Online Casino Gambling

As the oldest and largest legalized gaming center, Nevada currently regulates 500 casino licenses and manages 1,800 slot licenses, 1,360,000 slot machines and 5,300 table games across the state. 45 percent of Nevada’s revenues derive from gambling. They hold the largest share of state revenue originating from the gambling market.

Nevada first legalized gambling in 1931 during the Great Depression as a method of simulating the economy. Unfortunately the gambling industry in the state didn’t take flight until after World War II. Since this point, the gambling industry in Nevada has survived investigations, organized crime and numerous other shots to its reputation.

There are two regulatory bodies that oversee gambling in Nevada. These include:

• The State Gaming Control Board
• The State Gaming Commission

The State Gaming Control Board is the administrative section of gaming regulation. They handle licensing investigations, enforce gaming laws and regulations and collect and monitor taxation. Also, they are prosecutors in legal battles.

The Board has three members; a CPA, an individual with a law enforcement background and a member with a business administration background. These three members are appointed by the Governor of Nevada and serve full-time, four-year staggered terms.

The State Gaming Commission makes all decisions on gambling policy and regulations. They have the power to issue, deny, suspend, restrict, revoke and limit gaming licenses. The Gaming Commission also institutes disciplinary actions to those that do not follow the rules. This board consists of five Governor-appointed members that serve part-time.

In Nevada, two different types of gambling licenses exist. These include:

• Restricted licenses
• Unrestricted licenses

Restricted licenses limit the number of slot machines in a casino to 15 and prohibit the operator from offering any other type of game. These licenses are generally issued to small bar owners, restaurants and grocery stores. A regular investigation is required for the issuance of these types of licenses.

Unrestricted licenses allow the casino to offer slots, gaming devices and table games. To acquire this type, a thorough background investigation is conducted by the Gaming Control Board. The Board then refers its findings and opinion to the Gaming Commission. They make the final decision of acceptance.

Nevada is the model of gaming regulation and law for the rest of the United States and even the world. Although it may seem simple, it is difficult to acquire a gaming license in Nevada without a squeaky-clean background.

Most online tournaments offer some type of rebuy back into the competition. A rebuy is where players continue to play (even after they are knocked out) in a tournament by paying the rebuy fee which gives them a fresh stack of chips. For those players that continue to rebuy, a dilemma arises.

The Dilemma

As players rebuy numerous times into the competition, their chances of winning decrease significantly. They will end up spending more than needed without any assurance of winning. As a result, it is difficult to calculate the proper number of rebuys.

Freeroll Tournaments

Most online gaming sites offer daily, weekly or monthly freeroll tournaments in which there is no entry fee. However, there is almost always a rebuy fee. The most advantageous move for a freeroll is to play with the first set of chips and if you lose, don’t rebuy. If the player has the means and is committed to rebuying, they should have a pre-determine number of buy-ins and then quit.

A Strategic Myth

One strategy commonly used in tournaments is to fix a specific score which will allow the player to jump into the leader board once this score is acquired. This is incorrect since the leader board is constantly changing positions so a fixed score may not be accurate later. Also, the player’s bankroll is overlooked when utilizing this strategy. To determine the number of rebuys, the availability of funds to buy back in is the most important decision-making factor.

One Exception

Sometimes there are instances where looking at the player’s board is beneficial in deciding whether or not to rebuy. For instance, if the leader reaches a point where it would be next to impossible to break into the prize pool due to the score, its best to simply save your money for other tournaments by not buying back in.

A Solid Strategy

A good rule to follow is limit yourself to only 5 to 10 rebuys per tournament. If 5 significantly diminishes your bankroll then plan for fewer. A considerably larger bankroll with a significant prize should rebuy an upwards of 10 times. Just remember not to exceed the weekly betting budget and decide on the maximum number of rebuys prior to player registration.

Tournament rebuys can be a successful method of entering the prize pool; however they must be used sparingly. Always have a plan prior to the beginning of the tournament, that way you will hit your mark and potentially make a profit.

There are thousands of online casinos across the globe with new options being available regularly. Due to the publicity of new gaming sites on forums, and news websites, players are attracted to their fresh ideas and enjoy placing bets. Despite the exposure, there are a few tips that can help you choose the right casino. These include:

• Look for games from a popular software provider
• Review bonuses
• Look at the tournaments
• Review licensing and gambling jurisdiction
• Don’t play at too many casinos at once

By looking at the various games the casino offers, you will see trends. Online gaming software providers develop the same games for multiple casinos. Therefore if all the same games are consistent with a different site, you can bet it is the same software developer only with different graphics and audio. Unfortunately this doesn’t provide any monetary advantage to the player so many would argue that there is no point in taking a chance at a new site.

The primary reason for playing at a new casino is the bonuses and tournaments. In many instances, new casinos offer industry-high bonuses. This is extremely attractive to experienced players that wager large amounts of money. On the other hand, this may not be a good deal for new players as the requirements may be too stringent for them to take advantage of the promotion.

Often, new casinos present freeroll tournaments with large prizes to draw players to their site. It’s always best to review the terms and conditions prior to embarking on the bonus or in a tournament.

Most new casinos are only around for a short time and then disappear. There are a few signs to look for such as, their licensing from a credible gambling jurisdiction, the software provider and is the software tested for fairness by an independent agency. Only try a new casino if part of a reputable online casino group.

Finally, make sure to not spread your money across too many casinos. This can result in a thin bankroll causing you to make unwise decisions. To combat this issue simply withdraw all funds from one casino prior to depositing in another.

To summarize, it is best to wait approximately six months before trying a new casino. That way they are established and have regular players. The previous tips should help you find the online gaming site that fits your needs and bankroll.

