I have enjoyed playing at land based casinos for several years, but still visit my local casino from time to time, but there are actually a few things that bother me. Being a smoker limits my playing options, as there are designated areas or rooms for smoking in Canadian casinos. I also hate how crowded it can get. People are constantly bumping your chair when trying to walk by, and it can take ages to get a drink. My wife and I go together, but can rarely sit side by side and play the slots. In which case you see some couples sitting at two machines but only playing one.
I had thought about trying an online casino for years, but never did because I was always concerned about getting ripped off. Finally one night when I had the itch to play slots, but did not want to bother with the annoyances at the casino, I decided to try playing online.
I had played at Maple professional casino online for fun as a 'guest' for quite a while and always enjoyed the games, so I signed up for a real money account and claimed their one hour free play bonus offer. Many casinos offer this sort of bonus. You are given a certain total amount to play with for one hour and they advertise which you can keep the winnings with no deposit necessary. Reading the fine print tells you, for the bonus at Maple Casino, you can only claim up to $100 and you must deposit $40 in order to claim it. Along with that, when you claim the bonus, you must wager it 30 times before you can cash out. It doesn't really seem fair to advertise it the way they do, but you shall find it is still an extremely good bonus after seeing others.
Every online casino offers a welcome bonus, which is essential read the stipulations of each bonus before you decide to claim it.
It's also quite important to do some research on the casino before signing up. You'll find some online casinos that do not like to pay their winners. A quick Google search of the casino name and adding the term "rogue" should give you a good idea.
Once you decide to make a deposit at an online casino, check out the available payment options they offer. Some methods enable you to play instantly, while others make you wait until funds are cleared. I prefer "Web Wallets" or "E-Wallets" like Instadebit or MoneyBookers, though you can find usually many different options to pick from and it is best to figure out which one suits you most. Finding a method that is available for both deposits and withdrawals is the greatest way to go, since it is much quicker when they process withdrawals to the method used for depositing.
At most online casinos, prior to deciding to can withdraw any funds you must provide identification, as the casino must abide by money laundering rules and regulations. I recommend sending within the required documents, via email or fax, before attempting to make a withdrawal. A lot of people even recommend sending in these documents before you make your first deposit. Once your account is verified, withdrawals are often processed quickly within the time stated in the casino stipulations.
There are lots of online casinos that are trustworthy and safe to play at. These casinos obviously realize the value of running an excellent business and being fair to their customers. Having happy customers, especially through an online business, is quite important because if things go wrong it is posted on related forums quickly.
If you keep these few simple tips in mind, you may have a good time gambling at online casinos without having to worry about getting ripped off or running into issues.