gambling tips

Check the Online Casino:

Take the time to visit players' forums and see what kind of treatment they report from
an online casino where you would like to play. Time spent checking what other players
have to say can save you a lot of anxiety about the honesty, fairness, and support at
a casino. An excellent forum is the The Casinomeister

Make sure you can get a response from support before you play. Ask Live Chat a
question or send an email - it's too late if you have a real need and they are
unresponsive.

Terms and Conditions:

Always read the Terms and Conditions of any prospective online casino. It's boring, it's
the legal stuff, and it takes time when you just want to play. You should know that
sometimes they put some pretty hairy clauses in there of which you need to be aware.
The more common items are:

How much you can cash out in at one time, or in a week,
Maximum cashout for certain bonuses,
How long they will take to pay you for a big win (so much a month),
What happens if you win a progressive jackpot,
What forms of identification are required before you can cash out,
Which countries of origin are not allowed to play at all - or get a bonus,
Which states in the USA are excluded from play,

and more...

About Bonuses:

Make sure you understand bonus wagering requirements so there are no unpleasant
surprises when you are ready to stop playing and cash out. For instance, if your game
is blackjack, some online casinos require you to play as high as deposit + bonus 50X.
So, if you're purchasing $50 for a 100% Signup Bonus giving you a $100 bankroll, you
would have to play $5,000 in bets before you could withdraw - and usually you can't
cash out the bonus. In cases like this, it might not be worth it to accept a bonus. You
can always contact support and request a no-bonus deposit.

Basically, bonus wagering requirements point up the fact that online casinos want you
to play slots because they are games of chance - no skill involved and, therefore, the
odds remain with the casino since they are built into the software. It may not be a
large margin but, when people are spinning 24/7, it's enough. If you play slots, the
requirements are usually reasonable.

Gaming Rules & Strategy:

Read the rules of the games you plan to play unless you're already thoroughly familiar
with those games. Most online casinos post rules and some strategy for their games
and there is also information in the games rules and gambling articles sections on this
site on how to play the most well-known games. Search the net for gaming strategies
and how to get the best odds from the games - there is a tremendous amount of
information freely available.

Set your budget and stick to it:

Decide how much you can afford to lose and never play past that amount. Plan on a
reasonable amount you would like to win and, when you reach your winning goal, stop
playing for that session.

Don't be a Lender or a Borrower:

Never borrow money to gamble; this is one sure way to get in over your head. It
doesn't seem like real money when it's not yours but the bottom line is that you have
to pay it back. Where does that money come from - please don't say household
expenses.
...Putting the shoe on the other foot; never lend money to anyone for their gambling
purposes. You will probably never see that money again for the same reasons that you
might have difficulty when borrowing.

You're tired or you've been drinking...

...and you're a loser.

Your attention-span and concentration are not 100% and will cost you money. Land
casinos specialize in distractions - pretty girls, free drinks, noise, etc., and those are
bad enough but when you're playing at your pc they aren't present. What you have
instead is fatigue from looking at a screen, tension from sitting in the same position for
an extended time, dry eyes from forgetting to blink enough, and maybe even twinges
in your hand from pushing that mouse. Combine all this with not enough rest or alcohol
consumption and it's no longer a case of maybe losing - it's a sure thing. Leave the
booze alone and every so often take the time to do some stretches, take a short walk,
or just make a cup of coffee. The worst that can happen is that you will have to login
again to resume play. You need to stay alert when your money's on the line.

If you suspect you have a gambling problem, here is the Gamblers Anonymous
Compulsive Gambling Checklist.