General Online Casino Questions

In this section, you'll find answers relating to General Online Casino Questions and Issues.

1. If I win big, do I need to declare this income on my taxes?
2. How do I decide which online casinos are right for me?
3. I emailed online casino support and didn't receive a response – why is this?
4. My eyes get very sore and tired when I have big winning sessions. What can I do to avoid this?
5. How do online casinos make money?
6. If I have a problem with or a question about an online casino, what should I do?
7. How old do I have to be to gamble at an online casino?
8. After reading the reviews, how do I start playing at an online casino?
9. What is an online casino?
10. Now that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has become law, is it legal to gamble online in the United States?
11. I live in the US. Which online casinos can I play at?

1. If I win big, do I need to declare this income on my taxes?

   Generally, you should probably declare all income on your tax return but you can discuss this is more detail with your accountant. If you plan on being a professional gambler, then you will need to start recording your playing time and results, session by session. The IRS has a guide for this: Guide 529 (available at the irs.gov website). For the best financial and tax advice, you should always discuss issues with your accountant or financial adviser.

2. How do I decide which online casinos are right for me?

   You should read the reviews of the best Online Casinos to determine which casinos would be the most suitable or the most attractive to you.

   There are literally hundreds of online casinos, but many are not reliable or are risky as they are owned by unknown entities. Safety of your money should be of paramount importance, and you also want to get paid if you hit a big jackpot, so the casinos reviewed on PokerNewsCasino have been stringently evaluated to only list casinos that are large and reliable.

   You should also check out the player reviews for independent opinions of various casinos, and you can add your own reviews of the best online casinos you have played at.

3. I emailed online casino support and didn't receive a response – why is this?

   Online casino support is generally exceptionally good, often far better than online poker room support. However, for various reasons, there can sometimes be a delay in their reply to you or your email might have been lost altogether. If possible, I try and always use Live Support if the online casino has this service, as I get to speak to a real person and can get instant replies to my questions. You can also call toll-free to most online casino support teams for quick answers and solutions.

4. My eyes get very sore and tired when I have big winning sessions. What can I do to avoid this?

   None of us like to leave when we are winning big. After all, that's what gambling is all about. The reason your eyes are feeling sore and tired is probably due to eye strain, which can be caused by gambling online for too many hours in a row. Try taking the occasional break, just to give your eyes a rest from the computer screen. If you are using a CRT monitor, they have been known to cause headaches, so you might be better off using a non-CRT monitor for online gambling. Most importantly, if you are concerned, or if the eye strain and/or headaches last, you should check with your optometrist.

5. How do online casinos make money?

   Unlike online poker rooms, which take a flat percentage from each pot for hosting the games, online casinos offer games which are slightly in their advantage.

   For example, if you played Blackjack Surrender at Casino Tropez, the casino advantage is a miniscule amount, less than 0.4%. This is a tiny edge for the casino, but over millions of hands, they can make enough to justify their expenses in buying the software and setting up their online casino.

   All casino games have different House Advantage odds, with some games being more advantage to the house than others. A shrewd gambler might ask the online casino support team about the house advantage for particular games he/she wished to play.

6. If I have a problem with or a question about an online casino, what should I do?

   If it is a technical problem, you might find the answer in our Technical Issues FAQ. If you can't find the help you need there, contact the support department of the online casino you have a question about or a problem with. Most online casino support departments are fast and very helpful.

7. How old do I have to be to gamble at an online casino?

   As online casinos can't ask you for your ID when you open an account, they will state that you must follow the laws of the country you are gambling from. It's wise to follow their advice and not gamble underage, as online casinos may ask you for photocopies of your credit card and identification if you win. You don't want to hit a $1,000,000 jackpot and not get paid as you were underage.

8. After reading the reviews, how do I start playing at an online casino?

   Click on the Download button to download the casino software and follow the instructions to open an account and begin playing. To play for real money, you will need to deposit money into the online casino and you can do this from the casino software cashier section. If you do not wish to download the casino software to your computer, many online casinos also have a No Download version (Flash or Java) which you can play from your web browser.

9. What is an online casino?

   An online casino is a gambling portal that offers users the entertainment of playing all their favourite casino games from home on the internet. You can play for free or you can experience the thrill of real money gambling on your computer.

10. Now that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has become law, is it legal to gamble online in the United States?

    It is important to note that the UIGEA did not make gambling online illegal. It merely prevents US banking institutions from processing payments and withdrawals in relation to online gambling sites. But there are many other ways to deposit into and withdraw from your online casino account. Many people from thousands of jurisdictions around the world gamble online. It's important that you stay current with the laws of your jurisdiction.

11. I live in the US. Which online casinos can I play at?

    CasinoPokerNews is recommending the following online casinos that are happy to accept US players. Please take the time to read the reviews before opening an account and depositing.

    Rome Casino

    Rome Casino gives US players a chance to win their way to the capital of Italy, in addition to other great prizes and a possibly first deposit bonus of $3,500! Great games and customer service awaits...

    Bodog Casino

    Bodog Casino is the online casino part of the massive online gambling empire that is Bodog. Owned and operated by the flamboyant Calvin Ayre, Bodog Casino will give you a unlimited 10% bonuses on every deposit you make!

Questions? Comments?

Your name Email

Submit