Online Casinos

Gambling in Australia has always been an issue. It is not illegal to gamble online in Australia, although some officials argue that this issue needs to be addressed due to increased popularity of online wagering.

A recent study administered by Southern Cross University’s Centre for Gambling Education and Research found that out of 6,500 online gamblers, more than half started playing online in the past six years. Although this is valuable information, it is not surprising. Online gambling only got its start in 1994; it only makes sense for it to take a decade to catch on. But lead researcher Sally Gainsbury says that online gambling is taking off much faster than any other method of gambling leading Australians to spend nearly $600 million dollars wagering annually.

Internet gambling is very easily accessible and has definitely increased problem gambling, but that’s not to say there aren’t enough resources out there. GamblersAnonymous.org is one of the most prominent sites out there and I can personally say it is one of the bests. It helps to prevent problems before they start.

There has been some pressure by researchers for the Government to implement certain guidelines to prevent gambling problems. Ideas such as having a pop-up notice come on the screen notifying the gambler how long they have been playing.

Gambling in a casino is harder to track the problem gamblers, so in a way online gambling has many advantages over gambling in a Brick and Mortar casino, as far as addiction prevention is concerned.

When I was a child my dad would always be showing us new games. He loved card games, especially casino games. He didn’t know it at the time but he was gearing me up to be an expert blackjack player when I eventually turned into an adult. I like playing in Vegas, but I very much enjoy playing online. There is something so soothing about playing cards in the comfort of my own living room on my big comfortable couch.

The thing that I find a bit disturbing is when my kids want to play also. Granted I feel as though I’m being a big of a hypocrite, it quite different from playing with my father when I was younger.  We would play strictly for fun. My dad would even educate us about the responsibility that comes along with wagering actual money.

I was actually reading an article the other day at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/06/onlinegambling.shtm that was highlighting the different perils that surround underage gambling on the internet.

The National Council of Problem Gambling and the American Psychiatric Association Committee on Treatment Services for Addicted Patients found that online gambling and kids is a bad bet, this is obvious, but let’s go into the specifics of the study.

It’s not just the FCC, it is a common fact that your child could lose their own money, or perhaps your money. Kids often do understand the responsibility of credit cards, much less credit in general. Hurting credit earlier in life can lead to a lifetime of poor credit. Kids are often too young or naïve to understand this. Another horrible side effect is the possibility of addiction. It is also very illegal for any minor to gamble at an on-line casino, or to wager money in general.

There is no escaping social media these days; the best thing to do is embrace it. What I mean by this is; you are already spending a significant amount of your day on these websites so you might as well make them work for you. I’m going to go over a couple of the most popular social media outlets and tell you the best way to use the sites when it comes to casino games. It really doesn’t matter which casino game you fancy, they are all great for every game, poker might be one of the favorites though among networks.

First let’s look at Twitter. This site has gotten a bad reputation because many people think that it is just a narcissistic playground where everyone goes to talk about themselves. Granted, there are a lot of self promoting topics, there is also a plethora of information to be obtained. Starting a Twitter account is easy, and free. You can follow anyone you desire. Professional players, casinos, online casinos, casino review magazines. Everyone has a Twitter account these days, making gathering this information easy and lucrative. Also there are plenty of promotions available only through Twitter. Companies will tweet a code only through Twitter.

Facebook is useful in similar ways. Instead of following a Twitter account you will be “friending” them or “liking” them. This will give you an inside look at many different online casinos, casinos that you can even play through an application on Facebook. So the next time you are online check out these tips.

There is a lot to be said about Blackjack strategy. What if I told you there is just one thing you can do to greatly improve your blackjack game, therefore blackjack winnings. It’s quite simple, and very easy to obtain. This one small thing will take you from just an average blackjack player to a great blackjack player. Would you like to know what I’m talking about?

I’m talking about apps. Everyone uses apps these days, there is no avoiding them. I know it sounds silly, and you may have the common misconception that apps are only for mindless videogames and taking pictures, but there are some applications out there for your computer and phone that are game-changers, literally.

I decided to find the best blackjack apps not only for blackjack strategy but also for entertainment value as well as aesthetic appeal.

The best one overall was Blackjack Multi hand. This game allowed me to play three hands at once all the while giving me tips and strategy to improve my overall blackjack game.  This game does cost a dollar though. I know, doesn’t seem like much but you would be surprised how many people will not spend the amount of a hamburger on a valuable casino tool.

If you are not willing to spend a dollar the best options are Blackjack88 and Blackjack Classic. Both of these games are decent, easy to navigate around and also are very generous with their bonuses.

If you liked this blog stay tuned because I will be going over all of the other casino games as well.

By the end of 2011 Casino Bodog will no longer accept US players. Not just casinos though, US players won’t even be able to access any Bodog brand websites. Considering how large of a brand Bodog is, this could prove to be somewhat detrimental to US citizens.

Bodog operates under Morris Mohawk Gaming based out of Canada, although they are a U.K. brand. This license will expire at the end of December when Bodog will start operating under a license from the U.K. Gambling commission, which they obtained in July of this year. This will take their website from “Bodog.com to Bodog.eu. A license from the U.K. Gambling Commission carries with it prestige and added trust that the brand is in favor of considering they have many growing markets right now, including Asia.

The cutoff has nothing to do with Morris Mohawk Gaming; however, it has a lot to do with the April 15^th indictment involving three poker sites. Many off shore casinos cut off American players all together, and Bodog was one of the few that stuck around, so to speak.

Calvin Ayre, founder of Bodog brand says that the new business venture is just what his company needs, and everyone involved is very excited about the change.

After all Bodog is ranked 13^th in overall online casino traffic and 2^nd among casinos still accepting US wages.

