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More and more land-based Vegas casinos are going online by opening fun play sites.

They look like real money-making sites, but they don't take gambling. But that's not a problem for these casinos. These casinos are not aimed at making money. The casinos are even more interested in establishing a strong customer base and a position for online gaming in the hope that Nevada will ultimately legalize online gambling.

MGM Mirage and Harrah's are already running free sites, and other casino moguls are joining the exclusive club. This week, Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel and Casino launched an interesting casino site.

Developed by Dotcom Entertainment Group, the site allows players to choose between fun slots, roulette, video poker, crack, blackjack, Caribbean poker, and table poker.

Players can enjoy better-than-average Java (no download) games branded as hard rock. The games have a 'Vegas' shape and feel, which means that players can find a lot of pink, turquoise blue, and purple on the table.

This is the first deal for land-based Vegas casinos and dotcoms, and could pave the way for future partnerships - especially if online gambling has given the silver state the green light. Other game software companies are also likely to be working on their own Vegas deals right now.

But more importantly, Hard Rock stepped into the internet casino door before most of the other big Vegas casinos. The brand recognition, named Hard Rock, will undoubtedly attract customers, and along with its strong market share, the casino's location as one of the first Vegas casinos to go online can turn into big money as long as the actual money transaction wins approval.