Louisiana allows many different types of gaming. Therefore state government agencies must keep a watchful eye over the numerous operations. Due to these choices, the government initially created several gambling regulatory agencies. The types of gaming allowed in Louisiana include:

• Horse racing
• State lottery
• Video poker machines
• Riverboat gambling
• Land-based casinos

In the early 1990’s, the Louisiana government created the Indian Gaming Commission. Shortly after, a law was ratified allowing one land-based casino to open in New Orleans. Since these laws were passed, only one land-based casino has opened for business. Casinos can legally offer most games that can be played for money with the exception of bingo, video bingo, television bingo, raffles, charity games, lottery, pull tabs, dog race wagering and sports books.

Louisiana began with a multitude of gambling regulation agencies. The Gaming Enforcement Division of the Office of State Police (a section of the Riverboat Gaming Commission) controlled video poker and riverboat gaming. The Louisiana Economic Development and Gaming Commission regulated the land-based casinos.

In 1996, the state government revamped the agencies. The Gaming Control Board managed riverboat, video poker, casino and Indian gaming operations. The Governor appoints the nine member board with recommendations from different universities within the state due to the diversity in criteria such as professional, educational and geographic.

One of Louisiana’s gaming attractions is riverboats. Legally, there are only 15 riverboat gaming licenses in the state of Louisiana that exist. The licenses are issued with a five year expiration date and then must be renewed each year thereafter. Also, on each vessel, a maximum of 30,000 square feet can be allocated to gaming. Furthermore, riverboat gambling may only occur on designated waterways throughout the state.

The only land-based casino in Louisiana is located in downtown New Orleans at the Rivergate Convention Center. The single license was awarded to Harrah’s. All card, mechanical, electronic and dice games are permitted with the addition of wagering on horse races.

The single land-based casino must pay 18.5% of gaming revenues or $100 million to the state each year, whichever is greater. There’s a 3.5% license fee of gaming revenue for vessels and a 15% annual franchise fee. Also a $50,000 flat fee, per vessel for the first year and $100,000 per vessel thereafter has been enacted. Many local governments also enforce a $2.50 per person charge on the riverboats.

Due to the number of gaming operations, Louisiana must have a high tax structure with strict gaming rules. Perhaps in the future, the Gaming Commission will vote to allow more than one land-based casino operate within the state boundaries.

The exciting game of craps has expanded to almost all online gaming software. Unfortunately with so many choices, players must decide the casino in which they will maximize their earnings by paying the least back to the house due to the edge.

There are two important factors to determine the best online casinos to play craps including:

• The payouts
• Minimum and maximum wagers permitted

The Payouts

Payouts are obviously the most important factor to decide the best online casino to play craps. Given the number of different bets to the amount of payout is a difficult task to constantly be calculating. Fortunately knowing which bets offer a high house edge and which do not will help you maximize profits and minimize losses. Since the player should not be placing wagers on these high house edge bets, no calculations should be determined.

The most important wagers to place in craps are pass line bets, come bets, place bets, big 6/8 bets, buy bets and field bets. Most online casinos offer the same payout for pass line bets, come bets and place bets since these are commonly the most placed bets. The difference lies with the big 6/8 bets, buy bets and field bets. The most beneficial method to find the top payouts are to narrow down all bets to one and compare the payouts based on these.

Minimum and Maximum Wagers

These are extremely important especially for new players and low rollers as they tend to search for the lowest minimum wagers due to the size of their bankroll. On the other hand, high rollers look for the maximum wager due to the largest absolute payouts.

Based on these primary factors, a new or veteran player should have no problem finding a casino that offers a balance between the two. You want the most possible payouts based on the types of bets placed, but need to have the low minimum and high maximum wagers depending on your level.

Online craps can be a fun game to play. While there are thousands of online players, remember you’re against the house. You want to give yourself the opportunity to minimize the house edge so you can maximize your earnings. Compare casinos to find those that offer the lowest house edge on specific bets with excellent payouts and a respectable minimum and maximum wager.

Although the house has an edge in online roulette, as in all games, there are specific moves which will save you a few bets during game play. These bets can lower the house edge and give you a higher winning percentage. Since there are several betting patterns found in the game, players can break the monotony by switching to different wagers. The benefit is the various patterns offer similar house edges.

The Simple Patterns

The simplest patterns are betting on a single spot, betting on a color, or wagering on a column. In this case, the player simply places a bet on one area of the board and waits for the results. There is usually no strategy in these bets as the player is wagering based on a feeling.

More Complicated Patterns

Most players prefer to engage in more complicated betting patterns. Some wager on the digits in their telephone number. These are a combination of simple patterns that extend coverage to many numbers. Also, they are neighbor bets to win in many areas.

Saving Bets

Online roulette games offer a way for players to save bets. Online gaming software providers offer different variants of Roulette with different bet-saving procedures. One example is offered by Microgaming Software.

The player must first go into expert mode by click the EXPERT button. The bottom toolbar will display eight numbered buttons. By click the EDIT button, the player will be transported to the bet-saving area. Click GET TABLE BETS to transfer a current wager to this layout. If the player wants to place a $1 wager on their 10-digit phone number, they place the bet on the numbers and click SAVE LAYOUT.

Clicking the NEXT button will reveal an updated layout. For neighbor bets, simply click the button next to the number of neighbors they want to select. Then click ADD TO LAYOUT and choose a denomination. This betting pattern can then be saved. To return to the action, click BACK TO GAME.

Microgaming software allows many features, such as saving a bet, not found with several other online software providers. This method will allow the player to save betting templates for later use which can give you a better edge once you develop specific patterns. This is a feature that more software providers should add to their software. It is an extremely helpful function for the player throughout the game.