1. The most commonly asked questions regarding online casinos

Is it legal to play in online casinos?

Of the most common questions that arise regarding online casinos, this one is probably the most commonly asked and most difficult to answer. First, let it be said that no player has yet to be convicted or sanctioned in any way shape or form for online gambling. In the US, for example, it is technically not legal to play in online casinos; however, many continue to play and no one has gotten into any trouble for playing.

While it is safe to play in online casinos, operating one can be a little problematic. Online casinos are, under no uncertain terms, barred from operating within the confines of the US. In addition, online casinos are not allowed to accept US players regardless of the country that they are operating from. In most of the EU countries, online casinos and the advertising of online casinos are legal.

Many of the most prominent online casinos in the industry have licenses to operate from locations within the EU; including, Malta, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. In addition, many of these large online casinos are publicly listed and traded on a number of the European exchanges.

How old do you have to be to join an online casino?

While anyone can participate in free money games at online casinos, players must be at least 18 years of age in order to join and play for real money.

Are the house odds better at online casinos than at land-based casinos?

The answer is an unequivocal yes. While you will generally find the house odds with table games such as Roulette, Blackjack and Baccarat are the same or similar amongst online casinos and land-based casinos, this is not the case with games such as Slots and Video Poker. Land-based casinos offer slot and video poker payouts of between 90% and 92% as opposed to online casinos that will often boast payouts of above 97%. There is a simple reason for this. Land-based casinos have an incredible amount of overhead as compared to online casinos. Land-based casinos can have hundreds and even thousands of employees that need to get paid, never mind all of the maintenance and upkeep of their facilities. Online casinos have no more than their offices and how ever many employees that they maintain.

Do online casinos offer play money games or do I have to make a deposit to play?

You will find that just about every online casino offers players the opportunity to participate in play money games. Moreover, there are some online casinos that will let you participate in play money games without even registering with them. If you are new to the world of online casinos then it is highly recommended that you play in a few play money games just to get the feel of the action. Actually, it is always recommended that you play in a couple of play money games before trying any new game online.

Is it important to have a firm grip on the rules and strategies involved with a game before playing?

It certainly helps. Of course, there are those online casino games that are simply games of chance that have no real solid strategies associated with them such as slots. In the case of slots, if you have the knowledge to click your mouse then you are all set. Regarding games such as Video Poker, Craps and Blackjack, you definitely should have at least a solid grasp on the rules before considering playing. Thankfully, most of the online casinos listed here at Casinophiles will allow you to participate in play money games once you have opened a free player account. It is recommended that before participating in any game for the first time that you have a look at the rules and play in a couple of play money games before jumping into the real money action.

Where can I learn how to play online casino games?

If there is a casino game that you are not familiar with or are just unsure about the rules then you have come to the right place. We have compiled a list of articles covering rules of the various games (Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack, Video Poker, etc.) in addition to a number of strategy articles. Once you have read up on the rules then you are ready for a couple of practice games. All of the online casinos that we have listed on Casinophiles offer players play money games so just select one of our recommended online casinos and…bonne chance!

What are Live Dealer games?

More and more online casinos have begun offering their members the opportunity to participate in Live Dealer games. Live Dealer games have a real croupier (generally a gorgeous nubile of Eastern European descent) and real game tables. Players can view the action at the table, and the lovely croupier, via webcam and communicate with them via chat. Live casino games are available for Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat and sometimes Sic Bo. Live Dealer games go a long way to bring the action of a real land-based casino to you whether you are at home, commuting to work or just sitting around at a café.

What is the most popular online casino game?

Overall it is estimated that around 70% of players play slot machines. Slots also offer the largest variety, with some online casinos offering over 300 different slot machines. That having been said, the old casino classics such as Roulette and Blackjack also enjoy a great deal of popularity.

What are multi-player games?

For the most part, the action at online casinos involves just the individual playing against the house. Many online casinos will offer multi-table games for a number of their table games such as Blackjack, Craps and Roulette where a number of different players can sit at the same virtual table and chat with one another while playing. There are a number of online casinos that will allow players to actually invite other players to sit at a private game table.

What are online casino tournaments and how do they work?

Many online casinos will offer their members tournaments. The tournaments will typically involve a particular slot machine or table game such as Blackjack. All that is required to enter an online casino is a nominal tournament fee. Once the fee has been paid, players will have a specific amount of time in which to win as much money as possible. The players winning the most money win cash and prizes. Again, tournament fees are often quite low making online casino tournaments an excellent opportunity to turn a small amount of money into a nice pile of cash. Some online casinos even offer tournaments without an entrance fee. These are called freerolls or freeroll tournaments.

