Online Casino Gambling

For any online gambler looking for the best website to play at there are a range of considerations to be made. You should take into account the variety of games, the security of the site and, if you intend to play against other players and not the casino itself, how populated the establishment is. It is also very important to look at payout percentages to ensure that players are actually winning cash. And Cinema Casino has been highlighted as a top online venue to play at, with four consecutive months this year noting payouts over 100per cent.

Percentage Payouts Explained

Like bonus percentages, payout percentages relate to the proportion of winnings or credits that players receive. The higher the payout percentage, the more cash that gamblers have won against their venue, making top numbers a good indication that players are actually profiting from an online casino environment.

Cinema Casino Payouts

It has been revealed that during the first and second quarter of 2011, Cinema Casino saw payout percentages of over 100 percent, resulting in players and not the casino profiting. The payouts were across a variety of table games including roulette, craps, poker, blackjack and baccarat, offering a high incentive for gamblers to head to the online venue if such games are preferred. The figures mean that, when combined with Cinema Casino’s promotions and deposit matching schemes, players could find that they are actually making decent online gambling careers without having to pay too much to use websites.

Casino Operations

With the official figures for Cinema Casino’s operations coming from e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) after an extensive independent audit, players can be assured that the figures for the four months are correct and not some advertising ploy to try and attract business. In a climate where online casinos are rebuilding customer confidence after a number of well known sites were shut down earlier in the year due to fraudulent activity, this assurance is vital. And if you’re looking for a secure online casino with a proven record of enabling players to win the big bucks, Cinema Casino looks an attractive option in today’s market.

The enormous slot tournament, Grand Slam of Slots II (GSOS II) is scheduled to begin on May 27^th, 2011. Since the middle portion of March, the majority of Microgaming online casinos have been hosting qualifying tournaments to award free entry into the GSOS II to the winners. The qualifiers for entry are finally drawing to a close. Platinum Play online casino recently issued a reminder to account holders indicating that there is only two weeks remaining for the qualifiers.

Qualifying Tournaments

Microgaming has set aside a ten week period for its casinos to host the qualifiers. The ninth week ends on May 15^th. The qualifying tournament was available to all players at Platinum Play. The game of choice was Avalon, which is based on the English legend, King Arthur. This qualifier offered eight seats to the GSOS II in addition to a large prize pool of 5,000 credits.

The next qualifying event at Platinum Play was for VIP players only through an invitation. This competition featured a prize pool of 10,000 credits and granted 16 free seats to the mega tournament. The game of choice for the competition was an older version of Thunderstruck.

Upcoming Qualifiers

The final week of qualifiers at the casino will begin on Monday, May 16^th and end Sunday, May 22^nd. This qualifying tournament is open to all players and boasts a prize pool of 6,000 credits with 10 free seats to the GSOS II. The chosen slot game is Ladies Nite, a popular game for online slot competition. The second and final even will be based on a lucky draw and will feature 4 free seats to the larger tournament.

The Fortune Lounge Group

These same events are being held across all Fortune Lounge casino group including Royal Vegas, Vegas Palms and 7 Sultans. Overall there are 120 free seats being given away with 100,000 casino credits. Additionally other prizes include Diamond VIP status for an entire year coupled with triple reward points.

Powered by Microgaming software, these casinos are all licensed and regulated by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta, a reputable jurisdiction. Also, all online casinos in the Fortune Lounge Group boast the Safe and Fair Seal by eCOGRA. These qualifying tournaments offer double the winnings in that players have the opportunity to win credits and a free seat in the upcoming mega tournaments.

eCOGRA recently announced from its headquarters in London, England that it has upgraded the Generally Accepted Practices (eGAPs) for online gambling. In the release, eCOGRA states, “The eGAPs provide a professional framework for safe, fair, efficient and responsible business activity.” eCOGRA is an independent entity that protects players and gaming standards while awarding approval of operators that follow their eGAPs.

To date, eCOGRA has granted its seal to 153 online gambling sites across the globe. The newest revision to its eGAPs is available on the eCOGRA website. The Chief Executive of eCOGRA announced that revisions have been made to confirm eCOGRA’s requirements will meet all new guidelines for CEN Responsible Remote Gambling Measures.

CEN is the European Committee for Standardization which creates technical specifications to create a single market for the European online gambling industry and its consumers. In recent months, the online gambling industry is one of seven new responsibilities that have been added the CEN’s jurisdiction. These new requirements are expected to meet the majority of regulatory authorities across the globe.

The CEN measures were developed by the CEN Workshop Agreement which was created in early 2011. As more European countries choose to implement a strictly regulated online gambling environment, the regulatory bodies will follow the guidelines of the CEN measures. Therefore, with eCOGRA aligning their requirements with those of the CEN, they can provide expert framework that can be used by many operators.

