With the first U.S. House Financial Services Committee hearing regarding internet gambling and the legislation that seeks to regulate it (or at lease give individual State's the choice and power to regulate it), it appears that problem gambling and fraud are some of the major issues on the agenda. Aside from having full faith that these hearings will represent the true nature of online casino gambling, we thought it would be beneficial to shed some light on these issues for our readers.

Indeed, not every online casino is going to be up to par on fraud prevention and detection protocols and problem gambling prevention - yet another reason why regulation is so badly needed. The technology is there, however, which is what these House meetings chaired by Congressman Barney Frank, are aiming to explore. All of the online casinos featured here at OCC have this technology in place, which is a strict requirement for getting listed on our casino reviews page.

In regards to fraud prevention and detection, players should know that a lot of work is being done behind the virtual doors of the best online gaming sites. In addition to self-generating audit logs and automatic software configurations that match registration information with personal financial details, live staff members process withdrawal and deposit requests, receive fax-back verification forms, and keep an eye out for unusual behavior. Large all-in-one gaming sites with poker rooms, sportsbooks, casinos, etc., often have their own dedicated fraud prevention and detection department.

Regarding the protocols that prevent problem and underage online gambling, in addition to virtual fingerprinting mechanisms and strict policies regarding the protection of minors, the best gaming software has a self-exclusion and deposit limit mechanism that a player can set ahead of time or at the moment in which they suspect their gambling is getting out of hand. In all actuality, there are more stringent and efficient protective measures against fraud and problem gambling in the virtual world than there are at brick n' mortar casinos.