Online Casino Gambling

With February creeping ever closer, many people are getting excited about the prospect of the new round of online slots from Microgaming which are due to be released. One of the leading suppliers of slots, Microgaming will be debuting new titles from February 8^th, offering the chance for you to enjoy a whole variety of new games in the coming months. And, though the games have not yet been released, there are already many online casinos which are offering previews.

Great Griffin

One of the most previewed Microgaming titles, and a slot which is already expected to be very popular, is the new Great Griffin. Griffin’s are mythological creatures, with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, which have been respected throughout the ages. Set in an ancient medieval castle, Great Griffin has beautiful illustrations and reels which offer symbols depicting spell books, magic crystals, mysterious plants and potion flasks. The mighty griffin also appears, along with the hooded lady of the castle. Whilst the illustrations are beautiful, Micrograming has also provided some fantastic animations, with one in particular showing the griffin flying throughout the reels and using its razor sharp claws to scratch off random symbols.

Griffin Payouts

Alongside the great new animations and gaming of the new title, you’ll have some chances to win big on Great Griffin. Four rows of symbols offer a total of 50 paylines, with the main game giving a maximum reward of 50,000 coins. In addition, a free spins bonus provides the opportunity to multiply winnings by 10 times, meaning that you could win up to 750,000 coins. Another bonus is also available, with the hooded lady initiating the Pick Me Bonus when she appears on 2, 3 and 4. In this round, you pick one symbol to win all the bonuses, one prize, or the chance to pick again. Meanwhile, if the hooded lady lands on 3, 4 and 5, the free spins are initiated. Here, there are several options, and you can pick 5 spins with a multiplier of 10, 10 spins with a multiplier of 5, or 15 spins with a multiplier of 3. Whilst free spins can be retriggered, there is also the ability to have the Pick Me Bonus initiated whilst you’re using free spins, with the Great Griffin applying multipliers to the bonus round wins in this case.

Great Griffin Availability

As Microgaming’s new titles are rolled out in February, many websites will be able to utilize the new games. Many are holding Great Griffin in high esteem, predicting that it will be a popular game in 2012 because of its use of varying winning combinations, including Free Spins, Wilds, Extra Wilds, Multipliers and Scatters. And, with all Fortune Lounge casinos including 7 Sultans, Vegas Villa and Platinum Play all offering the game, its availability will be wide.

New Atomic 8s Power Spins

In addition to Great Griffin, Microgaming will also be unveiling Atomic 8s Power Spins. The title is a rework of Microgaming’s popular Sonic 7s which utilized a Power Spins feature, and is likely to see new and old fans alike, flock to the game for a chance to win. Like the classic Sonic 7s, Microgaming’s new slot utilizes the classic three reel slot for its gaming genre. However, icons have been altered so, unlike Sonic 7s where the classic bells, bars and cherries are colored with a cold blue, they have their natural colors to grip gamers more easily. Another important change, and an obvious one to make, is that the 7s have been replaced with 8s for a novel twist.

Simple Slot Play for Atomic 8s

Unlike many of the modern slots, which can be confusing to play due to the large numbers of icons, animations and win options, Atomic 8s is very easy to play. Whilst many modern fans have been lured by the newer titles and their glitz and glamour, if you prefer the older and more traditional reels, Atomic 8s Power Slots is ideal. There are only nine paylines in Atomic 8s however, with scatter and line payouts available after every spin providing a game which will be a welcome change from titles with constant bonus round and free spin distractions.

Atomic 8s Symbols

Most of the symbols keep to traditional influences in Atomic 8s, and the title’s own logo acts as the wildcard symbol. It substitutes itself for other symbols, and can appear on any reel, therefore offering you the opportunity to gain payouts whenever it appears. In addition, the Atomic 8s symbol offers its own line payout, and if you get five logos in a row you can get 8,000 coins. Meanwhile, the scatter symbol is provided by the Radioactive image. When five symbols appear on the reels in any placement, 300 coins are won which are multiplied by the total bet.

Power Spins Substitute Bonus Games

Though Atomic 8s has nothing in the way of bonus games or free spins, it does have a Power Spins mode. This can more than make up for the absence of the more modern slot additions, providing you with a great chance to win big. Not an automatic feature, you must actively choose this option when you place your bets; a decision which then enables all paylines and initiates an additional wager which is the sum of 3 times the original line bet. Following the popular principle of Sonic 7s, where using the Power Spins options changed wild symbols into multipliers of 2, Atomic 8s sees the same payouts provided. However, symbols can be aligned both left to right, and right to left, offering you the double the chances to get a winning combination.