Which is the best online casino?

This is the million dollar question. It is impossible to answer as it depends on your tastes and what is important to you. Some online casinos offer better bonuses than others, some offer their players more games, some online casinos have incredible graphics and sound and others concentrate on promotions. It really does depend on what you are looking for. The online casinos that have made our list are the finest in the industry so our suggestion is to read our reviews, participate in some play money games and simply judge for yourself.

Which online casino offers players the best bonus?

Bonuses are one of the main parameters by which we judge casinos. As such, you can rest assured that all of the online casinos listed on this site offer the best bonuses available. It is important to keep in mind that when discussing bonuses, there is more involved than just the bonus amount offered. That is to say that just because one online casino offers you a $5,000 Sign-Up Bonus, it doesn’t necessarily mean that their bonus is better than another online casino that offers you a $1,000 bonus. When an online casino offers you a bonus, they do not simply deposit the bonus into your account making it available for withdrawal. Online casinos offer their bonuses with terms and conditions; most important amongst them, the wagering requirements. Wagering requirements dictate the amount of money in bets that is required in order to release your bonus. An online casino might offer players stratospheric bonuses; however, if the wagering requirements aren’t favorable then the bonus simply isn’t as good as it seems.

After much deliberation, we have come to the conclusion that the Millionaire Casino offers the best bonuses online with an enormous $5,000 Sign-up bonus as well as regular reload bonuses with extremely favorable wagering requirements

2. The most commonly asked questions regarding online casino security

Are online casinos safe and fair?

When first considering joining an online casino, there are always trepidations regarding whether online casinos are safe and fair. All of the online casinos that you will find listed here on our site hold government licenses and are regulated by third party laboratories insuring fairness and security. The licensing and regulatory bodies governing an online casino will always be posted prominently on the online casino’s website and in the online casino’s lobby. The licensing bodies that you will most commonly find regulating online casinos include Gibraltar, Malta, Isle of Man, Curacao and Kahnawake (Canada).

It is important to note that none of the online casinos listed on our site have ever had any issues regarding fraud; neither credit card or any other form of fraud.

Can I be sure that online casinos are not out to simply steal my money?

We at Casinophiles not only write about and review online casinos; we are avid players and enthusiasts. None of the professionals on our staff have ever experienced a case of fraud or theft at an online casino. It is important to understand that the online gaming industry is a multi-billion dollar industry catering to millions of players. Many of the online casino operators are publicly traded companies with hundreds of employees. These companies are making a great deal of money and it simply doesn’t make sense for them to cheat players for a couple of extra dollars. There is nothing more important to an online casino than long-term customer relationships. Should a scandal erupt, the overall damage to the industry would be catastrophic and, therefore, it simply doesn’t make sense for them to be anything but as fair and secure as possible.

What kind of security do online casinos offer as regards personal and financial information?

All of the online casinos listed here on our site utilize 128-bit SSL encryption technology to protect their players’ private personal and financial information. This is the most advanced technology available and is used by all of the most respected financial institutions and online retailers.

Are the outcomes at online casinos random?

All of the online casinos listed on this site generate their outcomes via Random Number Generators (RNG). As the name would imply, RNG’s are software that are specifically designed to generate a sequence of symbols or numbers that are random and lacking any pattern. All of the online casinos listed on Casinophiles employ third party laboratories to regularly check their RNG’s so as to insure absolute fairness.

Can online gaming lead to addiction?

As with anything good in life (be it food, alcohol, sex, etc.), online gaming can certainly lead to a gambling addiction and it is important to keep this in mind when playing. Online gambling should be done for fun, entertainment and, most importantly, in moderation. Whenever taking part in online gambling, it is important to maintain some guidelines. The first is to set a limit and stick to it. The second is to never ever chase your losses. The third is to never play while impaired in any way (may it be that you are drunk, under the influence of alcohol or some other drug, depressed or even tired). If you think, at any point, that your online gaming fun is becoming an online gaming problem then we strongly encourage that you contact www.gamblersanonymous.org or some other likeminded organization and seek help.

3. The most commonly asked questions regarding online casino bonuses

What are online casino bonuses? Are they just going to give me money?

Online casinos offer big bonuses in order to attract new players and maintain their current members. Online casinos are able to offer these amazing bonuses due to the simple fact that they do not have to deal with the type of overhead that land-based casinos do. Online casinos do not have property and facilities to maintain, they do not have a massive cleaning staff, they don’t offer their players free drinks as they play; they have their employees and software. As such, a good deal of the profit that online casinos make is returned to their members in the form of bonuses and promotions.

