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The Evolution of Online Slots

Added: May 16, 2012

Slots had to start somewhere, and it was thanks to microgaming back in the mid-1990s that players could now experience a simple but effective slot machine online. Granted, it was the most basic form of slot machine available with just three reels and one winning payline. They had primitive graphics and dull sound effects and just a Spin Button and a Select Stake Button to worry about. Today we call them classic slots and they remain just as popular now as they did more than 15 years ago.

Not many people know this little fact, but that very first online slot machine can still be played today and is available in various well-known gambling portals. It was after the success of this first online slot that Microgaming continued developing and churning out more of these classic casino games, and it wasn’t long after this when other software companies such as Playtech and Cryptologic also jumped into action and started releasing their own classic slots varieties.

One of the great things about online slots is that they offered players a better payout percentage rate compared with land based video slot machines or fruit machines, so thousands of slot enthusiasts started turning to these. Within just a few years of the first online slot machine having appeared, there were literally hundreds now available for players to choose from and all at the click of a button.

With more money now to spend on improving their games, each software company’s creative teams immediately began revolutionising slots and they achieved this by throwing in more reels and increasing the amount of winning paylines. Additional symbols also started appearing on the reels such as scatter symbols, wild symbols and various other bonus symbols. This made the slots seem more appealing and kept the players entertained for longer periods of time, which meant that players were spending more money.

The latest evolutionary step for the modern online slot machine has been the recently developed 3D i-Slots. These aren’t necessarily slots that require you to wear 3D glasses or require you to have a special 3D-enabled screen, although those types of slots do exist. i-Slots are the latest craze that have got players and operators excited and many of them are instantly loading games, developed by software companies such as Sheriff Gaming, Betsoft, NetEntertainment and various other revolutionary software companies.

i-Slots feature impressive graphics that are accompanied by innovative sound effects and they have given us a glimpse into what the next ten years could hold for online slots. Titles such as Ed’s Venture, Jacks T-Rex, Gonzo’s Quest, French Cuisine, Barbary Coast, Beretta’s Vendetta, A Night in Paris, Magical Forest and various other top titles have taken online slots to the next level, plus the number of these new cutting edge i-slots continues to grow.

These games are an absolute treat to play on and they include some wonderful bonus rounds and amazing in-play animations. If you are still stuck on classic slots, perhaps it’s time you found out what modern innovation has to offer and maybe check out one of today’s unbelievably creative i-slot’s for yourself at some point.

How do I avoid the Poker Sharks when Playing Online Poker?

Added: May 14, 2012

Unfortunately, we all have to play against a poker shark at some point, whether you are playing in a land based gaming venue or playing online at one of the many licensed poker sites. If you don’t ever play against a shark, how do you ever except to improve?

Not all poker sharks work in the same way, but we do know that a lot of them tend to float near the lower stakes tables, where most of the beginners (otherwise known as fish or newbies) can be found. This is risky for the sharks too though, because although in theory it may seem like taking money from a fish is easy, in reality it’s quite a different story. Beginners sometimes play quite erratically with no real game plan, which means that their next move is often quite unpredictable, thus making it difficult for the sharks.

These lower stakes tables can start with blinds as little as $0.01/$0.02 and the sharks generally have more patience and will play on these tables for hours at a time to win just $10 or $20. This may not seem like a lot of money to begin with, but bear in mind many of the sharks play with up to four or five tables open at any one time.

If they are doing this every day for up to ten hours per day, a profitable pattern will begin to emerge. If you already know the basics to poker, you can often tell who the sharks are around the table and so if you notice that you are losing all of your bankroll to the same player, perhaps it’s a good time to close the table and find a new one to play at.

There are even some websites today that you can visit and all you have to do is enter the player’s username and the network that they are playing on and it will reveal invaluable information about that player. These sites often reveal what level of skill the player is currently at and also what kind of recent form they are having, (for example they could be on a losing streak, known as tilt).

These particular websites are often free, but to find out more information on a certain player will require a paid subscription. These sites can be very useful, especially if you want to quickly research a player that is sat on your table, but most new players are unaware that these information gathering portals even exist.

You must remember that not only is information available on other players, but your information is also free for others to see, which will also reveal how much of a fish you are. With this in mind, always play with caution and hope that you don’t run into a shark while playing, which is actually impossible to do.

