Online Gambling Rules, Quotes, Tips

"Just as outlawing alcohol did not work in the 1920s, current attempts to prohibit online gambling will not work, either." - US congressman John Conyers


"Your mother has this crazy idea that gambling is wrong. Even though they say it's okay in the bible." - Homer Simpson

"Although blatant ripoffs can never be ruled out, there have been surprisingly few." - Bill Haywood, author, BeatWebCasinos.com

"Whosoever risketh not, drinketh champaigne not" - Russian proverb

"Blackjack is the only casino game an amateur can learn to play and at which he can definitely win."
-Lawrence Revere, author, Playing Blackjack as a Business

"A dollar picked up in the road is more satisfaction to us than the 99 which we had to work for, and the money won at Faro or in the
stock market snuggles into our hearts in the same way."
-Mark Twain

"Gambling is a principle inherent in nature."
-Edmund Burke, House of Commons speech (1780)

"Betting is the only moral thing you can do. It is an intellectual pursuit, as good as The Times crossword. For millions, it is the
only uninfluenced democratic decision they take" - Lord Wyatt

"Look high, look low, and we see that gamblers actually form the majority of the world's inhabitants."
-James Runciman, Side Lights (1893)

"It can be argued that man's instinct to gamble is the only reason he is still not a monkey up in the trees."
-Mario Puzo, Inside Las Vegas

"Judged by the dollars spent, gambling is now more popular in America than baseball, the movies, and Disneyland-combined."
-Timothy L. O'Brien, Bad Bet (1998)

"A dollar won is twice as sweet as a dollar earned."
-Paul Newman, The Color of Money

"Even as I approach the gambling hall, as soon as I hear, two rooms away, the jingle of money poured out on the table, I almost go
into convulsions."
-Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Gambler (1867)

"A number of moralists condemn lotteries and refuse to see anything noble in the passion of the ordinary gambler. They judge
gambling as some atheists judge religion, by its excesses."
-Charles Lamb, Essays of Elia (1832)

"Gambling is the future on the internet. You can only look at so many dirty pictures."
-Simon Noble, an Austrian-based internet bookmaker

"We can't stop those who choose online gambling. We can't have Internet police in everyone's home.
So, if we can't stop you from doing it, the best thing we can do is regulate it." - Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto, New Jersey.

"The rulers of the country generally believed that betting eliminates strikes. Men had to work in order to gamble."
-Michael Ondaatje, Running the Family

"The smarter you play, the luckier you'll be."
-Mark Pilarski

"It is the mark of an inexperienced man not to believe in luck." - Joseph Conrad
 

Long History of Gambling and Casinos
Ups and downs of gambling throughout the ages
Gambling is common term for various games. Different forms of gambling have their own very distinct history but eventually find their way into each other. Gambling always was and will be an important part of history and prevailing form of entertainment for rich and poor all alike.

Sometimes gambling played a major role in history. For instance, in 1020 A.D. King Olaf of Norway and King Olaf of Sweden met to decide on the ownership of an isolated district of Hising. As they could not resolve the dispute by other means they have chosen to roll two dice. At first rolls both Kings rolled double six, at the second roll however the Swedish king rolled two dice of six and the Norway king rolled six on one die while another one cracked and showed seven!

In 1700s lotteries were established to bail out newly established British colonies. Later on, Americans used state-wide lotteries to sponsor the founding of national educational infrastructure.

History of playing cards
The origin of playing cards is not exactly known. While earliest verifiable referrences to playing cards in Europe can be traced back to 13th century, no one is certain where exactly do they originate and how did they manage to make their way into our world. Earliest found playing card is dated 11th century and comes from Chinese Turkestan. Many scholars suggest that it must have been the Chinese who invented the original playing cards as they were the ones who also invented the paper. We know that the four decked cards evolved in islamic world even before the 13th century and were brought to the civilized world by europeans. It is the French who first introduced the design of the cards we're familiar with today together with spades, clubs, diamonds and hearts. The design of the cards was efficient enough to enable manufacturing en masse. It took the cards nearly four centuries to finally become popular as England reluctantly picked up the card designs from the French and started producing them itself. Later on, Americans started producing their own cards adding a lot to the decks and making them as we know them today: double headed court cards, varnished backs, indexes, round corners and the infamous Joker.

Soon after the Americans caught up artists found themselves a new and interesting game field and thus more card brands were born giving rise to an entire market of playing cards.

Other countries used absolutely different playing cards. For example, India had circular game tokens. Japanese and chinese also have their own versions of playing cards and their gaming concepts are based on their distinct culture and differ greatly from what we are used to.

