While many casino games are identical, there is no hiding the fact that online casinos are far different from their real-world counterparts. Depending on how you look at it, these differences could be for the better or worse.
Having an understanding of these differences is very important for someone preparing to make their first wager online. This article will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having a casino online as they relate to the experience in a land casino.
The Good Side
For some, the beauty of online casinos is the mere thrill that comes along with playing. However, several more are attracted to all the incentives and promotional offers.
Because the competition has become so heavy over the last few years, casinos are doing whatever they can to attract new business. This is made evident by the wealth of bonuses that are offered to new customers.
Some casinos will give up to 100% of your initial deposit as a bonus, free money that provides you with added depth to your bankroll.
The other advantage of online casino play is convenience. You don’t have to worry about travelling out of your way or dealing with noise, smoking, and all the other irritations associated with real-life casinos. You can play right from your computer, at your own pace, and even save a little money because there is no waitress to tip or gas charges.
The Bad Side
Even when dealing with a reliable casino, many drawbacks can take away from the experience. For example, cashing out your winnings can be a slow and difficult process.
Aside from the waiting periods on the casino’s end, there may also be delays with your credit card company.
You can expect to wait anywhere from two to four weeks between cashing out your account and waiting for it to be applied to your credit card. Wire transfer and debit cards usually go much faster at around 3 to 5 business days.
Another disadvantage with online casinos is often the lack of customer support. Some companies provide excellent service with a toll-free phone number or email but others aren’t so responsible. You will have a rough time with a company that takes days to answer emails and has no phone number to call.
When deciding to play online, you are also binding yourself to the rules of the casino. This means that fighting disputes is usually a lost cause, especially once you sign your name on the dotted line.
Stay on Top of the Rules
While you certainly need to be cautious of the casino, it is the players who pose one of the biggest threats to the online gambling industry. This issue has boiled over so much that a few casinos have started to blacklist players looking to defraud the business.
Players are getting themselves blacklisted for seemingly trivial matters like disputing or threatening to dispute charges, as well as more serious offenses such as using stolen credit cards and manipulating the gaming software. Unfortunately, a couple of bad apples are making it a bit harder for everyone.
While there are pros and cons, it is a must that you know the rules to ensure a smooth gaming experience. In taking the time to work with a reputable casino, you are sure to enjoy the many benefits and profits that are available at online casinos.
Security Qualities You Need in an Online Casinos
One of the biggest concerns for internet gamblers is the safety and security of online casinos. These concerns are warranted when considering that sensitive information such as credit card and bank account numbers and residential details are often involved.
Not only must you be on the lookout for hackers who slither through the cracks of the internet, but shady casino sites as well. Here are some security checks to carry out:
No Encryption, No Gamble
When it comes to internet casinos, it is a good rule of thumb to look for a site that offers a level of security similar to online banks and e-commerce stores. These sites protect their transactions with a security protocol known as SSL. SSL stands for Secure Lockets Layer and enables a method that creates an encrypted tunnel for sensitive information to pass through.
This basically means that instead of your credit card or bank account information traveling over the internet in plain text, it is scrambled in a manner where the content cannot be viewed even if it was to be intercepted by a cyber thief.
Although most online casinos incorporate SSL certificates, the level of encryption is what you need to pay attention to. 128-bit encryption is currently the industry standard, which essentially means that anything less has been rendered insecure.
Before opening and funding an account, you need to make sure your casino has mechanisms in place to protect you against roaming threats.
Beyond Secure Transactions
Having a safe way to transfer funds is good, but it isn’t enough to ensure the full-proof security you need to gamble at an online casino. Once the information arrives at the casino, how do you even know if it will be sold or misused in some other way? You will never know unless you are absolutely sure that you are dealing with a reliable casino.
So, how do you get the proof? It is actually a simple process that shouldn’t take up much of your time. In order to prove reliability, an online casino should meet the following criteria:
Be Licensed
Any casino you want to play with should be licensed by a certain jurisdiction. This basically means that a local jurisdiction such as Antigua or Barbuda has provided them with an official license to legally host a gambling site on the internet. If the casino has no such license, you shouldn’t play there. It is as simple as that.
Have Reputable Software
The underlying software plays a major role in the efficiency of the game and security as well. This is especially true if you intend on downloading the application onto your computer.
To make sure you are not unknowingly infecting yourself with malware or using an insufficient gaming platform, check out the software and find out who produced it. Some reputable names you may want to look for are Cryptologic, Microgaming, and RTG as they are industry-leading software developers.
Legitimate Payouts
Online casinos often publish reports detailing estimates of how much they paid out in the form of winnings. Be that as it may, these reports can be altered or bogus entirely.
To make sure a casino is honest about its payouts, check these numbers with an independent accounting firm.