How to Play at Online Casinos

The Internet can be an intimidating place. One of the main problems introduced by the Internet is user security regarding money and money transfer in the new virtual world of online casino games. We all love to buy products online, take advantage of various online services and, of course, play online! But what are the options you have when you wish to take part in any of these activities?

Before you start playing in your favorite casino gambling site, whether it's 888.com, Party Poker or Golden Palace, you must know all your options, because knowledge is casino gaming power.

You can pay online using credit cards, debit cards, pre paid cards and the list goes on… But what are the differences between these online casino gaming options, what are the pros and cons and what will work best for you? Read on to better understand how each payment method works and to make your casino choice easier.

Credit cards are by far the most popular form of online payment. About half of all online gamblers use credit cards.

A credit card is different from other types of cards, such as debit cards and charge cards, in that it does not remove money from the user's account after every transaction and does not require the balance to be paid in full each month. Instead, credit cards lend money to the consumer, with the option of "revolving" their balance, at the cost of having interest charged.

Paying with credit cards online is considered safe. Most respectable online casinos use TLS/SSL (Transport Layer Security), which encrypts card numbers and helps to protect clients. Using credit cards also provides protection against fraud in most cases since credit cards companies reimburse their clients if they have been victims of a fraud.

Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and others are a sure bet.

A digital wallet or E-Wallet, serves as wallet for online purchases.

Registering for a digital wallet requires minimal setup and is quite easy to use. Once the casino gaming software is installed, the user begins by entering all the relevant information. The account is password protected and prevents unauthorized users from viewing your personal information stored on a particular computer.

Using digital wallets is more convenient and in many cases, safer than other forms of payments due to the fact that the user's casino gaming account is centered in one account at a single company (PayPal, Neteller etc.) All you have to do is know your user name (usually your email address) and your password and you can start buying in most major websites.

There are several digital wallets that have become very popular and are accepted by most online casinos:

• Neteller: A well known digital wallet. Many online casinos offer large bonuses for players using Neteller. It is friendly, easy to use and signing up for an account is free.  The company, which was founded in 1999, Deals primarily with online gambling sites. It was relatively small until PayPal stopped accepting gambling-related transactions in 2002. It is accepted by virtually all online gambling sites and is considered safe.

• Moneybooker: Moneybookers is one of the biggest online-payment services in the world. The UK-based company, as a security measure limits transfers received by accounts to thousands of dollars or Euros. Unlike many other online money transfer services, Moneybookers requires identity verification before using their service, which minimizes fraud and prevents money laundering. Moneybookers have more than 2 million users and are quite safe to use.

• ClickandBuy: ClickandBuy is one of the popular e-wallets out there. Besides many casino gaming sites, you can use ClickandBuy for various services at companies such as Apple iTunes, Skype, msn and others. The company was founded in 2000. It is well established and has created a partnership with Intel Capital. Its services are available to customers all over the world.

Debit cards are very much like credit cards, however their functionality are similar to writing a check, since the money is withdrawn directly from the cardholder's bank account.

Online debit cards require electronic authorization of every transaction and the debits are instantly reflected in the user’s account. Transactions can also be secured using the personal identification number (PIN) authentication system. This is even required by some online cards for every transaction you make to increase your casino gaming account's security.

• Visa Debit: Visa Debit (formerly Visa Delta) is a worldwide popular debit card, used especially in the UK (along with its sister card – Visa Electron). Electronic authorization, enabled by either a signature or personal identification number (PIN), is required for each transaction.

• Maestro: Maestro is MasterCard's international debit card service. The cards are linked to the cardholder's current account and each transaction is authorized by the card owner with a personal PIN code. The card issuer also has to approve transactions in order to make sure the card owner's account has sufficient funds.

Prepaid credit cards offer a convenient way to control credit card debt while still enjoying the flexibility of plastic. By using prepaid cards you can control exactly how much money you are willing to allow yourself to spend, which also makes it is a safe method of payment. These are great for online casino gaming.

• Ukash: Ukash vouchers can be purchased in many stores across Europe and it is especially popular in the UK. Each Ukash voucher purchased has its own unique 19-digit code, which enhances security much like PIN codes in debit cards. Using Ukash can be useful to avoid fraud or identity theft and to allow you to be in control of your spending.

• PaySafe: Paysafe was the first ever Secure Electronic Payment System for Credit Cards over the Internet in the world. Security is guaranteed since your PIN code and password are confidential and transactions take place on the secure PaySafe server. Deposits by Paydafe are free of charge. Paysafe cards can be purchased in a wide range of venues in Europe.

A Wire transfer is an electronic bank transfer from one bank account to another. Wire transfers can be done by a simple bank account transfer, or by a transfer of cash at a cash office. Wire transfer is a safe electronic transfer of funds and one does not need a credit card for any transaction. These also work well at online casino games sites.

• Western Union: This is one of the largest companies that offer wire transfers and also one of the most dependable. Its money transfer services can be used from their website or from any of their 100,000 agencies worldwide.

Other methods of online transactions include Cheque and Postal or Money Order. Some online casinos accept cheques that are sent via regular mail. This system, however, is quite slow. Postal or Money Order are basically the same but you can pay cash at the bank or Post Office and mail it to the casino.