Online Casinos try very hard to create the "real-world" gaming experience on your home pc. The best casino software offers astonishingly realistic graphics along with fast paced action and a user friendly interface. While most of today's online casinos do their very best to ensure that the games are fun and fair, as an online casino newbie, here's a few thing you should consider before you plunk down your money.

1) Read the fine print! Before you even consider playing for real money you need to know the rules. Some casinos charge a fee to send your funds, others restrict how frequently you can withdraw funds. "Look before you leap", find a set of rules that you can live with before you make a deposit

2) How does the casino handle customer support? Is there a toll free number for you to call? Do they offer real time chat mode support? Is support simply handled via email? Better casinos will have several convenient ways for you to contact them. Here's a tip; don't be afraid to call their toll free support line and ask a few general questions, just to get a better feel for the casino.

3) What do other players have to say about the Casino? Visit the various online gambling forums and see what others are saying. Reputable online casinos do their best to keep their customers happy. Disgruntled players can cause quite a few problems for a casino with only a few mouse clicks. With that said, if you see a rant against a particular casino, try to determine if it was simply posted by an unhappy player who lost his money. In other words, go deeper then just looking at a single post; see if others share this player's view.

4) Understand how the bonus structure works. Because competition is so fierce, virtually every online casino will give you a bonus for signing up with them, this is very nice, but there are always strings attached. First, there are almost always play through requirements. In other words, if the casino is giving you $50, you'll have to bet that money some number of times before you can cash it out. Also, there are often restrictions on the games you can play using your "free money". Games with a smaller house edge (like blackjack for example) are sometimes excluded from the games you can play using the bonus money. Also, there may be maximum cash out amount when you're playing with the bonus money. So once again, it's up to you to read the fine print and make sure you understand what the restrictions are when playing with the bonus money.

5) The Edge is always with the casino! While we all dream of hitting that huge jackpot and being set for life, the odds against that ever happening are simply astronomical. Gambling, whether it's online or in Vegas, is designed to be a fun way to spend some time - if you win a few bucks' great, but more then likely you'll wind up with less money then you started with. That's the simple truth. Gamble for the thrill and the excitement, not for the rent.