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Can you Trust an Online Casino?

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Many gamblers love the idea of online gambling but have some reservations. If you are thinking about venturing online, no doubt the biggest issue is whether or not you can trust the casino online with your personal information. Some people will tell you that online gaming is a scam and that by using the internet operators can maneuver the odds at a moment’s notice to their own favor. This may have been true when games online were first introduced, but today it isn’t. In today’s world there are third-party regulators who watch over all online casinos and make sure they are dealing fairly with the gaming public. Casinos can try to scam players but the hefty fees and bad reputation are too much of a risk. It is much more lucrative to build an online casino that serves customers and brings in millions of dollars from them. The only way to do this is to act with complete integrity and transparency with customers.

Here are some reasons why online gaming is not a scam:

1)    It’s not a scam because you can get a lot more plays per hour compared with land-based casinos. Remember with land-based casinos you will have to travel there, find parking, find your games, wait for them, etc. Online gaming is instant. You log in and play. So if you have three hours to play games, you don’t have to use an hour and a half of that time for travel.

2)    When you are gambling online you are gambling alone. For example if you play Blackjack in a real casino with four other gamblers, even if you lose, someone at your table most likely will win. That can be difficult to listen to someone else on a winning streak. If you’re playing online you won’t have to worry about that.

3)    In past years there were casinos caught cheating, but now that the likelihood of getting caught is so high, casino operators are cautious. What’s better? To scam a customer and have to “disappear” or to act honestly and have a long-standing reputation that brings in more customers over time? For casinos that want a future in the industry, scamming is not an option. Plus regulations are getting stiffer these days and paying hefty fines and the bed press just aren’t worth it.

 Check for the basics with an onine casino and make sure it has secure servers, it uses the latest encryption and there are good public reviews. Most likely, if you can find these things you won’t have to worry about the scamming issue. You can log in and have fun safely.

Wiki-Slots are Growing in Popularity

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

If you are doing a search for a good online casino, most likely you’ll find the wiki slot games. This is a type of game that adds a heavy amount of intricate graphics and color to the play. You’ll get lots of details in the game that you normally wouldn’t see with other games. Even though the games look great, they still maintain the simplicity of online gaming so even a beginner can still jump right in. There are two different types of online slots games: the flat tops and the progressive slots. The thing about wiki slot games is that it may take longer to win than with normal games. These are great if you have a good amount of time for your gamin session. Just like other slots games, the purpose is to spin and have the reels line up with the right configuration. If you manage to get the right one, then you win!

Of course originally, slot machines came with the lever on the side, which is why they were first called one-armed bandits. They gained popularity because all you had to do was pull that one arm—no learning, no studying, no heavy mental work. These games just offered pure fun based on the luck of the spin. That’s why they have been so popular over the years. Add to that the fact that developers worked overtime to create more and more variations of the game and you will see how much the games have to offer. Whatever your favorite theme is, you will find it with online games. If you love NASCAR or horses, or shopping and movies, you’ll find a range of slots games that are centered around those themes. Don’t worry about variety in game play either—you will find 3-, 5- and 7-reel games with varying paylines. Each style has a different advantage. Plus a lot of them have bonus games-within-a-game extras. If you hit a certain combination on the reels, you can automatically enter the bonus round where you’ll play a game completely different from the one you were playing. It’s an added special and anyone who loves variety in gaming should love it.

Slots.com Name is Up for Auction

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Gambling is big business in the world of online gaming. Though it began slowly, it has taken off in the past few years. You can thank the WSOP for a lot of its popularity. Remember that the WSOP, or World Series of Poker, began over 30 years ago. In its original state it just was a group of six or so poker lovers who decided to get together and celebrate the hobby with a fun game. Over the years the market has exploded in the world of casinos and is even taking on land-based counterparts in terms of revenue and popularity. Now, it’s a million-dollar tournament with hundreds of satellite tournaments leading up to it and qualifying players. It also has hundreds of players fighting it out for millions of dollars and the ever-coveted WSOP bracelets. The overwhelming growth the WSOP experienced is just one part of gambling that has grown so quickly. All other parts are keeping up with as much of a heightened appeal that poker has. Slots, baccarat, roulette, and lotteries are all moving with the same speed in popularity.

