Online Casinos Directory

Newsweek just published a commentary on the state of online gaming titled, “High Stakes for Online Gamblers.” Author Jeremy Herb took opposition with the pending UIGEA decision that is scheduled to take affect December 1st. He wrote “The problem with UIGEA is it raises more questions than it answers.  The law does not make it illegal for people to gamble as it focuses on bank transactions. But it failed to define what’s considered ‘illegal internet gambling.’ The Treasury and the Fed, which are instructing banks on how to enforce the law, did not define illegal gambling either.”

Herb’s arguments and criticisms of the UIGEA are not new. He is only writing what many critics have been citing over the past few years. The UIGEA is a law that is vague, at best. This vagueness makes it difficult to enforce.  The law is centered around making banking institutions unable to process transactions that are made from online gambling. It puts the responsibility of flagging and denying transactions that are affiliated with gambling in the hands of banks. Problems have already happened because overzealous banking institutions are not only denying illegal transactions, but they are also denying transactions that by all accounts are legal, but are related to legal lotteries and legal drawings. People are finding their funds either frozen or seized, despite them not coming from illegal gambling.

Herb goes on to explain some of the background to UIGEA and enlighten readers on the conflict between the industry and the Wire Act, an older law that is often used to prosecute online gambling operators. He writes, “The Justice Department believes all Internet gambling is illegal based on the 1960s Wire Act, which was designed to stop bookies from using telephones and passed long before the Internet as we know it existed. The gambling industry disputes this, arguing the Wire Act only applies to sportsbetting, not games like poker or roulette. In 2002, the Fifth Circuit Court ruled the Wire Act only applied to sportsbetting but that didn’t sway any opinions at Justice. Several offshore executives of online casinos and ‘e-wallet’ payment processors have been arrested in the past few years. In June, the Justice Department froze $33 million in payments to American players from four online casinos.”

A statement from the online casino 7Sultans.eu read, “When it comes to playing online casino games, nothing is more rewarding than winning major jackpots and receiving special treatment from your favorite casino. At 7Sultans.eu, players get to play a wide selection of casino games that offer superior entertainment and unmatched bonus rewards.”

The statement was written to announce the new offerings 7Sultans.eu is offering to the gaming public. The casino is now offering every player with a “real” account automatic entry into the loyalty program. This is a huge advantage to any player because accumulated points can be converted into credits that extend play time. In today’s competitive online casino market, this is a huge advantage. It means that if you play for a week and wager a certain amount, you will log-in and automatically have earned extra credits to continue playing with. It’s the same as getting “free” money to keep up the online fun. Read the fine print, but over all it is a great option if you are an avid online gamer. Of course there is a requirement of 5,000 wagered credits before you can redeem your money, but again, if you are an avid player that shouldn’t be a problem. If you are a player who logs in once in a while, it may not be that big an advantage to your play time.
7Sultans.eu also revealed that every new player who starts off at the silver level of its loyalty program, will have access to special weekly promotional updates.  These include tournaments and bonus games to enjoy throughout their gaming experience.  The statement released by the company also read: “The 7Sultans.eu loyalty program is like a ladder to success where players qualify for 2,500 loyalty points by simply signing-up for a real money account. When online casino games enthusiasts are able to accumulate at least 10,000 loyalty points within a month, they are guaranteed to move into the Gold level status. All Gold level players will automatically earn 20,000 Birthday Bonus points when playing their favorite casino games on their birthday.” Check out 7Sultans.eu for some added bonuses of VIP programs and gaming fun.

Ohio is still working hard to sort out their slots issues. Governor Stickland is suporting the postponement of a budgeted reduction in income taxes that came into effect on September 30th. The Governor is stating the postponement is the best option for the state as they try to figure out the $851 million deficit in educational funding. The shortfall in funds is a difficult one to manage and Strickland was hoping to use revenues from slots as a way to close the gap on teh huge cost to the state. Unfortunately the Ohio Supreme Court just decided that to use slots in the state as funding there must be an official voter referendum. In other words, the people need to decide if this is acceptable and make the decision for their state.

