Things To Do Before You Gamble Online
Source : Steve Adkins (Online Players Association)

While this multibillion dollar industry grows at a substantial rate, it does remain non-regulated. The industry depends solely on self-regulation.Before whipping out your gold Visa card there are a few things that you should know first. When looking for an online casino to play, I recommend that you follow the ten points below.

1. Is the casino licensed by a sovereign government? If no, find another casino.


2. Does the casino have a toll free customer service number that is answered 24 hours a day? If no, find another casino.
   
3. Do they allow you to play for free? This is very important: it gives you the chance to check out their software before you spend any money. If they do not, find another casino.
   
4. What is the smallest denomination of their poker and slot machines? You're looking for a wide variety of denominations, such as nickels, quarters, dollars and five-dollar machines.
   
5. How many different versions of video poker do they have? You're looking for at least three. That tells you that the operator has spent a lot of money on the software. Beware of those casinos that tell you they only have one version of video poker.
   
6. What is the smallest and largest bet that they accept on craps or blackjack? This is mainly for your own betting information.
   
7. Does the casino have a place where they keep track of your purchases and cashouts?
   
8. How is the customer service? There's an easy way to test this: Send them an email with a question and see how long it takes them to reply.
   
9. What is the reputation of the software maker involved in the casino? There is no sense in gambling online if you do not know how you will collect your winnings.
   
10. Make sure you read all the rules on bonuses and cashing out procedures. Do your homework before you gamble online, not after.

Gambling can be fun and frustrating; sometimes, it can be both at the same time. So, just what is this activity that has fascinated us for thousands of years? Here's one definition of casino gambling: speculation on an event that is uncertain and that involves placing at risk a possession in the hope of achieving more of a better possession. People have gambled for thousands of years, and today people gamble more than ever before. It's fun and exciting to pick your favorite numbers and imagine what you would do with a $10 million win! It's a good feeling when you first look at your cards and see a blackjack. Winning at casino brings a thrill like no other. On the other hand, losing can drive you into a deep hole in many ways. It simply boils down to one of our favorite sayings, "Winning is a skill and losing is bad luck. "Our goal in creating these online guides is to show you what games are available, how to play them, and, most importantly, how to play them skillfully. We believe there is no such thing as a bad player, only untrained ones. All games have built-in advantages for the house. This house advantage, or edge, along with a never-ending source of house funds, makes gambling a very tough sport for any player. On the other hand, players can and do win. You too can win, and win often, when you play correctly in a casino . We'll not only show you how to play correctly, but also tell you where you can play. Just remember there are some good games and some not-so-good games. By not-so-good games we mean those with odds that are much too high and should be avoided. There are other games in an online casino with bets that give the house a less than 1% advantage, and you should know and play these.

Golden Palace has been online since 1997 and has been steeped in controversy almost from their inception. They are licensed the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, Canada. They use Playtech software, however they started off with Microgaming, switched to Aqua (which isn't around anymore), and then ended up with Playtech about a year ago. Their browser casino is done is flash and is available for Mac users as well. Members of the IGC and ICRA. Customers can reach their support through email, phone (in North America), and Live Chat. However, Live Chat is available only through the casino itself – you won't find it through their website. In May 2000 Golden Palace was with Microgaming and fell into a bit of a quagmire. According to the message board on WINNERonline someone at Golden Palace was using the credit card numbers that people had used to deposit to buy computer equipment. This was just the start of the mess. Then there was the controversy of lock-outs for bonus hustlers. Apparently the ability to lock out bonus abusers was not in their terms and conditions and they did it after the fact by confiscating the whole lot and not even paying back the deposit. As we all know – locking out a bonus hustler is ok as long as you do it after you pay out what you owe. In addition they were caught posting security messages and advertising as if they were a player from the same IP address. (In other words they posted a message from the casino on a message board and a few minutes later posted again, only posing as a player.) They also double billed customers (which is actually easy enough to do when you're working on your billing system and someone in programming makes a mistake and doesn’t properly QA before going live – and yes I am speaking from experience here) Golden Palace wasn't going to go down without a fight. By July 2000 they had switched their software to Aqua and had started to give a no deposit bonus of $50 to get back all of the customers who left when the mess started. Things were going smoothly until 2002, when Aqua started to go in the red. In 2003 Aqua ceased to exist and Golden Palace switched to Playtech. Since then it's been smooth sailing with a great reputation. Speaking of fighting Golden Palace is a bizarre company famous for its guerilla marketing. It all started off in 2001 when they sponsored a boxing match and had the boxers fight with Golden Palace tattooed in henna on their backs. They like the body paint thing a lot. You might remember them for people streaking (yes, both men and women – but the women wear pasties) at sporting events such as the Olympics with Golden Palace henna tattooed on their chest. The website welcomes you with the "Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Song", done to the tune of "Do they know it’s Christmas". I wonder what Bob Geldoff would think of that (he's the guy who organized Live Aid and someone I think is an absolute genius) It welcomes you with this song because they bought the Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese that was auctioned off on eBay for $28,000. If you think that is a lot they bought the grandpa ghost walking stick from eBay for $65,000. Makes you wonder what odd thing you might have in your house that could interest them…
As if that isn't enough, they are also huge supporters of various charities using their name, money, and eccentric advertising expertise to raise money. They've sent Cabbage Patch versions of President Bush and Ellen DeGeneres to raise money for the Red Cross. They bought celebrity signed staplers from Staples and used them to make money as well. (The sandwich and the walking stick are also used to make money for charity) Basically this is the most charitable company I have come across online. They even sent my boss a doll (they are an affiliate on one of his sites) Basically, their marketing department is insane. Yet it works, as they've more than made up for their previous sins through their charity work.

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