I have enjoyed playing at land based casinos for several years, and still visit my local casino occasionally, but you will discover a few things that bother me. Being a smoker limits my playing options, as you will discover designated areas or rooms for smoking in Canadian casinos. I also hate how crowded it could get. People are constantly bumping your chair when trying to walk by, and it may take ages to get a drink. My spouse 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 concerned 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. Many casinos offer this sort of bonus. You are given a specific sum of money to play with for one hour and they advertise which you can keep the winnings with no deposit necessary. Reading the fine print tells you, for the bonus at Maple Casino, you may only claim up to $100 and also you must deposit $40 in order to claim it. On top of that, when you claim the bonus, you must wager it 30 times before you can cash out. It does not really seem fair to advertise it the way they do, but you shall find it is still a very good bonus after seeing others.

Every online casino offers a welcome bonus, and it is extremely important to read the stipulations of each bonus before you elect to claim it.

Additionally it is very important to do some research on the casino before signing up. There are some online casinos that do not like to pay their winners. A quick Google search of the casino name and adding the term "rogue" should give you a great idea.

As soon as you choose to make a deposit at an online casino, check out the available payment options they offer. Some methods permit you to play instantly, whilst others make you wait until funds are cleared. I prefer "Web Wallets" or "E-Wallets" like Instadebit or MoneyBookers, although there are usually many various options to pick from and it's best online gambling agent to figure out which one suits you most. Finding a method that's readily available for both deposits and withdrawals is the best way to go, as it is much faster once they process withdrawals to the method utilized for depositing.

At most online casinos, before you can withdraw any funds you need to 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. A lot of people even recommend sending in these documents before you make your first deposit. Once your account is verified, withdrawals are often processed quickly in the time stated in the casino stipulations.

There are many online casinos that will be trustworthy and safe to play at. These casinos obviously realize the value of running the best business and being fair to their customers. Having happy customers, especially having an online business, is quite important because if things go wrong it is posted on related forums very quickly.

If you keep these few simple tips in your mind, you may have a great time gambling at online casinos without worrying about getting ripped off or running into issues.