I have enjoyed playing at land based casinos for several years, and still visit my local casino from time to time, but there are 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. Then 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 worried about getting ripped off. Finally one night when I had the itch to play slots, but didn’t want to bother with the annoyances at the casino, I decided to try playing online.
I had played at Maple Casino 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. Lucky Marmot Many casinos offer this type of bonus. You are given a certain amount of money to play with for one hour and they advertise that 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. On top of that, once 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 will find it is still a very good bonus after seeing others.
Every online casino offers a welcome bonus, and it is very important to read the terms and conditions of each bonus before you decide to claim it.
It is also very important to do some research on the casino before signing up. There are some online casinos that don’t 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 allow 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 there are usually many different options to choose from and it’s best to figure out which one suits you most. Finding a method that is available for both deposits and withdrawals is the best way to go, as it is much quicker when they process withdrawals to the method used for depositing.
At most online casinos, before you can withdraw any funds you must provide identification, as the casino has to abide by money laundering rules and regulations. I recommend sending in the required documents, via email or fax, before attempting to make a withdrawal. Some people even recommend sending in these documents before making your first deposit. Once your account is verified, withdrawals are usually processed quickly within the time stated in the casino terms and conditions.
There are many online casinos that are trustworthy and safe to play at. These casinos obviously realize the value of running a good business and being fair to their customers. Having happy customers, especially with an online business, is very important because if things go wrong it is posted on related forums very quickly.