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You: That's my money! Are these online casinos honest?
Joey: You’re thinkin’ just like I do, Mutts. It’s a dog eat Dogg world out there, and we all know it.
How do I know this online joint isn’t gonna just take your money and run? How do I know their games are honest?
Because I already tested the water for you, Mutts. I started small, just made little deposits, $25 or less, just to see what would happen. I lost my deposit a couple times, made some bucks a couple times, and got paid, just testing the waters. Along about my fifth or sixth online gambling play, I hit a $4400 payout. And they paid me—fast!
I gave them all a chance, and I started keeping track of the best and worst online joints, the joints I knew were true to their word and the ones that were a pain in the ass. When you go to our Best Online Casinos page, there’s a good reason why every joint is there. I guarantee these online casinos have treated my friends and me fair and square and paid us when we won. And we have scored some big wins in lots of these joints.
And I don't put casinos on Joey's Bone Yard list just because I lost a few times. Hey, Mutts, we all know we’re gonna lose sometimes. There’s a good reason why every casino is on that list too. Let’s just say I’m steering you away from these joints because I can’t guarantee that they’re playing fair with players.
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START-UP GUIDE: BEST DEPOSIT METHOD IN ONLINE CASINOS
The best option for players outside the U.S. is to set up an online banking (or "e-wallet") account at Neteller.
For U.S. players, I recommend Ecocard, EWallet Express, EPassporte, and NuCharge. If your favorite of these isn't yet accepted at a particular casino or poker room, they are probably setting up an account now and the option will be available within a few more weeks. A number of online casino and poker rooms are also accepting deposit by check and credit card. If you're having trouble using your credit card for a deposit, customer support at the casino may be able to help. And good offshore bank accounts and credit cards are available in a number of countries. I'm trying out one of them now, and will report back to you soon.
E-wallets are the options I like the most because most don’t have any fees for money transfers and they work fast. And it’s easy to open an e-wallet account. Just go to the sites by clicking on the links above to fill out the application form and make your first deposit. Or, click on the e-wallet link inside the online casino or poker room cashier.
Having an online e-wallet account makes withdrawals fast too. Withdrawals from most of the online casinos listed at this site to any of these e-wallets take only a day or two to show up in your account.
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START-UP GUIDE: HOW TO WITHDRAW YOUR WINNINGS
To take your money out of an online casino, click on the casino’s “Cashier” button that you clicked on to make your deposit, then select “Withdraw.” You can now transfer your winnings to your e-wallet, get a bank draft (a check that is mailed or sent by courier, such as Federal Express, to you), or even get a wire transfer to your regular bank account.
Getting your money can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks, depending on the method you choose. I use an e-wallet account because I know the casino will process my withdrawal within the number of hours or days that are stated on the Cashier screen or in the casino’s Terms and Conditions page. Some casinos only cut checks once a week so you can add this to your wait if you select that withdrawal option. The good news is that you can count on being paid by any of the casinos listed here.
START-UP GUIDE: PROOF OF IDENTITY FOR FIRST WITHDRAWAL
Some online casinos don’t require this unless you have a big withdrawal, but some always make you do this, so you might as well get ready to win. Here’s what you do: Get a scan of your driver’s license—front and back—and a recent utility bill that shows your address.
If you don’t have a scanner, just go to an office or photocopy place and they can make the scans for a few bucks and put them on a disk for you. Now when a joint tells you to send your ID for your first withdrawal, you just email them the scans.
A few casinos will tell you that they’re mailing you a PIN when you try to cash-out. Hang in there, Mutts—it will come in the mail in ten days or so. Then when you go to cash out, you input your PIN, and bingo, you get your money. The nice thing is that you keep this same PIN for all your withdrawals at that joint, so once you have it, your withdrawals are fast. It’s just the first one that takes extra time.
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START-UP GUIDE: HOW TO PLAY IN ONLINE CASINOS (THE BASICS)
When you first go to an online casino’s Web site, you can read about the casino’s sign-up bonus and get other info about them and the games they offer. I always copy down their 800-number just in case I ever have any problems.
And by the way, when you call that number, you should find that the support people really are friendly, patient and helpful. I’ve done all kinds of crazy stuff that I’ve needed help with. I forgot my password, didn’t know how much wagering I had already done, couldn’t remember the bonus terms, whatever. Believe me, the courteous people in customer service have seen it all.