To understand just how much gambling has grown in the market, consider this: recently the Poker.org domain sale brought in $1-million. Developers knew that the sale would bring in a good amount of money, but no one anticipated it would bring in a staggering million-dollar amount. Due to its sale, now Slots.com is also up for sale. Industry insiders don’t know how much this sale will fetch, but they are hopeful it will reach the same amount that Poker.org did earlier this year. Early estimates were conservative on Slots.com name, but now no one knows for sure how much it will bring in. Remember that slots have been particularly popular in the market and Las Vegas even reported that about 60% of their overall income comes directly from slots gaming. Most likely the Slots.com name is going to break another record when it does sell and it will be further proof of how much gaming, and slots, have grown in the market. More and more people are logging-in to play casino games than ever before and the internet is reflecting the growth in public appeal.

Harrah’s Makes More Moves into Online Gaming

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Over the years the Harrah’s casino has managed to create a huge name for itself. Not only does it bring great gaming to the public, but it also provides every other form of entertainment. One location that is gaining a lot of notoriety due to its excellent offerings is Harrah’s Laughlin Casino and Hotel located in Laughlin, Nevada. For anyone wanting to gamble, but still watch their budgets, this is a perfect location to visit. Since the recession gambling numbers are down considerably. Now that the recession is officially “over”, people are just now stepping back into the world of recreational spending. Harrah’s Laughlin Casino and Hotel is the perfect option. The casino is a full-service resort location with 24-hour a day gambling.

It’s location in Nevada provides a perfect locale for outside activities and an exciting location for nightlife too. This Harrah’s is known in the industry as “A Mexican Fiesta on the Colorado River” for good reason. It offers the perfect nightime weather, beautiful scenery and of course some of the best gambling in the US. The facility has a Mexican hacienda theme and boasts bright and festive colors reminiscent of the finest Mexican dining location. It is situated on a 50-acre site that is perfect for outdoor activities such as boating, biking, wave running, volleyball and sunning. There is also a private beach, watercraft and boat cruises, and adult or family-friendly swimming pools for additional fun. The casino also has a 300-seat Fiesta Showroom that brings in entertainment of all kinds for lucky patrons. It includes comedians, musicians and magic shows for everyone’s entertaining needs. The 3,000 seat Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater is the perfect spot for enjoying live entertainment well into the night. Of course, there is also the casino area. It’s housed on a 50,000 square foot area and offers over 900 slots, video poker and keno machines. There is also a WSOP room, a race and sports book, backjack, craps, roulette and a unique non-smoking casino area. Overall this is one of the best places to enjoy gambling in the nation. If you are looking for outstanding gaming and a place to enjoy all that a top-notch casino has to offer, test out the Harrah’s Laughlin Casino and Hotel location. Check out Harrah’s and remember that it is also moving into the world of internet gaming. It is a sign of how far the internet is going to see Harrah’s making strategic moves into the market of virtual gaming.

 

Students Banned from Using Laptops Because of Poker

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

In former years laptops were a given in the college classroom. Almost every student had access to a laptop and brought it in for note-taking, recording and catching up on homework. Now, things are changing. Princeton University has decided to ban the use of laptop computers in all of the campus classes, and other universities will likely follow suit. Laptops were once welcomed at the top universities in the US, until professors began to discover that students weren’t always using the computers to focus on the lessons. Professors have found students that were looking at pornography, and even playing online poker in the classroom. Princeton University decided to ban the laptops because students weren’t staying focused on their school work. Even those students without a laptop were being distracted by what was happening with the lessons. Some students blame the professors for providing lectures that are boring, and that they are unable to hold the attention of the student body.

While poker is a great game for students to learn in their free time, it needs to be stifled in the classroom. How teachers are going to manage that has yet to be seen. Laptops and technology have become a huge part of the student’s life and without it, it makes for a very inconvenient time. Over the years technology has taken over classrooms– children as young as 8 years old are already being given laptops by their school districts. Most districts are budgeting a portion of funds into bringing computers into the classroom. This is what is going to make it difficult for students as they get older to move away from computers. If the majority of their learning has been supplemented and supported by laptops and computers, how are they going to then move into a laptop-less world? They may have to bring in notebooks and pens again to take notes. Though for the older generation this isn’t a big deal, for a young technology-dependent market it is. It will be difficult to monitor laptop use in the classroom at the college level, but it is a neccessary move to ensure that students are learning what they need to.

