As long as players choose a venue that is trusted and follow their local or regional laws then online gambling is certainly safe. The industry is almost 20 years old and millions of players have enjoyed gambling online without any problems at all. If a problem does arise there are places to look for help. If you see the eCOGRA seal on a casino website simply click on the logo to be directed to a page with information about lodging a complaint.

If you do not see the eCOGRA seal on the bottom of the main page you may still have avenues available in one of the more well known “watchdog” or dispute resolution services. These are usually marketing people like GamblingGrumbles.com, Casinomeister.com, or ThePogg.com. It is always wise to do your research first, because if the casino is not recommended by the arbiter they may not be able to help resolve your issue.

For players who have done their research, understand the dispute resolution service available at their chosen venue, follow all the rules (reading the Terms & Conditions is an absolute must, especially if you are playing with bonus money) and are aware of and follow their local or regional laws in regards to gambling, playing online is as safe as going to a gambling mecca such as Macau, Las Vegas, or Atlantic City. Perhaps it is even more safe.  Some online casinos like Ladbrokes.com even have one foot in both worlds.

The Las Vegas Strip has always been known as a very safe place to walk any hour of the day or night. Even Downtown was safe as long as you stayed on Freemont Street and didn’t wander. Recently that seems to be changing, and we hope it is just a statistical blip and not a long term trend. A shooting in a Strip parking garage left two people critically wounded on Feb. 6, 2013. A patron was stabbed in an elevator of the upscale The Hotel at Mandalay Bay Feb. 16. Early this morning (Feb. 21) three people were killed and several injured when people in a black Range Rover opened fire on the driver of a Maserati. The tourist corridor violence ended with the Maserati crashing into a taxi that burst into a ball of flames at the intersection of Flamingo and Las Vegas boulevards. This intersection is where you will famous Strip resorts such as the Bellagio, Caesars Palace and Paris.

The chances of being struck by lightning while sitting in front of my computer playing the latest shoot ‘em up video slot, or getting hit by a meteorite or stray bullet are so infinitesimally small that they would only affect my life’s “pay table” as calculated by the most anal bean counting actuary. I feel quite safe playing from home. With all things considered because I have done the research, I understand my local laws, the terms and conditions of the casinos I play at, and I know where to look for help if the standard customer service channels fail me I actually feel more safe playing online than traveling to a gambling mecca like Las Vegas or Atlantic City.