Online Casinos Directory

There are still some US gamers who are worried where to go when trying to find a casino. The rules are sketchy now because of the huge amount of debates going on in the market of gambling. The US is in the midst of huge changes. One side wants gambling and the other doesn’t. The problem is that they both have equally poignant reasons why they should be right. Plus it is a passionate issue that is striking a chord with gamers everywhere. Possibly the biggest argument is that gamers in the US have made it clear that they are going to wager. When the UIGEA of 2006 banned internet gambling, people didn’t stop; they merely moved their online gambling to offshore companies. They didn’t stop gambling though. It was a harsh lesson for US legislators as they saw billions of US gambling dollars moving to offshore companies. As a result the US is now embroiled in this debate. They don’t want to continue losing money, but they also want to avoid the problems that can occur with legalized gambling available to residents.

If you are a US player and looking for a good online casino, first you need to check with your jurisdiction. There are many laws out there and states, cities and counties don’t always agree. You could find that your county doesn’t allow gambling but your city does. Or, your city could allow gambling but only at approved locations that have licenses and permits to operate the gaming floor. You never know and rules are changing on a weekly basis so be sure to protect yourself from doing something illegal. Assuming you checked and you are legally allowed to gamble in your area, then you have some good options. Here are some of the best for US gambling.
• Grand Vegas Casino. This is a top notch casino that just opened earlier this year. Don’t let its newness fool you though. It may be new but it has taken lessons from what has already happened in the market. The company has a huge following already and is offering a good range of bonuses for any new US gamer to take advantage of. It has premiere games and a long list of selections so you won’t easily get bored here.

Part two coming next.

For twenty three years now, Ohio has held its annual “Dublin Irish Festival.” It is a time when people from all over the country come together for four days of singing, dancing, gaming, food, music and of course, drinking. Though this is a happy weekend for the state, there are still other things going on—namely the legalization or gambling. Though the Irish Festival is the opportunity to have a lot of fun, four other options are coming to light in the state. The state approved the building of four casino locations that are going to be built in Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo and Cincinnati. It took a long time of negotiations, but state officials finally found that building the four casinos would be a huge advantage.

Ohio is like all US states in that it is having problems with its finances since the recession. The recession was difficult for the market and left millions of businesses in financial distress—some even had to close their doors after years of successful operations. It was a hard time and now states are left with few options for bringing in the dollars needed to overcome. The only viable option it seems is using gambling revenue. It is estimated that there are millions of dollars available through tax revenue dollars and licensing. States are planning on using the money to overcome the huge deficits and expenses that they cannot begin to tackle without. The billions of dollars available through gambling seems to be the only viable option to overcoming.

Despite the pending gambling changes, Ohio residents braced up for the Irish Festival without a care in the world. They believe that it is a time for celebration and most are looking forward to eventually visiting the four premier casinos within their states for gambling fun. It will take some time to get off the ground, but so far things are looking good. All four casino locations are on time with their state of the art games, grounds and amenities. They should soon bring in the millions of dollars the state sorely needs and help turn things around quickly.

Online casinos often times split up into different variations of gaming. For example, they will have one name, but then have a sports betting website, a poker site and a bingo site. Consumers can jump from one to another and enjoy the best gaming each one has to offer. Normally if you want to play in each casino, you will have to sign up for each one separately and open multiple accounts. Crazy Mobile is a website that is looking to change that. If you have a real-money account at any of the Vegas Partner Lounge Group Online Casinos you can participate in Crazy Mobile’s online gambling offerings. The great thing is that you won’t have to start up an individual account again. These casinos are easily translatable into the world of online gambling.
To join in on the fun all you need to do is download the application to your phone. Crazy Mobile will lead you through the process onoine and you shouldn’t have problems with its implementation. Online casinos these days understand how players want mobile options that still offer them full-gaming capabilities. Developers are working to expand their offerings and meet the demand of on-the-go customers. The mobile world is definitely picking up steam in the market and it’s a great time to get in on the fun. It will take some time, but remember that technology is moving at exponential speeds. That means that people who want online gambling most likely will not only have it at home and on their laptops, but also be able to download a special application to their mobile gaming option. The technology already exists to create mobile gaming options and developers are only looking to hone their programs so they better serve their gaming public. In the upcoming months expect online gambling to come up with even more dynamic options to gambling. It’s one of the fastest growing industries and gaining more and more customers as it develops. If you are interested in mobile gaming due to a long commute or travel for work, consider using the iPhone or iPad and moving into mobile gambling.

