There is definitely a specific glamour, thrill and romance related to casino games, but unless you live near Atlantic City, in the state of Nevada, or (in some parts of the country) a serious Indian reservation, chances are that possibilities to play real in a real casino do not exist. Which has all changed, because of the web. Over the Web, casino games are available to virtually everyone.

What Are Online Casinos?

In other words, an "online casino" is like some other online business - it's a virtual, "cyber-version" of a regular brick-and-mortar institution. Also called "virtual," and/or "Internet" casinos, these 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 of the best games you are experienced with.

Will be the Odds Any Better Online?

Normally, odds and payback percentages for casinos online are about the same because they are for brick-and-mortar casinos. Actually, here in the Digital Age, you could find a great deal of the same technology used in online games as you will in Las Vegas, especially with online slots; modern digital slot machines use random number generators. The better reputable web pages that offer online gambling games will publish verifiable payout percentage audits.

Are Online Casinos Dependable?

This is certainly a common - and quite valid - issue. Individuals that run online gaming sites 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 discover documented cases of fraudulent casinos, but interestingly, this fraud usually has little to do with the virtual games themselves. Generally speaking, the fraud involves unreasonable delays or outright refusals to pay withdrawals.

The good news is that on the web, 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 don't remain online for very long.

It works both ways, incidentally; some players attempt 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 to be able to create a faked image of a winning online video poker hand or online slots jackpot in order to attempt to claim winnings. Such players may be tracked and may find themselves locked out permanently.