Bingo is so much easier Online

Added: May 9, 2012

Whether you are new to the game of bingo or not, one certain thing is that playing online is so much easier and in many ways very different to when you are playing at a land based venue such as your local bingo hall.

There is also a huge difference when playing poker online. Most players will tell you that playing Texas Hold'em in a smoke filled room against actual players that you must interact with is completely different to playing on your computer at home against avatars that you don't necessarily have to interact with.

Over the past few years, various software companies have started developing bingo software, with many using in-house, proprietary software. The beauty of being able to play bingo online is that there is no real skill required when crossing off your numbers, unlike in real life.

In a land based bingo venue, it's more beneficial for new players to purchase just a few tickets, so they can easily keep an eye on their numbers as they are called out by the bingo caller. It's therefore not a good idea to purchase more tickets (boards/cards) than you can manage, otherwise you simply won't be quick enough to cross each new number off as it is called out, which can be a difficult task even for the seasoned players.

This means that in a land based bingo venue, you have to do things the old-fashioned way and mark/daub your numbers off manually as they are called out. This simply isn't the case when you are playing online, and is now the main reason why playing bingo online has become a so much easier and far more convenient for players.

The key ingredient that makes playing online bingo so appealing boils down to a clever little feature called Auto Daub. This means that the software will automatically mark the numbers off for you as they are called out, thus eliminating the need to pay as much attention. This unique feature has therefore made life a million times easier for bingo enthusiasts and has made online bingo far more appealing.

As soon as you have registered with an online bingo site, you can jump straight in at the deep end and literally purchase as many tickets per game as the system will allow because you now know that you won't ever miss a number with this useful tool. Auto daub is fantastic and has basically taken bingo to a whole new level. Never again do you have to worry about missing a number.

Players who typically enjoy playing bingo both online and offline tend to enjoy indulging in slot machine game play as well. If you're interested in learning more about online slots it's worthwhile visiting a site like All About Slots which caters to providing detailed information to players about online slots and where to play.

Is it Ok to Log in To My Favourite Online Casino when I Travel abroad?

Added: May 8, 2012

There isn’t just one answer for this. This will first depend on where you are coming from and where you are heading, because the laws are different in each country. To be completely safe, it’s a good idea to check the local online gambling laws before you arrive at your destination and also check with your actual site that you are registered with, because it might recognise that you are abroad and simply will not allow you to log in or place a bet.

For example, you could travel to Thailand for a month-long break and you really don’t want to miss out on some important scheduled poker tourneys that are coming up. By law, you are not actually allowed to gamble online in Thailand but there would be no authority checking up on what you are doing on your laptop.

Even if you were using a hotel computer or internet café computer there would be no police coming round and looking at your computer screen to see if you are logged into your favourite online casino, so in theory you would be able to carry on gambling online, but you would be doing so at your own risk in some countries.

If you are gambling from a smartphone or similar device, some of the latest online gambling apps recognise that you are not in the country that you signed up from, so you may have difficulties when trying to log in. These are extreme gambling restriction measurements that some gambling apps impose and are still quite rare. Only a small number of gambling apps will enforce these strict checks.

In short, you should be able to continue betting in most locations once you have managed to log in, but it’s not advised to advertise the fact that you can actually do so, just in case you are breaking the law. If you don’t want to land yourself in any kind of trouble, either do the research yourself into the local online gambling laws or try and ask the tour operator to find out for you. You can carry out your own research before you go by performing simple searches online with regards to online gambling laws for the country you have decided to visit.

If you are unable to find out any information regarding this matter, perhaps it’s a good idea to just give the gambling a rest for a week or two, it could do you some good.

Big Brands Like IGT and WMS are Emerging and Will Dominate the Market

Added: April 28, 2012

With a huge push in the United States for the regulation and licensing of online gambling it's no surprise that the big and established companies that have for so many years been focusing on the development of games for land based casinos are starting to make the transition into online gambling.

Most notably in the past has been IGT with their acquisition of WagerWorks which has now been for the most part rebranded and rolled into the IGT framework. They currently license several brands that already operate online in regulated markets such at the United Kingdom. One of the most prominent brands operated by IGT online casino software is that of Virgin Casino a highly decorated gaming brand that offers many of the player favorites found in land based casinos. These include games such as Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, Clue and several others.

