Gambling per se is about taking risks, you take a risk in the hope of winning, you win or you lose.
A lot of people try to ignore the fact that gambling has nothing to do with luck and is all about numbers. This often leads to bad choices in where and how some people play.
If you go to Vegas there are hundreds of casinos that can not exist without a licence and abiding to the state laws, but on the internet it is hard to distinguish a legitimate site from a virtual back alley, illegal betting joint. And cheating with bits and bytes is much easier than deceiving players in the real world.
Luckily the internet is not as wild as some tend to believe. With a little due diligence you can at least avoid being scammed and blaming everything on “bad luck”.
Rules and Regulations
Any legitimate gambling institute, be it brick and mortar or online, needs a licence from a Gambling Commision. The laws differ internationally but they are all made to protect the consumer, and gather taxes.
Rule number one when playing online: make sure there is a valid licence.
This should be easy to see and not hidden somewhere on the site. If it is not there it is a scam.
This also applies to the developer that provides the software for the online casino, they must comply to the technical standards defined by the commission. No guesswork and charms, only rules and standards.
Codes of practice
Every casino licence holder must fulfill their social responsibility and follow the respective code provisions. These are basically insuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and transparent way, children and other vulnerable people can not be harmed or exploited, and to assist people with gambling related problems to fight their habit, not to encourage it.
In a nutshell: Avoid the scrupleless.
Numbers on the Table
Fair and transparent gambling means that the player knows his odds. A lot of people are not aware that casinos have to inform you of your winning chances. We are talking about pay-out percentage and house edge.
You might have guessed that people are not in the casino business for their health or because they believe that they are very lucky people. In all casino games, there is a, statistically, built in advantage for the house. This ensures that the casino owner does not make money based on luck but has a long term guarantee that the casino always wins.
Again, any serious casino will give you access to these odds. They might not hang it on the wall for everyone to see but you should find them after a little digging. If the casino operator does not know what you are talking about when you mention house edge or pay-out percentage, then keep your distance, because not even good luck can help you.
Final Word
If you do decide to play, then do it responsibly. At the end of the day gambling is played, it is a game, based on numbers and not magic. Do your homework, check reviews and see what other people say before using a casino, especially online. There are good rating sites like RightCasino that can help separate the wheat from the chaff.
There is no full-proof system and no dream quotas, just numbers. So stick to the serious casinos and avoid getting scammed.
