Online Casino Gambling

A man walked and danced on a baccarat table while the game was in progress and Caesar’s allowed this to occur. Now, they are willingly paying a $250,000 fine to the Gaming Control Board because of it.

The Gaming Control Board’s Complaint

The Gaming Control Board filed a complaint that the casino did not take the proper actions to protect the customer and the game that was being played. Caesar’s and the Board recently reached a settlement to avoid any type of litigation. Next month, this fine will be presented for final approval to the Gaming Commission.

On October 10^th, 2009, a customer was engaged in a high-limit game of baccarat when they decided to climb onto the table from their chair, walk around and do a little dance. This happened on three different occasions during the session. The allegations state that while on the table, he also placed a bet each time prior to standing on his chair and eventually sitting back down.

The Details of the Settlement

In the settlement, Caesar’s acknowledges the action and accepts the allegations of the complaint. They are ready to pay the fine for not taking any action when this incident occurred. Litigation and legal troubles are extremely detrimental to the reputation of the casino, especially with the Gaming Control Board. This is the reason for the choice of a settlement.

Since this is such a rare occurrence in the gaming industry, it is believed that due to the amount of money the patron was wagering in the high rollers room, Caesar’s management did not want to scare away a big fish. As a result, they opted to allow him to pretty much do whatever he wanted as long as he continued to gamble at their casino.

Casinos are in the business of providing entertainment through gambling, nightlife, restaurants and shows. Although this gentleman was wagering large amounts, there must be a line that does not allow high rollers to do whatever they want. Yes they are pumping a great deal of cash through the casino cages, but that shouldn’t allow them to act disorderly and disrespectful to their gracious host.

Caesar’s has found that out the hard and costly way. In the future, it is unlikely they will allow this type of shenanigans to occur. If this behavior continues, they will be paying large sums often just to avoid legal troubles.

Indiana is one of the newest states to partake in the riverboat gaming trend. As of 2010, the state of Indiana only allows riverboat gaming, racetrack wagering and the Hoosier lottery. Although new, the structure of the gaming commission is consistent with other neighboring states.

As a result, a limited number of gaming licenses are issued each year. The state permits up to 11 gaming licenses to be issued only to counties along the Ohio River, Patoka Lake and Lake Michigan. All other areas of the state that contain a body of water cannot acquire a license.

The Indiana Gaming Commission reports directly into the Governor and is a segment of the executive branch. The commission board consists of seven total members appointed by the Governor. The requirements of the board members include:

• One member must have a background in law enforcement
• One member must be a CPA
• One member must be a lawyer in Indiana
• Three members must be from a county on the Ohio River
• Three members must be from a country on Lake Michigan
• The final member can be from any other county

The seven members of the board serve a three-year staggered term. Also, to keep balance within the commission, no more than three board members can be of the same political party. Although separate from the Indiana Gaming Commission, the State Police are also involved by conducting background checks and investigations for those applying for a gaming license.

The commission also controls racetrack wagering, the Hoosier lottery and charitable gaming. The riverboat gaming companies must pay the commission $3 per person admission tax from each vessel on a daily basis. Additionally, adjusted gross revenues are taxed at a 20 percent state tax rate.

One interesting rule implemented by the commission in 2003 is the Voluntary Exclusion Program. This allows citizens to be excluded from any gaming-related activities, mailers and hand-outs from a casino. The individual can sign-up in person at any Indiana casino or an Indiana Gaming Commission office. The terms are for one-year, five-years or a lifetime.

The Indiana Gaming Commission follows a similar structure to other riverboat gaming states. Although limited, the commission has a tight hold with strong regulations to ensure compliance. Due to the newness of the gaming concept to Indiana, perhaps in the future they will expand their authority to permit land-based casinos into the state.

Omaha is a form of Texas Hold’em due to the five community cards. However, the rules of the game are much different. Omaha can be played either with a no-limit, pot-limit or limit structure, similar to Texas Hold’em. There are two distinct versions of the game:

• Omaha High
• Omaha Hi/Lo

The rules of Omaha are fairly simple. All casinos supply a dealer that is not actually playing. You are playing against all other individuals at the table. As a result, the dealer button indicates the last person to bet. The button moves to the left following each hand. Blind bets are posted to create a starting pot.

The player to the left of the button posts the small blind or one half of the minimum bet. The player to the left of the small blind is the big blind and they ante a full minimum bet. The remaining players at the table do not post any ante’s until the blind rotates to them. Therefore, each player will have a chance to be the dealer, small and big blinds.

The game begins with the dealer distributing four cards to each player face down. The small blind always receives the first card and the dealer has the last. The first betting round begins with the player to the left of the big blind and rotates to the left. Each player can call, raise or fold. The big blind also has the option of checking since they already have a bet in the pot.

Next, three cards (known as the flop) are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These are community cards that all players can use to make their hand. Another betting round commences beginning with the player to the left of the button.

The next round is known as the turn and an additional face up community card is placed in the center of the table. Once again, the first bettor is the left of the dealer button. The last round is the river in which the final of the five community cards is distributed.

To win, each player must use two of their four starting hand cards and three community cards to make the best five-card poker hand. In many instances, there is a tie in which the players split the pot. There is never a sixth card that acts as a tie-breaker.

The preceding rules are for Omaha High. This version derives from the requirement that the winner have the best or highest hand. Both variants of Omaha can be found in land-based and online casinos across the globe.