The US has experienced a particularly hard time throughout the recession. The unemployment rate skyrocketed, home values plummeted and the credit bubble burst. It was a hard time for every economy and every industry throughout the country. One market that suffered just as severely was the land-based casino industry. Due to people’s budgets being strained, their amount of discretionary income greatly waned. This caused them to cut out all forms of entertainment- and that included movies, clothing, luxury items, travel and of course, gambling. Unfortunately, it isn’t a short-term problem either. It seems that many land-based casinos and cities with gambling as its main industry are suffering. Atlantic City and other popular gambling destinations in the US have reported a slump in 2010 revenue thus far, due to the overwhelming weather conditions within the country. The online casino industry has been stealing players from the land-based casinos due to the weather in the US. The online casinos are much cheaper to play, more comfortable, and they aren’t affected by weather conditions as long as the player continues to have power and a stable Internet connection wherever they are within the country.

Past studies have shown that the online casinos are much more popular during the winter months, because players tend to stay indoors and find ways to entertain themselves. This is just one more reason of a long list of reasons why people are staying away from the land-based casinos. The US government is beginning to realize what has been happening with players throughout the country, and they are working to license and regulate online casino games. Though this may help the online casino industry to grow, it idoes little for land-based casinos. These casinos are trying to keep up with market changes but they all see internet casinos as competition they may not be able to overcome. It is difficult to say whether or not land-based casinos will be able to recover, but they are still putting their best foot forward in terms of competing. They are working to build promotional and advertising events that bring in customers and create excitement to make more and more repeat customers.

A few short years ago there was nothing line venturing out to a land-based casino for gambling fun. You pulled up, read the specials and then played until your bankroll was gone. Things are changing now that technology has taken over. It seems that more and more players are moving to the online world for their gaming. Part of the problem is expenses. The land-based casinos are expensive compared to playing at an online casino. Most of the land-based casinos do not have enough tables games to accomodate all of the players, and they often try to push players over to the video slot machines with the worst player odds. The betting minimums are much higher in a land-based casino than at an online casino. This can easily put the player at a disadvantage when they play a table game and have a relatively small bankroll. These are just some of the disadvantages of land-based gaming. The problem is that the future most likely will hold more of the same– online casinos are able to run at a much lower overhead and that gives them an immediate advantagfe when it comes to creating affordable gaming options for online players. Land-based casinos have to meet a certain revenue to just cover their huge expenses and what ever is left over is portioned towards bonuses and promotions.

Land-casinos have been experiencing an increase in attempted robberies due to the stress and desperation of people during the global financial crisis. The comfort level in most land-based casinos is dropping due to the increase in rude patrons and unfriendly dealers. By playing casino games online, you can experience the same thrill of gambling at a casino without all of the negative issues that often arise at land-based casinos. You can relax in the comfort of your own home where their is no casino dress code, no expensive drinks, and you can play any of the casino games at your own desired pace. It is so much safer to play casino games over the Internet. The online casinos have gone out of their way to offer a safe gaming experience. They have to if they are going to continue to take the casino market by storm.

There are always new promotions to try but many of them involve some serious searching. Like anything else though, if it is worth having, then it’s worth putting effort into finding. Here are some tips to finding the best promotions and specials for your gaming needs. The first step is to always join the slots club. Slots clubs at a casino all offer special rewards for patrons to enjoy. The best way to look at them is a form of earning miles on a credit card or frequent flyer program. The more you buy, the more points you earn. The more points you earn, the more rewards you are privy to.

