There is definitely a particular glamour, thrill and romance linked to casino games, but unless you live near Atlantic City, writes in the official Jamesgosling blog the state of Nevada, or (in certain parts of the country) an important Indian reservation, chances are that possibilities to play real in a real casino don’t exist. That has all changed, due to the internet. Over the Internet, casino games are available to virtually everyone.

What Are Online Casinos?

Basically, an “online casino” is like some other online business – it’s a virtual, “cyber-version” of a normal brick-and-mortar institution. Also referred to as “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 the best games you’re familiar with.

Are the Odds Any Better Online?

On the whole, odds and payback percentages for casinos online are about the same because they are for brick-and-mortar casinos. The truth is, here in the Digital Age, you could find a great deal of the exact same technology utilized in online games as you will in Las Vegas, especially with online slots; modern digital slot machines use random number generators. The more reputable web sites which offer online games will publish verifiable payout percentage audits.

Are Online Casinos Dependable?

This is certainly a common – and quite valid – issue. Folks who run online gaming sites often lease software from a reputable third party, and as indicated earlier, will often publish payout audits.

Nevertheless, following the old advice of caveat emptor is wise when playing games on the Net. You’ll find documented cases of fraudulent casinos, but interestingly, this fraud usually has little to do with the virtual games themselves. In general, the fraud involves unreasonable delays or outright refusals to pay withdrawals.

The good news is the fact that online, reputation spreads fast. When fraud on the part of a casino website has been documented enough times, the on-line 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 as a way to claim sign-on bonuses, or take a screenshot and alter it with graphics editing software in order 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 can be tracked and may find themselves locked out permanently.