Introduction

Finding A Safe Casino

Different Casino Software

Depositing And Withdrawing

Casino Bonuses

Essential Player Tips

Miscellaneous

ONLINE CASINO TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Casino Terms & Conditions ("T&C's")

Oh yes - this can be a minefield! I canot stress enough how important it is that you read the T&C's of an online casino. Especially if you live in a country where Internet Gambling is illegal, or if you intend to take a "free bonus" from the casino. While many casinos operate relatively fair and standard T&C's, there are plenty of small pitfalls to watch out for. I couldn't begin to list them all, but I will highlight a handful of the ones that cause most pain! Two points to note before I do: a casino website will always show the terms of play...often, bonus and "promotions" terms are kept seperate from the main casino terms...you may need to check both. Secondly, a casino can change it's terms at any time, and they frequently do. Check the terms at the time you download and play: don't rely on information you saw yesterday.

Bonus Wagering Requirements

There's no such thing as a free lunch! Almost every casino offers a signup bonus, normally an amount relative to the amount you first deposit, but always with strings attached. Usually you will find that you have to make bets that total more than 15x the deposit+bonus combined. So, say you deposit $100, receive a "free" $100 giving you $200 to play with. At 15x, you need to make at least $3,000 of bets before you can withdraw any winnings. Additionally, you will find that certain games are excluded from the "wagering requirement". This is to stop players taking advantage of free bonuses simply to walk away with a profit and not return. You can thank your peers for that one!

Me personally, I don't take bonuses - they are more hassle than they are worth, and invariably I'll bust out before I hit the wagering requirement. Also, the terms get so complicated sometimes, it's just seriously easier to play my own money!

Limited Withdrawal Amounts

Some casinos set a maximum on that which you can withdraw in any given day, week or even month. To me, this stinks of a casino without adequate funds. You'll rarely, if ever, find this on Microgaming and Cryptologic software based casinos as they licnece strictly. But elsewhere, if you see this, consider if it's a good place to win at!

Jurisdictions And Age Limits

There was a case recently where a player signed up to a casino from not only a country where Internet gambling is illegal, but also as an underage player. She won - quite big too! She knew she was underage, but because the casino let her sign up and play, she thought it was okat to carry on. Obviously this raised moral obligation issues and the casino suffered big-time in PR terms, but the upshot of it was that the player did not receive her money, as per the letter of the law. So be sure that you are old enough to play at the casino...some have 18+ limits, others are 21+. Check first!

Multiple Accounts from The Same Household

Pretty much all casinos say that you can only have one account per household. Some relax this if you ask, but this is generally there to prevent "bonus abuse", a fraudulent activity rife among the idiots who spoil it for all of us. These people are the reason bonuses are so tough on players these days. There was recently a case where a casino, subjected to an angry complaint from one player who claimed they refused to let her cashout the winnings after meeting all the criteria, revealed that there were some 300 accounts set up from the same IP address with similar information! What was more amazing was that the player had needed to try 250 times before she won! Now that's the time to give up gambling!