Understanding Offshore Gambling

You’ve probably come across this phrase before as you browsed through articles on online gambling: offshore gambling. Offshore gambling is when a casino is located in one place, but has its servers in another. Usually this set-up allows the casino to circumvent situations where gambling is illegal in a particular country. By finding a country where it can be recognized as a legal entity it does away with nuisances like policemen knocking on its offices, and being interrogated in dark rooms illuminated by a single light bulb and reeking of cigarette smoke.

Besides, prison is bad for business.

Just ask Martha Stewart

But by making their servers accessible worldwide these casinos can reach players in countries that ordinarily would ban gambling from their shores (ah, don’t you love Internet technology?). Local laws can’t catch you, since you are beyond their legal jurisdiction, and they have no way of pinning down someone who uses the Internet very effectively either.

But this kind of set up benefits everyone, even those who can easily play in traditional brick and mortar casinos. For one thing, Internet casinos don’t require plane fare or hotel room fees or the ridiculously high price of ordering food and drinks from the corner tourist trap. You can play from the comfort of your home, after work or at 3 am, or even on a slow Sunday afternoon. You don’t have to dress up, you don’t have to pack, you don’t have to worry about whether or not you get a window seat on the plane. You just turn on your PC and play.

Despite fears that online casinos can take your money and run, online casinos are regulated by three major groups: the OSGA (The Offshore Gaming Association), The IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) and the Fidelity Trust Gaming Association. Fidelity Trust Gaming Association is like a smaller version of IGC and charges lower membership fees, so even the smaller online casinos can join.

These organizations protect the rights of the consumers, and help maintain the standards so people can join an online casino and not worry about being cheated. Some have a special 10-point Code Of Conduct. You may find the logos of the organization at the bottom of the website, helping you decide whether or not to join it.

You don’t have to worry about security measures either. The majority of casinos have state-of-the-art fire walls and other anti-hacking measures so your credit information and personal data are protected.

Casinos have also formed tie ups with money transfer institutions so you can pay for membership without divulging your credit card information. You can set up accounts and then withdraw the amount when you are ready or you can arrange for automatic transfer to your bank account. This is all very convenient and very safe.

Offshore gambling may have been developed to circumvent gambling laws, but it has led to a whole new way for many people to get their casino fix without having to travel out of their homes. This has increased the interest in gambling and made it possible for regular people to play their favourite games without the usual unnecessary inconvenience or the costs involved when travelling to and from a casino.