Online gambling: what and how much?

Today every online user can create his or her own Las Vegas on a desktop. The idea of gambling online is not new for the gaming lovers and many American gamblers just stopped going to Nevada or dropping in casinos. Probably it happens because not everybody can afford a big trip but it is not a problem to stake a couple of cents on some website.

Today one can say with a confidence that the online-industry has reached the fabulous scales and the amounts that rotate there make everybody count nervously the zeros after the comma.

Let’s take a closer look at the most popular online-games. Well, we’ll start from poker. According to British and American consulting agencies the total volume of stakes in online poker last year was $15 000,000,000. The local statistics offices report that 13 million of UK population and 50 million of the US population play poker. During the last 2 years even the CIS population started trusting this game. People begin quitting their jobs and make their living from poker by playing in various poker-rooms. In the developed countries people started opening the firms that pay the gamblers their stakes and take a part of the earning as a fee. A usual game has grown into a huge industry and the specialists forecast that next year the stakes will grow by some 11%.

Everybody can start playing even without special financial investments. The site owners regularly attract new players, especially since the newbies get the opportunity to win the money prize. The minimum money stake is – 0,01$, and the maximum one (blind) is $1000, and sometimes even this amount is not a limit. In order to get a new audience many casinos offer big bonuses which can be received after entering some predefined amount into an account.

Today some of the most popular sites for poker playing are as follows:
1. Party Poker– once it was the biggest poker in the world but it went down to the 2nd-3rd place after the proscription of the Americans. This site accepts Webmoney. Money can be withdrawn directly to the plastic card.
2. InterPoker–poker from Intercasino. Fancy hitting monthly bonuses after the appearance of which the quality of the game became much worse.
3. Bet 365–poker from Casino365, powered by Playtech. The site has a big number of visitors, not very strong opponents and the excellent free-rolls. The money is fully returned to the plastic card.
4. Pacific Poker –poker from Casino-on-Net. A good bonus for the first deposit, very weak opponents, a return of the whole amount to the card.
5. Sun Poker – poker from The Sands. A prominent brand and a good monthly bonus.

Every one can start playing, you just need to download a 3Mb software, install it and sign up. After registration you may immediately sit down at any table where free chips are played and start playing. If you want to load or withdraw money, you need to use electronic payment systems, plastic cards, international money transfer services, such as Western Union, Money Gram and etc., and wire transfers. The minimum deposit is usually only $10.

PokerPulse has estimated an approximate volume of daily stakes in poker at 44,3 mln. dollars. Just think about it.

There are 5 largest software providers for the Internet casinos: Playtech, Microgaming systems, Mr ECash, WagerLogic Ltd, Boss Media.

The second in popularity after poker are the internet-casinos. Casinos attract gamers by offering a wide range of online games: blackjack, roulette, dice, baccarat, sic Bo, Pai Gow Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Let it Ride, Red Dog, Casino War, keno, video poker and slots. During the recent years people worldwide play to break the jackpot. Every year the gamers leave in virtual casinos approximately 5-7 billions of dollars. And during the last 2-3 years their activity has increased by 2000%!

There are about 1,000 of various Internet casinos, but not all of them are honest as some have ‘sticky fingers’. Many casinos just want to seize the deposited money of their clients so we will expand on those casinos a little in this article.

PartyCasino.com: Probably, it is the biggest and the most popular casino on the Internet. Project scales impress even the most experienced gamers. In addition to the conventional for all poker types, the gamers can try Blackjack, roulette and slots. The stakes in the games are rather democratic, as 1 cent is enough to play at any table! 500 dollars – is an upper limit. The rightholder of Partycasino site is a team of wheeler-dealers of gaming Internet-business with a sound name PartyGaming, which is in requisition and is trusted by the gamers of the whole world for 10 years. The minimum stake is: 1 cent.

