With so many choices, what really makes for the best online gambling the internet can offer? A great question, and one you should always ask before depositing in the first random online casino or poker room or sportsbook you find. A great place to start is by spending at few minutes at one of the main, reputable online casino review sites, such as Gamblera.com. But we'll try to sum to up the criteria that you want from a gaming site quickly here.

First, you want to make sure that the site uses world-class software, such as Playtech or Realtime Gaming, but there are many other types that are great too. When you visit a casino review site like the one we mentioned above, you can run a search on casinos by software type, read a quick review, check out a ranking and off you go. And the reviews are key. For some reason, you will find far more reviews of online casinos than you will for land-based casinos such as those in Las Vegas or Monte Carlo, and that's to your advantage when looking to kick back and play from the comfort of your living room.

You also want to check out the deposit and withdrawal methods available, as well as the be sure that the site you want to play at allows for gaming by players from your jurisdiction. Players in the United States for example are not allowed to play at the majority of online casinos because of the Wire Act law enacted in 2006 (but which may be repealed under the Obama administration soon). One great site that does meet all criteria and which is open to U.S. players and indeed all players from any country in the world is sportsbook.com, but obviously there are many more. Again, be sure that the site you choose supports the deposit and withdrawal methods you have to use or prefer so that you don't deposit your money for no reason.

Of lesser importance, but still of great value are the promotions and incentives that sites offer. Most every online casino will offer excellent first-time deposit bonuses up to 100 percent or more for new players. Take advantage! If you deposit $100, why not play with $200? There will always be some rules on bonus to prevent you from taking the free cash and running however, and usually this amounts to you having to bet up to 12 times the amount of the bonus before you can withdraw it. That is, if you do get $100 in free bonus money, you would then need to keep winning or at least breaking even or not losing it all before you have bet a total of $1,200. This isn't as hard as it sounds though. Most players who play with $100 seldom just lose it all in one fell swoop. Typically you will win and lose and on average have bet about $800 on your $100 without even paying attention.

Finally, you also want to be sure that the site offer good customer support, such as phone numbers, emails and live chat rooms, and ideally, all three. The best sites all typically do. And if you prefer to dabble in casinos, poker rooms and sports betting, why not try to find a one-stop shopping site like sportsbook.com?

There are other small things to consider depending on your gaming choice. For instance, you'll want to look at the amount of players, tournaments and rakes in poker rooms or the betting types available to you in sports books, but these things are not necessary for a fun, safe and entertaining online casino experience.

Once you have your venue scouted out, the other half of the battle is winning! And remember, when you bet online, you haven't spent a dime on travel expenses as you would heading out to land-based casino, nor will you get suckered into food or drinks that you can fetch from your kitchen. So don't be afraid to make a decent deposit and let the good times roll!