Though slots were approved by the Governor, now things are up in the air until the referendum vote decides the outcome. One of the organizations petitioning for the vote was LetOhioVote.org. This is a group that, just like their name implies, is trying to let the state citizens vote on whether or not they believe that slot machine revenues are a desired way of funding government programs, education and other funding needed to close the gap on the huge deficit in the budget. LetOhioVote.org has made headlines as of late due to their active campaigning for signatures that would secure the decision for the state to let people decide on the issue.

In 2005, legislation approved a lowering of personal income tax rates by 4.2% each year from 2005 throughout 2009 in the state. This means that a family that earned, say $50,000, the delay in the income tax reduction play would produce a tax bill approximately $80 more than they normally would have paid. Strickland is hoping that the income tax change is a more reasonable action than laying off teachers or suspending educational programs.  Without slots revenue, Stickland said that the satate funding would have to be decreased by 10% and in two years the total cuts would add up to approximately $37.9 million.  It will most likely be an issue that will be settled by the people of the state when the referendum is voted on in 2010.

If you have ever played the popular slots game Mega Moolah, now you can enjoy the game when you are on the go!  Spin3, mobile gaming specialists, just announced their release of the game as an application for web-enabled cell phones. This is a premiere advantage to those who want to be able to play their favorite game when traveling. CEO for Spin3, Matti Zindler, stated, “We are excited to be able to bring the biggest online progressive jackpot to the mobile platform. This is yet another milestone for Spin3 and for the development of mobile gambling. The industry is going from strength to strength and bringing a game such as Mega Moolah, which has such a strong online following, to the mobile platform is a fantastic achievement. The possibility of creating the next millionaire on a mobile phone is a hugely exciting prospect.” Zindler cited the company’s desire to continue to develop popular games into the mobile platform for customers.

Mega Moolah is a game with an African theme. It features a wide variety of characters from the plains of the country, including elephants, lions and zebras. It is a 5-reel and 25 payline game that features a wheel of fortune style jackpot bonus game. If you are lucky enough to get to the bonus game, you’ll enjoy a separate feature that capitalizes on extending your gaming session. You can win tons of prizes with the game and there is a guaranteed million-dollar payout to one lucky winner of the game. Zindler added, “We are excited to be able to bring the biggest online progressive jackpot to the mobile platform.”
Mobile gaming is the next move in the world of online slots. While people have brought the online gaming portal to the forefront in popularity, the newest advantage is being able to take your favorite games mobile. Smart phones like iPhones are perfect for playing these mobile games. Companies like Spin3 are continuing to release new titles periodically. Be on the lookout for the latest games because they are going to be steadily increasing in quality and gaming experience as the market continues to grow.

The online casino JackpotCapital.com announced recently that it has made some serious changes. The website is one of the best online casinos and thousands of players thus far have enjoyed their games. They have a wide range of table games, video poker, 3-5 reel slots and multi-hand video poker. Whatever your preference in gaming, you should find it here. Plus the promotions are good too. When you sign up, you get the $100 Thanksgiving bonus. Even though turkey day is over, the promotion lasts until December 3rd. Be sure to sign up for your additional cash. Plus if you join as a VIP member, you can get an additional $200 extra. Of course there are stipulations, but overall it’s a great deal for any online player.

In addition to the normal operations, JackpotCapital.com announced that it is focusing more than every on the customer base. They just instituted a VIP Customer Support Team that is centered on the needs of “regular players looking for higher table and wagering limits alongside more generous comp points.”  The change will help players make the most of their gaming session at Jackpot Capital.

Oliver Smith of Jackpot Capital said, “I’m very proud of the VIP support team that we’ve assembled. We are generous with comp points and bonuses, of course, but we also know that sometimes it’s the little personal touches that make all the difference to players and that’s what our staff is here for.” The website is offering players numerous VIP entry levels featuring corresponding benefits. Its new VIP Silver begins offering benefits after players have accumulated only 1,500 points in a 90-day period. VIP players earn comp points faster than regular players while also receiving extra non-deposit bonuses from $50 to $400 with a monthly full matching deposit bonus. If you want to make the most of your money, having the VIP program with your membership is definitely the way to go.

The online casino also announced that its Jackpot Pinatas multi-line slot jackpot is currently over $1.5 million while the prize for its Aztec’s Riches is in excess of a million dollars. These are great numbers for any online gambler. Couple them with the VIP program, outstanding customer service team, games and download/no-download option of play and you won’t go wrong with this online casino.

