By Jerry Whittaker

There are so many different online casino games that it is difficult to choose what to talk about first, so, I thought I would talk more generally for a change, about the various gambling modes we find on this particular channel (internet). There are also many other ways to gamble too; on television, by mobile, live, by telephone, between your friends, and if you are so inclined – even illegally, although we wouldn’t advise this.

When looking at the online gambling industry, we find bingo, sports betting, lottos, betting exchanges, financial and financial spread-betting, skill games, virtual games, live online games, mobile, poker, arcade, Vegas, day trader, scratchies and other stuff too. These games are generally sectioned off from the combination type sites to provide one particular sector of games.

The principle behind ‘Specialty’ type gambling activity is to interest the player, who only has an interest in this one gambling game. These punters might be fastidious or picky what they play and don’t want to be distracted. It means special offers and promotions are designed for what they enjoy playing best, and they get to take advantage of less combination offers, where there might not be too much that interests them. Although most combinations sites offering online casinos games, will offer specialty promotions for at least slots, blackjack and roulette. Some may diversify wider, depending upon the demands of their regular customers.

Expert players often prefer a specialty site, they can concentrate on their game, skill and strategy as well as qualify for competitions with more attractive, and usually, highly lucrative rewards. The best example of specialty sites, and of which there are many – is online poker, others are online bingo and sports betting. There is also quite a valid reason for specialty site, and this is the software platform, but again technology is one step ahead, and software such as Microgaming Quickfire allows all games to be played on all platforms.

In a brand new turn out for the online casinos games books, P2P play is also becoming popular; although not many sites offer this form of gambling, and it may be easier to find P2P at a combination site. The concept of P2P online gambling is rather like the betting exchange. What happens is players gamble against each other, rather than against a fixed structure like the house. It is a novel concept and hasn’t quite caught on yet – but you know how things catch fire online. It may take off, it may not, but often gamblers are driven by the size of the prize and not necessarily by the skill of the competition. We shall have to watch, wait and see what happens.

By Jerry Whittaker

Free casino games are great fun to play; It is my job to write about them regularly, so I play a lot of games free. But then, I am a writer not a gambler! One thing needs to be borne in mind when playing free casino games, while these games are great fun to play free, when you win it is also not real. Sods Law tells us; that when playing for free we will win! Fortunately when playing gambling games online, there is also a ton of free money given away. This means many players; play free and win real money.

Virtually every gambling game one can imagine is available online. This means all casino table games, poker, slots, bingo, sports betting, financials, arcade and Asian games, scratchcards, Global lotteries, and even live casino games. Live games are brought to the online space, in real time through live video streaming, while being filmed in TV-type studio settings. Even live bingo makes a popular choice for many players. But, let’s talk a little about free money with which to play these games.

Every online casino and almost every gambling activity website, gives away what they call bonuses when a player makes a deposit. In most instances these bonuses must be earned by making wagers, but once they are earned, it boost the funds that the punter has available to play with. Some online gambling sites even give away a few free bucks, real money play time or free spins, to allow gamers to try before they buy. These are obligation free trials, and quite honestly if you take advantage of them, you really have nothing to lose. Do bear in mind if you win, you will be required to make a deposit, and meet terms and conditions before winnings may be withdrawn. Some sites offer better terms than others and my general rule of thumb is, stick to the brands that you recognize. In this way, you can be pretty darn sure that they won’t get tricky with you.

Amounts vary quite widely from website to website, but when looking at recognizable brands; bonuses are kept pretty standard. Special bonuses are also available for high-rolling players, and for players who only take a gamble on specific games. For example, roulette, blackjack and slots regularly feature their own special bonus amounts. The beauty for the slots lover is that regular freeroll tournament offers are also up for grabs, and sites often give away cash-back and tons of free spins; particularly when they are promoting new games. There are many great deals to be had to play free casino games, but also pays to be pragmatic about this, and realize that everything still comes at a price. Certainly new members of a live casino will never be offered deals such as these; although even these businesses are waking up to the way things are marketed online.