Internet Casinos – 7 Reasons to Try Them

Internet CasinosInternet casinos often get a bad rap when compared to land-based casinos.  After all, when most people think about playing casino games, they think about the bright lights and flashy atmosphere of Las Vegas.  Nothing, not even an internet casino can compare with that and one shouldn’t even try.  It’s like comparing apples to oranges.  Just because Internet casinos are different from the more traditional brick-and-mortar casinos doesn’t mean they’re not as good.  Internet casinos have many features that offer players huge benefits they’re not likely to find elsewhere.  Because of this, internet casinos have been growing in popularity since they first came on the scene in the late 90s.  Here are just a few reasons why they are so appealing to players worldwide:

Internet Casinos are Exciting

The rich graphics and sounds provided by modern internet casinos provide an unparalleled level of excitement.  Playing these games you will feel drawn right into the action.  This new technology can be far more entertaining than sitting at a table at you average land-based casino.

Internet Casinos Allow You to Play at Your Own Speed

Internet casinos allow you to change the settings for games.  You can speed up the games or pause them should you wish to take a break.  You can play several games or hands in a row, or you can play one game at a time.

Internet Casinos are Money-Savers

There are many expenses associated with playing at land-based casinos that goes beyond one’s bankroll.  There’s the cost of travelling to the casino, food and drink consumed while playing, and tips for the dealers.  Internet casinos let you save your money for the games, thereby giving players far more bang for their buck.

Internet Casinos Let You Focus on the Game

Playing in a traditional casino can be distracting.  There’s the noise and hustle and bustle of the crowds, interruptions from other players, waiters, etc. that can make it extremely difficult to focus on a winning betting strategy.  Playing at home allows players to control their environment, providing the quiet and comfort needed to concentrate solely on the games.

Internet Casinos Let You Play More Often

Because they are so accessible, internet casinos make gambling extremely convenient.  Players can login at any time of the day.  Want to play a quick hand or two over the lunch hour?  Can’t sleep?  No problem; the games will always be ready and waiting.

Interact with People Worldwide at Internet Casinos

Internet casinos are available to players throughout the world.  Through online chat, players can communicate with one another in real time, and often in a wide range of different languages.

Internet Casinos Let You Play Anywhere

In the early days of internet casinos players could only could only download the games to one computer.  Thanks to the rapid development of new technologies, these games can now be played directly within a browser, and even on tablets and smartphones.  This gives players access to a variety of casinos from all over the world and it also allows them to play from any location as long as there is an internet connection.

 

The World’s Most Popular Online Casino Payment Methods

Online Casino Payment MethodsIn order to generate maximum revenue operators will try to offer their players the best online casino payment methods.  When it comes to deposit and withdrawal methods, players are mostly looking for speed, security, convenience, ease, and small fees.  And, while there are a multitude of online casino payment methods available, there are only a few that are considered to be the best by players the world over.  The online casino payment methods that are most popular with online gamblers are credit cards, the PaySafeCard, and also Neteller.  We take a closer look at these top payment providers and more below.

Online Casino Payment Methods – Credit Cards

It should come as little or no surprise that credit cards, namely Visa and MasterCard, are one of the most favored online casino payment methods.  The reason for this is simple; players are very familiar with credit cards and use them frequently in their day-to-day lives for any number of purchases.  They are convenient because most people already have one or both of these cards in their possession, they know how to use them, and there are little to no fees applied to the transactions depending on the agreement the player has with the credit card provider.  Even in cases where there is a fee, in most cases the fee is nominal.

Online Casino Payment Methods – PaySafeCard

Widely available throughout Europe, PaySafeCard is an extremely popular pre-paid card solution.   PaySafeCard users can process payments by using the unique 16-digit PIN numbers associated with each card. Players can purchase cards in the exact dollar amount they desire.  These cards are considered to be one of the more secure online casino payment methods due to the uniqueness of the PIN number, which makes it virtually impossible for the funds to be intercepted by a 3rd party.

Online Casino Payment Methods – Neteller

Neteller is a very well-known brand and can often be found listed on the cashier pages of many online casinos.  Neteller’s long history as an online payment processor makes it a logical choice for online casino players who enjoy instant transfers and complete privacy when it comes to their online financial transactions.

Online Casino Payment Methods – MoneyBookers

Formerly known as Moneybookers, Skrill is another one of the top online casino payment methods.  Players can fund their Skrill account using a traditional method, such as a bank account or credit card.  The transaction itself is carried out via e-mail.  The level of anonymity this service provides, and the ease of use make it a popular option with players.