Harrah’s Makes Move into Online Gaming World

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Formerly, Las Vegas casino operators began virtual casinos in foreign jurisdiction that catored to European and Asian players. They banned US citizens from visiting the online casinos because of the problems with UIGEA law and how the US is still writing law to regulate online gaming. Among the casinos that are still operating there is a lack of player acquisition by the online casino operators. With a huge marketing budget, most would assume that Las Vegas casinos would thrive with their own online casinos. Harrah’s just recently launched an online casino in anticipation of a regulated online casino industry in the US later this year. The online casino does not accept US players and US citizens are blocked from even playing at the online casino web site. Until laws are rewritten and revamped, it will be an issue for US players to partake in gambling at US-owned companies. As of now, online gamblers have to log into offshore gambling companies for their online gambling needs.

Unfortunately, the Las Vegas casino operators continue to fail in the online casino industry. The majority of advertising for online casino gambling is done over the Internet. The online casinos use media buyers, casino affiliates, and other Internet savy companies to reach people over the Internet and bring them into the online casinos to gamble. The difference between the established online casinos and those online casinos that are run by Las Vegas operators is that the Las Vegas operators fail to pay a large enough commission to casino affiliates and other online advertisers. While some of the top online casinos pay their advertisers a percentage of the net revenue, many of the Las Vegas operators pay a small acquisition fee. An
advertiser could make 100x more if they stay with the established operators. When the US regulates the online gambling industry, the Las Vegas operators will need to start writing new affiliate laws to make it profitable for everyone involved. It is important for US casinos to live up to the offerings of offshore companies. Without a competitive edge, the US will continue to fall behind and out-of-the-country casinos already have a few years of operations ahead of the US.

Bodog.com is One of the Best Virtual Casinos Around

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

For anyone looking for a new online casino to try, don’t pass up Bodog.com. It’s been around since 1994 and in the short years since, the company has managed to become a leader in the world of gambling online. Now that the doors of legalizaiton with regards to gambling are quickly opening, Bodog.com is working hard to keep up with the hype. The company is trying to extend its biggest discounts and programs to its visitors and with its experience and know-how, it is just the virtual casino to set the bar for other casinos in the market.

Bodog has over 100 games to enjoy. Whether you love blackjack or slots, or progressive jackpot games and video poker, you’ll find just the right offering here. Developers have worked hard to bring premiere gaming to the roster of offerings for the gambling public. Each game, regardless of the game you choose, you will find outstanding play and bonuses to enjoy. It’s an example of a casino that has consistently grown throughout the years of internet development and kept up with the pace of technology. Developers and programmers have created games that offer great payouts, awesome visual appeal, integrated sound and excellent customer service to enjoy. Since it first began, Bodog.com has been a forerunner in the world of internet security. That is a big concern for anyone who wants to enter their personal information online– what precautions has the website taken to ensure my security? A good casino will use top-notch encryption and outstanding security features to take your information and keep it save. Bodog.com is premiere in security. You can be sure that once you do enter your personal information along with funding account information, it will be kept safe for your retrieval, and YOUR retrieval only.

Playing in an online casino is all about both having fun and winning some money.  Bodog makes sure you don’t have to think about anything except playing the games.  If you have questions or need help there is a  24/7, customer support staff that adheres to a strict policy that demands e-mail inquiries are replied to in 15 minutes or less and that telephone calls are answered on the first ring. That is good news for anyone who is concerned with the rules and regulations is that this casino answers all inquiries immediately. There is also a casino school to help you get with Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Tri-Card Poker, Craps, Roulette, Let’em Ride, Pai Gow and basic familiarity with slot machines.

New Jersey Could be Model for Internet Gambling

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

New Jersey may be entering the world of legalized gambling sooner than once thought. There was a new bill introduced recently that would bring online gambling in. The online industry would be run by casinos in Atlantic City. The bill was introduced by Senator Lesniak who also has brought about a constitutional amendment that would allow state-regulated sports betting into the casinos. Like all other states, New Jersey is struggling post-recession. The recession was hard on every state economy and now each one is having a difficult time making ends meet. Budgets are huge and deficits are skyrocketing. Almost every state is hard-pressed to find ways to manage the budget and find new money-generating activities to help the state budgets.