So who has the best deals? The answer to that question is, it depends on what type of bonuses you are looking for and which ones fit the best with your particular form of gaming. The features and benefits of each slot club may vary widely.  While some may concentrate on providing you with good future room offers and packages, others may be more willing to provide you with comps and/or cash back for your current play. It’s also depends largely on your level of play and what wager level you can afford. That is going to dictate the type of benefits you’ll receive both on your current visit and future visits as well.  Check with the slot club to see what rewards they offer for your level of play.  If you’re playing at a higher level, you can also ask to see a casino host, who can help you receive even greater rewards and benefits. 

When finding bonuses, remember to never wager money you can’t afford to lose. If you have a smaller bankroll, then most likely you want to play with small amounts of cash at each casino, chances are you’ll end up with very little. You’d be better off to concentrate your play to two or three casinos at most to achieve greater rewards. Casinos love player loyalty and will really work pretty hard to maintain yours. Also, don’t continue to play beyond your intended budget or bankroll just to acquire a certain comp or particular benefit. Play at the level you’re comfortable with and let the rewards and benefits fall where they may, so that comps truly become an asset for you.  In other words, if your luck at the machines has soured for a time, don’t succumb to spending another $500 to get your “free” $10 buffet!

Part two coming next.

Tribal casinos in Washington, once thought to be a sure bet, are now experiencing a decline in revenues.  Some casinos’ revenues have dropped thirty percent in 2009. Many Native American tribes are battling with lenders, struggling to make payments, or closing their casinos all together.  Tribes that have been hit include the Nooksack, Snoqualmie, and Skokomish tribes. Before these recent downturns, tribes and tribal casinos never had to think much about strategizing their business.  Any marketing campaign that seemed to be a good one was implemented with fair to positive results. W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Washington Indian Gaming Commission said, “We were riding a high wave, and a long one.” 

Craig Parmelee, team leader for gaming and lodging at Standard & Poor’s says, “It’s like nothing we’ve seen, over the past two years.  Going back to 1997 – 2007, never did more than two gaming companies default, and in many years none did, and in the past two years, 20 did.” Before the economy was facing the hardships it currently is, lenders never thought to look at the fine print, or delve into the risks of investing in tribal casinos.  In fact, non-tribal, commercial casinos were feeling the consequences of the recession long before the tribal casinos felt it.  Indian casinos have been consistently stronger performers than non-tribal casinos, making the 2009 loan defaults the more notable.

Investing in a tribal casino poses unique risks for both the tribe and the lenders. For the lenders, if the debts go bad, they may be out of luck.  The property cannot be foreclosed upon because it is held in trust for the tribe by the US government.  Also, the creditors can’t take over operations because only the tribe is licensed to run the casino.  As for the tribes, everything is at stake, their whole way of life.  While some money made from the casinos goes directly to tribal members in per-capita payments, profits are also used to fund college scholarships for members, and for government services. There are, however, some success stories from 2009. While revenues at some individual casinos may have fallen drastically, total tribal revenues actually rose slightly.  In Washington, total tribal-casino revenues were up slightly to $1.6 billion in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, according to the Washington State Gambling Commission, from $1.5 billion in 2008.

The Illinois senate voted to expand gambling in Illinois.  This, however, does not mean the change will come easily. The 30-28 vote sends the measure to the Illinois House, where House speaker has openly expressed uncertainty about approving a casino expansion this spring. There have already been great expansions in Illinois regarding gambling including legalizing video gambling statewide.  Overall the state of Illinois is looking to use gambling as a means of bringing in much-needed funds to state coffers. The most difficult part of the economy has been the particularly insistent recession. Though experts claim the recession is technically over, they also say that true signs of an economic recovery won’t be seen until mid-2010. And those signs may not be as changing to the market as once hoped.

The problems for the state began back in 2007 with the housing bubble about to burst. Once it did, lenders closed their doors to borrowers. That caused credit card lenders to cut back on their lending or change the rules drastically. They elevated interest rates to unmanageable levels. They cut limits. They increased fees. Customers were surprised because most believed that credit would be a sure-fire way to manage in difficult times. In fact a lot of consumers kept one credit card on reserve—stuffed away in a drawer—for emergencies only. Unfortunately, credit lenders stepped in and either cancelled cards or slashed limits. Once people realized that credit wasn’t available as a savior, they had to turn to their savings. The problem there is that for years, customers haven’t been saving as much as they should. Though experts suggested that consumers should have 3 to 5 months of expenses saved up, few listened. Most consumers had drastically less and quickly went through their savings.

