First-person account of gambling online
by Jerri Conrad, Outpost staff
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Credit cards are used for online gambling. Photo by Brian Vance |
What is it like to gamble online? I logged on to find out.
A quick search on Google found 34,500 sites for "online gambling."
I visited a number of sites that all seemed very similar. I picked one at random, registered, and entered the virtual lobby. The casino had many choices: slots, poker, roulette, craps, baccarat, keno, etc.
I started out at the Caribbean Poker table.
It was all pretty easy and painless. Click on the chips to place a bet and then click on the deal button. A menu that displays how much you have and how much you have won or lost is anchored in the corner.
After a couple of games of Caribbean Poker I went back into the lobby and choose to enter the card room.
The card room had baccarat, blackjack and red dog.
I choose blackjack.
A scantily clad, well-endowed blond greeted me with an electronic "Hello, are you ready to play?" in a bubble above her head.
I played a few hands and went on into the Machine Game room where I found a few video poker machines and slot machines.
The machines are very similar to those found in a casino. I could click on the handle or on the spin button. The dials appear to roll and the sounds are the same. When I cashed out, the sound of clinking money is heard.
But there were no people (okay, there were 4 virtual people), no assaulting noise, no flashing neon lights and no smoke. Now granted I am not a big gambler but the whole experience of being in and around the noise, the hustle and bustle of people and yes, the smoke is all part of the experience.
I guess I could invite my friends over and we could hover around the computer, talk loudly, smoke and flash the lights but it wouldn't be the same.
Real casino gamblers have different reasons for not gaming online.
"If I am in a casino, I use cash. When that cash is gone I'm done. Online, I would have to use a credit card and it could be easier to spend more," one said.
"When I win at a casino I get the cash in hand. Online I guess they mail it to you or credit your account, but it's not the same," another said.
Gambling online is accessible and fairly simple to do. The virtual experience is not the same as actually being in a real casino but the actual gambling is there. Online gambling is you, your credit card and your computer.
Posted May 1, 2000
Copyright 2000 Nevada Outpost
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