The choice depends
on your playing strategies, your favorite games and the time you want to spend
playing at the casino you search for. If you are new to online gambling we
advise you starting from old, large and reputable online casinos, see for
example our Top 20 Casinos page. There are hundreds of online casinos and
new casinos are opening every week but they all use the games from a few software providers. We do not recommend playing at online casinos
with "their own software" because the odds of the casinos from reputable software providers are monitored by the 3rd parties and provider
can influence the online casino as well. Among the best casino software providers are:
Microgaming,
Net Entertainment
and Playtech.
Before playing for real money visit our
Casino Reviews page, see Latest Bonuses, Best Comps
and Best Payouts pages.
How do I collect my winnings?
Usually you could collect your winning to you credit card or by the method that
you made your deposit (up to the
amount deposited) and the rest could be sent by check, wire transfer or other
alternative payment methods by your request. Visit Banking, Cash Out or
Withdrawal section of corresponding casino to figure out the exact terms
and available payment options
or see our casino reviews to find concise and updated information. We list only
trusted and reputable online casinos that ensure quick and secure cash outs.
Check out our Beginners Gambling Guide to learn more about
today's online casinos and Internet casino gambling.
USA - Is This Your GEO? 