The problems consumers had turned back on to businesses and that included casinos. Casinos suffered because without money to spend on luxuries, gambling stopped. The high-end tables at casinos stood silent—even in Las Vegas, the hub of gambling in the nation. Illinois is one state that is feeling the overall decline in gambling. The state’s legislators are hoping that the House will approve the new casinos in an effort to help turn around the economy. Without some big changes in the market, the state will continue to struggle as the new fiscal year begins.

Singapore is preparing to open its first casinos, Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands.  Each of these casinos has a different target audience and expected to pull a different corner of the population.  Resorts World Sentosa has a Universal Studios theme park and is aiming for the family sector as their target audience. It is taking its model from more family-centric locations and trying to build a wide variety of gaming pastimes. They include things for adults and children to enjoy together. On the other hand, Marina Bay Sands has a huge convention center and is hoping to pull in business travelers. This facility is more focused on information sharing and high-tech options for its customers.  It is undeniable that these casinos are going to make huge amounts of money for the city-state, but what is left uncertain is when the two giant resorts will reap their own jackpots.

The goal of the opening of the two casinos is to raise the number of tourists and visitors coming to Singapore from 10.1 million to the targeted 17 million. The annual spending of visitors and tourists in 2008 stood at $10.5 million, and the new target goal is $21.3 million.  These casinos should create about 35,000 new jobs and add a percentage point to the country’s gross domestic product growth. That’s all great news for a country that has been feeling the repercussion of the recession for months now. Legislators are hoping that bringing the level of tourism up will considerably increase revenues and allow more funding for the annual budget.

These new casinos are also opportunities for gambling companies to tap into Asia’s booming economies while the economies of Europe and the US are lagging. Singapore is hoping the same growth in the Macau gambling industry will come to their country. However, the costs of building the resorts have unfortunately gone over budget. Noncasino revenues are expected to account for only 20 percent of the resorts’ earnings, thus both companies will need to generate significant gaming business to recoup their investments. It’s a difficult time for the casinos because they want to make money but in the state they are already in financially, that could prove to be difficult.

`Secondhand smoke has produced many arguments over the years. Some believe that it is an important factor contributing to cancer and other smoke-related illnesses. They believe that secondhand smoke may be more detrimental than smoking due to the lack of a filter.  A lot of people have deemed the notion illogical and opposing sides keep on facing off against each other for reasonable compromises. The realty is that it’s a deep-seeded debate and it will take time to get through and find a solution. 

The latest take on the issue has come from the state of Michigan. Michigan lawmakers are stating that according to a new compromised law, that secondhand smoke is dangerous in all places in Michigan except for on Detroit casino floors. The compromise that was reached this week by lawmakers and it is expected to be signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm. 

The new ban is applicable to public places and has one exception—Detroit-area casinos. Smoking will not be allowed at casino bars or restaurants but lobbyists are strong enough to keep the smoking legal on gaming floors. Although Republicans did not agree with the exception, the ban was found to exclude gaming floors. Republicans are trying to support their stance that if smoking is illegal, it should be illegal in all areas of public attendance—and that includes casino floors. This new smoking ban makes Michigan the 38^th state to try to ban smoking. The state has become more and more aware of sensitivities to smoking and secondhand smoke. Employees are a focus of the concerns legislators have, citing that they are expected to be around smoke all day long during their shifts. Casinos have lobbied hard to be exempt from smoking bans. They know that smoking is one of the draws of casinos—they are one of the few places where smokers can still be free to light up. They want the draw and to be a haven for smokers. 
Some areas like Las Vegas and Atlantic City are blaming smoking bans for a decline in revenues. They are stating that due to the changes in legislation, smokers are opting out of gambling. It was their one safe “haven” where they could smoke and now that legislators are taking it away from them, they are choosing not to patronize casinos.