By Jerry Whittaker

Casinos have been irresistible magnets for thrill seekers since the days of the back room poker game played in smoky frontier saloons. Along with the promise of instant wealth they have always carried an edgy, almost dangerous romantic allure that is the makings of legend and lore. How then does the new cold and clinical cyber variety measure up and is online casino gambling the gaming equivalent of the Tamagotchi?

Far from the thronging, noisy mass of humanity on the average casino floor is a gaming world so far removed from the bright lights, jackpot jingles and coin tray serenades that it might as well be on another planet. Played on living room computers and laptops in limousines, this cyber newcomer is making inroads into the traditional live casino market in a big way and gathers an increasing number of enthusiastic devotees every day.

Online casinos have grown exponentially in popularity over the last decade or so and many, perhaps even the majority, of their most ardent fans are live casino converts so they must be doing something right. The question is why would anyone want to play casino games at home on a PC? The answer is certainly not simple or clear cut and is as individual as those that play online. Perhaps one should rather ask why someone would NOT want to play in a live casino.

Probably one of the most prevalent reasons for opting for a cyber spin is cost. Travelling long distances to the nearest casino, having to book accommodation, buy meals and refreshments and pay for entertainment for the kids makes for an expensive outing especially when the purpose of the trip is to trade money with lady luck. Online gaming costs no more than the bets placed which makes for a whole lot more gambling to be had.

Not everyone enjoys the noise and press of people on a live casino floor. The prospect of gaming in the quiet privacy of ones own home is surely another major contributor to online gambling’s popularity. Timing is also an important factor. Unless one lives near a casino most trips have to be planned. A couple of games of poker or Blackjack can be had on a whim in the time it takes to boot up old faithful and access the favourite site.

Online casino gambling also does away with the possibility of meeting up with any two armed bandits along the way which is a sad reality of our time. Having to drive with a bit too much liquid Black Jack under the belt is also avoided. All in all gambling online has a lot going for it and with the accuracy and selection of the games available is likely to be the option of choice for many dedicated casino fans in future.

By Jerry Whittaker

Our fast paced modern world has brought about a multitude of positive changes in the lives of those able to capitalize on the technological advancements. Unfortunately, as the case has been throughout the history of man, the less morally burdened component of humanity is never far behind the rest in taking advantage of any new developments.

The internet is no exception and it seems that one is swarmed by malware, spyware, viruses and amoral, opportunistic leeches as you are still reaching for the PC on-button. Any regular internet activity is fraught with these dangers and any online commercial transactions doubly so. Horror stories abound of folks that are wiped out in minutes by credit card skimmers and unscrupulous vendors.

Not to mention your winnings. When the Gambling Gods are given the slip and you hit it big, who’s to say the casino will pay you out? All these points are rightful concerns of would-be online gamblers considering having a fling at any web based casino. And so they should, these are dangerous times and vigilance and caution are valuable survival tools.

To answer the question though, online gambling is safe. As a matter of fact, it’s probably one of the safer online recreational activities one can engage in. It’s much like aviation safety. The majority of incidents and accidents involve small privately owned aircraft. The big boys seldom fly into the cumulus granitus simply because of the levels of control and regulation that exist in the airline industry.

And in that little analogy lays the truth about online gaming safety. Stick with the big name brands. Gaming has always been a heavily regulated industry and the bigger the company the more scrutiny it has to endure regarding its policies and practices. Get to know the big players in the market and stick to them is one of the best ways of avoiding headaches.

When it comes to online safety there are a couple of tips which one should keep in mind that will make the experience safer.

• As mentioned stick with known names in online gaming. They have far too much to loose by engaging in dubious practices.
• Check that the site you visit uses secure payments and withdrawals systems. Most big players use 128 bit, military grade encryption on their payment portals which ensures your card details are well protected.
• Try and make sure that the site you are considering carries the endorsement of either their national gaming body or that of international organisations such as the Interactive Gaming Council.
• Never divulge any of your personal, login, password or financial details via email to anyone posing as a representative of the casino.
• When considering a new site a quick internet search will turn up any claimed scam activities regarding the site. Remember large amounts of smoke usually indicate a vigorous fire.
• Try and contact the sites help line or toll free numbers. The type of response and service one receives there is usually a good indicator of the sites integrity.

At the end of the day the safety of gambling online rests largely with the player and the common sense precautions they adhere to. Generally though, online gaming is as safe as it gets.