Gambling online is any type of gambling conducted over the internet. This includes online casinos, online poker and online sports betting. However, the first online gambling site to open to the public, was ticketing for the first World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in 1994. Since then there have been a multitude of sites that have opened across the globe, each one offering a new and unique gaming experience.
Today the Internet offers gambling sites in many different languages. In the United States alone there are more than twenty-four thousand gambling sites and counting. While not all of these are members of the Wire Act or licensed by the Wire Act. All however are following the same guidelines that were established by Congress.
All online gambling sites offer players the ability to play for real cash or play for winnings via a practice play money account. There are no age restrictions or age limit for players eighteen years of age and older. Although most sites offer both forms of play, not all do. For example some only offer play money or allow players to wager real cash, while others may only offer practice play or virtual money.
Some gambling sites offer their services through the use of credit cards, PayPal, Debit cards and checks. These companies may also offer downloadable software and gaming systems that allow gamblers to play for cash or wagers against other online gamblers. Many of these online casinos also work with payment processing companies like MasterCard, Visa and Discover to process all card payments and electronic check transactions for players. This provides gamblers with a safe and secure means of making online payments for their gambling needs.
All reputable gambling sites take the security of their players very seriously. All transactions and personal information is encrypted so that it can be accessed only by the owner and authorized staff of the site. To protect the identity of its customers and to keep them from being scammers, many land-based casinos require that gamblers provide their social security numbers, phone numbers, and credit card information when they register with them. Additionally, all transactions are made in accordance with local, state and federal laws and most online gamblers who wager real money do so through offshore gambling casinos.
In addition to requiring gamblers to register and authorise through offshore casinos, all licensed online gambling sites also have to abide by a number of industry related laws, including those concerning the operation of gambling activity, the nature and manner of gambling activity, reporting activity to government authorities and taxation. The U.S.A. and several European countries have specific laws regarding online gambling. These include the requirement that all licensed gambling activities be conducted at sites that are supervised and certified by recognized gambling authority. Gambling is a popular activity and is increasing in popularity both as a way of entertainment and as a means of making money.
