::: Play it Safe

With technology improving itself each year, the world of online gambling can parallel and often better the fun and excitement found in a stand-alone casino.  Online casinos like Bingo Drome and Vegas Slot Casino provide great action and realistic games right from the comfort of your own home!  But just like in a real casino, you don't want to jump into gambling without a few tips and strategies to help maximize both your profits, and your fun.  Before you deposit any money in an online casino, online sportsbook, or related real money wagering site, read this article and follow these guidelines to give you the head start to becoming a winner.

Be aware of and abide by your local laws
Internet wagering is not universally sanctioned by all local law enforcement authorities.  Check with your local authorities before signing up with any online wagering operator to insure you are not violating local laws.

Set up an account with a major online bank
Since credit cards cannot be used at most internet casinos, alternate banking options are now available.  Services like NETeller.com, FirePay.com, PrePaidATM.com, and others now offer players excellent choices in online banking.  Best of all, these accounts can be used for purchasing items from thousands of internet stores as well as playing at AnteUp Trusted Sites.

Watch domain names
Avoid domain names  with a slash preceded  by a popular free web host (geocities.com/casino for example) or internet service provider (members.aol.com/gaming).  

Sites that claim to legally accept online wagering always have unique domain names such as MVP Casino.  All reputable online wagering operators have their own unique domain names.  If you are entering a wagering site that claims to offer online gambling and the site address (URL) is a domain from a free host such as geocities.com, tripod.com, or angelfire.com, you should be very wary, and look for a different site.  Other reputable casinos with "real" domain names are All Slots Casino, Bogarts Casino, and Bingo Isle.

Avoid gambling websites who link to partner programs
Many online wagering operators offer partner programs.  Partner programs are set up by the casinos and sports books to pay back a percentage of the house win to the site that referred you in the first place.  Partner programs are effective for the operators because they get free traffic and almost always, the traffic is not audited for accuracy.  When an operator does not audit traffic by a third party, this allows the operator to claim he is paying out a certain percentage to the partners when in reality, the operator is paying only a fraction of what he claims to be paying.  If the operator is taking advantage of the partner, he may take advantage of the end user - you!

We should state that not all partner programs are corrupt but we do know of quite a few that are very unfair.  We do not knowingly link to known operators with corrupt partner programs because they are too often subject to complaints.

Web sites who link you to operators through partner programs are looking for fast money and they most likely will not come to your aid if you don't get paid what you've rightfully won.  So it's best not to enter new casinos and sports books through partner programs. So how can you tell if you are entering a casino through a partner program?  The answer to that question is a bit technical.  The short answer is to never enter a new casino or sports book from a search engine or gaming portal you can't trust.

To search for casinos that don't regularly link to partner programs, check out AnteUp Trusted Sites.

Use gaming portals you can trust
Some gaming portals unknowingly link to known problem operators.  Stay away from gaming portals who are linking to problem operators.  If a gaming portal does not publish their position or policy regarding helping you with problem operators, best to avoid them altogether.

AnteUp Gambling Links only links to reputable casino and sports book operators.  If we learn from our users that an operator is treating users poorly, we will contact the operator to determine what is going on.  If we can't resolve a problem and we feel the operator is a threat to the public, we will remove the operator from this web site.

Only visit online gambling sites from reputable gaming portals such as AnteUp Gambling Links (http://gamblinglinks.com) or our sister site, the Gambling Links Network (http://gamblinglinks.net).

Watch accreditation
There are a few organizations on the Internet whose mission is to help watch and govern the online gambling industry. One of these organizations is the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) (http://www.igcouncil.org). The IGC has been largely responsible for establishing fair and responsible trade guidelines and practices that enhance consumer confidence in interactive gaming products and services.

The IGC has established a Code of Conduct that is a voluntary standard to which its members have agreed to adhere. Although there is always some risk in regards to online gambling with any operator, your risk is greatly reduced when you patronize operators who belong to the IGC. To view the full list of active IGC members, visit www.igcouncil.org/members.

AnteUp Gambling Links is a member of the IGC and judiciously tries to uphold both the word and spirit of its Code of Conduct.

To view a list of casinos that are members of the IGC, click here.

Does the operator have a toll free number?
If so, test the number before signing up with them.  Does the number work? Were you placed on hold? How long are you on hold for?  Are the representatives friendly?  Do they speak your native language?  If the operator doesn't have a toll free number, try their email address for support (see below).  One of the net's more popular casinos, Monoco Gold Casino has the following great customer service: 24/7 email and phone support.  To view a list of secure casinos and the types of service they offer, click here.

Does the operator have customer service via email?
If so, test the email address before signing up with them and prior to wagering any real money. How long does it take to receive a response email from the operator? Was the representative friendly? Could you understand their writing style? All reputable online casino and sports books should have customer support via email. If the site you are interested in does not have email customer service, be very wary of doing business there.  To view a list of secure casinos that offer email customer service, click here.

Look for operators who offer toll free customer service via the phone and prompt and courteous support via email.  If you can't get good service over the phone or via email, take your business to a site that is committed to providing good customer service.

Take advantage of transaction logs
So many users fail to take advantage of transaction logs and many problems can be avoided if you watch your transaction log.  Many casinos and sportsbooks like Sports Interaction Online Sportsbook now offer transaction logs.  A transaction log is an electronic paper trail or recording of every single transaction at the casino or sports book.  Every time you place a wager on a craps game, a card game, on a slot machine, or in a sports book, it is logged.  Most operators will give you access to this log.  To view a list of secure casinos that offer transaction logs, click here.

