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Digital currencies are becoming more and more popular in today’s world, with Bitcoin being the most famous of them all. Even though society was initially sceptical on the matter, today lots of goods and services can be bought with Bitcoin. The rapidly evolving online casino industry was relatively quick to jump on that train, bringing us casinos that accept Bitcoin as a method for deposits and withdrawals. In this article, I will take a look at the advantages of using Bitcoin for online gambling, as well as determine which are the most reputable casinos that support this payment method.

The Advantages of Using Bitcoin for Online Gambling

So, why use Bitcoin for your online casino gaming when you can simply use normal cash? Well, there are a number of reasons, the primary being that Bitcoin is not considered a currency in the traditional sense of the word. Since you are not wagering actual money, most gambling laws do not apply. For example, if online gambling is forbidden in your country, doing it with Bitcoin won’t be. This is why people in the USA love online casinos that support Bitcoin – there is no other way for them to play. Overall, the fewer legal complications are what convinces many players to convert to cryptocurrencies for their online gaming efforts.

How to Find a Good Bitcoin Casino

Even though Bitcoins have been around for only a few years, there are quite a lot of online casinos that accept them, and cryptocurrency support that is their major selling point. When it comes to determining which operators can be classified as ‘the best’, we need to take several factors into account. First of all, we need to assess the game collection – does the casino have a lot of games? Are the games diverse? Are there live dealer tables? Operators like BitCasino and Betcoin have an abundance of great game libraries, with plenty of slots, blackjack, and roulette titles.

Reputation is one of the key factors when it comes to online casino operators. There is only one way to be sure that a casino is honest and fair, and that is to look up what other people are saying about it. Relatively honest opinions can usually be found at review sites, which take their time to properly vet and analyse everything an online casino has to offer. We have come across many great Bitcoin casino reviews, some of which you can find on this website.

Get Your Welcome Bonus in Bitcoin

Another thing we should take into account when choosing a good Bitcoin casino is what bonus offers does the operator provide. Reputable online casinos usually offer some kind of welcome bonus upon a player’s first deposit, usually a percentage of the deposited sum. For Bitcoin casinos, however, players have a choice between a bonus in conventional currencies, or in Bitcoin. Casinos like FortuneJack have a very good reputation for offering many promotions to their players, apart from their generous welcome bonus of 0.5 BTC.

Cryptocurrencies will only get more popular with time, and few people can deny their benefits. When it comes to online casino gambling, playing at a casino that supports Bitcoin is easier than ever. Make sure you find the right operator for you!

If you live in a country such as the UK, Spain or Germany, then you’re probably wondering “Huh? What is this guy talking about? Online casino scarcity? There’s plenty of online casinos to go around!” And yeah, gamblers in certain countries suffer from a different problem – oversaturation. Certain European markets are practically havens for online gambling, with the UK being probably the most notable example of them all. It’s got dozens upon dozens of online casinos, bingo sites, betting sites and poker sites all competing for players’ attention, but that’s fine because there’s also hundreds of thousands of players, and many of them even have accounts on multiple casinos in order to enjoy their bonus offers and exclusive games. However, what if I told you that most countries – even those where online gambling is completely legal – don’t have a single online casino currently operating? That’s the online casino scarcity, the lack of any online casinos in your region.

Let’s take a look at the Philippines, for example. According to their gambling laws, while physical casinos are banned from the country, “remote gambling” (aka online casinos) are exempt from that rule and are perfectly legal. However, would you believe me if I told you that there isn’t a single online casino currently operating within the territory of the Philippines? It’s true, I looked it up specifically, and unless I’m missing something, the Philippines as a market doesn’t have any exclusive online casinos the way the UK does. But hey, you might be saying, that’s just because the Philippines aren’t in Europe! In Europe every country has an online casino, it’s a booming market! And to that, I say oh, really? France, Iceland, Macedonia, Russia, Ukraine and many more are all European countries that don’t have a single online casino operating within their borders. True, in some cases (like France and Russia, which are gigantic markets) it’s due to legal reasons, but most of the time companies just prefer not to take risks in emerging markets. Why launch an online casino in Macedonia when you can launch one in the UK and rake in the cash for sure?

