Selecting an Online Casino

Selecting an online casino shouldn’t be done lightly. While there are a lot of reputable online casinos out there, the Internet has its share of crooks. I’m going to go over a series of items to look for when selecting an online casino.

Online Casino Age

The first thing I look for in an online casino is age. While older doesn’t equal better, it is a good sign. For one thing, an older online casino is bound to have chatter out there. If an online casino is less than one year old, I won’t play there. It might be a great online casino, but I’ll wait for some feedback and age first. Some of the most reputable casinos online are anywhere from 4-13 years old.

Payouts

Another issue with me is payout speed. Sure, an online casino might be lightning quick in taking my money, but how fast can they put it back in my pocket? Over the years this has been a major problem area for many online casinos.

It’s good to check around first. If an online casino is purposely slow, it could be the sign of potential problems. In this day and age, you should be able to get your withdraws processed and in your account (unless they are sending via postal mail) within 48 hours-maybe 72 tops. Anything more is just amateur and behind the times.

Licensing and Information

Is the online casino licensed? If so, with who? Check the address and phone number of the online casino. You should be able to find these easily. If not, there’s a problem.

Give the online casino a call. Someone should answer quickly (three rings or less). If not, it could be a sign of weak customer support-commonplace with many online casinos.

Do they have a street address? Make sure their address isn’t some mailbox out in the middle of a pasture somewhere.

Comments

This last step is really good. Go to your favorite search engine-or two. Next type in the online casino’s name and see what comes up. Try adding search terms to their name like:

Payout
Fraud
Customer service
Forum
Feedback
News
Review

That will get you started. If someone has commented about the online casino, you’ll have a good chance of finding it.

If you can’t find anything, that’s just not a good sign. With any luck, you’ll find many sources of information about the online casino. It doesn’t need to be an all-day thing either. Just do some searches, check out some stuff and if it all adds up, go enjoy yourself.

Staying Safe

It just makes sense to follow these ideas. Another tip is to deposit just a small amount and try out the online casino first. If you like it and they appear reputable, go have a blast.

Gambling online is fun. Just be sure to take some security precautions.

Security Concerns and Treatment for Compulsive Gambling

Gambling debts may compromise one’s financial stability, cause problems with family and work, and prompt some individuals to engage in illegal activities, including espionage, as a means of covering their losses. Motivation for espionage is usually complex and difficult to assess, but financial pressures from gambling debts have clearly played a significant role in the cases of at least seven Americans who have been arrested for espionage.

By the time most compulsive gamblers seek help, they are hugely in debt, owing as much as $120,000 or more, and their families are in a shambles. About 80% seriously consider suicide, and 13 to 20% actually attempt it or succeed in killing themselves.

Three studies of Gamblers Anonymous members and persons in treatment for compulsive gambling determined that roughly two-thirds admitted to committing crimes or civil fraud to finance their gambling or to pay gambling-related debts. The white-collar crimes of fraud, embezzlement, forgery, and tax evasion predominate among those whose employment and economic status present the opportunity for such crimes.

Another study focused on how problem gambling affects the insurance industry. It found that in a group of 241 Gamblers Anonymous members, 47% admitted to having engaged in some form of insurance fraud, embezzlement or arson.

Treatment for Compulsive Gambling

Like other addictive behaviors, compulsive gambling is treatable. Many problem gamblers are reluctant to seek treatment, however, as they do not understand the nature of the addiction involved. People understand being out of control from putting some kind of substance in their body. Being out of control due to a supposedly voluntary behavior such as gambling damages one’s self-esteem so much that people are extremely reluctant to seek help.

Gamblers Anonymous follows the same pattern as Alcoholics Anonymous, including the same 12-step treatment program. The success rate appears comparable to that for other addictions. Relapse is a problem, but one or two relapses do not necessarily indicate failure. The more severe the gambling problem prior to treatment, the greater the chance of relapse and eventual treatment failure.

Compulsive gamblers frequently also suffer from other addictions such as alcoholism, drug abuse, compulsive shopping or bulimia. Some evidence indicates that individuals with multiple addictions are more difficult to treat than those who suffer from a single addiction. Doctors at some treatment centers have observed a “switching of addictions,” where recovering alcoholics begin to gamble compulsively after several years of abstinence from alcohol. Similarly, women recovering from compulsive gambling have encountered problems with compulsive shopping.

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