Atomic 8s Availability

Like Great Griffin, Atomic 8s will not be available until the first week in February. At this time, it become available at a wide range of Microgaming online casinos, with February 8^th seeing it released at venues such as Gaming Club, Golden Riviera, Mummy’s Gold and 7 Sultans.

Playing craps online is a great way to get yourself involved in this great table game, and with the internet offering the perfect way to access the game from the comfort of your own home you’ll be able to play craps at any time of day. A consideration to make when first dabbling in your online craps career is the type of software you use to access games, and there are a couple of important things to remember.

Practicing Online Craps

In a similar way to practicing games before playing them for money in the real world, it’s a good idea to take some time and ensure that you know how to play craps in the online environment. To do this you often won’t have to download software, and many websites will offer the ability to play free games online with no real cash deposits. This gives you the chance to hone your skills and play with a variety of casinos software, ensuring that you find a system which you find easy and enjoyable to use. However, if you aren’t downloading software to play you must ensure that your browser software is upgraded to the last versions, as old versions of Flash and other gaming software could cause your game to malfunction or crash halfway through. Alternatively if may not load at all.

Download Specific Software

Once you’ve had a chance to play across a range of platforms, establish your game and find software which you enjoy playing with, you can download the correct software needed to play for real money. Most casinos have a specific software package that they require you to download before you can start depositing cash and playing for the big bucks. Such software is very easy to download and install, meaning that you don’t need to be a computer expert to sign up.

Enjoying Online Craps

Online craps is a very enjoyable game and you’ll be able to use a variety of established and well known casinos to play. For practicing, or playing on computers which aren’t your own, ensuring browser software is up to date will allow you to play through the web itself. And when you’re ready to start really earning a craps income, downloading website specific software will allow you to push your craps career in a positive direction.

One of the online gambling industry’s leading providers of casino software, Top Game, has revealed that they have added two new games to their portfolio. Scratch card Weed Whacker is set in a garden where gamers have to mow the grass and unveil multipliers. Casino War meanwhile is an online card game set in an elegantly designed atmosphere.

Scratch Card Game Weed Whacker

For players who love scratch cards and want a horticultural twist to their game, Weed Whacker is the ideal option. Set in an overgrown garden, players use their mouse to operate a mower around the screens six sections. Each section, once mowed over, reveals a multiplier between one and 80. If players gain three or more equal multipliers their bet is paid out depending on the matching multipliers seen. Wagers range from $0.05 to $10, and for players who don’t want to necessarily mow each section, an instant reveal button is available.

Card Game Casino War

For gamblers who love card games, Top Game’s newest title is Casino War; a table based game where players bet against a dealer in an ante wager system. Set on an elegant table with a range of coin denominations and a cigar, a six deck shoe is used to deal cards. The ace is the highest ranking card in the game, whilst variations in suit don’t affect game play. Both dealer and player are a dealt a card after placing an ante wager of between $1 and $100 and an optional tie bet. If the dealer has the higher card the ante wager is lost, whereas if players find themselves with the highest value then even money on the ante wager is paid out. However, if the two cards are equal and the tie bet has been utilized, players receive a payout of 10 to 1 and the game progresses into part two.

Casino War’s Second Stage

If a player has a successful round they can either surrender, where they see half of their ante wager returned, or place another bet of the same sum as the ante wager. If this option is chosen, three cards are burned from the dealer and then a card is dealt to both himself and the player. A lower card sees players lose both wagers, whilst an equal or higher card results in a payout determined on the additional wager.

With Top Game being a popular casino, the new games will be welcomed. And with each offering a new variety, players of both scratch and card games will be pleasantly surprised.

It has been revealed that European based operators are beginning to line up possible software providers as legalization of online gambling comes close to completion. Countries including Denmark, Greece and Spain all have online casinos readying themselves for approved licenses, with the world’s top software firms noting strong demand from establishments.

Microgaming Set for Spanish Market

Isle of Man based Microgaming released a statement revealing that it is to team up with leading Spanish online casino CIRSA. With Spain on the brink of legalizing a variety of online gambling practices, CIRSA is said to have opted for Microgaming as its software provider due to the innovative gaming content and high quality performance that titles provide. The leading programmer will provide bingo, poker and casino software to the Spanish venue in addition to administrative services, allowing CIRSA to provide a top quality and fully rounded gambling experience for online players.

