At most online casinos you will find encryption mechanisms in place to protect your private information as it travels the internet. This allows you to process banking and data transfers without a problem. The issue is that scammers can be very sneaky and they will try to trick you in other ways.

All online gamblers should know that they should never answer emails requesting for their passwords or any type of risky information. Sometimes these emails look legit and you may think they come from the casino, but actually the casino would close to never need information of the sort, especially if you have already shared your information with them for transactions.

Do not answer phone calls asking for any sort of private information either. They are usually scams and even if they are not, you should not risk is because a reputable casino will always contact you properly and they can use other means to get in touch with you and resolve issues.

Protect your computer with antivirus and anti phishing software so that no viruses or programs can be installed without your consent. This is highly important because sometimes scammers try to extract information from your computer directly.

It is not hard to gamble online and stay safe. Our main concern is that you feel secure and enjoy our games all of the time. Please let us know if you have any concerns, I will be more than happy to answer your questions on this or any other topic.

The Android is a mobile operating system that was originally developed by Android Inc. and bought by Google in 2005. This apparatus extends the functionality of mobile devices and has been a huge addition to the mobile technology industry. This smart phone has become a favorite among online gamblers because of its functionality and high quality features.

Even though online software developers only recently finalized projects to bring online gaming platforms to the Android 2.2, they are already getting ready to do the same for the newest version of the phone: Android 3.0. This means that if you already have an Android 2.2 you should be about ready to start enjoying a lot of your favorite casinos comfortably from your phone. It also means that if you are planning to get the newest version you will get a lot of new features.

Last week, Android introduced the 3.0 version at the Consumers Electronics Show (CES) and announced the most innovative 3D features to be in place. Online casinos are already setting up 3D gaming and software developers are beyond excited for the opportunity of bringing this new reality to your mobile screens. There is a lot to be excited about in terms of technology as now enjoying your favorite online casino games is as easy as taking your phone out and logging into a world of fun wherever you are.

This is why I would like to encourage players to switch around payment options more frequently. Most online casino gamblers stick to one payment option, the one that they find more comfortable and that suits their needs the best. However, there are so many options out there and it is really a shame that all those bonuses are being offered and going to waste as only the usual players take them.

There are countless benefits to these bonuses, they usually offer players a lot of free cash just for using a specific payment option. If you gamble online at Silver Oak Casino, you should check all of the payment options we accept and the bonuses that come with them. Free cash is always good, and you will be able to increase your winning by using it on our marveluos games.

Now that you know, there is no reason to shy away from those great bonuses. Step out of your comfort zone and try new things, you are guaranteed to receive great benefits so there is nothing to be afraid of.

Prepaid cards are one of the most innovative payment methods that players can use to fund their accounts. I believe that the main reason is that prepaid cards work exactly like a credit card minus all the inconveniences. The way in which they work is that you pay for them in advance and they give you a unique combination of numbers that you need to provide at the Cashier section of Silver Oak Casino. All you need to do is buy it, go to cashier and select the prepaid card option.

Not only is it easy to use prepaid cards, but the benefits include that your transaction will never be rejected due to insufficient funds as you have already selected and paid for the amount you wish to deposit. No online casino will have a reason to block the transaction as there is no limit you can exceed with a prepaid card.

Another advantage that players value is that prepaid cards are one of the safest options to deposit at online casino. This is because your cash is out of reach for unscrupulous hackers as your private information is not displayed and is never traveling the web to complete transactions. hhen you enter the card number at the casino, it is a uniue combination and it ensures that the money will be in your account immediately, leaving nothing to steal. This is perhaps the safest way to deposit money into an online casino.

Earlier this week eWalletXpress finally issued a statement communicating their customers that the company will no longer provide services to US citizens. The statement read “We regret to inform you that we are no longer able to continue service at this time due to a Federal warrant issued to seize our funds.” The company also said that customers who had pending funds in their accounts will be able to claim their money back and that this will be effective once all “technical issues” are solved. There were no specifications on what the technical issues where or on how long it will take to resolve them.

Players should not worry about whether they will get their money back, going off eWalletXpress’ reputation we can infer that the money will be returned eventually. The main issue is how long it will take the company and the US Federal Government to work out an agreement and get the money back. eWalletXpress has already backed out of the US market and that is probably a good step towards negotiation on the issue.