December 7th is the day Arundel Mills mall will know whether or not they can open a slots casino. Mall officials and voters both approved the move via a referendum earlier this year. Though they have been vocal about their feelings on the casino, County Council members have not. They have for the most part been tight-lipped about the issue. That has brought a lot of problems for them because everyone wants to know what decisions may be made on the 7th.

Ron Dillon, councilman, has been the only official who has come out with support for the casino. And Jamie Benoit, also a councilman, has voice his opinion against it. Despite those two opinions, there has been little else divulged by the council and that is making things difficult to gauge.  The December 7th meeting will be held to face the issue, but much of the meeting is already scheduled for a revolving door of council members. Councilwoman Cathy Vitale will turn over the gavel to Councilman Ed Middlebrooks, who promised to call for a vote on this issue. Councilman Josh Cohen is resigning on December 6th as he moves to his new position as Annapolis Mayor. Trish Johnson is filling in for Ed Reilly because he left to fill a Senate Seat vacated by Senator Janet Greenip.

When the vote is called the question on everyone’s mind will be: Should the zoning laws change to allow Cordish Company to build the casino at Arundel Mills mall? Industry insiders are predicting that the city council will grant Cordish the license. There are various reasons the move could prove beneficial to the city. One is the added revenue that would be brought into the economy. Another is the job creation issue. The city is looking for creating a substantial number of jobs because of the overwhelming unemployment rate of the area. The recession took its toll on the community. December 7th is the date when the vote will take place and many parties are personally invested in the outcome. Only time will tell whether or not the community will benefit from a casino facility.

Playfish just was purchased by industry giant Electronic Arts. The acquisition means that fans of online poker play can now enjoy their favorite games on Facebook thanks to a joint venture wtih Poker Rivals. The interface is in its beta stages, but players can use a virtual version of themselves, or avatar, during the game and play poker online. Players are able to dress their avatars and animate their characters during the game. Playfish released a statement reading: “Playfish has gone all in with Poker Rivals to take Texas hold‘em poker to a whole new level. Whether you’re a newcomer to hold’em or you’re an old hand, you’ll feel instantly at home in the ultimate poker experience. Hit the tables with your friends or try your hand in a tournament then show everyone you’ve got the right stuff by buying new clothes, accessories, even a whole new apartment with your winnings. You can even buy your own private yacht, but that’s for the real high rollers only. Veterans can hit the tables right away while beginners can choose to clue up in the Poker Rivals tutorial. Don’t worry if you’ve never played a hand of poker, it’ll teach you everything you need to know.”

The tutorial is another advantage of playing the game at this casino. You can play a game with a complete instructional series of games that teach you how to maneuver your hands and play with confidence. Of course the real attraction is the avatar play capabilities. You can log in and play games with other players “face” to “face.” It’s great to watch your avatar in animation as you play. The added bonus of being able to dialogue with other players is a nice extra too. There is a seperate chat capability in this casino that lets you communicate via a Facebook-like menu. You can talk and post messages to other’s accounts. It’s a great way to get more information on the best games and specials.  The statement also read: “We want to bring our players real-time social networking just like Facebook or Myspace allow. Our new product does just that– you can have the same interactive experience of other social networking websites.”

With the holiday season upon us, online casinos are working hard to focus on charities and organizations that need funding. It’s a great way to blend your love of playing online gambling games and wanting to do good for the community.  CostaBingo.com has just announced that it will be donating one pound to the BBC’s Children In Need charity for every player who wins on its special “Pudsey Card” game.

The game is a specially designed Pudsey-shaped 75-ball online bingo pattern that is set to help raise money for children in need.  The charity is over 80 years old and has worked throughout the years to help support programs and events that “make a real and tangible difference in the lives of disadvantaged children.” The organization gets its funding solely from outside sources are it is always looking for new innovative ways of bringing in added dollars for operations. This marriage between the organization and CostaBingo.com is a great one because not only does it offer online gamblers a great game, but they can contribute effortlessly to the wellbeing of children in need while playing.

