“Disciplined fun” might sound like a contradiction in terms but it’s not so in gambling.  Fun without discipline rapidly turns into recklessness, while discipline without fun is about as appealing as undergoing root canal work.  Put them together, though, and they work like magic.

That’s the essence of the “Play or Quit” strategy – a strategy used by many successful and enduring gamblers.  You gamble largely to have fun – but in Play or Quit you use the discipline of careful self-awareness to gauge the reliability of your decisions.  There are simple three rules (although beware – they’re not necessarily simple to follow).

Rule One: Take a break when you start to feel low

If the fun factor is waning because you’re ploughing through a succession of losses and you’re sensing a visit from Churchill’s old friend, the Black Dog of depression, stop and take a breather.  It may well be that after a snack and a brisk walk outside, you’ll feel better and more focussed, in which case you can return to the game.  But if your spirits just won’t lift, it’s time to stop for the day.

Rule Two: One loss is unfortunate but several is careless

We owe the name of this one to Oscar Wilde, but it’s still a good rule of thumb.  If you’re still on a losing streak, even (perhaps especially) after following Rule One, it’s just plain masochistic to keep stoically throwing your money away.  Break the cycle: stop, go home and be nice to yourself.

Rule Three: Know when taking a risk just slipped into getting reckless

If you’re honest with yourself (here’s the discipline factor coming into play again), you’ll know when you’re starting to play recklessly.  There may be a fine line between excitement and desperation but it’s important to know when you’re crossing it.  Have a quiet word with yourself: ask if you’re feeling good and making the best decisions.  If the answer is no, just take a deep breath and walk away.

Gambling – online as well as offline casino gambling – has quickly turned out to be a leisure activity that is attracting an increasing amount of people.  Offline casino gambling is usually coupled with some travelling, with holidays to Las Vegas, Atlantic City and a lot of additional cities within the US, with an increasing quantity of Indian casinos now also attracting travelling gamblers.

Casino gambling is also a well-liked pastime in Europe.  Yet, for a few the use of land-based casinos tends to be restricted or even impossible.  The internet, however, provides a great deal of gaming and gambling options for those individuals.

Within the US we are able to determine a minimum of five groups of casino gaming or casinos:
•    Luxury land based casinos
•    Cruise ship casinos
•    Indian casinos
•    Riverboat casinos
•    Local card gaming clubs

The initial city that springs to mind whenever we discuss luxurious casinos is Las Vegas.  There’s been legalised gambling within Nevada for many years, however, the real boom has been created within recent years. The expansion of hotels and casinos within Vegas can sometimes appear out of control.  Because of the incursion from entertainment and gambling hungry individuals worldwide, Las Vegas is among the fastest developing cities within the US.

Many people find that staying in to play bingo, slots and cash games online is more convenient than venturing out to a casino or bingo hall.  It’s easy and enjoyable to play a variety of online cash games at 888games.com.  Here you can access your favourite varieties of casino games, from Texas Hold’em poker to blackjack and roulette;. In fact, when you play 888games.com games you have access to almost all the classic bingo and slots games you can think of.

When you play online at 888games.com you enter into a casino community, with links to many highly rated sites.  Practice video poker, slots or blackjack, before you commit any real money, and browse informative articles on everything from the WSOP (World Series of Poker) to how to gain an edge in games such as blackjack.  A useful feature is the free access to 888games’s reviews of top-rated poker sites and online casinos, so you can get a good overview of the best sites before you decide where to play.  At 888games.com there is also an up to date news feed with breaking news from the gambling world, so players can remain abreast of real life events.  If you want a comprehensive site, 888games.com is the place to be.

If you’ve never played online cash or casino games before, then 777.com is an excellent place to start.  Easy to access and completely user-friendly, just follow the links to get started in a choice of online cash games selected for their worldwide popularity.  Read up on the comprehensive rules covering everything from Blackjack to Caribbean Poker and scratch cards, and then try your luck, play 777.com games for free, in an entirely risk-free practice setting.  When you feel you have mastered a game, or are ready to start risking a little cash, then 777 offers you the chance to play them for real. 

777.com offers roulette, both classic and 3D options, as well as an exciting variety of online slots games including Spiderman, Cool Bananas and Poker Dice.  Read up on the history of slots games around the globe before having a go at these high quality video slots games.  If you feel confident to play a more skilful online cash game such as Blackjack, the world’s most popular casino game, then 777.com offers you everything from the history of and comprehensive rules of the game, through to strategies and links to books to develop your knowledge further.

If you want to play blackjack and Hi-lo games online with real money then you’ll need to make a deposit. There are a number of different deposit options available, although in the US the choice tends to be more limited.

Credit/Debit card

This is the easiest method and all you need to do is enter your personal and card details online. Most of the time you’ll be given a minimum and maximum amount.

eCheck

Similar to a credit or debit card, you simply need to provide your personal details and your deposit will appear in your online account straight away.  One benefit of an eCheck is that you avoid any transfer fees.

eWallet

This is another method from which you transfer money from your bank to your online account. However, the fees connected with transactions can be as high as 8.9 per cent.

Prepaid card

You can purchase a prepaid card from a newsagents. On the card is a PIN which you enter into your online casino account. This is particularly suitable for those who have reservations about entering their personal details online. However, if you live in the US this option is not available.

Bank wire

Usually a bank wire is only used with large sums of money. If you want to send one then you need to contact the online casino first to make sure they accept them. If they do, then they’ll provide you with wiring instructions that you can then pass over to your bank. Generally you’ll have to wait at least one day for the transfer to be complete.

