By Samantha Williams

While there is no such thing as free online casinos per se, there are many online casinos which give away lots of things free. The aim of the game in the short-term, for punting free online casinos, is to attract customers to their sites. So, the concept is; if they are giving it away for free – take advantage of the situation. Trying before we buy is a well know way to test a product to see how much we like it, in fact the more they give away free – generally the more we like a product.

There are several ways an online casino allows players to try before they buy. There is the “no deposit bonus”; which is generally a nominal amount of money or credits to play any games. Then there is the “free spins”; this is obviously relevant to slots and the fans of these games. There is also limited time offers, such as “play an hour” free, or the ability to play a variety of games in demo as well as real money mode. Playing games in demo mode or taking advantage of free offers allows the potential new customer to get a real feel for the games and the site itself.

Free online casinos do limit these offers in their terms and conditions, but then every online casino is in this business, simply to do business. There are terms and conditions with regards to wagering requirements if for example the player wins with the free offer, and it is always advisable to read these conditions; but then again, if it costs nothing in the first place, nothing is lost in the second place. Wagering requirements can be a bit of a bugger however, when it comes to withdrawing winnings, so it is good to look out for favorable terms. There is nothing however, to stop anyone from registering at four or five different online casino brands and trying out their free offers as well as the terms and conditions. There is no law which says any one player can only play at one site.

One of the most important considerations when playing at free online casinos is the issue of security. The point is that if you like the site and the games, it also needs to be secure for real money play. They can throw as much free money at us as they like, but if they are licensed in Timbuktu and we are UK players there isn’t much point in being a member. Sites with obscure licensing jurisdictions are not worth the trouble of playing at! Simply put, because while we are playing for free it is fine, but if we play for real money and have trouble retrieving our winning – there is very little, or no room for recourse, so we simply have do the most sensible thing.

By Samantha Williams

There are so many different choices of online gaming casinos, that it is definitely hard to know where to play your favorite gambling games. However, all is not lost because the online casino portal is designed to make your choices easier, as well as better informed.

In the UK and Europe the choices are relatively simple; many of the same land brands operate online too. For example in the UK all the big bookmaker and gambling names have an online presence. William Hill, Betfred, Ladbrokes, Gala Coral, Mecca, Circus, Bwin and plenty more! Then there are big brand online operators too, they have reputations to uphold, for example PartyGaming – who by-the-way have recently merged with Bwin. 888.com is another big public company and they have a great reputation; have also been seen negotiating a hook-up with another big brand name – Ladbrokes has been mentioned.

In the US it would be more difficult to make a good choice. First-off not many brand names operate there and you won’t find a Harrah’s, Wynn or Foxwoods operating online gaming casinos, although Harrah’s does operate these sites for the UK and European marketplace.

Call in at an online gaming casinos portal, they will recommend some good sites and definitely help you get started. These sites are basically repositories of all types of information – reviews, news, tips and strategies; most of it quite useful to help the new player. They provide no deposit and deposit bonus comparisons, and tell the newbie the basic gist of what to expect from a site. They also list security certifications, recommendations, licensing jurisdictions (very important), and various other important information.

Also it is important to seek a site which allows independent reviews from people who have played at the online gambling casinos they recommend. This makes sure that information is “straight from the horses” mouth. Strangely enough, poker sites, bingo sites and sports betting sites have proven to be far more popular than the normal Vegas-style online casino. But it all really depends on the games you are keen to play.

Online gaming casinos offer every game under the sun and this includes: baccarat, blackjack, casino and true poker, craps, roulette, video poker, keno, scratch cards, pull-tabs, Asian games, traditional slots, video slots, multi-player games, arcade games and more. Essentially everything that would be found if you played in a live casino and possibly more if we consider all the variations!

Casinos online offer top-notch service by the most part, but it is also important to remember that they are not all created equally; every now and then a rogue site does crop up – even though this is unlikely. Bad news always travels fast if it travels on the internet. In other words if a site is considered to be rogue, the news gets around at about the speed of light.