Danish Acquisitions by Sportingbet Plc

Meanwhile, Sportingbet Plc has announced that is has made an agreement to acquire Scandic Bookmakers Limited and Danbook Limited. The online gaming and sports betting group made the conditional agreement for the acquisition of Danbook and Scandic to offer their customers a wider variety of casino, poker, gaming and online fixed odds spots betting.

OPAP Tenders for Contract

In Greece, ahead of the planned potential regulation for the online casino industry, the state owned gambling monopoly OPAP has revealed that it is opening its contract to software providers. Whilst they have held a contract with Intralot for some time, OPAP are keen to avoid criticism, and so when the current contract comes to an end in 2012, will be seeking bids from other groups. Whilst Intralot is expected to make a competitive bid in an attempt to gain renewal, both Scientific Games Crop and GTECH are thought to offer possible alternatives. The final supplier will be chosen within the upcoming two months, with OPAP’s future strategy and online expansion into online betting and video lotto crucial on the provider it chooses. And with the potential legalization of online gambling in Europe extensive, there is likely to be much media focus over the next few months.

Poker is a high stakes game where the simplest and slightest error on your part can result in a devastating loss when a high win was expected. Unlike many table games which are more luck than strategy, nothing could be further from the truth for poker, where strategy is the key to winning. Here, even if you hold a bad hand, you can still win against your opponents by taking the opportunity to bluff your way to the top. It never hurts a little to analyze your game and see which moves are getting you winnings, and which aren’t. And by using poker software you can make your strategy even stronger.

Using Analyzing Software

There are many benefits to using software to analyze your poker actions, and it can be of particular help when you’re starting out in the game. At this level you may be making mistakes without even realizing, and software will be able to pick up on hands where you missed vital opportunities to get ahead. Therefore, it is a great idea to use specific software on the market, highlighting both your strong points and weaknesses to make your game as successful as possible.

Poker Tracker

One of the most widely used poker analyzing software programs is Poker Tracker, the online tool which helps spot important points of your game. You can often utilize free trials of the software, enabling you to use the program and get instant results without having to pay out. And if you’re intending on playing a lot of online poker, the free trial periods may be sufficient to get most of the errors out of your strategy. Whether you win or lose, staying positive and using Poker Tracker to analyze your game can work wonders. Which strategies are working and which aren’t? Where have your greatest losses and wins been noted, and what was your strategy involved during those games? After taking notes of important points, play another game using your new knowledge and see if strategy changes have helped.

Software for All

Whether you’re a novice or a professional moving into the online sector, using software such as Poker Tracker can have great results. And if you want to be the very best poker player you can be, using analytics will help you win more games.

Toward the end of 2010, leading online gaming software provider Cryptologic reported a major decline in financial performance in addition to operational problems. As a result, the online gambling industry was put on alert as these announcements developed. However, Cryptologic recently announced the results of its financial performance from the second quarter of 2011. Although there has been no magical recovery, those with a vested interest in the provider will be relieved.

Financial Results for the Second Quarter

The financial results for the quarter ending June 30^th, 2011 highlight an increase in revenue to $7 million from $6 million in the first quarter. However, the total expenses remained consistent at $6.5 million. Therefore, income prior to tax is $0.5 million compared to a loss in the first quarter. The company made an announcement that the Board of Directors is pleased with the performance and will continue to focus on improving revenues in the future while decreasing costs.

Small Reasons for the Increase in Revenue

The company further reported the reasons for an increase in revenue. Although small, there was a reduction in liabilities from the previous quarter as a result of a dispute with a supplier. Also, there was an upsurge in revenue from branded games. During the second quarter, six new branded slot games went live for a total of 185 revenue-generating online games. However, there was a loss in revenue from online poker.

Progressive Jackpot Win

Another highpoint from the second quarter was a progressive jackpot win of $4.2 million at Sky Vegas online casino. The result was a decreased provision for jackpot wins but also a decrease in cash and cash equivalents. Cryptologic directly pays out any progressive jackpot wins to avoid a player-casino dispute.

Update on Commercial Agreements

The financial announcement also gave an update on commercial agreements. Cryptologic has signed a binding agreement with a specific game supplier to continue their business relationship. However, the disagreement between the brand licensor and Cryptologic continues to be unresolved. Therefore, the online gambling community is anxious to learn the results of the review being conducted by Deloitte Corporate Finance which is ongoing.

Cryptologic appears to be making significant improvements from where it was several months ago. As it continues to release games and improve its financial results, the online gambling industry is following closely. Hopefully in the future, Cryptologic will revert back to the game-releasing, financial online gaming powerhouse it once was.