There are a few things to consider before you become an online gambler. One of the most important is finding the best sites to play. With so many choices, what should you look for? Let's examine the question of where to gamble online.
There is more to online casino gambling than the casino games. For example, anyone who has followed the World Series of Poker for the past few years knows that online poker players have started to creep in from anonymity and taken center stage. They've even won the main event for 2 years running.
But online gambling isn’t just poker, either. It’s everything. Every type of gambling you can imagine from progressive slot machines to bingo halls, international lottery drawings and sports betting. There are quite a few websites where you can bet on the winners of reality television shows or what the last digit will be at the closing bell of the stock market.
My point is, that before you even dare to venture into the internet in search of new gambling adventures, you'd best know what you’re looking for and how to find it.
Finding the Best Sites
Although becoming a winning online gambler involves many steps, the most important one is finding a casino to play. Despite the Internet so often being likened to the ‘Wild West’, online gambling itself is a far cry from those wicked saloons of the old. The increased competition, a higher level of player awareness, and the development of 'watchdog sites' that patrol the online gambling industry has made it relatively safe.
However, just because it’s safer that does not mean it's devoid of risk. Nor does it mean that all casino websites are created equally. Sometimes, even the most well intentioned site may not be quite up to par, resulting at best in an unsatisfactory experience and at worst a complete fiasco. Luckily, avoiding such problems is relatively easy.. it just takes a little effort and a little bit of research.
Below are some of the basic steps you need to follow when looking for a new online gambling site:
Make sure that the site is reputable. Always find out everything you can about a site before depositing a cent. Read online casino reviews in respected gambling magazines, visit gambling portals and check out what’s being said about the different sites.
You might also consider visiting online gambling forums or chat room where players meet to discuss gambling topics. There you’ll find first-hand accounts of player experiences that may help steer you towards or away from a particular site.
Ask yourself: Does this site fit my needs? Although choosing an online gambling site requires a lot of objectivity, it is also a matter of personal taste. It doesn’t matter if the site is praised on every forum and in every magazine, if it doesn’t have what you’re looking for it’s pretty much useless. For example, if you’re the sort of gambler who likes to mix it up, playing a little blackjack then maybe a couple of pulls on the fruit machines while waiting for the results of the Yankee baseball game, you need a site that caters to both casino gamblers and sports bettors. On the other hand, if bingo is your only love, you’ll need to refine your search to include only sites that offer it.
See for yourself. Once you have narrowed down your selections to a manageable level, begin visiting the sites and examining them. Really study them. Are the graphics top quality? Did the designers put some thought into the site's development or does it have that 'thrown together' look?
Does anything about the site make you feel uncomfortable or wary? Your answers to these questions will help to determine if the site is a worthwhile contender for your business or just some fly-by-night operation.
For a little extra insight, consider calling the site’s customer services department with some basic questions to see what kind of a response you get. If the associate is hesitant or unable to answer your questions, seems uninterested, or is just plain rude, consider that this might be the type of service that you’re likely to receive should a real crisis arise.
Now that you have found a place worthy of your attention, the next step is getting down to the business at hand: becoming an online gambler.
Becoming a Player
In days past when the number of casinos online could easily be counted on a single hand, getting online, downloading the casino software and establishing an player account was a tedious series of events that made the trip to the local casino more than worth it. But as technology advanced, so too did the entire process and what we're left with is the streamlined progeny of those early pioneers.
Next we’ll discuss the technical side of online gambling including computer requirements and software options as well as how to open and fund your player account.
Hardware and Software
At its most basic level, gambling online requires two critical components: a computer compliant with gambling software and access to the Internet.
If you bought your computer within the last five years, chances are that you're already equipped with the necessary hardware to gamble online.
While you don’t need to have the latest, state-of-the-art computer in order to gamble online, if you're working with an older computer, you will need to check to see if your computer is up to the task. Most online gambling sites provide a list of the minimum requirements needed to handle the software. This information can be found typically under the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ (FAQ) page and sometimes on the ‘Download’ page itself.
Generally speaking, the typical minimum requirements are:
- Windows XP/2000/98/95/NT
- 64 MB of RAM (Random Access Memory)
- 256 color VGA monitor
- 30 MB of Hard drive space
- 14.4 Kbps modem
In addition to these minimum requirements, you’ll also need an Internet browser such as Microsoft Explorer or Firefox.
Having established that your computer meets these minimum requirements, the next step is to install the gambling software from the selected site onto your system. This software contains all of the information your computer needs to allow you to gamble.
In essence, the software IS the casino or poker room or bingo hall. Note: Sportsbooks typically don't require any software, only an active, funded account.
The software is always free of charge and accessible directly from the site or sometimes via a CD-ROM that can be requested from the site. While the majority of sites favour downloadable software (software that requires its key components be downloaded directly onto the users computer) many sites now offer software platforms that allow users to skip the download process. Platforms such as Java or Flash are designed to allow players near instant access to the games with minimal hassle. Unfortunately, these platforms often sacrifice realism for convenience with the end result being a less-than-perfect simulation. Happily, many sites now offer players the option to choose the version they would prefer to play.
Once you have selected a platform, the rest is easy. For a downloadable software package, click the link that says 'download' and the computer basically does the rest.
For the other versions, simply choose the appropriate Flash or Java option and get ready to play.
Opening a Player Account
The final steps before you can become an online gambler are to register and fund your account. To register, simply fill out the registration form provided by the site after the software has been installed. This form requires basic personal information (name, address, etc.) as well as a selected user name and password so you can access your account.
Always remember to keep this information in case your forget it.
Once you have registered, you may begin playing ‘For Fun’ (free) if the site has such an option, or you may deposit funds and begin playing for real. While casino banking options vary with the site, the process is generally the same. Click on the 'Deposit' option; select one of the methods (i.e. credit card, electronic check, pre-paid ATM, etc.), choose an amount and transfer that amount into your player account. Bear in mind, however, that depending on your selected method, initial deposits into an online gambling account may require you to do a little more ‘paperwork’.
For example, you may opt to open an account with an online money transfer service such as NETeller or uKash. In that case, you’ll need to open an account with them first, fund that account and transfer those funds to your player account. While this requires a little extra effort, it provides even more protection for your sensitive financial information and is well worth the time.
Once the funds have cleared and are in your player account this can range from immediate availability to several weeks, depending on the deposit method.. you can begin playing for real.
