Gambling: Online Gambling Games
This page is meant to serve as an index to the "gambling"
portion of our site. ChipCage.com is a website about online games,
and since online gambling games are as popular now as the
Beatles were in the 1960's, we're going to include coverage of the
subject on these pages. This section of the site will include
articles about various online gambling sites, and since I'm a
fan of math and probability, I'll include articles about gambling
statistics in this section too. You can expect this section of
the site to be updated on a pretty regular basis.
What Is Gambling?
The word "gambling" usually refers to the wagering of money on games of chance and/or skill. It's the act of betting that makes an activity a gambling activity, not the level of skill involved, but various definitions exist in both a legal sense and in a colloquial sense. For example, some people think that gambling isn't gambling when it involves betting on a game of skill. So if you're playing pool at the local pool hall, and you bet $100 on the outcome of the game, you're not really gambling.
Some legal definitions take into account the level of skill involved in an activity when discussing gambling. For example, slot machines are purely a game of chance, while poker includes both elements of skill and elements of chance. How you play your cards in poker is a skill, but the cards you're dealt is determined randomly.
What Is Online Gambling?
"Online
gambling" refers to wagers that are made over the Internet. For
example, if you play
online
blackjack games for real money on an Internet site, then you're
engaged in online gambling. If you play poker on the Internet, then
you're also an online gambler. Betting on sports over the Internet
is also a form of Internet gambling.
What Are Online Gambling Games?
Any casino games you can think of that involve wagering can be considered online gambling games. The most commonly played online gambling games are slot machines and video poker, but blackjack and craps are both played online too. More obscure games, like Sic Bo and Caribbean Stud are also available via Internet casinos. As we expand this section of the site, we'll include detailed information about how to play the various online gambling games discussed here, and we'll even include strategy information.
Here's a list of commonly played online gambling games:
- Bingo
- Blackjack
- Craps
- Keno
- Pai Gow Poker
- Poker
- Roulette
- Sic Bo
- Slot Machines
- Sports Betting
- Texas hold'em
- Video Poker
Is Online Gambling Legal?
The
legality of online gambling varies according to the jurisdiction in
which you live. In many countries, and in many states or provinces
inside those countries, online gambling is illegal. In the United
States, the Department of Justice contends that the Federal Wire Act
applies to Internet wagering activities, but some court precedents
might lead one to believe that the Wire Act only applies to sports
betting activities. Even so, at least 13 states in the USA have
specific laws regarding online gambling.
If you decide to play gambling games online for real money, do some research before committing money to the activity. Don't just depend on the Internet for your research either--check with an attorney to make sure, or do some research at the library. No one in the United States has yet been convicted for playing poker on the Internet, but our advice is to be sure to understand the legal risks and obey the laws in your jurisdiction. And you can't obey these laws if you haven't learned what they are.
For more information about United States gambling laws, Chuck Humphrey's website is an excellent resource, but keep in mind that laws change over time, and that information might or might not be current.
Is Gambling Addictive?
A lot of people more qualified than us contend that gambling can be an addictive behavior. If you have impulse control issues, or if you feel like our gambling is compulsive, then we recommend that you seek treatment via a qualified professional. That's the only advice we're qualified to provide on the subject. We can recommend a few articles that might be of interest to people who are interested in gambling addiction and how it's treated:
- Doctors Treat Gambling Addiction as a Brain Disorder
- An Online Poker Addiction Forum
- The State of Oklahoma's Recommendations for People with Gambling Problems
Please understand that we recommend making educated and intelligent decisions on these matters. Don't use any of the pages we recommended above to make your decisions for you; use them as interesting starting off points.
What's the Difference Between "Gaming" and "Gambling?"
Since "gambling" has a negative connotation, many casinos and gambling operators use the euphemism "gaming" when they discuss gambling activities. When the word is used in this context, gaming and gambling are synonymous.
"Gaming" has other uses though. War gamers, video game enthusiasts, and tabletop RPG enthusiasts all refer to their hobbies as gaming, and most of the time, these activities don't involve any type of wagering.
Opinions and Analysis from a Gambling Expert and Enthusiast
The author of this article has been gambling for recreation since 1997. He has operated websites and written content on various gambling subjects since 2004, and he's read countless books on the subject. He offers the following opinions and analysis as an expert and an enthusiast.
Gambling can be a harmless form of entertainment for people who don't have mental or emotional problems. Gambling can also be a bad thing for people with impulse control problems. The best thing a gambler can do is learn how gambling math works. Understanding the probabilities and odds of various bets can enable intelligent, healthy people to make intelligent decisions about their wagering activities. People who aren't willing to learn at least the basics of how the math behind these games work shouldn't play at all.
Best Gambling Sites
One excellent resource that focuses largely on the math behind gambling is Michael Shackleford's excellent Wizard of Odds website. You can also find some excellent how to play information at Michael Bluejay's site Vegas Click. If you want to learn how to become a poker player, then read what Steve Badger has written about poker at Play Winning Poker, and you should also spend some time in the Two Plus Two forums.
If you're going to gamble at brick and mortar casinos in the United States, then American Casino Guide is an excellent resource. For a worldwide directory of casinos that includes both brick and mortar casinos and online venues, visit Casino City.
Video poker players should visit both Jean Scott's site and Bob Dancer's site.
