Rogue online casinos seem to be everywhere!  But what are they?

“Rogue casino” is a term describing an online casino that for whatever reason does not conform to normal, proper online casino behavior.

A good and frequent example is an online casino not paying out the money you won or deposited.  The problem starts when you request a withdrawal.  Then any excuse under the sun is given for them not being able to fulfill your request.

The usual excuse is that they do not have your withdrawal details, even though you have sent it to them dozens of times. Other excuses include that they have “administrative” or “system” problems or that they have already sent out the cheque and it was probably lost in the post.

I have even heard the excuse that they recently had to pay out a big jackpot, which impacted their cashflow and therefore they will only be able to honor the withdrawal request at the end of the month!  Unbelievable!  Do you really want to play at a casino (online or offline) that has cashflow problems?

Now sometimes even good casinos can encounter some of the problems mentioned above.The difference is how they have dealt with the problems.  They correct it quickly and with a minimum of fuss.

Believe it or not, there are hundreds of these rogue casinos on the internet today.  And they seem to be multiplying.

What does this mean for you, the casino visitor?

Well, simply that you have to do your research before choosing an online casino.  After all, you would not deposit your money at a bank before checking out the bank first.

So how do you find out if an online casino is reputable?

*1.  Check out the casino’s website.  Read all of it, especially the terms and conditions.  You do not want to be surprised later with an obscure condition about paying out!

Remember, if the website appears unprofessional, it is usually a good indication that the company behind it is as well.

*2.  Contact the casino.  Email their customer support with a query or problem.  Good casinos answer back within 24 hours and will bend over backwards to solve your problem.

These are the casinos you want to play at.  At least now you know that when you have a real problem, it will be resolved quickly and without any hitches.

*3.  Ask people.  If you know anybody that plays at a casino you are interested in, ask them about it!

For instance, the casinos listed on http://www.1stopcasinobonuses.com are casinos offering excellent casino bonuses, all of them with good reputations.  There are also many other websites or forums where you can check up or ask people about other casinos.

The better casinos know that the best type of marketing is by word of mouth.  Therefore they do everything in their power to make sure that all their visitors enjoy a good experience at the casino.

Do you have what it takes to become a successful (and profitable) gambler?  Read on and find out:

1.  A gambling system

No matter what your game, a gambling system is being marketed to turn you into a winner.Unfortunately the vast majority of them are built on empty promises and do not work. 

So how do you find a system that works?  The easiest way is to get a personal recommendation from somebody that you trust, who has used the system with positive results.  Otherwise it is a long, hard slog through all the promotional rubbish to find a system that makes sense to you.  Don’t just buy the first one that you see.Research the creator and make sure he has a reliable reputation? 

A good system does not only include a gambling system, but also a bankroll system, win/loss criteria and preferably a flexible approach.  I can’t stress this enough!So many people lost their money because they did not have a large enough bankroll or their system could not be changed if they were losing.

Your system needs to rely on mathematical and statistical odds to make a consistent profit.  If this is the case, the laws of nature are on your side!Sometimes the gambler playing on gut feel can win big, but he will certainly also lose big.

So now you have a good system and you are raring to go and win some money.  WAIT, because you might still lack what I feel is the most important element of a successful gambler.  You need the right mindset…

2.  The right mindset

At this point some people will stop reading and ignore the “mumbo-jumbo”.  To them I say all the best of luck with your gambling and I hope you become successful.  But chances are that they won’t.  Sure, they might win a few hands/pots, but over the longer term, they will consistently lose.

For those of you still with me, what do I mean by the right mindset? 

Well, for starters, don’t see yourself as a gambler.  Gambling implies relying on luck to either win big or lose big.  See yourself as an investor.  You invest your time and money (bankroll) to make a profit. 

Believe in your system.This shows the importance of following a reliable and proven system.  You need to be sure that although a session might end in a loss, you will recoup the loss in the next few sessions.

Let us look at an example:  In your first session you make a profit of $100.  In your second session you make a loss of $200.  So your net loss will be $100. 

At this point many people quit and whinge about the system not working as it is supposed to.  What they don’t realise is that the next three or four sessions might net them $400 profit.  So not only do they lose a system that might make them consistent profits, but they lose $100 as well!

Calculate your winnings and losses in units.  Why?  Well, if you play with $1 chips, then wagering two or three chips (units) is not a big deal.  What about playing with $20 chips?  All of a sudden you are wagering $40-$60 on a single play.  Your mind tells you that you are staking a lot of money, which in turn causes you to have doubts about your system.  This is where people start to play too carefully and not follow their system.  End result: they lose the money.  If your system worked with $1 chips, there is no reason for it not to work with $20 chips.  Remember to always wager amounts supported by your bankroll. 

3.  Casino bonuses

The last weapon in your arsenal is casino bonuses.  What a great way of making money by using the casinos’ money against them!  Obviously there are a lot of requirements associated with this.  I mean, why would the casino give you free money?  Discussing these requirements would be and article or two on its own! 

If you implement and developed the points mentioned above, you will already be ahead of the majority of gamblers and on well your way to beat the casinos. 

The most popular form of gambling is a slot machine, both online slots and the more traditional casino slot games. These are mechanical devices that use different numbers of reels in varying sizes. Each reel has some type of design on it; the most popular are bars, cherries, the symbol of the jackpot and the number seven. The newer slot machines use computer programs that randomly choose winning combinations, but the manufacturer normally sets both the odds and the percentage of wins.

Theme designed machines are very popular, with everything from wildlife to a more patriotic themes. Many times, the casinos will do a whole room in a particular theme and use slots, such as poker slot machines or video slot machine, as well as any other casino game, to further compliment the theme.

There is more to a slot machine than just inserting money and hoping for a win. It only makes sense that it would be easier to match three symbols than it would be to match four. Try to play slot games with three reels, as three sevens can be hit more often than trying to hit four sevens. Trying to match anything that has four reels is hard, as even the liberal video poker machines do not hit four matches often.

Most slot machines have the center line as the pay-line and only the correct combinations on that line will pay. However, a slot machine may have the 3 pay-lines in the center, bottom and top of the window, so that means that any correctly lined combination on any one of those 3 pay-lines will win. There is an advantage to playing the 3 paying games, as you are given extra chances to win and can get up to triple payouts if they are in the correct order and show on more than just the one pay-line.