Currently the state of New Jersey offers gambling on horse races through the website called 4NJBets.com. The state is proposing an expansion of the law that would let various versions of games like poker, baccarat, and blackjack. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission would be the ones regulating the online gambling industry. iMEGA chairman Joe Brennan Jr. said, “We are happy that New Jersey has taken this issue into their own hands. New Jersey is recognized as having the toughest gaming regulators in the US, but as a leading gaming state with a long track record of doing things the right way. Internet gambling will have a great home here and the opportunity to begin normalizing the industry.”

New Jersey is in a great position of pioneering the online gambling model. The state is poised on being number one if legislators can make the industry work successfully. iMEGA supports efforts by Senator Barney Frank who created an amendment to the UIGEA, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. The UIGEA was meant to ban online gambling in the states, but in the end created more problems than aids for the country as a whole. Gamblers moved quickly out of the US and channeled their funds to offshore gambling websites. Now, the US is trying to regulate and legalize gambling to keep billions of dollars in the country. New Jersey could be the first state to successfully bring online gambling regulation to the market in 2010.

North Carolina’s Internet Cafes Hold Sweepstakes

Monday, December 28th, 2009

North Carolina has been embroiled in the issue of gambling for some time now. The sides drawn are not unlike those of other states—on one side there is the ethics-based groups who believe that the move is a sure-fire way to bring in problems for the state and on the other side is a legislative branch that believes that the money available is too much to turn down.  Ethics-based groups believe that gambling within the states will bring in crime, corruption, money laundering and a greater need for addiction resources. Legislators however, see the huge dollars that are available with legalization and regulation of gambling and are pushing hard to make it work. They are currently writing and rewriting laws to bring in millions of potential gambling-tax dollars.

In North Carolina, the gambling issue is now settled, however the issue of internet café gambling is now at the forefront. Though video gambling machines have been banned and cited as illegal, internet café gambling isn’t. The state’s Court of Appeals recently clarified that video gambling machines are illegal. They cited poker machines as illegal to use within the states and any bar or pub using them had to immediately get rid of the machines. Though the ruling was thought to be thorough, it left one gaping oversight—the question of internet cafes where customers are allowed to play for a sweepstakes game once they buy internet time or a phone card. When customers purchase either, they have, by contract, the right to play the sweepstakes games on their computer. The games are poker-like in nature and they are legal according to operators because the games offer players the chance to win a prize, rather than cash. Mostly operators are offering customers the chance to win a prize that promotes their brand, product or service.  Owners are divided on the issue and many believe that it is just another form of gambling and should be illegal. Thus far, law enforcement officials have been told to let internet cafes continue their sweepstakes activities until a ruling is officially made on the issue. These sweepstakes are popular within the state of North Carolina and are showing no signs of waning.

The CA Battle Over Internet Poker Heats Up

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

California’s deficit is huge. The state has been one of the most hard-hit by the recent recession and it is now trying to come up with ways of saving its economy.  Poker is one of the hot topics within the state. A group of casinos are now petitioning the state for the legal right to operate internet poker websites in exchange for huge casino-tax revenues. This is a battle that has raged for a while in California. Lawmakers have been working with the issue trying to come up with a viable option to bring poker’s revenue to the state coffer.

The idea of bringing online poker to California is not a new one. The state has been looking into the issue for many months now. The recession made its deficit even more pressing an issue to address. Federal law has no mandate regarding online gambling yet, so operators are looking for ways to bring it into various economies. In California, there are a group of legislators pushing for expansion and acceptance of legalized online poker play.

There is now a new proposal regarding online poker play. One of the biggest players is the Band of Mission Indians. A spokesperson for the tribe, Patrick Dorinson, said, “About one million Californians are playing poker offshore now.”

The problem with the issue is that online gambling can mean a notable decline in revenues for tribal-owned casinos. Since the recession, tribal-owned casinos have fallen in patronage and their numbers are dwindling. It has been difficult for casinos to keep their budgets going. With the growth in offshore gambling, tribes are worried that their problems regarding revenues are just beginning. Another aspect that the group of casinos is focusing on is making sure that lawmakers protect the online poker players. Currently, there are no regulations in place that protects these players against any dangers that may arise from playing on these international sites.
Indian tribes would have to sign off on any new laws to the state’s gambling industry. There are rules that are in place that protect the tribes against expansion, but they may be willing to rework those compacts for a chance to bring internet poker to the masses and benefit from the revenues.