Online casino games have become one of the favorite pastimes of millions of adults spanning the entire globe. No matter what your favorite casino game may be, from slots and video poker, to craps and roulette, to blackjack and poker, most online casinos actually present more games than you would expect to find in a live casino establishment.

It all started back in the mid 1990’s when the very first online casino games began popping up on the Internet. Times were different back then. There was no such thing as a “fast” internet connection. Dial-up was as good as it got, and most of us didn’t mind the wait to load a low-quality graphic game, so long as it was entertaining enough to be worth it.

Internet Casino Games in 2010

Now, not only do we have high speed internet in 2010, we have intensified technologies that translate to amazing 3D graphics and a more sophisticated range of online casino games. Instead of 4 or 5 different online slots, there may be hundreds of them on the menu. Instead of playing straight blackjack against a computerized dealer, you can play up to 40 different variations, with single hand, multi-hand, progressive jackpots and even live casino dealers – a real person miles away who is actually dealing everyone’s cards from a real deck, viewing them via live web cam and making every decision and communication you would expect in a live casino setting.

Internet Slots

We touched on the subject of internet slots above, but these particular internet casino games are so incredibly popular, we’ll discuss a bit more about them in better detail. If you walk into a live casino, you’ll see the same slot machine over and over, hopefully enough that you can play your favorite slot games without waiting for the previous player to leave. Online casinos only need one of each game, since everyone can play it on their own computer at the same time.

Slots come in all types of classifications. You’ve got your classic reel slots and your video slots, your standard jackpots and your progressives, your multipliers and bonus multipliers. Some online casino games developers add extra features to some online slots, like interactive storylines, or special bonus rounds.

Internet Blackjack

Other then slots, blackjack is one of the most recognized casino games. It is very easy to learn and most people have a general understanding of the game. There are also many variations of blackjack as well as advanced strategy including card counting.

Read our Blackjack Tutorial

Internet Video Poker

The video poker games at internet casinos are an exact mirror of those in brick-and-mortar casinos. You’ll find many video poker variants, like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker, Double Bonus Poker, even 7 Card Stud. Most are offered in single hand play, as well as multiple hands of 4, 10, 25, as high as 100 hands per play.

Read our Video Poker Tutorial

Internet Roulette & Craps

Roulette and Craps have their own special fan base. Roulette and Craps players are often intrigued by the potential to win so much money in a single spin of the wheel. One of the best benefits of online casino Roulette is that you can play all versions, including the most popular American and European Roulette. Americans may not realize that the European version has better odds and payout potential due to the lack of a 00 (double zero).

Read our Craps Tutorials

Internet Poker Games

Most of us grew up playing one form of poker or another with our parents or grandparents, dipping into the change jar or playing for a few pieces of candy or gum. Some of us never lost the joy of playing poker, so to be able to play online, against other real people, for real money or just for fun, is yet another great advantage of online casino games.

Why play at Internet Casinos?

One more aspect many gamers don’t even realize is that most internet casino games come with much better payout percentages than live casino games. Las Vegas slots, for example, average payouts of about 85%, meaning there’s an 85% chance you’ll get your money back, to speak nothing of actual profits. Online casino games average payout percentages of 95-98%.

So the next time you get the itch to wager a few dollars at the nearest casino, or take a trip to Las Vegas, be sure to consider the benefits of playing internet casino games instead. Imagine all of the money you could save on travel expenses, instead purchasing extra chips and taking your chances from the comfort of home playing your favorite online casino games.