According to Wikipedia, Bodog strive to be “not unlike the Virgin brand venture,” and have marketed themselves all the way into the coffee industry.

We are in an age of technology where it’s easy for you play your favorite online casinos from home or while you’re on the go. It’s also easy for people to steal your money and personal information if you’re not careful. Most online casinos are safe and secure thanks to third party organizations like eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) and TST (Technical Systems Testing), which certify casinos for their player protection. A little background research before signing up with a casino can save you a lot of money and frustration. There are fake online casinos out there looking to cash in on an uninformed player.

The easiest way to check the legitimacy of an online casino is to do an Internet search on it. It only takes a short time to find some valid reviews. Look beyond the name of the casino. Find out more about the company behind it and what they represent. Make sure the casino is licensed and find out what their software provider is. The biggest and most reputable software providers are Microgaming, Playtech and Real Time Gaming. You can usually trust the casino when they use a trusted software provider.

Check to see if the content is copied on the site. Copy a paragraph from the site and paste it into an Internet search engine. Fake casinos sometimes share content. Read the terms and conditions carefully to see if they are clearly stated. Don’t fall for hidden requirements on bonuses. This is the biggest problem with new gamblers. Don’t open more than one player account at each casino as you might be considered a bonus abuser and banned from the site and their affiliates. Before signing up, make sure it is legal to gamble in your jurisdiction and you are of the legal age to gamble. The last thing to check is the procedure on payouts. Casinos that pay out on a monthly basis, rather than weekly or daily, could be illegitimate.

There are a lot of things people look for when searching for an online casino at which to play. People look at the graphics, the overall look of the website, which games are offered, the number of tournaments, bonuses and more. No factor is more important in an online casino than safety, though, and that should be your number one concern. After all, it doesn’t matter how well animated the games are if they’re ripping you off. Similarly, a fun casino experience cannot make up for having your identity stolen due to poor site security.

For that reason, making sure an online casino is safe should be your top concern when looking for a place to play. But how do you know what sites are safe?
The first thing you need to look for is licensing. Many online casinos are licensed and regulated by the governments in which their sites reside. Those governments regulate the casino and ensure that they are safe and fair. If that is not the case, though, there are third-party regulators, such as the eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA), that inspect online casinos.

eCOGRA inspects websites to make sure they have the proper encryption to make sure all financial transactions are safe. They also look at the game software, make sure it is fair, protected from cheating, and pays out an appropriate percentage of the time. They also can work as an arbitrator if there is a dispute between a customer and an online casino. Simply put, if eCOGRA gives a website their seal of approval, you can feel assured that it is safe and fair and thus, a good place to play.
Another thing to look at is the game software designers. Instead of designing their own games, most online casinos buy licensed software from third-party developers. There are many developers out there that have built a solid reputation for fairness and safety and any casinos that use their software should be a safe place to play. Industry-leading software designers who have good reputations include Rival Gaming, WagerLogic, Microgaming, PlayTech and more. Each of those software designers have been shown through rigorous testing and player feedback to be safe, fair and also fun. Therefore, if an online casino uses software designed by any of those prestigious companies, it should be safe.

The other thing to look for is simply the overall reputation of the online casino. When customers are angry, they will vent and give bad reviews to websites on message boards, review websites, and a variety of other sources. On the other hand, when they’re happy sometimes they’ll write glowing reviews. Before joining an online casino, it is a good idea to do research on customer feedback for the website. If the majority of the feedback is positive, that’s a good sign. If the majority of feedback is negative, that could be a bad sign and I would recommend further investigation before joining.

Back in the day, if you wanted to play blackjack you either had to get some friends together and convince one of them to be the dealer or you had to take a trip to a brick in mortar casino in locations like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. With the advent of the Internet, though, now all you have to do is go on your computer or cell phone. There are many differences between online blackjack and blackjack at a brick and mortar casino, though.

The biggest difference is that there is no dealer or other players at the table. Instead, you are playing against a computer program called a random number generator, which determines which cards are drawn by you and the “dealer.”

This means a few things. First of all, it means you don’t have to worry about being intimidated by the dealer, as many new players often are. It also means you don’t have to worry about feeling rushed by the dealer or other players. You can take as much time as you need to research a decision before doing something. It also means that the game moves faster, because you don’t have to wait for other players. That means you can play more hands of online blackjack in a given time than you could in a casino. Whether or not that’s a good thing depends on your perspective.

Another difference between online blackjack and playing blackjack at a brick and mortar casino is that there are fewer distractions. You don’t have to worry about being distracted by a stage performances, loud slot machines, loud customers, cocktail waitresses with tempting drinks, and more. You can control your environment, since you’re playing in your own home.

Playing online blackjack means you never have to wait for an empty seat at the blackjack table. It also means there is more variety. If the online casino you visit doesn’t have blackjack games with the rules you want, simply check another casino. It’s true that you can do that on the Strip, but it takes much more time to leave the casino and walk to another.

Though there are a lot of positives to playing online blackjack instead of playing at a brick and mortar casino, there is one major drawback. Card counting doesn’t work online. At a brick and mortar casino, many players use skilled techniques like counting cards and shuffle tracking to shift the game’s odds in their favor. However, online there is no real deck, which means shuffle tracking is impossible because there are no cards to see get shuffled. Also, because the random number generator has the effect of shuffling the deck after every hand, you counting cards is useless with online blackjack. Blackjack basic strategy still works just as well in online casinos as in the brick and mortar variety, though.

Aside from those issues, the game of blackjack is pretty much the same when played online compared to in a land-based casino. Though there are countless variations that exist in both versions, blackjack is basically the same as it has existed for hundreds of years.