Getting Started with Bitcoin

There are plenty of resources explaining what Bitcoin is, how great it is,
and how big of an asset it is for online gaming, but there seems to be almost no
resources to help walk you through the steps to get started and begin using
Bitcoin to play online today. Never fear, though, because we’re going to give
you the important things you need to know about Bitcoin and then walk you
through the entire process step by step.

To make things easier on those that already know they want to use Bitcoin,
we’re going to start with the steps to get started and then follow up with any
additional information including benefits, how they work, and anything else we
feel you should know to be a more informed consumer.

The overall process is broken down into three easy steps for depositing onto
your favorite online casino or sportsbook.

1. Open a Bitcoin Wallet Account
2. Fund your Bitcoin Wallet Account
3. Use your Bitcoin Wallet Account to deposit onto your favorite site.

Step 1 – Open a Bitcoin Wallet

A Bitcoin wallet is an online hub for buying and selling Bitcoins. While
there are some types of Bitcoin wallets called software wallets, we are only
going to be concerned with hosted wallets. A hosted wallet is a way to store
your Bitcoins with a third party, much like you would do with a bank. A perfect
analogy would be if we kept all of our money in a shoebox in our room that would
be like a software wallet. If we kept all of our money with a trusted bank, that
would be like a hosted wallet. It basically means that we are using
another company to handle the security and storage of our money (in Bitcoin
forms).

A Bitcoin wallet is going to feel exactly like using something like PayPal.
You will use your bank or credit/debit card to load money onto the wallet and
then you can use that wallet to make purchases or deposit into an online gaming
site the same way you would with PayPal. The only difference is that when you
load the money onto the wallet, you will be able to convert it into Bitcoins so
that you can make your transactions.

To open a Bitcoin wallet account, it is again the same procedure as if you
were opening a PayPal account or something like that. Find a provider, follow
the instructions and you’re all set.

Here are a few popular ones we see used a lot.

• Coinbase
• Copay

Step 2 – Deposit Money Into Your Bitcoin Wallet

Once you’ve got your account all set up, the next step is to deposit some
money and purchase some Bitcoin. Remember, just like with any currency the rate
of Bitcoin will fluctuate so make sure you look at the rate you are getting when
you purchase. Don’t get too worked up on this as it will always be fluctuating
some in each direction.

You can deposit into your Bitcoin account through a debit or credit card or
by directly linking your bank account to your Bitcoin wallet. All of these
methods will work the same so just choose the one that you prefer the most. Some
Bitcoin wallets may also allow you to deposit through PayPal or some other
payment methods if you prefer.

Step 3 – Deposit Your Bitcoins Into the Casino or Sportsbook

Once you’ve got your money on your Bitcoin wallet, you’re ready to make your
deposit onto the online casino or sportsbook and get to playing. All you need to
do is navigate to the deposits page of the casino or sportsbook you want to play
at and click on the Bitcoin option. They will give you specific instructions on
how to make your deposit, and that’s it! It shouldn’t take more than a few
minutes from when the transaction is approved for you to have your money on the
site and be playing or betting.

If you haven’t found a Bitcoin casino or sportsbook to play at yet, here are
a few of our favorite options. The depositing and withdrawal methods are
extremely straightforward and easy on all of these sites listed.

Rank	VA Gambling Site	Deposit Bonus	Products	Get Started
#1	Las Atlantis	280% Up To $14,000	Casino	Visit Site
#2	Wild Casino	250% Up To $5,000	Casino	Visit Site
#3	BetUS	125% Up To $2,500	Sports Casino	Visit Site
#4	BetOnline	50% Up To $1,000	Sports Casino Poker	Visit Site
#5	Bovada	50% Up To $250	Sports Casino Poker	Visit Site

Step 4 – Withdrawing Your Winnings

After you’ve played and won, it’s time to withdraw your winnings. All you
need to do is process a withdrawal through the online sportsbook or casino you
are playing at, and they will transfer your Bitcoins back into your Bitcoin
wallet for you. Once you receive your Bitcoins, you can then convert them back
into your usual currency and send back to your bank account or use to purchase
things online from other sites that accept Bitcoin.

That’s all there is to it. One of the perks of Bitcoin is its simplicity and
ability to be used all over the world through the exact same process. For those
of you wanting to learn more about Bitcoin or for those of you still with
questions, we’ve included a considerable amount of additional information below
to help out.

What Is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a type of digital crypto-currency. In simpler terms, it’s a new
form of currency (money) that is set up to be used over the internet.
Transactions using Bitcoin are completely anonymous, free, and use no banks to
complete transactions.