So, what can players suffering from online casino scarcity do? Well, not much, I’m afraid. The best option is always to join a European real money online casino which isn’t region-locked and takes players from all over Europe (or potentially the world), but that depends entirely on your country’s gambling laws and regulations. If gambling is illegal in your country, you may need to jump through a few hoops (for example, you can ask a friend in a country where gambling is legal to make an account and then play through it using a VPN to mask your IP and make it appear as if you’re located in your friend’s country), because while it’s highly unlikely that you will ever be prosecuted for online gambling, even if you’re in a country where the practice is illegal, there’s always a chance that the casino you’re playing at might withhold your winnings because you’ve broken their terms of service. So make sure you’re familiar with the terms and conditions and your own country’s gambling laws before you start playing! With that said, I wish you good luck, and here’s hoping that, in time, the online casino scarcity in Europe will be a thing of the past.

Last summer, my mates and I went to Prague for a weekend stag party. We expected to drink loads of first-class beer, meet cute Eastern European ladies and have a wonderful time pub crawling… ahem, I mean sight-seeing. However, to our great surprise, there was more to Prague than that. We found this charming city to be a tiny piece of gambler’s heaven.

With about 100 casinos in the capital of Prague alone, there are many opportunities for gambling in the Czech Republic. There are even more sport betting opportunities and there’s a lottery, too. The Czech are very fond of video slots and traditional slot machines. Apart from casinos, those are available in specialized shops around Prague. Take a walk in the Old Town (Staré Město), which surrounds the legendary Astronomical Clock Tower (Orloj), and you’ll be impressed by the number of cafeterias, restaurants, and betting shops. You’ll definitely remember the name Sazka – the biggest lottery operator that is also run by the state – as you’ll be seeing it a lot.

With brick and mortar casinos thriving, making online casinos legal is the next logical step. And the Czech government has recently done just that. As of January 1, 2017, the Czech online gambling market will be opened to EU and EEA online betting operators. That might be a wonderful opportunity especially considering that Prague continually comes up as a top tourist destination not only in Europe but in the world. However, there’s a catch. The new Czech gambling law also defines new tax rates of 35% for RNG casino games and 23% of gross gaming revenue for sports betting and lotteries. If that seems steep, note this – those taxes come on top of the general corporate tax of 19%. The new taxes will be valid for new companies and those already in operation. Will that law turn out a lovely opportunity for saturating the Czech online space with casino games or a major flop? Only time will tell.

Whatever the outcome, do visit beautiful Prague and try your luck at the land-based casinos. Also, don’t forget to check out the Prague Beer Museum. Don’t be put off by the name – it’s not a museum per se, it’s a pub. The original pub can be found in one of the small streets leading up to Republic Square (Náměstí Republiky) but there’s also a new second location at the picturesque Peace Square (Náměstí Míru). It’s not that you’ll have any trouble getting great beer in Prague but the Museum is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to try 30 beers on tap from Czech micro-breweries.

If you don’t have time for the Beer Museum, enter any pub (Pivnice) and order a pint of unfiltered, unpasteurised – nefiltrované, nepasterizované pivo.

I’ve given you the names in Czech because, although most Czechs speak very good English, they are reluctant to use it. If you speak German, you’d have a better chance getting your message through. However, speaking a little Czech would be your best bet.

If you read this, then you’re probably a European interested in online casino, right? Well, in that case, you’re probably well aware of the gambling laws and regulations in your country. Otherwise how could you possibly engage in your favorite hobby? Still, there’s a whole lot of countries in the EU, and each one has different gambling laws, rules and regulations. Even if you know the rules of your own country, you might be interested to learn what the law is in other countries. I know I sure was, which is why I decided to compile this list and take a brief look at the gambling laws in other European countries.

France

France is, unfortunately, one of the more conservative countries when it comes to online gambling. It was completely illegal in the country until 2010, which seems like ages when you consider that online gambling has been around more or less since the Internet. Pressured by the EU in 2009, France eventually agreed to legalize three forms of online gambling – sports betting, horse racing betting and poker. Bookmakers and poker sites are required to receive a license from ARJEL if they want to operate legally, but these licenses are only valid for the 3 forms of gambling I mentioned earlier – casino games are still illegal.

