Having played in Las Vegas casinos and online casinos I decided to analyze the differences between the two. Which would come out on top, the bright lights, sexy waitresses and general party atmosphere or computer generated graphics games and the comfort of your own home?

Since the introduction of the latest US gaming act many online casinos have stopped accepting players from the US in to their casinos. The Law does not outlaw gambling but it is illegal for American financial institutions to process transactions originating from or directed towards any online gambling operator. So if you cannot transfer funds to an online gaming site such as an online casino then you might as well outlaw gambling in the US.

I work hard for my money as do many others and if I want to but some groceries I can, if I want to buy a car, I can, if I want to go to the cinema, I can. My money is my money and I should be allowed to spend it as I wish which means if I want to gamble I should be allowed to do just that. Whatever happened to the Land of the Free?

Latest news from the financial markets regarding the economic downtown can be found all over the internet. We have the latest press release and news article from Market Watch regarding the impact this credit crunch is having on the online gambling world and what the smart gaming operators are doing about it.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, Oct 22, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Every business feels the current credit crunch. Even the online casino business. One of the many online casino sites out there, La Isla Casino http://www.laislacasino.com, have taken this into consideration and made some changes to their operation and casino bonus structure.

"We see that the number of sign ups and deposits are more or less the same but the average deposit amount has dropped by 30%" says casino manager Afshin Ertanin. "As a result of that we have to cater to a market based on smaller deposits."

"We are now offering our clients an opportunity to get a bonus on every deposit they make, starting from as low as 21 pounds. Our welcome bonus will give players 100% matching bonus on their first deposit and 150% matching bonus on their second deposit, when depositing as little as 20 pounds. We feel that too many casinos' today spend a lot of energy towards the high roller. The average player who likes to make a wager now and then seems to be forgotten.

With the fully automated bonus structure La Isla Casino allows the players the full freedom to choose if they want a bonus on every deposit or not. And since it is fully automated bonuses are in their accounts the second they make a deposit.

"The online casino industry will have to rethink their strategies in the coming years as more and more people are losing their credit cards. Plus the fact that many banks have blocked their customers from making deposits with their credit cards to a licensed casino we are focusing on alternative and safe ways of depositing and making withdrawals".

Offering special bonuses when players use payment methods such as U-Kash, ClickandBuy and Click2Pay does make it easier for the player and the casino, and is something that we are utilising to full effect.

"The fully automated casino bonus is very simple, we have set up specific amounts for the player to deposit that will automatically trigger a bonus. Every time a player makes deposits of sums such as 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 and so on they will automatically get a bonus. To see the full list, go to http://www.laislacasino.com/casino-promotions.php.

"Yes, we are mainly an online slots casino and our automatic bonuses are for online slots games. But we do offer a special table games bonus for Black Jack, Poker, Roulette and Video Pokers to regular players. And the weekly free bonus we issue every Wednesday to our regular players can be used on any game - except progressive games.

"Of course the credit crunch will affect us as well as the other brands out there, but I think we are well prepared for it and are not that worried. We started changing our marketing strategy in early 2008 preparing for this so I am confident that la Isla Online Casino Slots can ride through the coming months or years of market downturn."

La Isla Casino is a licensed online casino owned and operated by Hailwood Gaming Ltd who also owns and operate MegaKings.Com, both online casino runs on Playtech software and offer casino, Bingo and online Poker.

The article and news story can be read in full at Market Watch Casino News.

Blackjack can be easy once you've become accustomed to playing, but still most players choose to read a few rules before playing, which is a good idea. The rules of Blackjack can change. In fact, they can switch from one game to another depending on variables which had been chosen by the House before starting the game. You can choose to play Blackjack in both online and land based casinos, but before deciding upon it you should take into consideration a few facts.

Usually, each player plays only against the blackjack dealer, also called "House" or the "Bank". Your goal as a player is mainly to beat the House and win all their money by calling cards until the total of your hand is as close as possible to 21 without going bust. If the value of the first 2 of your cards sum 21, then you obtained the best possible combination, called Natural Blackjack. If the dealer's hand is closer to the magic number 21 than yours, then the house wins. The dealer has to follow a well defined set of rules that apply only to the game of the House, and to know what the dealer can do is just as important as being aware of what you can do to win.

It is much easier to learn the rules of playing blackjack on the Internet than playing in a real casino. In a real casino you will not only feel the pressure from people that gamble near you and from the dealer, but must also bet nice sums of money to learn while practicing. This is something that you should avoid. If you choose to play online, you can avoid this situation, because you can play Blackjack for free at virtual casinos before making any real money bets.

The rules of virtual Blackjack are the same as at land based casino Blackjack, which, as mentioned above, can vary from casino to casino. It is very easy to play over the Internet. Since the program does not let you make any mistakes, playing is as easy as a simple mouse click. Open the software to learn the names of the chips with which you can gamble, and to make a bet click the tab with that name. The program will automatically tab in the area of betting chips. To cancel your bet, click the right button in the area of chips betting. Blackjack regulations stipulate that standard values of playing cards are the following: 10, J, Q, and K having as value 10, an Ace values either 1 or 11, while the other cards have the same value as their number, e.g. a 5 has as value also 5.

The rules that the Blackjack dealer follows are quite simple, in case the dealer’s hand has the value 16 or below that, then you should take another card. When the value of the Bank’s hand is 17 or above that, then you should stand. You have to keep in mind the fact that in some casinos the rules allow the House to continue to take cards when a hand is not firm, so this gives a small advantage to the house. Fortunately at some casinos the dealer stands whenever you have a 17 either firm or not firm. The strategy of the Bank is usually fixed and can not be changed during the game to beat the player.

The player can ask for the cards he/she wants (this procedure is also called hit) and can stand anytime, no wonder why the game is often referred to as Hit or Stand. According to the agreed rules, when a player gets a Natural Blackjack (when its first two cards are the following: Ace and 10) then he/she will be paid 150% (3-2) related to the original stake. For example, if you bet $10, then it will pay $15. You can only double the bet when the total of the first 2 cards is a 9, a 10 or an 11. When you have the option of cracking, the program asks if you want to do it or not.

As you can see, Blackjack isn’t at all difficult once you get familiar with its basic rules and terminology. You don’t need to be a card counter or math genius in order to win at 21; all you need to do is to find a decent place where you can gamble as you please. A good suggestion may be to play online and try out the free games offered by the best casinos, and this way you will gain some experience as well. So what will be your next move, hit or stand?