If you want to play in an online casino, you first have to choose between the “download” or “no-download” (also called "Flash") versions of their software. If you’re on a Mac, you’ll probably need the “no download” version. With Microsoft Windows, you may prefer to download. Downloaded software has better graphics and it runs faster. Downloads work best with Internet Explorer.
The download time is usually only a few minutes on a DSL or satellite connection, but if you’re on a dial-up modem, it may take up to 20 or 30 minutes. After you download the software, you then have to click on the casino set-up icon on your desktop to install the casino software on your hard drive. Then you’ll see a new icon for the casino on your desktop that will take you directly to the casino to register, deposit and play.
Once you register, login and make a deposit with the Cashier, you can go to the games. But before you start playing, you can go to the “Help” or “Rules” area for complete instructions and explanations if you want to.
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START-UP GUIDE: THE ONLINE CASINO SOFTWARE
You’ll get used to the major brands of software pretty quickly: Microgaming, Real Time Gaming, Playtech, Odds On and Boss Media. These big companies lease their software to dozens of different casinos, and it won’t be long before you start to recognize the different types of popular software.
This is especially true when it comes to slots. All of the casinos that use Microgaming software have Microgaming’s slots. The Playtech casinos all have Playtech’s slots, etc. I usually make my decision about accepting a bonus offer from a new casino if I know in advance they have some of my favorite games.
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START-UP GUIDE: IS ONLINE GAMBLING LEGAL??
If you’re worried about this then surf around the Web for a while to do your own investigation. What I found is that there are no federal laws in the U.S. that prohibit online gambling, but a few states have passed local laws against gambling online. But no one in the U.S. has ever been prosecuted for gambling online, so I have no idea why these couple of places passed these laws, especially since practically the whole world is now playing poker online without any hassles.
If online gambling is illegal where you live, then all of the online casinos we list offer free games to play that are just like the real money games, except you don’t really win or lose anything. My advice is to check your local laws before you play to see if Internet gambling is legal in your state or country.
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START-UP GUIDE: ONLINE CASINO BONUSES AND TERMS
The bonuses are what make the online casino games better deals than the live casino games we find in Vegas or Reno.
If you've played on-land, you probably already know about "comps" and "cash back." Bonuses are what online casinos give as comps or cash back. Online casino bonuses are literally free money, which to my way of thinking is better than just about any buffet or room “comp” they pass out in Las Vegas! Sometimes the online bonuses are money you can cash out, and sometimes you can’t cash them out (you'll know you can't if the terms and conditions say the bonus is "for wagering only"). But even with the "wagering only" bonuses you can gamble with the bonus money and cash out the winnings.
Don't underestimate the value of any bonus—whether it’s cashable or for wagering only. Having a bonus to play on—even if you can’t cash it out—can greatly increase your chance to score a win.
Online bonuses do come with some restrictions—primarily you must always give the online casino a specified amount of action on their tables or slots before you can cash out your bonus or winnings. This is called your wagering or play-through requirement. And be careful, because sometimes some games are excluded from play on the wagering requirement. Often, the online casinos don’t allow roulette, craps or baccarat for bonus play, and some of them prohibit blackjack and video poker. Slots—other than video poker—are almost never excluded. But be careful that you don’t play a prohibited game when you’re playing on a bonus, because this may void the bonus and even your winnings on that play.
You’ll find the wagering requirement and restrictions for any bonus in the casino’s “Terms and Conditions.” And be sure to look for the Promotional or Bonus Terms & Conditions as well as the casino’s general Terms & Conditions. I read all the fine print before I add any online casino to my recommended list, so mostly you just have to look for the wagering requirement and the excluded games. If I don’t trust a casino’s terms, or find them too incomprehensible, I don’t go there and I don’t recommend them. None of the places I recommended say anything about you having to deliver your firstborn child if you lose. Trust me on that!
If you can’t stand fine print and legal mumbo-jumbo, then just follow my recommendations and play at the reputable online casinos that give players valuable bonuses, and where you have more of a chance to win. And, for further information on each casino's terms and conditions (especially anything tricky to be aware of in advance), be sure to read our Independent Online Casino Reviews.
-- Joey Marino, the Slot Dogg
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