Germany

Germany has a huge love-hate relationship with online gambling (which makes sense, because, well, Germany has a love-hate relationship with a whole lot of things). In 2008, a legislation was introduced which banned online gambling in all of its form except for those specifically offered by the government… which, as you can imagine, led to a monopoly. And monopoly is a big no-no when it comes to business, so the law was eventually changed in 2012, allowing private companies to provide some gambling services. By 2013, a newly elected government completely scrapped the law, which means that online gambling should normalize and become very similar to how it is in the UK or Italy by 2018.

Italy

Italy is, by far, one of the most liberal country in Europe when it comes to online gambling, which was legal as early as 2006, though only for sports betting. Other forms of gambling became legal in 2011 (more specifically, poker and casino games). In other words, as long as you obtain a license from the government you can create whatever gambling site you want!

Spain

As of 2012, Spain has also become relatively liberal with allowing all kinds of gambling sites to operate within its borders. Sure, it’s a bit stingy with its licenses, which has caused the number of online casinos to decrease compared to, say, the UK, but other than that anyone who has a license is allowed to operate, no questions asked. Sadly, the citizens of Spain aren’t allowed to play in any casinos that aren’t local, but luckily most big casinos have Spanish branches.

UK

UK is in the same boat as Italy and Spain – as long as you’re licensed by the Gambling Commission, you’re good to go! The UK is kind of unique in that it takes independent verification and certification very seriously, with each big online casino being verified by one or more independent organizations in order to ensure that all games are fair and give the advertised payouts.

There’s no doubt it – roulette is definitely one of the best, most popular and, overall, most intriguing casino games out there. It regularly dominates physical casinos across Europe, and while online slots will always be number one, roulette will always have a major place in all online casinos. Live roulette, in particular, has been enjoying tremendous success recently due to how well-made and exciting the game is. But if you’ve played live roulette or, hell, any type of roulette in an online casino, you might have noticed something rather peculiar about it – there are three distinct versions of roulette, namely European Roulette (also known as just Roulette in the UK, because, well, the UK is more or less part of Europe), American Roulette and French Roulette. An ordinary player may not be aware of the differences, not even after playing the game, so allow me to set the record straight.

First of all, it’s important to note that the versions aren’t really all that different. The odds are exactly the same, so if you’ve recently had roulette odds explained, then that knowledge will not go to waste. No, the difference is very small, almost insignificant, but over hundreds of spins it makes up and eventually can mean the difference between success and failure. The secret lies in the small, green zero that most people don’t even pay any attention to. The normal version of roulette, also known as European, has one zero. What people don’t know is that this zero represents the house edge. When playing roulette, a lot of people prefer to bet on red or black, as one is guaranteed to win, but since the zero is green, and as such is neither red nor black (in case you’re colorblind or a dog), so the house ends pocketing the bets.

As such, the Americans have decided to play smart and increase their house edge by adding a second zero. As you’ve guessed, this actually doubles the house edge, which in turns means that the player is screwed. In English, what I’m trying to say is that if you have the choice between American and European roulette, you should absolutely pick European, since your chance to win is bigger. Not that much bigger, but bigger nonetheless. But what if I told you that there’s an even better version? French Roulette also has only one zero, which puts it on equal grounds with European Roulette. Except if the ball lands on 0 and you lose because of that, in French roulette you can have half of your bet back, which, honestly, is a pretty nice deal – you’d still be losing, but you’d be losing a lot less. Bottom line: If you have a choice between American, French and European roulette, French is definitely the way to go!

Some interesting developments in the digital scene of Europe at the outset of 2016. On the 19th January this year the European Parliament adopted its Digitals Single Market report, calling for the European Union to become a leader in the field of digital economy. The reasons are pretty clear – the future (and if we’re honest – most of the present) is as online as it can get with the internet providing jobs, entertainment and innovations across industries.
The organisation of leading European gaming and betting operators – EGBA – welcomed the attention and announced they are looking forward to remove national barriers and give the over 500 million customers across the EU access to first class digital solutions. It has been raised as an issue before – back in 2014 in the “Cost of non-Europe study”, announcing that the lack of joined market for online gambling is resulting in unequal protection for players across countries. According to the same report, a unified gambling market in Europe would bring benefits of over 5,6 million euros per year.
Over its lifespan, the EGBA’s members have invested more than 600 million euro into digital security and sponsored various sports for over 800 million euro. That coupled with some generous donations to worthy causes by big industry players raises yet again the ever standing question about the ethics of gambling and therefore – it’s legal status.
On topic, this is a very fitting video from American Gambling Association. Worth your time and certainly makes me curious about the situation here in Europe.

