Winnings & Banking
Playing for real involves real banking transactions including: deposits,
bonuses and cash-outs.
When playing for real, depositing your money is the only transaction that
generally remains the same. Things become a little trickier when money
begins to flow in the other direction, that is, from the casino to you.
Bonuses and Cash-outs differ from one casino to the next. So here's what
you'll need to know to get started playing for real.
Deposit
Deposit methods:
Deposits can be made by credit card, check, money order, wire transfer
or other billing services such as PayPal. Paying by credit card allows
for instant deposits so you can immediately begin to play.
Security:
To secure your financial information, play only at casinos that use the
industry-standard 128-bit SSL (secure socket layer) encryption for all
financial data. Check the security info posted by the casino in its site
and verify that the address box of the sign-in page displays "https://"
instead of the common "http://". In addition, make sure your
Internet browser's encryption level is 128-bit or update it to the latest
available version.
Casino account:
Following a simple and fast registration, the casino assigns you an account
number and a password. Many casinos require you to list a physical address
to which they will send your winnings. Finally, make sure not to lose
your account number and a password, as you'll need both to initiate future
dealings with the casino.
Bonus
Sticky bonuses
Usually, online casinos add sign-on, referral or frequent-player bonuses
to your bankroll as an incentive for choosing them and playing some more.
You'll find however, that you can't cash-out a bonus, as casinos tend
to provide it with a condition - it always sticks to your account. A "sticky
bonus" has no stand-alone value. It's like getting free chips that
can only be used for further gambling. To make the most of it, simply
cash-out all due money in your account. Then, with the remaining sticky
bonus money, proceed to play until you have accumulated enough winnings
to outbalance any given redemption fee upon withdrawal, or have lost it
all. Keep at it until you ultimately remain with no bonus money in your
account. Whether you gain additional winnings or lose the entire bonus,
the amount you staked never went out of your pocket.
Cash-out
Additional fees:
When you want to end your gambling session and ask for your money, you
go to the onscreen payout system. As some casinos charge a redemption
fee for withdrawal-whether a flat rate or a percentage- it makes good
business sense to read house deposit and withdrawal policies in advance,
so you can plan ahead. House banking or withdrawal policies will also
specify the manner in which you can receive your money, i.e., check by
mail or courier, direct transfer or bank wire. When choosing between these
alternatives, consider the rates of each service fee. Also, find out whether
the casino issues checks that are drawn by a foreign bank, in which case
your bank will charge you with a transaction fee.
Cash-out methods:
Most online casinos credit money to your credit card, and the favorable
ones do so almost instantly. However, casinos only credit you up to the
amount you deposited with your credit card. They will send you the rest
of the amount - your winnings - either in a check via regular mail or
courier or by a wire transfer.
Let's say you used your credit card to deposit $50 and ended your gambling
session with $100 worth of chips. The casino will only credit $50 to your
credit card and the remaining $50 will be sent to your address or wired
to your bank account.
PIN:
Some casinos issue each gambler a unique identification number called
PIN (personal identification number) and require its submission to withdraw
money. In this case, you'll probably have to wait for the PIN to be sent
to you by regular mail before you can cash-out.
Tracking system:
Look for casinos that allow you to track transactions using their online
payout tracking system.
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