Chocolate Consulting is teaming up with internet security experts, VeriSign, to provide a plethora of security products for internet gaming. The software will protect gaming operators from costs related to denial of service and account takeovers. The two products in development include:

• VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP)
• VeriSign Internet Defense Network (VIDN)

VeriSign Identity Protection or VIP is a real-time authentication system that safeguards player’s accounts from being hacked and controlled by third parties. Aside from the primary costs, it also helps online casino operators save money from having to conduct a thorough investigation of account takeover. This product is used worldwide in many other industries but is currently being tweaked for gaming.

The combination of trust from VeriSign customers and protection make this an appealing option for casino operators. Chocolate Consulting is playing the role of advertising and marketing the product to online gaming sites. VIP will significantly increase the level of banking security that players are offered. A nice feature of the software is that it can be fine-tuned for mobile gaming applications without the need for additional hardware.

VeriSign Internet Defense Network or VIDN prevents Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on gaming sites. These attacks typically result in a few hours of downtime. In the competitive gaming industry, an operator can lose millions of dollars during these few hours. DDoS attacks have evolved so much that they cannot even be detected or prevented.  In other sectors, VIDN has proven to be an extremely successful security measure.

The software has intelligent detection of DDoS attacks as well as remediation capabilities. Chocolate Consulting is also helping VeriSign to market this much needed program. In the past six months, the number DDoS attacks on gaming sites and intensity have increased considerably.

Chocolate Consulting and VeriSign have identified an area of online gaming that should have been addressed and evolved since conception. In addition to their partnership, together they are sponsoring the International Gaming Expo 2010 in London.

The result of the partnership between these two companies is an excellent, much-needed product for the online gaming industry. VeriSign is globally recognized as a name customers can trust. In an industry where large sums of money are flowing at all times, customers want to know that they are safe to play at certain websites. With the addition of the VeriSign logo, now they will gain a piece of mind.

Atlantic City, New Jersey is the gambling Mecca of the East Coast. Just a short distance from both Philadelphia and New York City and in the heart of the biggest population belt in the country, Atlantic City continues to attract millions of players each year. However, it does not share the same regulations as Nevada.

This is primarily due to passing laws that permit gambling in the state much after Nevada. Also, prior to the laws being passed, there were several types of gambling already authorized. The laws were passed later due to the long history of organized crime in the state. Officials worried about regulating a clean gaming business.

At the time, Nevada gaming held a reputation of being captive in the industry. New Jersey wanted their establishments, workers and overall standards to lead the industry and consistently be exemplary. To some extent, they were successful in following their blueprint. As time passed, the gaming laws loosened allowing casinos to increase advertising and reduce labor by eliminating specific functions.

The state level is divided between an investigating office under the Attorney General and an adjunctive function. The structure is modeled after Nevada. The two departments are divided into:

• The Casino Control Commission
• The Division of Gaming Enforcement

The Casino Control Commission licenses all casinos, their employees and the numerous firms the casino conducts business with. The commission consists of five members, three cannot be from the same political party and falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Treasury. The members are appointed by the Governor for five-year terms.

The Division of Gaming Enforcement falls under the Attorney General’s Office. They are responsible for investigations regarding licensing applications as well as prosecuting violations prior to the commission.

Since the two agency system reviews the regulatory process, they are greatly valued in New Jersey and Nevada. Unfortunately on occasion, there are conflicting views and practices between the two agencies. In some cases, the commission will question the staff of the division and vice-versa. This causes resentment towards the other party.

The members on the board of both agencies must adhere to strict post-employment policies. They are usually not allowed to work in any type of casino-related job. This is an attempt to eliminate any type of link between the regulatory bodies and the casino industry. Like Nevada, New Jersey has an exemplary casino regulation system that continues to keep balance in the state.

Soccer is the most watched and followed sporting event in the world. Both online and sportsbook players are big fans of the sport. As a result, more soccer-themed slot games have become available. However, one little-known game is the progressive soccer keno game, aptly name Soccer Keno Progressive.

The Board

There are little differences from keno except for one twist: the soccer theme. The game is played with a grid consisting of 80 numbers laid out on a horizontal soccer field. Each half of the field has five columns of numbers. From the nine total options available, the player must first pick a shirt color. When the player selects a number from the grid, a colored shirt appears with that number on the back.

The layout of the grid is conducive to the player becoming creative with their number choices. For instance, the player can choose numbers that consist of their favorite soccer formation on one side of the field. On the other hand, the player can create a formation on both sides of the playing field.

The Game

20 keno balls are selected and are rolled into slots. The pattern of the balls is representative of a soccer ball. Each one has a specific number marked on them. Finally, tiny soccer balls appear on the grid in specific number slots. If any of those match the selected numbers, the background changes to yellow and the sounds of cheering spectators is released indicating a win.

One nice aspect of playing a Soccer Keno Progressive name is that it can be played for fun without the need to wager money. Unfortunately the progressive jackpot is only available those who wager money and mark 15 numbers on the screen. If the player guesses 12 or more numbers, they win a portion of the jackpot. The total amount won is calculated from amount wagered and a multiplier based on the number of matches played.

Soccer Keno Progressive games are tremendously easy to learn and follow due to the basic features. At many casinos, there is an Auto Pick feature. This allows the player to select their numbers once and then automatically play those same numbers during their session.

Soccer Keno Progressive is a fun and exciting way to place bets consistently and easily. With the theme of the most popular sport in the world, there are sure to never be a lack of available players.