Hope you enjoyed my post as always, let’s wait and see what the future holds and until then – good luck to all!

I have learned from my long-time experience in the iGaming field that even though not all that glitters is gold, there are many nuggets just laying around, sometimes in the strangest of places. What I mean is that not all that is advertised as ‘innovative’ or ‘top-notch’ is actually useful to the user, but merely a way of baiting him in. To explain myself better, I will give you an example which is relevant to the subject at hand – gambling on iWatches. Now that’s a silly idea either way you look at it. Of course, that is simply my opinion, but then again that’s what you are here for, right?

Anyway, the reason for which I brought this up is that we are here to discuss whether or not roulette apps are indeed innovative or simply a trick to attract more mobile users. The answer is very simple, my friends, and I stand by it 100% – these apps are ingenious and come in handy at least twice per day! Of course, this is the case if you love roulette games and are always on the move. If you have recognised yourself in this description, then you have probably tried an app or two and you should agree with me – if you have tried the right one, that is!

Mobile apps are a practical and convenient way to play your games while travelling – as long as you’re not driving, naturally or while you are waiting for your next meeting to start. And if you worry about banking transactions, don’t! There are means of handling your funds, without having to take out your credit card on the bus or the train and that is paying by phone bill! No worries, this is nothing new to us Brits and we have independent regulators that will oversee the transactions and see to it that it is all done is a safe and timely manner.

Aside from the fact that some operators offer as much as 10 different variations on the go, even live roulette games come in the form of apps, which can be downloaded from the iOS store, fast and free. On top of it all, some operators offer special promotions for mobile users, such as exclusive bonuses and cash-back offers, which I bet you would like to take advantage of. But if you wanna know what really sold me, it’s the live roulette games which are broadcast on TV in real time. I am sure that you have tuned in on Channel 5 at least once during the Live Roulette Show from Supercasino and if you were wondering if the players and payouts are real, let me tell they are, since I was one of them on more than one occasion. And needless to say that with the huge leap that technology is taking nowadays, I don’t need to tell you that the graphics are fantastic and the roulette games load quickly and run smoothly. So, overall, roulette apps just do it for me and most likely it will also do it for you, as long as you choose one of the more renowned operators.

Online casino sites have been ruling Europe to such an extent, that many governments felt the need to legalize and thus regulate online gambling. Oh, God! Where are my manners? First and foremost, hello and welcome to my site. As you have probably guessed from my somewhat premature introduction, this site will contain articles about the top casino sites operating in European countries. If you ask me why, the answer is very simple: because when choosing which site to play at nowadays, you can use all the help you can get. And it’s not because you can’t find good sites to play at, but simply because there are so many to choose from.

Just think about it for a minute. Take United Kingdom for example. Ever since the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act took effect in November 1 2014, tens perhaps already hundreds of gambling site received a gaming licence. But actually very few of them can actually satisfy every player’s hunger for games, variety, bonuses and many other aspects. But then again, let’s not forget that the most important thing is safety, so when choosing a site, look for security certificates of independent or local regulatory bodies. Of course, this is not the only thing to look for, but merely something you shouldn’t go without.

Other aspects that may give you a hard time are the variety of the welcome bonus offers and the wagering requirements tied to them. The reason I mention this is because most gambling sites will give you a match bonus on your first deposit and that’s about it. But you shouldn’t let that get you down, because there are plenty of sites out there that have much more consideration for their users and frequently spice things up with free spins, no deposit bonuses and even numerous reload bonuses to keep you happy. I have been bouncing from one gambling site to another precisely for this reason and I have definitely learned a thing or two and I want to share my knowledge with you. You can read about this and more on my site and you will be happy you did. So, stay tuned and … no need to thank me yet!