It is frustrating to see one more efficient electronic payment serice provider leave the US arena due to unclear regulation. eWalletXpress has joined other payment service providers like PayPal, Moneybookers and NETeller in leaving the US market.We hope that the situation will be resolved promptly and that a relevant legislation will come to the US soon enough.

The word around the forums is that a lot of customers have had problems with their funds on eWalletXpress and some believe that they have disappeared. The situation is not that simple and eWalletXpress did not run away with anyone’s funds, furthermore the US Federal Government has seized all funds from eWalletXpress by law enforcement.

Currently, all players are unable to deposit or cashout funds. Most online gambling rooms that accepted eWalletXpress have stopped doing so and all pending cashouts have been reversed. “We regret to inform you that we are no longer able to continue service at this time due to a federal warrant issued to seize our funds [...],” read the email the eWalletXpress team sent out.

The same thing happened to Neteller in 2007, all players’ funds were seized by the US Federal Government and two of the owners were arrested. After about a year of negotiations Neteller agreed to pay a fine and do other arrangements to release player funds. Those were stressful times for US players as some of them had up to $100,000 in Neteller accounts at the time of seizure.

The online gaming industry fully understands the players’ concern over the funds that were seized and hopes that eWalletXpress will pull the right strings and negotiate well in the process of getting players’ funds so that they manage to do so as soon as possible. We are more than sorry for this huge inconvenience and ask you to please keep us up to date with any developments.

On the other side of the spectrum we have countries like the United Kingdom and some other European Union nations in which online gambling companies have engaged in a free market form of competition and can provide their services freely. The question that arises is: which approach to online gambling is better? My answer would be neither.

Whereas tightly regulated online gaming markets result in the people’s inability to play, free markets are often where big-time online casino scammers began. In my opinion, countries need to find a balance between the two approaches that best suits their needs as individual economies and states (I know! I’m getting into fancy-talk here – my econ and polisci majors finally proved useful!).

You may be wondering what this means, so let me give you an example: in the United States the legal age to gamble is 21 whereas in Belgium people can gamble at 18. I am saying that those countries, as individual states should find a form of online gambling that suits their needs so the US would have some regulation on the age and ban online gambling advertising directed to people under 21 and Belgium could just focus on their 18-years limit. The same approach can be taken for licensing fees policies for operators and all the other issues that are brought up when discussing online gaming.

I think this would be a more efficient and simpler way to do things, countries should not look for a role model in legislation but decide what is best for them (clearly banning online gambling is not good for the US as it is missing out on juicy revenue!) and go from there. What do you think? Do you still believe that a fully free market is the best approach? Share your thoughts!

The first of our new additions is ‘Lucky Tiger’. This refers to the Year of the Tiger and it is a new 5-reel slot with Golden Tigers appearing grouped on reels 1 and 5 and functioning as wild symbols for everything but scattered gongs. If you spin 3 or more gong symbols in a normal game you can trigger three different “free game” features. The Lucky Tiger will triple your winnings and will add extra free game. If you like online slots, we definitely think this is one worth checking out.

Our second addition is for a different type of player as this is a very particular bingo game. ‘Roaring Twenties Bingo’ is an advanced bingo game that will take you back to the 1920s and bet on up to 100 cards per draw. This game features a “Wild Ball” that will hit the middle spot on each card in play if it is drawn, therefore increasing your odds of hitting the winning patterns. The other great feature is the ‘Extra Balls’ which enables any player to draw 5 extra balls!

If you manage to complete a full card then you will get the Maxi Progressive Jackpot, and the Major and Minor Progressive Jackpot can be won at any random time. There are great prizes, lots of jackpots and variable draw speeds so that everyone can enjoy this great bingo game.

Remeber, at Silver Oak Casino we are always doing things to make our players happy. If you have any suggestions please share them with us by posting a comment below!

If the Republicans have a win in the elections, there are slim possibilities that online gambling regulation and legislation will move forward and the bills will be frozen in time. However, if the Democrats win there is hope that the online gambling legislation that has been undergoing a debate process will be pushed forward and enacted.

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has been at the front of pushing online gambling legislation ahead in the past years. They have released a list of the Congressional candidates participating in the elections that they think would have support for online gambling. We suggest that you take a look at the list and check the candidates’ campaigns and decide if you like them overall.

