Get ready contestants! It’s time to take the "Fear Factor" out of online gambling by setting the record straight on game fairness, casino ethics, and your security...

Imagine a place where your greatest fears become reality. For NBC contestants on the hit reality-show Fear Factor, this means eating bugs, pig intestines or worse. For some Internet gamblers, this means risking credit card information and hard earned cash with one of the dizzyingly endless supply of casinos currently on the Web.

It’s time to separate the good from the bad and face your fears about online gambling.

FEAR #1: The games are rigged.

Online casino software runs on a Random Number Generator (RNG). Games are programmed and tested to reproduce a standard house edge similar to that of a land-based casino. It is in the best interest of a casino to ensure unpredictability. If casino software were not random, players would figure out their tendencies and use them to their advantage. Casinos like the The Sands of the Caribbean or The Gaming Club are reviewed monthly by PricewaterhouseCoopers to ensure payout percentages have been correctly calculated, and operators display this information prominently on their Web sites. In many cases they offer odds better than land-based casinos, especially when combined with special bonus offers. Remember, an RNG ensures fairness. Lady Luck does not.

FEAR #2: I won't get paid when I win.

Like in any industry, there are unscrupulous operators out there and you should be careful. A good way to find someone you trust is to use online message boards (hint: like the one found on this site). Players who contribute to boards are most-often friendly and know a scam when they see one, so don’t be afraid to ask their opinion. Also stick to venerable casinos from trusted software providers like River Belle (MicroGaming), InterCasino (CryptoLogic) or USA Casino (Boss Media). They deal with proven financial processors with a reputation for paying out. Casinos like these are also insured by surety bond in the event they become insolvent, so if they go broke, you don’t.

FEAR #3: When I am on a winning streak, the computer will automatically ensure I start losing.

It’s happened to all of us in land-based casinos: you’re on the streak of your life, only to have the dealer go on break, taking your hot-streak with her. Just like in physics, what goes up must come down. If you’re up, stop playing. As far as house edge is concerned, the longer you play, the better the chance the house edge will catch up to you. Bad money management (click here for help ) is more likely the cause for your winning streak ending than fickle gods.

FEAR #4: Gambling online is illegal.

With all the talk about anti-gambling legislation in the news, it is hard to know who’s right and wrong. The bottom line is that most online casinos are licensed in countries where Internet gaming is legal. And with more and more major land-based casinos pushing for an online presence, it’s just a matter of time before countries like the United States take a progressive approach to online gaming and individual freedom.

FEAR #5: Online casinos can’t be trusted with my personal information.

Casinos are more interested in having you as a customer than selling your e-mail address. With all the money casinos spend on software, marketing and advanced encryption technology, they are not in the business of having you sign up for their casino only to give away your information. It’s common sense: casinos carefully guard their player information, not the other way around.