Thursday, June 24, 2010

Myths About Slots Games

There are a great number of people in the world who love playing online slots games. They are easy to play and with today’s gaming and video graphics technology, slots games developers have produced some truly incredible games.

But just like with the slot machines in brick and mortar casinos, there are myths about strategy for online slots games.

I say myths about strategy because there are no real strategies for slots. It is the nature of the game. Slots are games of chance, meaning the players have no direct way to have in impact on the outcome of the game. The outcome is purely up to chance. And without a way to directly impact the outcome of a round there can be no strategy.

One myth is that the ‘Stop Spin’ button can impact what lands on the reels. This is not true. Online slots games have a Random Number Generator (RNG). The RNG is programmed with all possible outcomes for that online slots game. As soon as the ‘Spin’ button is clicked, the RNG will randomly select an outcome. This happens in less than a second. So online slots players would have the same result regardless of whether they let the virtual reels stop on their own or if they clicked ‘Stop Spin.’

So is there anything that online slots players can do?

Yes. They can do a bit of research about various online slots games and find one a high payout percentage. Remember, the higher the payout percentage the more that slots game is paying back. While it is not a guarantee, the chances of a player receiving more payouts or higher payouts are higher than an online slots game with a lower payout percentage. Payout percentage is the amount of total wagers on that game that the game pays back in winnings.

Thankfully online slots games tend to have higher payout percentages than the slot machines found in brick and mortar casinos. So online slots players do have that in their corner.

Look for the best payout percentage that you can find and then sit back and enjoy spinning the reels. Beyond choosing an online slots game with a high payout percentage there really is not anything else a player can do. So just enjoy the game.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Casino Software

So you’re looking at your credit card statement and something seems like it doesn’t belong. “What? A charge for 3,500 euros on a scooter in Turkmenistan? But I live in Alabama! And I don’t own a scooter! And they don’t use euros in Turkmenistan!”

Identity theft can happen to anyone, though being an idiot greatly increases your chances of it happening. No, that site doesn’t really have nude pictures of Anna Kournikova. No, that email about your credit rating isn’t real. No, that nice man in Nigeria who wants to make you a business partner if you let him use your bank account is not legitimate.

There are a lot of scams online that prey upon the trusting, ignorant and those who feel that nothing bad can happen to them. Bad things can happen to you; see my in-laws for Exhibit A. There is a way you can protect yourself, though.

With all of the online casinos on the net, it can seem like a daunting task to find a legitimate site with which you can trust your personal information. It’s easier than you might think, though, if you know where to look. First of all, the key to an online casino’s safety is its software.

Most online casinos use licensed software from third-parties rather than creating their own games. Therefore, if the software is legitimate and safe, the casino is as well. The software doesn’t want its name associated with a shady casino. Also, it’s the software that is designed for safety, security and fairness.

So how do you know if the software is safe? Check it see if it is licensed and approved by a recognized regulatory agency. This can be a government agency, but it doesn’t have to be. There are some third-party regulators out there that ensure the safety of casino software. The biggest such regulator is called the eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, or eCOGRA.

eCOGRA tests casino software to make sure it is safe from hackers, it pays out an accepted percentage of time, the games give everyone the same odds, and more. If they approve a casino, they will also mediate any disputes that arise between a customer and the casino, with the casino bound to their decision. With the encryption used on eCOGRA-approved software, your financial information is as safe at those online casinos as when online banking. That means it’s not 100% hacker-proof, but it’s pretty close.

Aside from looking for licensing and approval, it’s a good idea to simply check out the company’s reputation. Simple searches online will yield many message boards, casino-rating websites, consumer reports sites and more.

If you find an online casino that has approved software and has a good rating by consumers, it should be safe to use. To be on the safe side, you should never use a debit card. Instead, use a credit card or a payment processor like eWallet. That way, you have the ability to dispute charges. It’s better to be safe than to pay for a scooter in Turkmenistan.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Online Casino Bonuses

One of the great things about online casinos is that it’s a more-or-less free market with lots of competition. What that means is that you, as the customer, are in a uniquely great position. You have tons of online casinos fighting over you.

You didn’t know that, did you? Sure, it’s not as obvious as thousands of screaming girls fighting over the Beatles or the midway barkers yelling at you as you walk through the fairgrounds. Make no mistake, though, they are competing for your business.

Online casinos offer the same product. Sure, there are differences in which games they carry, how many games they offer, whether or not they hold tournaments and all that, but when it comes down to it online casinos are all websites offering you casino games that you can play from home. Online blackjack isn’t going to vary too much from casino to casino. It is for that reason that they come up with different incentives for you to play with them rather than their competitor.

What does that mean for you? It means you should act like a free-agent professional athlete. By that, I don’t mean get arrested at a strip club. I mean hold out for the best offer. If one online casino offers you a 100% match bonus to welcome you to the site, that might sound great until you see that another casino is offering a 400% match bonus. Different casinos also have different wagering requirements for those bonuses.

Some online casinos offer random bonuses just for playing, most offer loyalty points to reward repeated business, and most will hold promotions on specific games when they want to promote that game. Want to play in a free slot tournament? Many online casinos have those. Want to win a trip into space? Believe it or not, there’s an online casino that offers it. Whatever bonus you can think of for a casino, there is probably one that has it. Casinos give away cruises, cars, Xboxes, trips to poker tournaments and more.

Want a new sports car? There’s a casino giving them away. Want a Mediterranean vacation? There’s an online casino giving it away. Want a Russian bride? Well, I don’t think any casinos are giving those away. Besides, that kind of thing is illegal in most countries.

Before joining an online casino, you should do some checking up on it to make sure it has a good reputation for safety and fairness, offers the games you want to play, and uses a software that you like. When doing that due diligence, you should also look into casino bonuses. Once you find a fair, safe casino that offers the games and bonuses you want, now you’re ready to get playing.