The first thing you should do when picking your first online casino is to do your research. Unfortunately, the online gambling arena isn't as tightly controlled as land-based casinos. There is no one law for all internet casinos. Instead, the laws governing what they can and cannot do are dependent on which country the gambling company is based out of.

Start by reading any reviews you can find online and don't stick to just casino review sites. Some of these sites are created solely for the purpose of signing up affiliates for the gambling sites so the reviewer can make money. Not all of the reviewers are high in integrity and some will tell you a site is reputable just to make you trust it, whether it's true or not.

Try googling the site name and adding +blog or +forum to find places where ordinary players are talking about the online casino. If you find a lot of people complaining that the company didn't pay them, then that's a good clue to stay far away from that site. On the other hand, if you see a lot of good comments, that is a good sign that the site is reputable, honest and fun to play at.

After you find a site that has a lot of good reviews and you think you'd like to try it, make sure you read everything before agreeing. Read the terms of service of the site along with any FAQ pages they may have. If there is something that concerns you or you don't understand, don't hesitate to contact the site's customer service. That's what they are there for, after all.

A majority of the online casinos offer ways for you to try their games without putting up any cash up front. This may be limited demo versions or even full playing version but without cash prizes. Take advantage of things like this to see how playable the site is. There are a number of software providers for the online gambling community and there are some differences in play between them. Be sure that the play is smooth, easy to follow and comfortable for you before deciding which site to commit your dollars to.