Best Name
AusVegas. Too bad they shut down. Honorable mentions to Astrobet Space Casino and Piggs Peak.

Worst Name
AAAA Casino takes it in a pathetic attempt to get to the top of directory lists. Honorable mention to Flo's Diner Casino.

Most Outrageous Claim
Planet Luck's boast that "We've already paid out $95,976,567.12. You could be next!!!" No doubt some poor suckers think they've actually paid that kind of cheese.

Biggest Casino Scandal - Part 1
Inept management at Players Fortune decide to offer super sign-up bonus to attract players. Players win big, casino doesn't have the money to pay, casino closes doors. Clown from Players Fortune then uses private player information to hack into Winneronline message boards to alter messages posted by disgruntled player.

Best Reason to Gamble Online
Excellent sign-up bonuses make it possible to get an edge on the house.

Best Reason NOT to Gamble Online
Lack of industry regulation (Australia excluded) makes it possible to get cheated without even knowing it.

Best Website
Gold Club Casino. Super-easy to navigate, no annoying pop up windows.

Worst Website
Ascot Casino. Booooorinnnng.

Sleaziest Website
Kinky Casino. The "bonus penis" cinched it.

Strangest Theme
"Living Casino - The Pulse in Online Gambling". Huh?!

Creepiest Mascot
Chester the Jester at Gaming Club.

Most Heavily-Regulated-And-Therefore-Trustworthy Online Casino
Lasseters. The only fully regulated Australian Casino still accepting bets.

Biggest Casino Scandal - Part 2
Golden Palace locks the accounts of numerous players accusing them of "bonus abuse". Aggrieved players unleash their fury on message boards. Casino and then software provider, MicroGaming, fail to properly address player complaints and ham-handedly turn the episode into public relations nightmare. Threats fly back and forth and the ugliness continues into 2K1.

Most Annoying Thing About Online Gambling
Waiting for a PIN to arrive by snail mail (from certain casinos) before you can withdraw your cash. Runner up: Registering and downloading only to discover the casino doesn't accept bets from your country. WAH!

Best Advice for Newbies
If the casino won't let you try out their games for free, don't play there.

Most Noticeable Marketing Trend
Gratuitous use of T&A on banner ads.

Best Non-Electronic Online Gambling Publication
Mark Balestra's Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Gambling.

Best New Player Resource
GamblingTour offers easy, fun way to find new casinos.

Most Annoying Player Resource
GamblingTour. Damn thing pops up on us 20 times a day.

Man of the Year
Out-of-touch Republican Senator Jon Kyl (US-Arizona) who continues to hold up the regulation of the online gambling industry with feeble attempts to prohibit same. Will someone tell this guy we're living in the 21st century? Runner up: Al Gore for inventing the Internet and thus enabling Net gambling.

There you have it - the best and worst of online gambling in the Year 2000. Here's to the New Year and good luck at the tables to all players! May your wins be big and rip-offs few.