Real Money Blackjack Online
In this day of the personal computer and widespread access to the internet, it’s no longer necessary to drive to the casino to play blackjack for real money. Online casinos first appeared in the late 1990s and since then they have become massively popular to gamblers around the world.
Real money blackjack on the internet works just like it does in a real casino except there is more flexibility and convenience. You won’t have to wait in line for a seat or fight traffic just to get to the casino. All you have to do is turn on your computer and find an online blackjack casino.
Most online casinos offer blackjack but if you want to find the best places to play, be sure to check out our list of the best blackjack sites. We’ve been around for a long time and know which sites are the best ones for your business.
Security
Some people worry about security when playing blackjack online for real money but it’s really no different than playing at a live casino. In both cases, if you stick with a reputable casino with a big name, you’ll be just fine. It’s the hole-in-the-wall joints that can get you in trouble.
When you find a safe site to play at, online blackjack is as safe as shopping on the internet. In other words, it’s as safe as anything you do on the computer. You should always keep antivirus software on your computer and use common sense when responding to e-mails from strangers.
Legality
A common concern for players from certain countries (such as the USA) is the legality of playing blackjack online for real money. This is an understandable concern but to date, there isn’t a single case of a US citizen being prosecuted for online gambling.
Recent legislation has attempted to limit online gambling by targeting financial institutions such as banks and payment processors. Some banks comply by blocking credit card transactions, while other banks ignore the regulations. It’s a complicated legal battle but it’s not one that involves your Average Joe.
For players in the United States, the legality of online gambling rests in a huge grey area. There’s no easy answer to it but the general consensus is that the only time you’re in trouble is if you own an online casino from within the United States.
Getting Started
If you’d like to try your hand at real money blackjack online, the first step is to visit an online blackjack site and download the software. After that you’ll be asked to create an account and make your first deposit. After completing those simple steps, you will be all set to start playing real money blackjack.
Making a deposit to an online casino is also a simple process. Most of the time you can just use a credit card but some banks block transactions to online casinos. In that case, you can use an e-wallet such as eWalletXpress to move your money around online. If you’re unfamiliar with the term “e-wallet,” think PayPal and you’ll have the idea.
Deposit Bonuses
Every online casino offers some sort of deposit bonus for making your first deposit. These bonuses are usually awarded as a percentage of your first deposit. Cherry Red Casino, for example, offers 200% on your first deposit for up to $1,200 extra to play with. So if you were to sign up today and deposit $100, Cherry Red would throw in $200 on top of that, giving you $300 to wager with.
The catch to these bonuses is that the casinos have certain wagering requirements attached to them. Online casinos would go bankrupt if everyone could just sign up, get a $1,200 bonus and then cash it out without giving them any business.
Many online casinos now state that their bonuses are for wagering purposes only and cannot be cashed out. So if you get a $500 bonus, you can use it to win money that you may cash out but the original bonus funds stay with the casino.