Debbie Gent, Operations Director for CostaBingo.com said, “Our bingo cards offer many different winning patterns but we hope our players will put superstition to one side and play Pudsey. It costs them nothing extra to play the charity card and if they win Children In Need get one pound. We all think it’s a no brainer and hope to raise lots of money for Children In Need.”
The 2009 Children In Need Appeal began last week but players can take part on the special Pudsey-shaped card at CostaBingo.com anytime. “Every year, we are both humbled and inspired by the extraordinary lengths our supporters go to raise money and we hope this year is no exception,” said David Ramsden, Chief Executive Officer for BBC Children In Need. “This is why we are asking for your support again in 2009.”

If you are an online gamer and want to do some good, take a chance at the CostaBingo.com Pudsey-game. It is a fun game that is the best of bingo. You should have fun enjoying the game while doing something for the children of the world who are in need.

Online gambling is growing quickly. More and more players are finding the convenience and advantages of playing online rather than traveling to a land-based casino. Online casinos are responding by pushing the envelope of what is possible and what they offer to their customers. Competition within the online market is fierce and they are all vying for the market share. This is great news for online players because it means that you can always find a new deal that is better than the old one.

Another affect that the growth in online gaming has had is that online casinos have to cater to specific needs of each customer.  7Sultans.eu is a website that is working to do just that. They recently announced that they are debuting their multi-language feature that allows players to play in a whopping seven different languages. The Kahnawake-licensed site revealed that competitors can now enjoy its games in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Greek and Portuguese while also being able to find country-specific information on its latest promotions and rewards. The website is operated through the Fortune Lounge Group and stated that players can also discover the most precise way to get the casino process in their own language while banking methods are also well documented in the various tongues.  It’s a way for players to more easily understand the gaming rules and regulations.

The website is powered by MicroGaming and also offers various currency methods of play.  Players can participate in any number of games with their specific type of currency and now worry about conversions or understanding rates. They can even take part in the unique promotions like the €1,000 Free New Player Welcome Bonus. A statement from 7Sultans.eu website read, “With this bonus in hand, players are invited to indulge in games ranging from slots to craps and blackjack to roulette, just to name a few. The progressive jackpot games are also a captivating element that this casino offers players as they sit in the millions. Each player is treated like a VIP with individual needs and wants when playing at 7Sultanseu. The fact that players can access the casino in the language of their choice proves that gambling online is definitely the way forward for those in search of huge jackpot opportunities.”

Erica Schoenberg is an American professional blackjack and poker player. She has competed in the World Series of Blackjack and placed 16^th in the World Poker tour $25,000 Championship. She also was third in the 2007 WSOP $1,500 no-limit Hold’em.  She currently has a sponsorship agreement with Full Tilt Poker. Schoenberg just announced that she will be playing in a special online charity tournament at FullTiltPoker.com as part of the Online Forum Challenge’s Third Annual World Series of Online Forums. The Online Forum Challenge’s Wolf Mountain Sanctuary Charity Tournament has a buy-in of $11 and will begin at FullTiltPoker.com on December 5 from three o’clock in the afternoon New York time.

This special tournament is set to raise money and awareness for the Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, which is a non-profit animal rescue organization. It specifically works with animals that are considered to be “wild” and works with them to preserve their natural habitat and conditioning. This tournament will award the winner with a Mexican Riviera poker cruise courtesy of CardPlayerCruises.com.
On top of the win, top players can also leave with great gift certificate prizes from All in Clothing Company and FullTiltPoker.com.  The player who manages to oust Schoenberg herself will walk away with a one year-long Online Premium Membership to the Poker Players Alliance. Jason “Wolf” Rosenberg, President and Owner of Online Forum Challenge Global Gaming Events, said, “We are grateful to be working with the entire FullTiltPoker.com team, CardPlayerCruises.com and the All In Clothing Company. They have all been so supportive in our efforts to bring attention to this very special cause. I have been a volunteer at Wolf Mountain Sanctuary for ten years now and this cause is very dear to my heart. We wish to thank everyone in advance for participating in this event.”

The event is just one of many that FullTiltPoker.com is sponsoring this upcoming year. The website has created a long-term package of events and promotions for any player to participate in. The goal is to not only bring players to the website, but also to help various charity events and organizations with raising awareness and funds for operations.