History of Blackjack
The history of the game of Blackjack began around the beginning of the 18th century in France, where it appeared in the form of a game called "vingt et un" or "twenty one". The name "Blackjack" comes from an early version of the game in which the player received a payoff of 10 to 1 if he had a black jack of spades and a (black) ace of spades.

Blackjack made its way from France to the United States in the 19th century, where it was mainly found out in the American West. In 1931, gambling became legal in Las Vegas, and Blackjack became one of the staples of the new casino scene.

In the 1950's and 1960's, books were published that used mathematical analysis to teach players how to improve their odds of beating the dealer. One of these books, Dr. Edward Thorp's "Beat the Dealer" became a bestseller, and Blackjack became the most popular casino game in the United States.

In 1970's, Ken Uston and his merry band of creative gamblers used hidden computers to win hundreds of thousands of dollars. Their ingenuity attracted the attention of the FBI, which examined the computers and decided that they were not cheating devices, and therefore were fair and legal. Players rushed to apply the lessons of Uston's method, but many casinos decided to adopt a multi-deck system of play, which complicated methods to improve the player's chances. Uston himself was banned from several Las Vegas casinos and was eventually found dead in a Paris apartment in 1987. But the game lives on, and prospers in almost every self-respecting casino, traditional or online.

For more information, see our Blackjack History page.

History of dice
The dice as we know them today find their origin in ancient games of bone rolling. Despite of what some say, dice have traceable history that goes back into the very roots of ancient humanity. They are arguably he oldest form of gambling known to humanity. Dice games were witnessed by Marco Polo. Chingis Khan, ancient egyptian rulers, ancient greeks all were known to resort to dice rolling as means of divination and entertainment. Originally a form of divination, bone rolling slowly became a game of fortune telling and gambling. American Indians, Aztec and Maya, the africans and the Eskimo all have their own dice games.

The original dice were bones and teeth of animals, stones and sticks of wood that primitive culture of witches and shamans could use as "magical" means of divination and foretelling. The dice in the shape we know today apparently come from Koreans used in a buddhist game called "Promotion".

Along with the evolution of dice also came the art of cheating in die games. Romans were especially notorious at cheating; Augustus, Nero and Caligula all happened to be prolific dice cheaters.

By tenth century dicing was extremely popular almost everywhere. Dicing was in fact so popular that the Crusader army leaders had to prohibit dice gambling among the lower ranks of troops entirely so as to prevent the soldiers from gambling out their possessions entirely.

History of slot machines
In the beginning of the twentieth century several innovations burst onto the scene that would change the face of cultural and leisure activities. Two originated in the American south - the blues and jazz - and one on the West coast - the slot machine. Like the first two, which quickly were adopted throughout the world and became staples of world culture, slot machines also began to appear very quickly all over the world.

The first slot machine was invented by Charles Fey in San Francisco around the turn of the century. On it were pictures of the different suits used on playing cards - hearts, spades and diamonds. Around 1910 the machine went into mass production, and the pictures on its revolving surfaces changed from being playing card suits to the now familiar fruits. These old fashioned slot machines were made out of cast iron and wood. During the sixties, the slot machine became electronic, and in the 1970's the first video slot machines were introduced. Video slots did not have the mechanical insides of the earlier machines, rather they had screens on which the wheels would turn.

Today, the most popular slot machines are virtual. The internet contains a wide variety of exciting and unusual slot machines whose function accurately simulates that of the familiar slot machines found in every casino around the world. Though lacking in physical form, today's online slot machines offer the player the same odds and excitement found in a casino, only these slots can be played anytime and on any computer.
 

US government against gamblers
Online casinos in America are threatened with legislatory prohibition
Internet gambling came under heavy fire of US authorities and lobbyists. US government has clearly failed to recognize the reality of online gambling and succumbed into meaningless denial. As it is clearly absurd to try and impose a direct ban on Internet casino gambling the government is trying to work around the common sense by placing legal limitations that will prohibit American financial institutions from processing any transactions related to online casinos. The government's apparent belief that it should substitute itself for moral self-regulation and freedom of choice of its electors is a clear attempt to undermine American civil liberties. However, the government and in particular the Justice Department can not clearly establish that online gambling is illegal because it is in fact not so instead they resort to literally harassing financial institutions that process payments for online casinos

Here is an example of "reasoning" taken from the that speaks about the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act of 1999: "The negative consequences of online gambling can be as detrimental to the families and communities of addictive gamblers as if a bricks and mortar casino was built right next door. Online gambling can result in addiction, bankruptcy, divorce, crime, and moral decline just as with traditional forms of gambling, the costs of which must ultimately be borne by society." News flash: so can be drinking, smoking, having sex, having a job, travelling and fishing.

