To attract your business many casinos will add a bonus to your initial deposit, usually 10% but I have seen it go as high as 100%. When you accept a bonus you are usually required to meet a certain level of betting action to cash out the bonus. I have seen the total amount bet required range from the amount of the bonus to six times the sum of the deposit and the bonus. Read the rules carefully before you start playing.

After opening an account wait at least 15 minutes for any welcome e-mail to come in. Sometimes this e-mail will indicate different rules than what the web site says about earning a bonus. Assume that you have to meet the more stringent of the conditions. Regardless of what the rules are you should more than exceed them. If pressed for specifics I would say play at least 50% more than required but 100% or more is better.

Some online casinos claim and exercise the right to deny bonuses to customers they feel are only coming for the bonus, as opposed to the enjoyment of the casino. Finally I would be suspicious of casinos that you have never opened an account with who send unsolicited bonus offers.

Choosing Where to Play

There are a lot of online casinos to choose from, about 800 they say, and to the beginner it may seem confusing telling them apart. Some important things to consider when thinking about online casino gambling:

1. Is there a sign-up bonus? If so how much?

2. How are the rules? This can vary a lot in games like blackjack and video poker.

3. Are there transaction fees? If so how much?

4. Is there a phone number you can call? Is it toll free? If you call is the line busy?

5. Is the casino licensed?

6. Is there information available about who owns and operates the casino?

7. Who provides the software, is it a reliable name or some mystery no-name company.

Do not expect any casino to score an A+ in all these categories. Consider the total online casino gambling package and use your best judgement.