Online casinos: regulation, economics, and social impacts

Online Casinos

Internet gambling is now the fastest-growing sector of the gaming industry, so much so that in the year 2000, it grew by 79%, compared to a 6.01% overall growth rate in the United States (Helping pp). Mark Waters of GamblingSoftware.com, says, "Internet gambling is now bigger than gambling on Indian reservation, charitable bingo, legal bookmaking, and gambling on cruise ships" (Helping pp). The main reason for online gambling popularity is that gamblers can play any time in any location (Helping pp). Moreover, online gaming is probably the most sound business model on the Internet today, there's no inventory, no shipping, just customer relationship management, say Waters (Helping pp).

Type in "online casinos" on Google, and 5,660,000 sights pop up. That's quite an array of opportunities for players, astounding actually, and players never have to leave their home or even change out of their pajamas!

On-line-Casinos-Online.net. (http://www.online-casinos-online.net/) offers a full slate of gaming as well as cash bonuses for joining (Online pp). Several casinos are offered on this site such as the River Belle Casino which promises 100% match up to $250, plus they give $150 free in casino cash for the first purchase of $100, and of course their support desk is open 24/7 (Online pp). Aces High Online Casino offers $100 bonus for buying $50 worth of chips, and the Lucky Nugget Casinos offers $200 bonus for the purchase of $50 worth of chips that can be used for any of the games, and free Lucky Nugget software to download with "great cash back offer," (Online pp). The Gaming Club offers more than sixty games including Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Baccarat, Scratch Cards, Keno, Paigow Gow Poker, Video Pokers, Slots and CashSplash, and Progressive Slots, with the reputation for "huge progressive payouts" (Online pp). JackPot City Online Casino claims "Home of the Biggest Jackpots" and offers $50 free bonus with the purchase of %50 worth of casino chips (Online pp).

On Preferred Online Casinos (http://www.preferred-online-casinos.com/) offers games such as blackjack, poker, video poker, slots, roulette, bingo, craps, sportbooks and sports betting (Preferred pp). The Del Rio Casino offer $600 bonus for new customers, The Golden Palace claims to be home of the "biggest and fastest payouts since 1997 ... And biggest player bonuses of any casino'(Preferred pp). Vegas Online Casino offers $888 bonus, and over sixty "exciting games, fair gaming, highest security, 100% private, fastest payouts" (Preferred pp).