“This year’s election is critical to ensuring that candidates are elected who support the rights of poker players and who choose to take action to protect American consumers. PokerPAC is proud to endorse these candidates who have been advocates for poker players and this great game we all love.” said the PPA Chair and former Senator Alfonse D’amato and Congressman Toby Moffett in a joint statement.

The PPA list of Congressional Endorsement can be seen through this link: http://theppa.org/press-releases/2010/10/21/press-release-pokerpac-announces-2010-congressional-endorsements-102110/

Please check them out and vote for the one that fulfills your expectations. Do not forget to vote, it is your future and the country’s that you are helping determine!

As online casinos operate in cyber space we want to encourage our readers to check on their security protocols on the internet. If you play at Silver Oak, you have nothing to worry about; however, if you play at another casino we recommend that you double check their security standards and certifications.

Within the online gambling industry there are independent companies that grant online gaming sites with certifications based on their performance. Make sure that the casino you play at has been certified as a reliable and secure place to gamble at. We also recommend that you update your antivirus software and that you ensure that no spyware or malware is being installed on your computer without you being aware of it.

It does not matter if you are outside the United States, the National Cyber Security Awareness Month should apply to everyone around the globe and it is always good to double check where your security stands. We really hope that the campaign raises some awareness in the US and the world in order to amke the online gambling industry safer for all the players in it.

Anyway, earlier this week NETeller released a new blog entry in which it was announced that their services have been improved, particularly or VIP players who need to exchange currency in their online financial transactions. As most casinos accept payments in USD or Euros, this is great news for players in Asia and Latin America.

NETeller usually charges a transaction fee of $2.95 in these cases and VIP players get a better rate of 1.5%. The way in which this worked was that the VIP members would be charged the full fee on their first transaction and would be given a rebate of 1.45% the next month. VIP members are also exempt from withdrawal fees, but in the same way they were charged the full fee in the first transaction and received a rebate one month later.

The change that NETeller has implemented is on the system of rebates, the VIP members are now guaranteed to be charged the correct amount upfront. This will be applied to both deposits and withdrawals transactions, so VIP members will not be paying any fees at the time of withdrawal. The one clarification that is made is that for foreign exchange and withdrawal transactions from NET + point of sale and ATM transactions will still have the rebate system enforced.

So for all the players who are not VIP members, it would be incredibly beneficial if you decided to join. In order to become a NETeller VIP member you would need to transfer $6,000 to online merchants on a monthly basis for a consecutive 90-day period. After that, to maintain the VIP status you would have to transfer $3,000 to online merchants on a monthly basis for a consecutive 90-day period.

The online gambler hit a progressive jackpot back in 2008 and won EUR167,500. However, he has been waiting for two years to receive such winnings because the LGA has been taking all that time to make a decision about his winning from Casino Club.

The LGA controls all activities related to gambling in Malta and makes profits from licensing and regulating 392 online casino, poker and gambling sites. It is in their responsibility to ensure that the sites they license stick to their agreements and terms and conditions.

The Malta Business Weekly got a statement from a spokesperson for the LGA in which it was said that “without going into the specific merits of the case in question, the authority has not yet concluded its investigations and neither has it decided in favour of the licensee as is being alleged”.

According to the report, the LGA told the player that the casino is not bound to pay his full winnings as the law in the Maltese legislation is unclear in forcing license holders to pay gambling debts.

The LGA spokesperson also stated that “the LGA’s interpretation is that the Civil Code articles regarding online gambling are applicable to gaming debts arising out of unauthorised/unlicensed games, which in any case are considered as illegal and tantamount to a criminal offence,” and added “Furthermore, remote gaming regulations do not stipulate any limits with respect to player winnings, and if the licensee chooses to cap or place limits on the maximum prices that can be won by players, as already reiterated, these conditions would have to be stated in the rules of the game and in the terms and conditions.”

I mean, isn’t this outrageous? Having to wait two years to be paid the winnings you won under the casino terms of hitting a progressive jackpot? I just want to tell everyone that this should not be happening and that Silver Oak Casino does not sympathize with these type of practices at all. And again, things like this remind us of being really careful of the online casino that we choose to play at.