One of the beautiful options of playing on online casino websites is that many of them offer you more than one way to play. It is helpful to understand the differences between each type of online casino software and whether or not you will need to download anything onto your computer in order to play. Currently, there are three types of online casino software interfaces that you can play on: web-based casinos; download-based; and live. Most of these interfaces also offer players the option of playing with real cash or with ‘play money’ for free.
Web-based online casinos require no software downloads to your computer. All of the games are played while you are signed onto the computer and they use browser plug-ins such as Macromedia Flash, Shock wave, or Java, or through an HTML interface. You will need to make sure you use a browser that supports these plug-ins. Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox both have these plug-ins readily available. Players will want to make sure their computer can support the graphics, sound, and animations as well as having enough bandwidth available for continuous play.
Some online casino clients require software to be downloaded onto your computer. These types of casinos connect directly to the client when the program is launched and once it has connected, you can begin to play. These programs tend to run faster than web-based casinos since the graphics, animations, and sounds are being loaded locally from the software that has been installed on your computer. You will need a consistent connection to the Internet in order to play and there is always the chance that the online casino software you download may contain malware programs.
It usually doesn’t take very long to download and install the program and it is prudent to run a virus scan on the downloaded file before launching the installation to make sure that it is virus and malware-free. Finally, live-based online casinos have the feel of real brick-and-mortar casinos. These types of online gaming allow the player to actually interact with other players in a created live environment. Players have the ability to see, hear, and talk to real live dealers and opponents who are gaming at brick and mortar casinos all over the world. These games are played in real-time regardless of where you are. Live-based casinos are still fairly new and finding one online to play through may prove to be challenging.
No matter what type of casino software you decide is right for you, remember that gambling responsibly is paramount. Never overextend yourself and if you fear that you may do exactly that, look for a web-based, free play-only online casino. They will give you free money to play with, allowing you to get your online casino gaming fix without losing any real cash. Don’t be afraid to test out download-based software by using the free play options if it is offered so that you can get a feel for the casino. If you don’t like it and need to continue your hunt, you can always remove the program from your computer.