Online gambling is any type of gambling conducted over the internet. This includes casinos, poker and sports betting among many others. The very first online gambling site opened to the public, was online ticketing for the prestigious Liechtenstein International Horse Race in 1994. Since then there has been a explosion in online gambling sites. Many are simply standalone sites which have expanded to cover as much of the world as possible. Others cover multiple countries and do international trading.
There are three different types of online gambling, casino sites, betting exchange sites and internet poker sites. The internet casino sites are the biggest because they have multiple locations from which people can gamble from the comfort of their homes. The internet casinos provide the biggest betting potential and the largest jackpots with more than 100% winning odds. There are no real-life gambling games performed at these sites, so all bets are made according to the odds. There is no physical card room, so all transactions are made via the internet and through personal computers and internet connections on the site itself.
Betting exchanges and sports betting casinos are the other types of online gambling. Betting exchanges allow people to place bets on an array of events online. There is a variety of online casinos that offer these betting exchanges, but the best known are Golden Casino, Betfair and Coral Gambling. They each offer their own unique advantages, such as ease of use, low minimum bets, wide selection of games and large cash payouts. Sports betting casinos allow people to bet on a variety of sporting events and tournaments such as the World Series of Poker, the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup, the Masters, the Grand Slam and more. With sports betting casinos, all transactions are made online through the internet and through personal computers on site.
Real money gambling involves real money from depositors, licensed by state law, and it is executed in an electronic format. Real money online gambling can be done all from the same casino sites, using credit/debit cards or electronic transfer services. There is virtually no difference between online betting and offline betting, and there are no restrictions on how the money is transferred once the bet has been placed. The only restriction associated with real money online gambling is that all bonuses and special prizes must be returned when the player wins, or the bonus may be taken away from winnings.
There are also virtual online gambling sites. These gaming sites have games available that can be played entirely for fun and in the privacy of one’s home. For many people, playing video poker at a cyber-site rather than going to a real casino provides them with the ability to save on travel expenses. Also, many gamers find the virtual game much easier to master since there are no set times to eat, drink or relax. They can play at any time they choose.
With all of the opportunities and benefits that internet gambling offers, it is easy to see why it is one of the fastest growing businesses today. It allows the individual the opportunity to compete against other individuals anywhere in the world, for any amount of money. And, because all of the action takes place over the internet, it is a completely legal activity. The only thing you need to do is choose a reputable online gambling site, sign up and bet responsibly.