Online casinos make up the most obvious chunk of online gambling establishments, a very popular destination for serious gamblers and casual gamers alike. Personally, I love them — unlike many of my poker-playing peers, who feel that anything like online slots which depends on luck rather than skill is a ‘lesser’ pastime. I can understand their point, but let’s face it…the deck ain’t exactly predictable in Texas Hold’em, either…
Where was I? Oh yes, online casinos. They come in many shapes and sizes, with some websites offering bare-bones, no-frills access to the games software, and others offering a one-stop shop situation in which every imaginable option and more is on the table.
Many of these online casinos are fairly similar. While a few have proprietary software powering their games, the vast majority use an independent online gambling software company’s product. With only a handful of these companies serving the entire world, the same games will certainly start to pop up from one site to another as you browse your choices. In my experience, the best ‘brand names’ to look for if you’re NOT playing from the US are Microgaming, Cryptologic, and Playtech, and Rival, Vegas Technology, and TopGame if you need an online casino USA.
At any self-respecting online casino, you’ll find slots, craps, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and video poker. Most of the software companies provide these, as well as several variations of each to accommodate all tastes and playing preferences. You can expect dozens, if not hundreds of different slots titles, as well as dozens of blackjack/21 variants, and dozens of video poker games. Roulette is often split up into American and European variations, and sometimes even more. Some of my favorite online casinos also offer a number of somewhat-unusual game choices, from keno and scratchcards to more exotic fare like Pachinko and Mahjong.
I’m a sucker for variety. I like to know that I’ll run out of time before I run out of choices. However, if you have a more specific passion, you can narrow down your list a little by weeding out the online casinos which do not offer the game (unlikely) or offer fewer choices for that game.