The other more recent entrant to the online gambling space with an online casino platform and a presence of their own is WMS Gaming. With the launch a WMS subsidiary owned and operated casino Jackpot Party Casino utilizes all of the popular WMS branded games that can be found in land based casinos throughout the world. Some of my personal favorites include Super Jackpot Party, The Wizard of OZ, Gold Fish, The Star Trek Series of video slots games, Reel'em In Big Bass Bucks and many other fun and exciting well known titles. The games are all flash powered which makes getting started at Jackpot Party Casino quick and easy. You can start playing virtually immediately after you register your account. Due to regulation and implications that surround Jackpot Party operating in non-regulated jurisdictions the casino is currently only available to players from within the UK. If you're a player form the UK and looking to play at this online casino you can do so by clicking here. Trust me when I say the experience to be had playing their online casino games is unparalleled by that of any of the other software that's been around, even that of Microgaming and Playtech. Just give it a shot and you'll see for yourself the attention to detail in not only the graphics and sound within the game but also that of the extensive bonus rounds, progressive jackpots that can be won in the games available at Jackpot Party.

Below is a YouTube video that features a promo / commercial for Jackpot Party Casino and is worthy of watching if you're considering playing at their casino.

Particularly interesting are also the videos that I found on YouTube related to some of their popular title such as Super Jackpot Party and the Wizard of Oz both of which are fun to watch.

If you're a UK player and looking to play at Jackpot Party Casino you can do so by visiting here, if however you're looking for another casino and from the UK click here for a list of top rated UK online casinos.

Regulation of Online Gaming and a New Virtual Vegas

Added: April 27, 2012

Regarding the fact that extensive online gambling in any state should be under strict jurisdiction, the state has the ultimate power to grant the privileges to gamble. As the responsibilities increase upon those who have the exclusive rights, they are restricted with firm regulations. Thus, issuing license to the operating casinos is not a common business in some parts of the world. Most gambling and betting casinos are now to be organized by hard rules and regulations.

Online gambling is not only a fast money making business in a number of countries, but it generates great revenues too, despite consistent regulatory laws. As some countries are legally continuing online gambling with strict regulations, there are inconsistencies in restraining the online gambling internationally. These days Vegas jurisdiction is on a spree to completely license and regulate online gambling operations in their national casinos and gambling stations. However, their jurisdiction allows only offshore operations to run the gambling sites without any regulations.

Illegal internet gambling has been one of the busiest gambling businesses all over the world and is responsible for the maximum deficit faced by the Vegas casinos. Consequently, the Vegas jurisdiction has taken up the updated schemes of restricting the licences of the remote online gambling operators in running the business unlawfully.

Therefore when you are up to an online gambling session, make sure that the website is properly licensed and follow all the rules and regulations of online gambling set by the particular authorized jurisdiction. It is to be taken into strong consideration that the violation of any rule or set of policies can lead you to serious offence. Thus, a maximum set of rules under the agenda of the authorities to regulate online casinos will keep people safe as players around the world.

Banning Online Gambling Appears Futile in the Internet Age

Added: April 26, 2012

Online gaming is one of the major growth industries of the internet era. Internet based interactive games are a major source of entertainment with global broadband penetration expected to reach 750 million in 2012. Gaming content is now accessible through smartphones and tablets besides desktop and notebook computers and the industry is set to continue its rapid growth. The popular Angry Birds game had 500 million downloads in 2011 with revenues of over $100 million.

While gaming is considered acceptable and even beneficial, online betting or gambling faces legal and moral strictures, particularly in the US. Gaming is said to be based on skill with entertainment as the primary motivation. Betting or gambling however involves wagering money on the outcome of the game. Online betting or gambling has been made illegal in the US since 2006. Strangely, it is illegal to play poker for money online while it is legal to do so at a licensed casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. It is also legal to play poker for money at private homes and even in restaurants and bars in some states. With such fallacy in law, it is not surprising that each year over 10 million Americans participate in online betting or gambling and spend an estimated $4 billion. This money flows out through illegal channels to offshore companies and in the event of fraud on a US citizen, he or she has no legal recourse.

