Online Casinos Directory

Haven’t been inside an online casino, or have only visited one or two? Pretty much all online casinos offer the same things, table games, video poker, slot machines, high tech graphics, promotions, bonuses, and a slew of other things. However, some casinos specialize in certain games such as slot machines, or strictly table games. You will find less with only table games, and more with just slot machine games. There are also poker rooms, as well as sports betting. Although casinos have a lot of similarities, they all have different themes and graphics, though many casinos can have similar graphics and themes because they use the same software and the games can be similar from one casino to the next because of the software provider. There are far more online casino sites then there are software providers, and when you enter a casino, one of the things you should check out is to see who they are powered by; many casinos use PlayTech, Reel Time Gaming, or Microgaming, though there are a few other software providers outside those three. Each casino online uses the software they use in order to deal their games, arrange deposits or withdrawals, and offer the very important customer service you may need from time to time.

Keep in mind that the rules and or the payouts offered on a game could be different on the different software’s or even different at another casino that does use the same software. It is just a good idea to be mindful of these things. When you do walk up to a new game, be sure to do a little research. Read the instructions, or at minimum get into the habit of reviewing them, prior to playing. Just because two games look the same, doesn’t mean they are. There are a wide variety of games out there and software companies make slight changes in the payouts of various machines, the bonus games and the special features. They do this to keep you on your toes and to avoid boredom with gamers. Overall it is a great time to get in on gaming because of how fast the market is developing.

Ohio is in the midst of problems regarding gambling and setting the laws. Many states in the US are having heated debates over how to write laws and change the face of gaming and how it is used by the economy. It was last November that the approval for four new casinos was passed. State officials were excited because of the potential because they saw it as a means of bringing in much needed cash flow. Since the recession began economies everywhere have suffered greatly. It has been a difficult time and state legislators, along with cities, are hoping that gambling is just what they need to turn things around financially. It has worked for other cities and now this one is hoping to capitalize on the change to turn the economy around for the good.

The changes are now without consequence though. In Ohio the biggest casualty is the struggling racing industry. Of all the industries that have taken hits during the recession, racing probably is one of the most hard-hit. People suffered high unemployment rates and quickly cut back on discretionary spending. This included gambling and racetrack wagers. Though gambling I seemingly on the rise, racing has yet to come to any clear turnaround. In fact, the numbers are continuing to decline. This is horrible news for the race track owners who were hoping to see the same turnaround that other industries have seen post-recession. Things don’t seem to be turning out that way now that the industry is settling.

In Ohio racetrack owners are particularly concerned because if the four casinos do open it could take what little business racetracks have now completely away. Also, considering that racetracks were making moves to gain approval to include slots gaming at their locations, now this could hamper that. Even if they do get the approval, there are going to be so many widespread choices for gaming at the four state-of-the-art casinos that visiting a racino will be all but unnecessary. State racetrack owners are holding their breaths in anticipation of what comes next. All too many are worried that the only alternative will be to shut their doors permanently.

One of the main reasons Las Vegas has thrived so well over the past two decades is the unified partnership between the casino industry and the city and county governments in the area. They have worked together to maintain an infrastructure and code that is conducive to growth of the market.  Smith said, “Atlantic City, in contract, has changed very little since the 1980s. There is a tremendous number of people we found when we built the Borgata that still do not visit Atlantic City because it doesn’t have the product they want. They’re not comfortable with the city.”

On the other hand, some are pointing to South America as the next big boom in gambling. Guillermo Gabella, director of Bueno Aires-based gaming manufacturer Boldt S. A., said he sees great potential for expansion of the gaming market in South America and Latin America. The recession didn’t hit the casino industry in southern America the same way it did elsewhere throughout the world. “We are very encouraged for the growth we could achieve,” Gabella said. “We can see these areas have had a significant growth even though there has been an economic crisis. It has not affected us in the same way it has affected Europe or the United States.”

Further expansion of the South and Latin American gaming markets, however, will depend on the establishment of strong regulatory bodies and governments’ readiness to thwart illegal gambling in the area. Gaming executives are noting some positive things happening in the market though. Capital markets, for instance, are opening again for the industry, meaning gaming companies are able to refinance their debts and issue new debts. The gaming technology industry has also been doing more financing of slot machines, as well as granting new payment terms to maintain significant business with casinos. President of Slot Company Aristocrat Technologies, Nick Khin, stated, “We’ve had to become more flexible in terms of doing business. The price of slot machines has gone up quite dramatically over the years,” Smith said. “That has quite naturally extended the replacement cycle because there’s a finite amount of capital that can be reinvested in these operations.”

If the US government does legalize online gambling, internet companies could possibly be the next wave of casino industry movement. Jim Ryan, CEO of Gibraltar-based Party Gaming, told a private meeting of gaming industry investors Monday night that internet gaming companies can provide casinos with better player data and customer tracking technology than they now use. He said, “It’s far deeper than that. We utilize technology for e-commerce and can capture player information on a far better scale. We can see ourselves becoming partners with traditional casinos.”

Ryan was speaking at a panel discussion at the Legends of Gaming event that was hosted in the Union Gaming Group on top of the Playboy Club in Las Vegas. In attendance were primarily investors looking to the gaming industry as their “next big thing.”  Insiders are well aware of the economy and the state it has been in for the past year and a half and looking for some new business ventures to sink their teeth into. Ryan was confirming that online gambling is on the cusp of a huge trend in growth and could be just what they are looking for.

Other operators in attendance were MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren, WMS Industries CEO Brian Gamache, International Game Technology chairman Phil Satre, Retired Gaming Executives Jack Binion and Chuck Mathewson, Palms President George Maloof and Michael Morton CEO of N9NE restaurant and nightclub entertainment group. When asked about the changes in the market in terms of legalizing gambling, all agreed that they were amazed that the government is “letting taxable dollars slip through its fingers.” Ryan added that Party Gaming had revenues of $1.2 billion and profits of $775 last year.

The panel also discussed the state of the UIGEA and why it hasn’t been turned around yet. They heralded Barney Frank for his efforts to build a viable amendment to the law that would help to regulate and manage online gambling. Ryan said, “I just don’t understand why the American Gaming Association (the industry’s Washington D.C.-based lobbying arm) hasn’t gotten behind the Frank bill, or any bill supporting Internet gaming, for that matter.” The proposed Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009, which was introduced in May by Representative Barney Frank would establish regulations to allow licensed gambling operators to accept wagers from inside the United States.  The panel unanimously agreed that internet gambling is the next booming market—whether the US is on board, or not.