More and more, the Internet is changing our lives. On the plus side, it brings us information in many shapes and sizeslists of jobs available, stock prices, online product sales, etc., etc. But our whole definition of "information" is changing with the expansion of the Internet's capabilities.

Is online gift purchasing a type of "information"? Since the only thing the Internet can communicate is data, or information in small pieces, then purchasing must be a form of "information exchange". So is filing flight plans, getting a satellite-view of the weather, "talking" to someone via Internet Messengerand even gambling online is a form of information exchange.

In its long history, gambling has always depended on information exchange: a bettor (US English) or punter (UK English) would inform someone that he believes Horse A would win a race, and he would risk money on that opinion. After the race, he would receive money if he wonafter getting the information about the race winners. Gambling needs efficient information exchange, and has always gotten better and more popular as the communications became more efficient. It's no wonder that Internet gambling online, using this incredibly efficient information medium, has become the most popular form of gambling in history.

What do you need for gambling online? A computer, a modem, some moneythat's all.

What do you NOT need for gambling online? You don't need any of the following:
? A car to go to the racetrack, the casino, the poker parlor, etc.
? A specific period of free time (probably when you need to help out at home) to be there when the action's happening.
? Excuses for why you're spending so much time away from the family.
? A raincoat if you like horses, since it always rains at the track.
? Some vacation days, in case the racetrack/casino/etc. is not in your neck of the woods.
? A lack of other interests, since getting to the gambling site takes up so much extra time that you can't do anything else.
? Etc., etc.

What's the "bottom line" here? Conveniencethat's the unbeatable advantage of gambling online. Whenever you have a few minutes, you can try your luck. And in some games like poker, it's not just luckit involves well-developed card-playing skills.

Convenience is the absolute advantage of gambling online. Nothing can beat it for ease-of-access, ease-of-play, variety of interesting games, an abundance of "places" to go (it's all virtual space, but we'll call gaming sites "places"), a wide range of playing levels and betting options. If you're a beginner, you can even spend days, weeks, months,' forever playing for no money at all! Nearly every online gaming site has a "Fun Play" option, and there's nothing to force you to play for "Real Money". Of course, the sites will try to entice you into gambling online with the real thing (money), but it's all your own choice.

Want to try it out? It doesn't cost a cent. Just go to your favorite Web search page and enter what kind of game you're looking for, together with the word "online". Visit the websites, read a little bit of what they say about themselves, maybe sign up for some Free Play. Play like a millionaire, and don't risk a cent. Then, if you feel comfortable, try some low-stakes games and see if you like it.

Gambling online is a great way to spend free time. You can do it for no money, a little money or big moneythat's up to you. But it's as much fun as you can find anywhere, and for a really low entry pricenothing.

Author: Richard Taymor, www.casinotropez.com

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