The global online gambling industry is reported to have clocked revenues of $20 to $50 billion in 2011 with 20,000 to 30,000 active online gambling portals. The US efforts to bar its citizens from participating in this industry cannot succeed for too long.

Online gambling has had a troubled history in the US

The first online gambling portals were set up in 1994 in the island nation of Antigua in the West Indies, targeting business from US players. Two US companies contributed to the technology needed. Microgaming Inc. created the software for online casino games and Cryptologic created the platform for online money transactions. By 1998, the Antigua based online gambling industry had revenues of over $835 million. Microgaming and other companies had improved on the technology to permit multiple players to participate in a single game and to simultaneously chat with each other, making the experience more satisfying. Prize money offered also started to climb to hundreds and thousands of dollars with one notable jackpot of $160 million being shared by some 5000 winners. The US government complained to the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Antigua for permitting online gambling targeting US citizens but lost the case as US itself had casinos for gambling and online betting on horse racing.

Soon, other countries, like Australia and Canada, permitted setting up online gambling portals and in the cyber world. Thus it became impossible to prevent access to an online casino from anywhere in the world. Several attempts were made by the US congress to declare online gambling as illegal, which finally became successful in 2006, named the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Following the enactment of UIGEA, the US made it illegal for US companies to own or operate online gambling portals. In addition, the act made it illegal for US based banks and credit card companies to process online gambling related financial transactions. Since the major credit card companies were US based, this was expected to cause serious impediment to online gambling.
The US government has sought to enforce this law through high profile arrests of US executives managing offshore gambling portals and subpoenaing European banks for inquiry into gambling related financial transactions of US nationals.

Other countries have followed a different route

The United Kingdom has always adopted a more liberal attitude towards betting and gambling, having made these legal in 1960. Ladbrokes betting shops are present throughout the UK and the online betting company Betfair is listed on the London stock exchange. In 2011, over 13 million Britons participated in online betting or gambling and the industry had revenues of $280 million. The UK government imposes a tax of 15 percent on the net earnings of online betting companies and the Gambling Commission regulates the industry. In deference to US regulations, UK requires the industry to establish that the participant resides in a country that does not prohibit online gambling. Most UK online gambling sites have installed geo-location software to confirm the location of the internet access device. However, this technology cannot keep pace with smartphones, roaming networks and virtual servers being used to filter IP addresses. There is no way to monitor an American citizen using a UK based friend as a front for his online betting transactions.

The European Union countries like Germany, France and Italy have also permitted regulated online gambling portals. Australia and New Zealand have a high percentage of their population betting on sports events and other casino games and they were quick to licence online portals. South Korea, South Africa and even Turkey, have legalized online gambling. All these countries levy taxes on the gambling portals.

In the US itself a recent study has suggested that legalizing online gambling could yield tax revenues of $42 billion over 10 years, making a significant dent in the budget deficit. Most people agree that it would be impossible for the US to continue banning online gambling and sooner the 2006 law would be repealed.

The Future of Zynga Games

Added: April 25, 2012

Zynga Games has completely changed the social gaming industry and the way trade and commerce is carried out in the present day. In spite of the fast growing potential, the news of Zynga going IPO (Initial Public Offering) had taken many by surprise. Zynga games had to keep up with its rival counterparts such as Pandora and Groupon. These gaming brands continue to alter our lives by offering interactive experiences. With the wall gradually thinning between the real and the virtual world, we have a look at the potential trends and how it might shape the future of online gaming industry and the gambling industry of USA.

Farmville, Cityville and Frontierville started as the top three games of Zynga. Empire and Allies, Mafia Wars, Hidden Chronicles are few of the other games that also gained fast popularity on the social network Facebook of late. While social gambling and gaming through these means continue to provide revenue to these companies, maintaining these customers is an equally challenging task. Zynga creates the illusion of free gaming attracting users to play the game, in the process promoting their product. It also has several gaming credit techniques that have to be purchased by players through Credit Card or Paypal.

Boredom in these games after some point is inevitable among players. Therefore, once attracted, they constantly add new innovations from time to time in order maintain their customer player base. In order to have the company’s revenues growing, the number of players must grow too and the initial attraction of free gaming keep players. Social gaming through applications such as Zynga can only move the progressive way. Customer acquisition must therefore become their most important strategy and primary target in order to keep up the success trend and bright future of Zynga games.