Contrary to what you might think, it’s not an actual physical coin but a data
block that is created through an intensive computer process. Basically, you
can’t hold a Bitcoin in your hand, but you can certainly use it to make
purchases and transactions worldwide online. We won’t bore you with the
technical details, but in short,

With each
Bitcoin made, the next one becomes more and more difficult to create to where
eventually it will be impossible to make any more. This means a finite supply
which allows the coins to have value.

You can imagine these are kind of like a precious metal that takes a lot of
effort and manpower to dig out of the earth. Each time more is dug out, the next
piece is further down and requires much more manpower until there eventually
aren’t any more left.

Why Are Bitcoins Valuable?

Any form of currency is only valuable for two main reasons. One, there needs
to be a finite supply of the currency and two, people need to agree that the
currency will be used to trade for goods and services. Look at paper money. The
paper itself isn’t worth the value we give it, but because there is a limited
supply of it and we have all decided that we are willing to use it for goods and
services, it has value.

Here’s a great analogy. Imagine the prison ecosystem where they don’t have
traditional forms of currency. In a lot of jails and prisons, cigarettes have
become their form of currency. Why? There is a limited supply of them, and the
prisoners have all decided that they will accept them for goods and services. An
actual cigarette might only be worth $0.50, but since it is being used as a form
of currency, it can be exchanged for things of much higher value.

Bitcoin has its value because people have begun accepting it as a form of
currency and for trade for goods and services. The more companies and
organizations that begin recognizing and accepting the currency, the more
valuable it is going to become. Here are just a few examples of some major
corporations and companies that accept and acknowledge Bitcoin as a form of
currency.

These are just a few examples of thousands of major companies coming onboard.
The more of these companies that get on board, the higher the value of Bitcoin
is going to soar.

Pros and Cons of Bitcoin

Pros

Safe and Secure

A lot of people are scared to use their credit cards or banking information
with online gaming sites. While there is no real concern for this, we can
understand the concern some people have and the want to keep them separate.
Bitcoin wallets act as a middle man that allow you to deposit and withdraw
completely anonymously without ever exposing your personal information to the
sites. This safety and security extend for those that do a lot of shopping and
online transacting. Instead of sending your personal information to tons of
different sites, you only have to use it for the wallet, and then you are hidden
and protected everywhere you go online. In the day and age of digital crime,
this is a big security plus.

Cost

Using more traditional methods of moving around money will carry significant
costs and fees. Due to the completely digital nature of Bitcoin and no need for
banks, transactions are either free or have a negligible fee for making a
transaction. This can save you tons of money especially if you are moving around
larger sums of money or are making lots of deposits and online purchases. Many
online gambling sites will give you additional bonuses for using Bitcoin because
it saves them a ton of money in the fees that they usually cover for you on
deposits.

Speed and Flexibility

Due to the nature of how Bitcoin works, transactions (both withdrawals and
deposits) are infinitely faster than other traditional methods. Usually, other
methods are processed and sent in a few days where most sites process Bitcoin in
a few hours. Not only are the transactions faster, but the limits are usually
considerably higher on both deposits and withdrawals.

Transparency

This one confuses people sometimes but is actually a huge benefit. They’re
confused how something can be completely anonymous, yet still be completely
transparent. This is what we mean. All transactions done through Bitcoin are
publicly listed for everyone to see. However, there is absolutely no personal
data attached to each transaction. There is only a transaction code that is ONLY
known by the sender and the receiver of the Bitcoin. This means that the sender
and receiver have a very transparent way of checking on their transactions and
making sure things are done. This prevents a lot of scams and makes things a lot
clearer for every party involved.

This transaction code is not known or handled by a bank or some sort of
Bitcoin middle man. It is only known by the sender and receiver and never anyone
else. This is how it can be transparent to the right parties and hidden from
everyone else who has no business knowing what you are doing with your money.

Cons

Changing Rate

All currencies are going to fluctuate up and down every single day. As
Bitcoin is also a form of currency, this is to be expected. The important thing
to note, though, is that due to the face Bitcoin is a newer currency, the
fluctuations have the potential to be slightly bigger than with other more
mainstream currencies. The good news is the historical trend up until now has
been with this moving up. We can’t say which direction the trend is going to go
in the future, but there are definitely a lot of positives on the horizon for
Bitcoin.

Learning Curve

Sometimes it can take people a few minutes to understand Bitcoin which could
be viewed as a negative. Frankly, though, after reading this article we would
hope you have a pretty good idea of how the currency works and how you can get
started taking advantage of all the positives it brings to the table, not only
for online gaming but also for everything else you do online.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bitcoin