Check your log BEFORE you place any wagers at the casino or sports book  
Make sure you understand the transaction log and have access to any features it offers you. Test the log. Go out on the casino floor and place a small wager at a game or place a small bet in the sports book. Then go back to your log and make sure the transaction is there. If your log is not working properly, STOP betting with that operator and use their customer service number or email to let them know your log isn't working.  Make sure you have access to the log in real time.  If the operator won't give you real time access and you have to wait to see the transactions in the log, this is a good sign to wager elsewhere.

Transaction logs help to keep everything fair so that both you and the operator know exactly what is occurring in your account. Make sure to always monitor your transaction log and watch it closely to avoid surprises.

Once you have access to your log, learn how to save it. You can capture data from a log in many ways:

First, you can copy and paste data by selecting the text and then copying and pasting to any word processor or text editor. On a PC, you can select the text with your mouse, key Ctrl+C to Copy the text, switch to your word processing software, and key Ctrl+V to Paste the text from the log.

You can also capture your data by taking a screenshot of your screen while it is displaying the transaction log. To capture a screen on a PC, press the Print Screen key, which is located above the Insert key on your keyboard. Then, switch to a painting and drawing program (like Corel Draw, Corel PhotoPaint, or Jasc PaintShopPro) or a word processing program (like Microsoft Word, or Corel Word Perfect) and paste the image by keying Ctrl+V on your keyboard, or clicking the Paste button on that program's toolbar

To view a list of secure casinos that offer transaction logs, click here.

Always screenshot winnings
Note this important rule! Always screenshot your winnings along with your transaction log! If you have a dispute with a casino, you cannot prove you have won a payoff if you don't have the screenshot to back up your claim.

If you ever have a dispute, make sure you let the operator know you have a screenshot to prove yourself and your winnings. Operators know that word travels fast on the Internet. If you can prove an operator has treated you unfairly, the site operator should know that you will let the world know of your problems.

To see how screenshots of casino winnings should look, click here.

Understand and follow cashout instructions carefully
We see a lot of users in AnteUp's Messageboard Forum complaining about not being paid.  In almost all of these cases of not being paid, the reason for the delay was because the user failed to follow the cash out instructions.

The operator of the casino or sports book needs to make sure you are who you say you are. It is completely legal for the operator to require that you FAX them release forms, identification, copies of your credit card, or whatever kind of documentation the operator requires so that you can be paid properly.  Online casinos like Colosseum Casino have a payout policy such as: Up to 7 days.

Keep in mind that online casino and sport books are also a risky venture for the operator. Therefore, cash outs must be done carefully so that the operator is not taken advantage of. Operators have their cash out procedures in place for good reason, so follow their instructions carefully and you will get paid your winnings. Most importantly, make sure you clearly understand cash out instructions PRIOR to making a deposit with an operator. If you do not like the operator's cash out policies, you can then choose to wager elsewhere before you get into a bad situation.

Finally, when cashing out, do not assume the casino operator received the information they asked for. Follow up with the operator via the phone and email to insure they received the requested documents and are processing your claim.

Winners lists are a great way to find casinos where people like you are actually winning and cashing out.  Click here to view current winners' lists.

Keep a paper trail
Make sure to keep detailed notes of who you spoke to at the casino or sports book, who you sent email messages to, etc.  If you have a problem with an operator and you have been exchanging email with a support representative, you need to be able to show those emails and/or prove to whom you have been speaking with.  Email is obviously better because it's easier to store and refer back to.  Any time you speak with a support representative on the phone, always record whom you spoke with, as well as the time and date.  Ask for a first and last name of the representative.  If the representative will not give you a last name, ask for their phone extension number.

Watch messageboard forums for comments from other users
Many gaming portals have messageboard forums which allow users to post public comments regarding online casinos and sport books.  Take advantage of these resources because you can learn alot about which casinos to avoid just by paying attention to word of mouth.

On the other hand, remember not to believe everything you read.  Some users will complain about an operator when the operator hasn't really done anything wrong.

If you see only one complaint about an operator, it is usually safe to assume the complaint might be due to a miscommunication between the operator and the user.  If you see multiple complaints from many different people all about the same operator, that's when you should start paying attention.

AnteUp Gambling Links has its own Messageboard Forum.  You can learn a lot about which operators have service issues by visiting the forum daily.

Winners lists are another great way to find casinos where people like you are actually winning and cashing out.  Click here to view current winners' lists.  At trusted secure casinos like  All Jackpots Casino, winners like "Jeane P." won $10,000 while playing in recent months..

Your rights are limited
Remember that your rights are limited. Many users email us because they have been kicked out of a casino or sports book for whatever reason and they don't agree with the decision of the operator. You have no exclusive rights to wager at any casino or sports book. If the operator wants to kick you out, it is their right to do so. The operator has to look out for their interests and if they don't like how you are playing, they can ask you to leave.

Conclusion
Due to the size of the Internet, there are unfortunately going to be a few operators with unethical business practices. Being armed with good information can steer you away from these bad casinos, and to the sites that are around to provide you with a fair, fun, and profitable experience. Good luck, and play it smart!

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