The prohibition that the government is trying to impose serves no sensible purpose; instead it relieves the Senate from its direct responsibility of taking meaningful strategic decisions. The usual reasoning of "protecting minors" and "helping addicted gamblers" does not withstand any scrutiny of the real world. Even if minors could legally obtain means of payment necessary to participate in online casino gambling (which is absolutely the case with "real" land casinos), even if addicted gamblers could not walk into "real" casinos whenever they please (which they can and not living in Nevada is still not an excuse that could possibly invalidate the argument) the absurdity and weakness of this line of thought is obvious. Other arguments for global and permanent prohibition of Internet gambling in United States like the so-called danger of a "per state ban of online casinos being unenforceable due to global nature of the Internet" are so laughable that even legislators themselves seem to be having trouble taking them seriously.

Another quote from the same web page that promotes the Act should be brought up here. "There are currently no mechanisms in place to prevent youths -- who make up the largest percentage of Internet users -- from using their parents' credit card numbers to register and set up accounts for use at Internet gambling sites." It somehow does not bother the legislators that the mere use of someone else's credit card - even your own parents' - and even with their explicit consent - is a breach of contract with any credit card company. This strange way of making conclusions completely ignores the fact that using someone else's credit card online involves submitting personal verification details which happens to be theft of identity that is a federal offense. It does not in any way bother the legislators that the parents themselves should not give their children unrestricted access to their credit cards in the same way they should not give them unrestricted access to firearms and car keys. As usually, the legislation tries to take away the parents' responsibility from the family and delegate it to federal authorities by way of villification of online gambling, ironically under the guise of "family values".

Or.. take look at this: "The more than 700 gambling websites from the Caribbean and elsewhere are unlicensed, untaxed, and unregulated by any state, and thus violate all 50 state laws in which they are available. That is why state attorneys general, pro-family/anti-gambling groups, professional and amateur sports leagues, and the Department of Justice all agree that some federal legislation is needed to clarify federal law that Internet gambling businesses are illegal." So how about making them licensed, taxed and regulated like a normal person's logic would suggest?

It makes no any sense whatsoever to outlaw and make it criminal to participate in online activity that is otherwise legal and is even more accessible in "real" life. To try and promote such approarch is not only counterproductive but represents a downright dangerous (never mind hypocritical) precedent that opens a wide abuse potential for those in American government who think that an adult should not be trusted with making choices and that government should be authorized to participate in parenthood of the next generation on equal terms with the family itself.

Instead of taking the online casino business into its hands by providing strict online casino licensing and maintaining strong consumer protection the government is trying to pretend there's no healthy market demand for Internet gambling. It is self evident that any steps trying to outlaw Internet casino operation in United States will not in any way "improve" the situation or "protect" the "vulnerable" parts of society against the alleged "evils" of gambling. Amusing enough, the history seems to repeat itself with respect to online casinos; the legislation seems to be going the same way it was for land gambling houses. Apparently 200 years of social progress didn't teach some of us that people should have a choice and can be trusted to be responsible for themselves. Simple laws of the market say that where there's demand there's supply. Instead of doing anything it was intended to do, this "war on online casinos" will stand in the same line with "war on drugs" and "war on alcoholism": it will kick the online casino industry underground and push it even deeper offshore where it will immediately become corrupt and criminalized, becoming yet another part of international organized crime while depriving United States of potential billion sized (quote: "[...] Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. reported that there were then at least 650 Internet gambling websites, and that total revenues for 1999 had been $1.2 billion (an 80% increase from 1998) and would grow to $3 billion by 2002. [...]") and legitimate income through legal American businesses.

Needless to say that the H.R. 3125 never made it into becoming a law; but that doesn't seem to keep anyone away from trying to attack online gambling industry from all directions and employing workaround tactics such as the infamous Wire Act of 1960 that is established to be of very vague relevance to online gambling..

If you are a citizen of United States of America these issue should concern you. We encourage you to consider enforcing your rights and keeping your government in check. For more referrence and opportunity to help out and participate, we suggest reading the and materials of which is a non-profit international organization that deals with interactive gaming issues, including online casinos.
 

How to choose an online casino
How should I choose the most appropriate casino to play in? How do I know an online casino is safe?
The real problem with choosing an online casino is that there is so much to choose from that you probably wouldn't know where to start. Even though it doesn't matter a whole lot for the first time there are some common pitfalls and advices we'd like to provide you with so that your first experience would be as interesting as all subsequent ones. The bottom line of this essay is: don't give up and choose only the best! We have compiled a ranking list of best online casinos that are the top of the top in our opinion and you are most welcome to review and use it.

