Online casino is one of the many forms of online gambling that are now available through the Internet. Online casinos are virtual or internet casinos that are online versions of their traditional, land-based, offline casinos. These online casinos allow gamblers to play traditional casino games through the Internet.

 Online casinos offer the same odds and payback guarantees that the land-based casinos do. Though some online casinos boast of a higher payback percentage, all of them claim payout percentage audits on their sites.

There are three groups of online casinos based on their interface: web-based casinos, download-based casinos, and more recently, live casinos. A number of casinos offer a single interface, some offer a combination, and there are others offering multiple interfaces.

 
Web-based online casinos are internet websites where users can play online casino games without downloading any gaming software onto their local computers. The online casino games are only presented using browser plugins (Macromedia Flash or Shockwave) that require browser support. When playing web-based online casino games, bandwidth is also important because of the graphics, sounds, and other animations that are needed to play the game through the browser plugin. For local computers with fewer capabilities, there are online casinos offering games using plain HTML interface.

Download-based online casinos require users or players to download a software needed to play and wager. Once downloaded and installed, the software then connects to the casino software provider and handles the contact without the need for browser support. These online casinos are often faster than their web-based counterparts because the graphics, sounds, and animations are included in the software client and not from the Internet. The software download and installation may take awhile, though, and the risk of malware being embedded in the software is high.

 Live-based casinos, the newest online casino interface, offer a live experience for the players where they can play games and interact with other players in a real casino environment. The players are able to see, hear, and interact with real, live dealers at tables in hundreds of casino studios around the world.

 The games offered in online casinos include baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette, online slot games, and online poker. These online games are similar to those being played in traditional land-based casinos. Online casinos offer fewer slot games, though. Available games are: Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, Texas Tea, and Elvis Multi-Strike slots. Microgaming, one of the biggest online casino software developer and supplier recently announced the release of four new online slot games: Little Chief Big Cash, Treasure Island, Mark of Medusa and Polar Bash. But still, this is such a small sampling of what could be found in a real Las Vegas casino.

 Online casinos offer bonuses to encourage more player signups and software downloads. Signup bonuses are given to players who are making their first online deposit. Cashable bonuses are the most common of all casino bonuses. These bonuses are cashed out after a wagering requirement is finished. A player may be offered up to 100% match up bonus of up to US $100with a requirement of US $2,000. When the player has wagered his US $2,000, he can already claim his US $100. The sticky bonuses are non-cashable bonuses that can be bet, but never cashed out. Cash back bonuses are given after a player’s loss. When a player loses, a quarter of his loss is cashed back. Many casinos offer a once-a-week cash-back bonus, though this is rare.