The Ten Commandments

1.) Thou Shalt Know The Local Law
You should always know if it is legal in your state to gamble, even online. Don't think just because you are gambling online, the law doesn't count. If you are living in an state, country or province where gambling is illegal, it is also illegal for you to play in online casinos. Always make sure you are not living in such an area before wagering any money. In case you don't know, contact the local authorities.

2.) Thou Shalt Know Thy Casino
By viewing the website of an online casino you can already tell if it is a serious one. A good online casino will always have extensive info pages which tell you exactly where the casino is licensed, who is behind the casino, their exact local rules and guidelines, what their cash policies are and how to contact them. Don't get fooled by glamorous looking casinos that don't even provide an accurate e-mail address or customer support.

3.) Thou Shalt Play For Free
All the good online casinos offer a play for free option. You should always try this option first, because this way you can check out the casinos games and their odds. If the casino you are playing in does not have that option you should go to a different casino. There is no need to give your money to the first casino you lay eyes on. There is a lot of casinos out there and you should try at least a couple of them before you start risking your money.

4.) Thou Shalt Demand Customer Support
As mentioned above, good online casinos also offer a good customer support. The least you can expect is a provided e-mail address and most even offer s 24 hours, 365 days a year telephone support. Other casinos offer messageboards or chatrooms for their customers. Try out their customer support before you run into unexpected troubles. Because if you don't and run into troubles there might not be a way to contact them in any way if it is a bad casino.

5.) Thou Shalt Know Thy Payoff Options
Most online casinos will recharge the amount of your original deposit back to your credit card, but not your winnings. This is normal. They will send you a check for your winnings within 2 weeks. Some casinos even offer a wire transfer for a small fee.

6.) Thou Shalt Check Out The Bonuses
Every good casino offer certain bonuses for their players. Those bonuses are made to attract new players and keep regular players in their casino. This is standard in any casino. They range from frequent player programs to referral bonuses and even sign on bonuses where you get up to $50 free on your first deposit. With this small gifts casinos thank their customers and you have the certainty that you don't just have fun gambling but even get little rewards for it.

7.) Thou Shalt Know That Games Are Not Created Equal
Never forget every online casino is basically just software. This mean the payouts, house commissions, number of cards in a play and just about everything can be set how the software programmer designs it. That does not mean the games are set to loose and cheat you out of your money. The laws with this are really strict and casinos get tested all the time. It just means some online casinos have better odds than others.

8.) Thou Shalt Protect Thy Data
Security is always very important if you sign up for anything, anywhere on the internet. When it comes to the actual sign on process in an online casino there are a couple of things you should always pay attention to. The following are things you have to look out for to ensure the casino you are playing on is save and secure.

First of all the casino should open a secure and data-encrypted link to protect your info.

Your browser will tell you to check the little lock symbol at the bottom of the browser and tells you this is a secure site you are about to view.

The usual http:// on the beginning of the URL will be replaced by https://.

It can never be mentioned too often, you always have to look out for at least one of the above. Giving your personal address and creditcard number to somebody you trust is one thing but in case your information is not secured you never know who else can see it.

9.) Thou Shalt Play To Win
Since you are playing at home you should always take your time to make your decision. Compared to an actual casino the advantage in an online casino is more on your side. You can always use any information you have gathered to achieve optimal play. Whether is is a nice little strategy for Video Poker, a handy Black Jack Chart or any other info you have. Take your time. The machine will wait for you to make your move regardless how long it takes.

10.) Thou Shalt Enjoy Thyself
If you choose to gamble in an online casino you will be missing out on all the charms a physical casino offers. The smoke, the free drinks, the hangers-on and all that. Granted, you are playing in the comfort of your home but you might as well do whatever it takes to get the most out of the online gambling experience. Pour yourself a drink, fire up a good cigar, whatever. There is nobody better to pamper the player than you.

Thanks to Max Drayman of WINNERonline.com for this excellent article.