There is definitely a particular glamour, thrill and romance linked to casino games, but unless you live near Atlantic City, within the state of Nevada, or (in certain parts of the country) a major Indian reservation, chances are that opportunities to play real in a real casino don't exist. That has all changed, because of the internet. Through the Internet, casino games will be accessible to virtually everybody.

What Are Online Casinos?

Generally, an "online casino" is like any other online business - it's a virtual, "cyber-version" of a traditional brick-and-mortar institution. Also known as "virtual," and/or "Internet" casinos, these web 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 the best games you're knowledgeable about.

Are the Odds Any Better Online?

Generally, odds and payback percentages for casinos online are about the same as they are for brick-and-mortar casinos. In fact, here in the Digital Age, you could find a great deal of the same technology utilized in online games as you will in Las Vegas, especially with excellent online gambling agent slots; modern digital slot machines use random number generators. The greater reputable websites that offer online games will publish verifiable payout percentage audits.

Are Online Casinos Dependable?

This really is certainly a common - and quite valid - issue. People that run online gaming web 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 World Wide Web. You can find documented cases of fraudulent casinos, but interestingly, this fraud usually has little to do with the virtual games themselves. Normally, the fraud involves unreasonable delays or outright refusals to pay withdrawals.

The good news is the fact that over 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 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 attempt 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 so that you can create a faked image of a winning online video poker hand or online slots jackpot to be able to attempt to claim winnings. Such players can be tracked and may find themselves locked out permanently.