That having been said, bonuses come with wagering requirements. In other words, when an online casino offers you a $5,000 sign-up bonus, this doesn’t mean that if you make a $20 deposit that they will simply credit your account with $5,000 that you can simply withdraw at your leisure. Online casinos will release pieces of your bonus into your account as you play in real money games. The more that you play and wager; the more bonus money is released.

What are wagering requirements?

Whenever you receive a bonus from an online casino, they do not just simply deposit your bonus into your account and make it available for withdrawal. That would be simply ridiculous and it wouldn’t be 5 minutes before they had an onslaught of new members simply making a deposit and quickly withdrawing their initial deposit amount as well as the bonus…completely cleaning out the online casino. A 100% sign-up bonus would simply be an investment with an immediate 100% return.

Wagering requirements prevent this from occurring. With wagering requirements, online casinos release your bonus in small increments in accordance with how much you wager. Let us take the example of an online casino with a 100% sign-up bonus up to $1,000. You deposit $1,000 and the casino awards you a $1,000 bonus. An example of a favorable wagering requirement is 20x(deposit amount+bonus amount). So, in the above example, that would be 20x($1,000+$1,000). In other words, you will have to have wagered $40,000 before the online casino would release the $1,000 in its entirety. Typically, online casinos will release bonuses in increments of $5 or $10 so you won’t have to wait until you fulfill the wagering requirements in their entirety before starting to receive your bonus.

In addition, you will have a limited time in which to fulfill the wagering requirements of your bonus, usually between 1 month and 6 months depending on the online casino. Whatever portion of the bonus that has not been released by the end of this time period is forfeit.

How do I know how much of my bonus remains unreleased?

Many online casinos will post how much of your bonus has been released and how much of it remains. If this is not the case then you can either keep track of how much you bet or simply contact the online casino’s customer service department and request a summary of your bets.

What are the different kinds of bonuses that online casinos offer?

Online casinos will typically offer 4 different types of bonuses:

Sign-Up Bonus: Sign-Up Bonuses are offered by each and every online casino in the industry and are usually quite significant. These bonuses are offered to players on their first deposit. They will generally offer players an amount equal to between 100% and 300%, it varies from online casino to online casino, of their initial deposit. Players release their bonus in small increments (usually between $5 and $10) as they play in accordance with the wagering requirements of the bonus.

No-Deposit Bonus: A number of online casinos will offer players a no-deposit bonus. In order to receive a no-deposit bonus, all players must do is simply register with the online casino and they will immediately credit your account with the cash. Players are then generally given a certain amount of time in which to win as much as they can with the no-deposit bonus given to them and are allowed to keep up to a maximum amount of winnings. No-deposit bonuses are an excellent way to get a feel for real money action without any of the risk.

Reload Bonus: Online casinos will periodically offer their players Reload Bonuses (sometimes in the form of VIP bonuses) on deposits that they make after their initial deposit. Reload Bonuses are exactly like Sign-Up Bonuses in the sense that they are offered on deposits and that they come with wagering requirements. Actually, the only difference between a Reload Bonus and a Sign-Up Bonus is that Reload Bonuses are given on deposits made after the initial deposit.

Sticky Bonus: Many online casinos will occasionally offer players Sticky Bonuses. Sticky Bonuses are deposited into the player’s account in the form of cash that is available for placing bets. However, whenever the player makes a withdrawal, this bonus is deducted from the player’s account balance. In a sense, sticky bonuses are a form of loan that the online casino offers their players.

4. The most commonly asked technical questions

What happens if my computer crashes or I lose my internet connection in the middle of a game?

It is not uncommon that computers crash or temporarily lose their connection with the internet. This fact has not been lost on online casinos and all online casinos include a feature in their software that will stop a game when either of these events occurs. Once a disconnected player logs in again to the online casino, they are automatically returned to the last game that they were playing before the disconnection.

What is the difference between downloaded online casino software and no-download/Flash online casino software?

With no-download/Flash online casino software, all that players are required to do is navigate to the online casino website, open an account and start playing. Downloaded online casino software requires that players download the FREE software and install it before registering. Downloaded online casino software is generally superior to the no-download/Flash software; offering more games and superior effects. If given the choice and you are able to run the downloaded online casino software on your computer then you certainly should.

Can I play at an online casino with a Macintosh/Apple computer?

You absolutely can. Some online casinos offer players a Flash/no-download version of their software which is Mac compatible. Flash/no-download online casino software is played via web browser allowing for people with Macintosh/Apple computers to get in on the action.

Is it possible to play online casino games with other players at the same virtual table?

Certainly. Most online casinos offer players the opportunity to participate in multi-player games which not only allow you to play with other players but you can communicate with them via chat.