Certification and ratings for online casinos
Online casinos are always being strictly watched by the player communities. As most of online casino games proceed with real money - the players' money - it is the players who keep an eye on each and every activity of the casinos. There are various player organizations that provide forums for online casino gamblers, ratings and even audits for online casinos. They also promote ethical and legal gambling and marketing methods, while providing valuable resources for entire community and assembly resistance to those who are trying to shut down the online gambling industry out of plain fear and political motivation. We think that anyone involved with online casino would only benefit from services and ratings these organizations provide as they are built up from online casino players just like you. For example, there are dedicated organizations that deal with online casino payout audits, random number generator audits and such. One particular organization worth noting is the which is an international non-profit organization based in Canada that "was established to provide a forum for interested parties to address issues and advance common interests in the global interactive gaming industry, to establish fair and responsible trade guidelines and practices that enhance consumer confidence in interactive gaming products and services, and to serve as the industry's public policy advocate and information clearinghouse".

IGC also has an excellent and well-detailed guide that is aimed specifically at newbie players that we adore and propose to our visitors as an essential reading material:

When you choose an online casino carefully examine what other people think about it and which player organizations agree and certify it. Doing a research on an online casino that appeals to you will not just help you make sure that you are going to deal with a reputable gambling house but it is also likely to reveal you the extend of involvement of the player community in online casino business and a lot of interesting things that aren't obvious to people who don't bother themselves with anything more than the games itself.

Casino ratings on the other hands are ranking lists that are compiled by various people (be it marketing portals, independent authorities or players themselves) which certify reliability and quality of online casino organizations judging by parameters like Payout ratios. They are your primary source for leads on really good online gambling houses.

Legal issues in online gambling world
The Internet gambling and especially online casino industry is relatively new. Our "Support US online gambling"document presents our opinion on the furious opposition of certain political bodies to online casinos. We recommend our players to carefully examine the issues of legality (especially legal age) in your jurisdiction. The current state of laws that relate to online gambling is best described as "chaos" but as market shapes up the laws also change rapidly. Unfortunately some governments choose to resort to undermining and exhausting harassment tactics when they are met with significant opposition from reasonable players and can not enact laws that prohibit online gambling.

Legality of operation of the online casinos in their country of residence is also particularly worth exploring. Due to conflicting and sometimes outright hostile regulations in some places most of online casinos are registered, licensed and based only in the countries where gambling is strictly legal. In jurisdictions where a gambling house is required to have a license to operate it is imperative to verify that the casino does have such license - it's probably the best way to avert malicious and fraudulent people who try to steal. Due to general redundancy and lack of the government operating an online casino and playing in an online casino might be illegal in some jurisdictions too which means you are at the very least deprived from consumer protection. Don't be too pessimistic though; with minimal safety precautions chances of falling into a troublesome trap are so low that you probably shouldn't waste your time thinking twice.

Online casino software
Reputable online casinos seldom produce their own online casino software. Instead they resort to services of verified and well known software vendorss that specialize in Internet gambling industry and serve specifically online casino businesses. Those software houses are very experienced, skilled companies who are interested in maintaining their precious reputation and will not try to do anything unethical. Things as small as suspicious anomalies in random number generations or a week long delay with auditing records can cost them their very existence: should anything even remotely dangerous to the players happen it will immediately make headlines on hundreds of portal sites, independent reviewers and analysts, and tens of thousands of players will be alerted sooner than the casino can say "Oops!".

The origins of the online casino software are easily verifiable with the specific online casino that provides it.There is only a handful of major online casino software vendors. If you are not sure who made the casino software exactly, ask the support personnel of the casino!

You should also consider issues of electronic safety and privacy. Verify that the online casino employs serious security measures and uses latest technologies to guard privacy and confidentiality of transactions between you and the casino.

Payment options and support
Make sure that the online casino of your choice can offer you a method of payment that is comfortable to you. However this is generally not a problem because the online casino industry is withstanding a heavy competition and will go to great length to provide you with multitude of choices to your liking. Today there are more and more convenient methods to pay to/withdraw from an online casino. Be aware though that credit cards are seldom favoured by online casinos directly because American banks are reluctant to process transactions that are related to online gabmling.

To make it easier for a newbie player we have prepared our "Online casino payments guide".

Take interest with conditions of withdrawal of funds, estimate time wired transfers would take and availability of audit trail for any online casino you examine. You can ask all these questions by email or live chat in the casino itself

All online casinos will provide you with online help and live chat/telephone support. That's not something you should overlook; should you run into any kind of problem the casino support must stand for your service immediately. We recommend that you choose online casinos that offer most support options, including 24/7 live chat, email and toll-free telephone support while giving clear and unambigous terms of service. Fortunately, absolute majority of online casinos do..

We have already hand picked some of the best online casinos for you and you can see them available at our reviews section
 

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