Online Casino Gambling

Almost all online gaming providers offer some variant of blackjack games that feature progressive jackpots which gives players the opportunity to win large payouts for a small wager. Many of these jackpots have reached record levels which are beginning to draw large crowds hoping for the chance of hitting the big one.

Currently, the largest progressive jackpot is featured at a Vegas Technology-powered casino in a game aptly named, “Progressive Blackjack.” The value has currently reached $140,575, slightly below the average winning size of $187,328. On average, the jackpot hits once per month with the maximum winnings ever being $259,342 which occurred 18 months ago. In the past year alone, Vegas Technology has paid out over $2 million. Progressive Blackjack is available at:

• Go Casino
• Online Vegas Casino
• Millionaire Casino

The Cryptologic Progressive Blackjack game currently has a jackpot of $77,128. Unlike most other progressives, this is slowly moving and hits on around $135,000 once per year. The game hits when four aces of the same color are dealt. Therefore, it should be more popular than the Vegas Technology variant which requires four aces of the same suit. This game is available at popular casinos like InterCasino and VIP Casino.

The Playtech variant is also called Progressive Blackjack and currently boasts of jackpot of $69,007 which is slightly greater than the average amount to trigger the jackpot – $63,971. The jackpot hits 1 in every 10 days but was last hit 15 days ago so the system is due turn out a winner. Another trend is that the past 10 hits have been in the $60,000’s range. Therefore, the time is ripe for players to login and try their luck with the potential for winning big.

The Playtech version of Progressive Blackjack is currently available at the following online gaming sites:

• Omni Casino
• Casino Tropez
• Casino Del Rio

Although each of these online progressive blackjack games has the exact same name, they are different in their own regard. If you have to select one of the three, try the Vegas Technology version since it has a much higher payout than the other two and is hit once per month. This is the ideal balance between a large sum of winnings and the frequency of winning. This appears to the best time to place a wager and potentially win as all versions are at the cusp of hitting the jackpot.

The European Committee for Standardization recently released the first Pan-European consumer protection contract which has been in development for a great deal of time. During its creation, trade associations and online gambling operators continued to pursue the agreement. The Committee’s primary responsibility was to foster the technical specifications from a workshop discussion. The main object was to create a single market for the online gaming industry in Europe.

This contract is appropriately entitled, “Responsible Remote Gambling Measures” and outlines nine goals to assist with the protection of players from the European Union. Furthermore, the agreement specifies 134 measures to guarantee those ideas are met. The nine protection of player policies include:

• Prevention of underage gambling
• Privacy protection
• Tackling fraud
• Customer satisfaction
• Fair gaming
• Ensuring accurate customer payments
• Operating a safe environment
• Protecting vulnerable customers
• Responsible marketing practices

Although these goals are not new among countries that legalize online gambling, the idea of standardizing them across many countries is innovative. In the workshop developing these standards were industry representatives for various companies, problem gambling experts, online players, and addiction and criminology experts. Surprisingly, this diverse group of individuals came to a consensus on many of these issues.

The chairperson of the workshop was Andrew Beveridge, the CEO of eCOGRA. He publicly recognized that developing these standards over the past seven months has finally come to fruition with an excellent agreement to protect customers across the European Union. Also, this workshop has greatly benefitted eCOGRA and the associated seal-holders. Furthermore, he stated that this agreement will complement other current industry standards.

Following the release of the agreement, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) in conjunction with the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) commended this major achievement by the group. The European Committee for Standardization is one of three European standardization bodies recognized by the European Union. Currently there are over 60,000 business federations, technical experts and others involved with the Committee.

This agreement is a major step forward for the online gaming community in Europe and the rest of the globe. It shows that responsible gaming can occur among all parties involved. Other countries that question the morality and ethics set forth by online gambling should observe the progress this group has made. If the final implementation of these standardization policies is successful, it may create a trend across the globe among countries with legalized gambling.

One of the most popular themed slot games is horse racing. This is primary due to the fact that slot and racing enthusiasts have a similar goal; to win big. Therefore, one of the leading online gaming software developers, Rival Gaming, has produced a slot game based on racing entitled, “A Day at the Derby.” The title alone gives players the feeling of taking a trip to the track on a warm summer day.

The background in the game furthers the horse racing atmosphere with the reels set on a race track. When the reels spin, the background transforms to a transparent scene allowing players to clearly view the racetrack. Also the symbols portray horse racing including:

• Horse shoes
• Binoculars
• Cold drink
• Betting slip
• Horses
• Jockeys
• Male and female racing fans
• Roses
• Trophy

In addition to the other thematic objects in the game, the animation makes them come to life. The horses snort and neigh, the binoculars are raised and zoom in on the racing action. The male symbol wipes sweat from his brow while the female enthusiast fans herself. The most interesting and important animation is the betting slip becoming a wad of cash while the crowd cheers in the background.

The wild symbol is a brown horse which appears only on the first, second and third reels. When hit, the payouts are proliferated by the total number of brown horses on the reels. The green jockey symbol is representative of the jackpot which provides a payout of up to 2,500 coins.

The blue jockey awards the free spins round. Therefore, when multiple blue jockeys appear on the reels, the round is triggered. Three spins equates to 5 free spins, four is worth 10 and five equals 20. During this round all payouts are tripled.

The most exciting feature is the bonus game which appears when three or more grey horses emerge on any of the reels. The game consists of a race between three horses with the player required to select one of the horses. When the race has ended the player receives a bonus based on the final position of the horse.

A Day at the Derby is a fun, innovative online slot game that already has a large following despite being recently released. Since Rival Gaming is such a major online gaming player, the game has gone live at a number of casinos.

Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie recently made the decision to veto the online gambling bill. This comes as no surprise to most advocates for the bill. In fact, almost every online gambling analyst in the industry predicted that this outcome would occur. Despite the decision, the primary topic of conversation is the reasons the Governor gave as to why the bill was vetoed.

Playing both Sides

Governor Christie rode the fence prior to making this decision. He praised the bill’s intent which was a signal for online gaming enthusiasts that Christie was on their side. However, he vetoed the bill because it did not fit with the big picture of gambling in New Jersey.

Main Reason for the Veto

Christie’s primary reason for the veto was it went against the Constitution of New Jersey which requires casino gambling to be restricted to Atlantic City only. However, the online bill, known as S490, attempted to grant all residents of New Jersey access to online gambling. As a result of the constitution, S490 required the servers of any potential online gaming site to be located in Atlantic City. Therefore, players outside the city limits could gamble online.

Unfortunately, on this action by S490, Governor Christie stated, “In my view, the creation of legal fiction deeming all wagers to have ‘originated’ in Atlantic City cannot overcome the clear and unambiguous language of the state Constitution.” There were a few other objections from the Governor as well.

Other Objections from the Governor

First, the bill requires that the revenue generated by the state from this industry should be used to subsidize horse racing. However, Governor Christie intends to make horse racing self-sustaining. Second, the Governor stated recognized that the bill did not address commercial establishments outside of Atlantic City like nightclubs, bars and restaurants offering online gambling within their walls.

The Agreement Prior to the Veto

Prior to the veto, Joe Brenna Jr. or iMEGA and Senator Raymond Lesniak claimed to be assured by Christie that he would only veto the bill on the grounds that it did not prevent illegal gambling entities from setting up shop near the state’s borders. At this point Christie was to partner with the Senator, add his name to the bill and reintroduce it with the fixed measures. Lesniak is still confident that this bill will pass next time around.

In 2008 William Hill casino and leading software developer Playtech formed a partnership to create William Hill online casino. At the time, the agreement was described as “transformational.” Since that time, the partnership has resulted in gains for both parties. However, during that period of time something went amiss as William Hill Online has acquired an injunction against Playtech.

Reasons for Legal Steps

There are two likely reasons for William Hill taking legal steps. The first is the idea that Playtech desires to considerably amend the current joint venture agreements. The second is the rumor of talks between Playtech and Ladbrokes which is one of William Hill’s biggest competitors. A statement released by William Hill Online confirmed that the injunction was for defense to protect the company’s legal rights in the agreements.

This injunction prevents Playtech from selling any software developed for William Hill to Ladbrokes. It also prevents the company from changing any section of the original agreement that could contribute to any deals made between Playtech and Ladbrokes. Playtech attorneys are well-aware of the injunction and hope that it will not affect communication between the two companies.

Playtech’s Response

Playtech publicly responded to the injunction in a statement sent to the stock exchange verifying it had heard the announcement by William Hill and that it will not affect the interests of the agreement. A security analyst at Evolution Securities opined that the injunction indicated that no progress will be made in the Playtech/Ladbrokes discussion. Ladbrokes and Playtech have both confirmed no discussion is underway between the two companies. However, the media has reported the possibility of a 2.2 billion pound merger.

The Message William Hill is Sending

William Hill is sending a strong message that their existing agreement with Playtech is beneficial to all parties and each should uphold their end of the agreement. However, if the discussions between Playtech and Ladbrokes are true, William Hill may have to make the desired amendments to their agreement.

Financial Results

William Hill’s annual results are expected to be released on February 25^th for the year ending December 2010. At this point, the industry will be able to analyze the financial climate of the casino. Also, the industry is expecting more information regarding the injunction with Playtech.

It appears as if the injunction does not have nefarious intent. It seems as if it is more of a protective measure for William Hill Online than an attack on Playtech. Only the future will tell the entire story and potential for success between the two companies.

Developed by industry-leading online gaming developer, Realtime Gaming, new basketball-themed slot game entitled “Basketbull” was recently released to coincide with the American basketball season. The name indicates a connection with the Chicago Bulls. However, the game takes a comic-type view of the sport featuring a variety of animals representing the characters within the game.

There are many basketball and mascot-related symbols in the game including:

• Professional basketball player Basketbull
• A basketball
• Cheerleading cow
• Referee ram
• Bulldog coach
• Milk carton
• Basket

The wild symbol is represented by the professional basketball player aptly name “Basketbull.” This character is depicted as a bull and awards players with the largest fixed jackpot of 10,000 coins. When a win occurs, Basketbull spins the ball on his finger.

The designated scatter symbol is a basketball which provides scattered payouts multiplied by the original wager. When awarded to the player, the basketball shoots from a bull’s horns directly onto the court. The cow dressed as a cheerleader, the ram as a referee and the bulldog as a coach are other symbols in the game but do not have any significant rewards associated with them. Also, there are jersey-like high value card symbols from ace to nine.

By acquiring three or more basketball icons, the free spins feature will be triggered which is aptly known as the “Free Throw Feature.” Immediately after the game is activated, three free spins are awarded. For each subsequent basketball symbol that appears, Basketbull is granted another free throw. Each shot that is successful grants the player double the number of free spins.

For example, if five scatter symbols appear on the reels, five free throws will be awarded. If all free throws are made by Basketbull then a total of 96 free spins will be granted to the player. Payouts during this free spins game are tripled with the ability to reactivate free spins.

Since this game is part of the Real Slots series developed by Realtime Gaming, the Win-Win feature is available by wagering all 25 paylines. Therefore, if players do not win in the Free Throw Feature bonus game, the Win-Win feature will be activated which awards compensation for losing.

Basketbull is a fun and exciting slot game that is sure to grab the attention of many slot enthusiasts. Look at one of the many Realtime Gaming online casinos to play this game and shoot your hopes and dreams!