Online gambling sites accused of rigging the tables

A gambling expert is warning people not to bet on getting rich by playing at Internet casinos. Steve Bourie, who's been in the industry for more than 25 years, says that since Net casinos are unregulated punters have less chance of winning. And even if they do hit the jackpot, they have no guarantee that they will be paid. In one reported case last year a Net casino refused to pay-out a $25,000 win to one lucky gambler because it said there had been a "glitch in the software". "All of these sites say they offer honest games, but in reality you'll never know if that's true,'' says Bourie. Author of the American Casino Guide, Bourie refers to one notorious incident when a slot machine was programmed not to let gamblers win. "If those things can occur in Nevada what do you think might happen in cyberspace where the are no regulations to protect gamblers?'' he said. ®