One of the more obvious reasons is that people simply have a love for that game. 'I love Blackjack,' says my friend Allison. 'I was taught how to play by my dad, who liked to go in to a casino every now and then and play Blackjack there. But I live alone and have no casino near my house, so from day to day the best place to play Blackjack is online.' Allison has hit on the convenience factor of online casinos. Should you really like to play a certain game often, you can do so anytime and anywhere, including from the comfort of your nice, warm bed. Provided you have an internet connection. This has been a huge selling factor for online casinos everywhere.

There are other people who play games as a different sort of enthusiast altogether. 'I love playing online casino games for the graphics and the animation. I know it sounds strange, but these games often have some of the best animation you can find, and it's a thing of beauty for me. I love it because modeling and animation, all of that, is my hobby,' says Simon, my brother-in-law, and IT technician.

Others, specifically those who play slot games for fun, simply have bought into a franchise and play the online casino game for fun, simply because the game is another dimension to a world that they've grown to love. One example of this is the slot games which take their theme from (or directly translate to game) a movie. Recent examples include The Dark Knight™ and The Lord of the Rings™. Lovers of the movie will often turn to the online slot game to supplement their movie fix, as it is a more interactive version of a beloved story. Then there are those who play the online slot game as a continuation of an older computer game they're fond of. One of the most successful by far in this category is the Tomb Raider franchise, sporting the bodacious Lara Croft that many a man fell in love with on his computer screen long before the slot games were invented. Rarer still are slot games which reference novels, but they also have their following. A recent example of this would be Leagues of Fortune from Microgaming, which is a direct reference to Jules Verne's classic, 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea.

The last reason people enjoy online casino gaming for fun, though by no means the least reason, is to meet new people. This may sound counterintuitive, as online gaming is generally a solitary experience, but tournaments and the like mean that gamers from all over the world are playing interactively together. That's hundreds of people with the same hobby and game tastes as you – way better than any real-life mixer! I have a friend Janine who plays in online tournaments, as well as video poker, and she met two long-term friends at tournaments before eventually meeting her fiancé, Gavin, there as well.

For all these reasons, it certainly seems to pay to enjoy a little online gambling, even if you aren't actually paid out.