Online Casino Payment Methods – Ukash

Ukash is a voucher-based payment option favored by many online gamblers. The process is very simple and the account can be funded with cash.  Similar to PaySafeCards, UKash provides users with a unique 19-digit code they can use to enter when performing financial transactions at an online casino. Once the account has been funded, transfers can be processed almost instantly.

Online Casino Payment Methods – Popularity by Country

The popularity of online casino payment methods listed above vary from one country to the next. Besides credit cards, namely Visa and Mastercard, which are the most popular in every country, other popular methods in 8 different countries are listed below.

Australia: Ukash, Neteller, Skrill, Poli, CitadelDirect, Skrill
Austria: PaySafeCard, Skrill, Neteller, ClickAndBuy
Canada: InstaDebit, EcoCard, Ukash, E-Check, CitadelDirect
Germany: PaySafeCard, Skrill, Giropay, Sofort, Neteller
Netherlands: iDeal, Skrill, Neteller, ClickAndBuy, PaySafeCard
Sweden: Neteller, Ukash, Skrill, PaySafeCard, Instant_Bank
Switzerland: PaySafeCard, Neteller, Skrill, MoneyBookers, EcoCard
United Kingdom: Neteller, Skrill, PaySafeCard, Ukash

 

Fair Payouts at Online Casinos Explained

Fair PayoutsAt an online casino, fair payouts are considered to be ones that reduces the house edge to zero. What does this mean you say? Well, simply put, it means that if a player bets according to these fair payouts over a long period of time they won’t win money, but neither will they lose money. However, it also means that the online casino doesn’t have any opportunity to profit. Online casino operators have numerous expenses. There’s the cost of the software license, providing customer service, paying the auditors, etc. In order to remain in business they must be able to cover such costs and this isn’t possible if they only offer fair payouts. Instead, what they will do is offer players just a bit less than what is fair. There’s nothing wrong with this practice; it’s the only way they can survive. The trick for the online casino operator is determining what payouts they can afford that will allow them to pay their bills, earn a bit of profit (why else would they go to the trouble of providing this service?) and yet, still make the payouts appear attractive to potential members.

Serious players should have an idea as to how to determine fair payouts. With some internet casino games you can calculate fair odds mathematically. Mathematical calculations are possible when all possible outcomes of a given event, as well as those that result in a payout, can be listed. A clear illustration of this can be found in roulette. Assuming that a player bets on red numbers. There are 37 total outcomes on a spin in European roulette; 18 of which favour those who bet on red and 19 unfavorable outcomes. Thus, a fair payout for a wager of this kind would be 19:18. In actuality, the payout is 1:1, just marginally lower than the fair payout. This formula can also be applied to several of the bets offered by dice games, such as sic bo and craps. Video poker games, which are very popular online casino games, pay out various rates on a single wager, making it more difficult to calculate  fair payouts then it is for a game like roulette. But while it may be challenging, it’s not impossible.

Determining Fair Payouts – Mathematical Formulas

Several other online casino games do not allow the player to determine fair payouts using a mathematical formula. This may be due in some part to the fact that the player doesn’t have the information necessary in order to identify all possible outcomes. A good example of this lies in the game of online slots. Because a player doesn’t know how many instances of each symbol that located on each reel, he or she has no way of calculating all of the many possible outcomes. This information lies with the online slot machine developers who will adjust actual payouts to deliver a payout of approximately 95%. Similar to video poker, online casino slots feature multiple paying opportunities for the same wager, which makes it virtually pointless to consider the fair payout for each possible outcome. It’s far more important to consider the average return for the game as a whole. There are options available for players who are interested in testing out the software provider’s average return values. Most online casinos offer a “free play” version of the software, which lets players experience the games without having to make a deposit. These free credits can be used to set the game to “auto play” over a big number of spins to determine how much of their initial bankroll was retained as a percentage. A 95% average return would mean a fair payout of approximately 5% greater than the actual payout.

When it comes to an online casino game such as blackjack, fair payouts are hard to compute because players are able to make many decisions throughout the course of the game, which will ultimately determine the outcome. Complex computer simulations are used in this situation in order to ascertain the average returns. The majority of blackjack variants have actual payouts set in such a way that average returns are approximately 99% based on a player’s optimum play. Here, the fair payout would be approximately 1% greater than the actual payout.