There is definitely the specific glamour, thrill and romance linked to casino games, but unless you live near Atlantic City, in the state of Nevada, or (in certain parts of the country) a major Indian reservation, chances are that possibilities to play real in a real casino don't exist. That has all changed, as a result of the internet. Throughout the Net, casino games are available to virtually everybody.

What Are Online Casinos?

Basically, an "online casino" is like any other online business - it really is a virtual, "cyber-version" of a normal brick-and-mortar institution. Also known as "virtual," and/or "Internet" casinos, these web pages enable people to place bets on traditional games, and include:

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

and just about all the best games you're familiar with.

Are the Odds Any Better Online?

In general, odds and payback percentages for casinos online are about the same as they are for brick-and-mortar casinos. The truth is, here within the Digital Age, you may locate a great deal of the same technology employed in online games when you will in Las Vegas, especially with online slots; modern digital slot machines use random number generators. The more reputable sites that offer online games will publish verifiable payout percentage audits.

Are Online Casinos Trustworthy?

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

With that being said, following the old advice of caveat emptor is wise when playing games on the World-wide-web. You will find documented cases of fraudulent casinos, but interestingly, this fraud usually has little to do with the virtual games themselves. Typically, the fraud involves unreasonable delays or outright refusals to pay withdrawals.

The good news is that via the internet, 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 quality casino;" online player's forums often maintain lists of such dishonest casinos, and these do not remain online for very long.

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