Payment systems, which work with this casino: WebMoney, Moneybookers, Ideal, Paysafecard, EPS, MisterCash, Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Ewire, Click2Pay, ClickandBuy, Giropay, Ukash, ELV , Electronic Transfer, UseMyBank, Switch, Solo, Maestro, PertyPoker Gaming , Bpay, EntroPay, NETeller, Citadel, Bank Transfer, Wire Transfer.

Europecasino

Brief description: this casino differs with its graphics which cannot be matched by some other sites. Europe Casino offers all the traditional casino games, such as Blackjack and roulette, more than 40 slots and 16 progressive Jackpots. The minimum deposit is: from $20 to $100 depending on the payment system.

Payment systems which work with this casino: WebMoney, Moneybookers, Eco Card, Click2Pay, Visa, Visa Electron, Delta, MasterCard, Maestro, DinersClub, Citadel, NETeller, FirePay, UseMyBank, Bank Draft, Wire Transfer, PaySafeCard, ClickandBuy, Ukash, InstaDEBIT.

Casinotropez

Brief description: Casino Tropez is the oldest online casino which is trusted by the millions of gamers. Also the gamers get quick payouts, online support, more than 100 games and $5 000,000 of Jackpot. In addition you may get 15% bonus to each deposit at use of Internet payment solutions. The minimum deposit is: from $20 to $100, depending on the payment system.

Payment systems: WebMoney, Moneybookers, Eco Card, Click2Pay, Visa, Visa Electron, Delta, MasterCard, Maestro, DinersClub, Citadel, NETeller, FirePay, UseMyBank, Bank Draft, Wire Transfer, PaySafeCard, ClickandBuy, Ukash, InstaDEBIT.

Goldfishka is a Russian casino powered by Microgaming Systems. The company offers about 150 games. The game results are quite normal and it is possible to have a positive balance even without using the bonus.

Loto.ru is probably the first casino in RU segment of the Internet. It “checks the honesty” in some games that favorably sets it apart from other casinos.

As we have already said there are some casinos which the users should avoid playing. The players lose all the deposited money; here is a list of just a few of them: Goldbetting Casino, Golden Wager Casino, Grand Banks Casino, ixcasino, Joyland Casino. Usually they attract people with their bonuses.

It is the responsibility of the processing companies to pay the pay offs. The most reliable and popular ones are: Quicksystems, cPays.com, WebDollar, Bulex, DataCash.

The country of Bookmakers

Sport-lovers give preference to bookmaker offices, the development of which has also got a serious push on the Internet. Last year nearly 10 billions of dollars were spent in online-betting and it is not the limit. The results of this year probably will be even more considerable as European Championship and Summer Olympic Games in Beijing will necessarily become a tasty morsel in the bookmaker’s pie.

These offices work on the same principle as casinos but yield to them only in the range of payment systems. The most popular ones are WebMoney, Moneybookers, Click2Pay, NETeller, Bank Wire Transfer, Visa, MasterCard, Visa Electron, Diners Club.

Compulsive Gamblers

Besides, there is a great amount of companies which are ready to accept the virtual money for playing with you. Online Role Playing Games are also popular and not only children play them. The most popular one in CIS countries is Lineage 2, World Of Warcraft is close on the heels of it. Gamers pay their money to buy new facilities or a new weapon for their character. On the official servers these games are paid. In the East the RPGs became so popular that at their divorce the couples divide not only a tangible property but the virtual as well… I think there is no need to add anything here.

In two years the online gaming industry has grown by 300%, and this shows that people worldwide trust the Internet casinos so much that they are ready to invest their money there. And the fact that some gamblers have started playing professionally on online sites proves that the online game has become a part of our society. Somebody takes the games as relaxation, somebody as a way of quick earning, but one fact is absolutely obvious: the popularity of online games grows daily and is not going to stop. Online games are a kind of engine that draws seemingly the whole virtual economy by developing it and increasing its turnovers. Such companies as Neteller, Moneybookers, E-gold, by means of online gaming have introduced the terabytes of e-cash which became a well fertilized soul for the online business development. And there is no doubt that gambling industry sets the pace for the development of the electronic finance sphere, so it is necessary to consider it when planning and considering the prospects of online business.