Bingo is the most popular online game in UK.  It is no longer the exclusive domain of senior citizens, and especially online bingo, and is becoming popular with people in their 20’s and 30’s both female and male.  The online version is popular because people can play at any time that suits: online bingo halls are open 24/7, whatever the weather, and there is no need to find a babysitter, or to dress up to go out.  You don’t even need to miss out just because you happen to work shifts.  Online bingo is always available.  Another thing that makes the online version of bingo so popular is the exciting chatrooms.  Bingo chatrooms are famous for being the friendliest, the chattiest and the most enjoyable chat rooms on the internet.  Many online players take the opportunity to meet bingo fans from other countries and people they would never otherwise meet.  You can chat as you play too, making the game even more exciting or if you prefer you can chat afterwards instead. 

The European version of bingo is usually played with 90 balls, and the American version with 75.  There are many different patterns you can play in addition to the old favourites of 4 Corners, Straight Line and Full House.

Online bingo sites offer both free bets and paid games with varying sizes of jackpots and bonuses.  Bingo has enjoyed a well-deserved revival due to online gaming and the game represents a serious percentage of the social life of many online bingo aficionados.

The advent of the internet has allowed gamblers to play their favourite games from the comfort of their own home.  It is now possible to play Poker, Roulette games, Blackjack and even slot machine games online from any computer around the world.  Several popular websites have come to the forefront, and players can even compete in tournaments with professional players.

Creating an account

Players can choose from home country websites that accept their country’s currency, and payout winnings in GDP, or they can create an account with any number of international gaming sites.  In order to play at any of these sites, one must create an online account, and fund it.  Users create their accounts by filling out online forms with their name, address, date of birth (to prove the player is above 18 years old) and their funding option. 

Each website has their own preferences for funding a player’s account, but most accept Visa and, MasterCard as well as other instant debit services like Paypal.

Playing the games

In order to play casino games and win any money, a player must register, but some sites will allow a user to try out their games beforehand.  Players simply check out the website’s list of games and choose which one they like best and start playing.  Many websites list how to play each game for beginners, or if their site has a special version of a game, for example a slot machine, a user simply has to look up how to play for that site.

First invented by American Charles Fey in the late 19th century, slot machines have come a long way from the ‘one-armed bandit’ days on the pier on a windy summer’s day.  Now online slots have become glam, glitzy and fun.  There is a tremendous variety of slots to choose from, ranging from the traditional 3 reel to the multi-line versions.  Slots have an exciting range of themes – you can play slots with movie, football, cowboy themes or for a seasonal time of the year why not play Christmas, Easter, Valentine or Halloween slots.  There are also character themed slots of sports personalities, movie stars, music stars, superheroes and cartoons.  Slots have exciting and fun animations and graphics to add to your gaming pleasure and slot update innovations are happening all the time so be sure to keep checking out the latest offerings online.

As well as playing for cash games, there are also free, play-for-fun slot games that require no downloading.  Entry for these games is quick, easy and immediate. If you do choose to play for cash be sure to check out the sites first as many of them offer generous bonus deals for new players.  Online slot machines offer a fun-filled pastime and with never-ending innovations and slot players can look forward to even more exciting games to come in the future.  Slot machines are a very popular gambling activity in casinos around the world.

The National Lottery was created in 1994.  Of every pound that is gambled on the Lottery, 50 pence goes to the prize fund, 28 pence goes to “good causes” as established by Parliament, 12 pence is paid as duty to the British government, 5 pence is paid to the retailers who sell the tickets as commission, and 5 pence is paid to the operator of the National Lottery, the Camelot Group.

The National Lottery is a favourite among many as its prizes are tax-free and paid out in one single payment.  The National Lottery enjoys the distinction as the being the lottery that pays out the highest percentage of revenue to its players.  The UK National Lottery has turned nearly 3,000 UK citizens into millionaires.

The current game, which is called Lotto, involves six numbers being drawn from a group of 49 balls, each with their own individual number, in addition to one more bonus ball.  A player can pick six numbers himself or play “Lucky Dip” and have his numbers automatically chosen for him.  A player must match at least three numbers in order to claim any amount of cash prize.  With each additional matching number, the prize increases with the winner of the entire jackpot matching all six numbers.

If no one matches all six numbers, the jackpot is rolled over to the next Lotto drawing.  This rollover accumulation can occur up to four times in a row.

In order to play the UK National Lottery, the player must be at least 16 years of age or older.  Tickets are £1 each.

The UK online casino scene is very popular these days.  It is very easy to go on to the internet and find a good company that will enable a person to play their favourite game for hours of entertainment and hopefully some winnings on the way.  Some popular games in the UK are Blackjack, Roulette and the old favourite, slot machines.

Blackjack

Blackjack has been a popular card game in physical casino venues around the country and the transformation into the virtual online world is a successful one.  This game is often seen in the movies being played by suave and intelligent spies, or high spec criminals trying to cheat the system!

Roulette

The Roulette wheel is always a prominent feature in any casino, and this is one of the most popular games online.  There are various ways to place bets here, and experienced gamblers will usually have some sort of strategy that will help them try to beat the odds. 

Slot Machines

This game is much loved by both men and women.  There is a slightly different feel to playing online as opposed to playing the physical machine but that doesn’t make it any less popular.  There is a huge variation in the slot machine concept, and these represent a large chunk of many casinos’ overall income.
 
There are now more games than ever to choose from in UK online casinos, so a person is almost certain to find something to entertain them.  More and more people are now turning to the internet to play their favorite games.