Gambling on the Internet

Online casino gambling can be very thrilling. The fun never stops when gambling online. The rush you experience when you win something is matchless. The fun and thrill can be increased further if you follow certain unwritten tips while gambling online. These tips will help in making the online gambling experience an enjoyable one. It will minimize the possibility of you shedding tears of frustration and failure. Let us call these tips the do’s of online casino gambling.

1) Decide on the games you are going to play at an online casino before you start gambling online. Do not play games you are not familiar with. Stick to the games which are known to you. This way, you will not have to lose money unnecessarily while learning how to play games.

2) Decide on a gambling budget and a losing limit. Stop gambling once your budgeted amount is exhausted. A wise gambler will quit when he/she reaches his/her losing limit. This will minimize the loss. So be wise and quit once you have used up the budgeted amount.

3) Be aware of the local law. In some places, online gambling is illegal. So, before you start to gamble on the internet, it is better to check and make sure that online gambling is legal in the place you are residing.

4) Be knowledgeable about the online casino you choose. There are many rogue casinos on the internet. Check and make sure that the online casino you have chosen is genuine and legitimate. Consult your friends or check out the casino on online gambling forums.

5) Give the online casino a test drive. Most of the legitimate online casinos offer the option of playing for free. Avoid casinos that do not offer this option. Play the free games offered by the online casino. If you are satisfied, then you can decide whether to start placing bets.

6) Be aware of the payout rates. Before starting to gamble online, you must check out the payout rates offered by the online casino you have chosen. Compare the payout rates against those offered by other online casinos. Make sure that you are not getting shortchanged.

7) Check out the bonuses. Most online casinos offer bonuses to their players. These bonuses range from sign-up bonuses to frequent-player bonuses. A good online casino will reward its players with small bonuses from time to time. But beware of bonus offers that seem too good to be true. Such bonuses are sometimes used by rogue casinos in order to attract people and then defraud them.

Ensure your privacy. Make sure that the security software used by the online casino of your choice is up-to-date. Before signing up, make sure that your data will be safe.

9) Place bets only when you are sure that you can afford to lose them. Do not play with money you cannot afford to lose.

10) Most of all have fun. Enjoy yourself and do not get too worked up. Play for fun and have a good time.

Follow these tips and your online gambling experience would be a lot better. Gambling is to be only for fun and making money. The minute gambling causes you tensions and worries it is time to quit.

The world of internet gambling is strictly regulated and it is important to first be aware of what countries allow online gambling before you start. Online casinos have experienced a steady growth in popularity over the past few years, with more and more people registering with sites in order to enjoy their favorite casino games.

You will find a few countries around the world where this practice is legal and many of them house servers that are accessible to people residing in countries where it is not. This means that if you live in a country where gambling online is banned, you might still be able to play by dialing into a server that is hosted outside of your country.

The United States of America

It is true that more and more countries are realizing the benefits of legalizing internet gambling and are actively taking steps toward this. However, the law governing the prohibition of internet gambling in America is somewhat unclear. The estimate is that approximately 70 percent of US citizens make up the internet gambling population and suffer little consequences because of it. It may be that the situation is difficult to monitor and regulate because gambling online happens in the privacy of your home and not in the public eye.

Online Gambling Around The World

You can do a simple search online to find out what countries allow online gambling. The list below reflects a few of these where online gambling is legal:

Australia
Belgium
Canada
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Macau
Malta
New Zealand
Panama
Philippines
Poland
Russia
Scandinavia
Singapore
Spain
Switzerland
Countries like Argentina, Mexico and a few Asian countries have all started the process of legalizing online gambling.

Enforcement and Regulation

Although the internet gambling industry is heavily regulated, experts admit that it is difficult to monitor because of its fairly anonymous nature. This poses a problem where online gambling is banned because it is virtually impossible to pinpoint players in the country who sign on from their homes. This begs the argument that why ban online gambling at all if it is so easily accessible and difficult to monitor? Regulation remains easier than prohibition in most cases and the trend seems to show that more and more countries are realizing this.

It is best to properly investigate what countries allow online gambling to ensure that you are on the right side of the law when enjoying your favorite casino games. This will also guarantee that you get to keep whatever winnings you make online.

Gambling and gaming can be a great pastime, however there comes a time in some gambler’s lives that they seriously need to look at themselves and ask the question, “Am I a gambling addict?” But how do you know if you’re addicted to gambling? In this article, I’m going to look at a few key things that mark a gambling addict from a social or hobby gambler.

Firstly, have a look at your thought patterns and see if you can identify if you’re thinking about gambling a lot more than you think you should be. This can be a little tricky to spot because you may not believe its on your mind all the time when in effect it is. For example, are you thinking about gambling regularly while at work? Does your mind wander to gambling while you’re having a conversation with someone about a totally unrelated topic? Are you thinking about it when you’re lying in bed before you go to sleep? Thought patterns like these are attributed to problem or addictive gamblers.

Thought patterns can vary however, for example I’m always thinking about gambling because I write about it regularly, have my own gambling-related blog and am a journalist for several online publications relating to the topic, though in saying that, I’m not actually thinking about sitting at a table and playing a game. Can you see where the thought patterns differ?

The big one when spotting a problem or addictive gambler is usually in their actions though, and not their thoughts. I know many hobby gamblers who are always at a gambling table in their spare time, or gaming online, but many of them are never playing for money, only playing for the enjoyment of the game.

Though don’t just think that because money isn’t involved that it’s not an addiction; this can be categorised as addictive behaviour if your gambling affects other parts of your life like family interactions, or if you cannot control your impulses to gamble despite the fact that you’re not playing for money.

But most of all with gamblers comes the financial downsides that addictive gambling usually has tied in with it. If you regularly gamble money that you shouldn’t be spending, money that should be spent on your family, or other general life expenses, then you’re most likely an addicted gambler and have a problem.

If any of these things sound like you, it is advisable to seek help in the matter. An addiction to gambling can be just as powerful as one to drugs, alcohol or sex and if not controlled, can take over or ruin your life. In most people the problem is manageable and even curable, though the first step is always seeking help.

So remember, have fun with your gambling but don’t let it get out of your control!