Those casino operators that currently feature the Safe and Fair seal must also adjust accordingly to the new requirements. eCOGRA approved gaming sites currently experience periodic inspections to ensure compliance. Therefore, those that are not compliant with the new requirements will not be renewed with the Safe and Fair approval seal.

There are nine areas of the online gambling industry that will be covered by the new eGAPs including:

• Protection of vulnerable customers
• Combating fraud
• Protection of privacy
• Prevention of underage gambling
• Fair gaming
• Accurate customer payments
• Customer satisfaction
• Responsible marketing
• Safe operating environment

The new eGAPs will features 134 detailed requirements within the nine aforementioned categories. There were a variety of experts and stakeholders at the CEN Workshop Agreement to ensure all parties were represented and had input into the new eGAPs.  This is an excellent step toward a more standardized system of regulation for the online gambling community.

As one of the online gaming industry’s most reputed software testing, player protecting and standards creating business, eCOGRA was recently bought out by its management team. Founded and owned by three major online gaming industry players; Microgaming, Bwin and 888, over the years eCOGRA has demonstrated its dominance in auditing and granting approvals.

Led by Chief Executive Andrew Beveridge, this buyout is expected to positively expand the structure of the eCOGRA business entity.  For instance, management plans to no longer include software providers, online casino operators and other business players into the arena of online gambling. This will confirm eCOGRA’s independence with regards to the liberation of its current tasks.

The buyout process was streamlined and agreed upon by all parties. The founders noted that the timing of this buyout was appropriate allowing eCOGRA management to make its own policy and strategic decisions. The announcement further emphasized that all directors prior to the buyout would remain on the board which consists of:

• Chairman Michael Hirst
• Bill Henbrey
• Bill Gaston
• Frank Catania
• Andrew Beveridge

The original goal of the eCOGRA directors was to enforce continuous improvement with regards to the credibility of online gambling and guarantee all players were protected while developing standards, regulations and policies. These will continue to be the goals of eCOGRA with the addition of an increase in commercial activity.

The future of eCOGRA services and the operational hierarchy will not change with this buyout. The Fair Gaming Advocate which mediates player disputes will continue. Additionally, the monitoring systems will be expanded with no-accredited gaming businesses. Furthermore, extensive assessment for awarding online casino entities with the Safe and Fair seal will continue as-is. Advisory consulting services will become a major segment of eCOGRA’s business services.

Beveridge believes the online gambling industry is beginning to mature and he would like to have eCOGRA a major part of that evolution. Across the globe, there is a trend toward national and state regulatory bodies so eCOGRA is aiming to shape new gambling jurisdictions through advice and assistance.

The buyout of eCOGRA by current management appears to be a positive event as business will continue as planned with the addition of several expansions and projects. eCOGRA has been a major contributor to the success of online gambling around the world and looks as if they will continue setting the standard of fair game play in the future.

Roxy Palace recently went live with a set of online slot games, one of which is entitled, “Eagle’s Wings.” This American-themed game features the snowcapped Rocky Mountains blended with the forests which are home to the Bald Eagle. In the waters below this scenic natural beauty live salmon, the primary source of food for the eagle. Eagle’s Wings has captured this beautiful landscape in full detail.

There are many symbols found in the game which include:

• Eagle close up
• Flying eagle
• Eagles in their nest
• Salmon
• Eagles wings
• Lucky eagle coin

There are three symbols for the eagle, the close up version, the eagle flying in the sky and eagles living in their nest. Mixed into the various symbols that are representative of Mother Nature are high value cards ranging from Ace to Jack. The animations of the thematic symbols are quite interesting. The background is animated as well to make the player feel as if they are out in the wilderness. For instance, the salmon jump and the eagle fly across the blue sky.

Furthermore, the eagle’s wings icon represents the wild symbol which helps make winning combinations and doubling the payouts. The eagle’s wings symbol will appear stacked on the reels, often in combinations of two and three. Five logos on an active payline will result in the release of the highest fixed jackpot, 1,000 coins.

The scatter symbol is represented by the lucky eagle coin which is crafted in tribal-style. Three or more of these symbols activate the bonus game, Lucky Eagle. This game requires players to select coins which uncover the number of free spins. The most possible free spins in the bonus game is 60, at triple payouts. Therefore, the maximum payout is 15,000 coins.

The game boasts 25 total paylines with a coin denomination ranging from 0.01 to 0.25 and 5 coins per payline. Also, Eagle’s Wings features two modes: Regular and Expert. The only difference is Expert Mode delivers an auto play function.

Roxy Palace is powered by industry-leading online gaming software developer Microgaming. The casino carries the Safe and Fair seal due to eCOGRA approval. At this moment, Roxy Palace is offering a unique welcome bonus with a maximum match of $1,250 for the first six deposits. The fifth deposit releases 120 free spins which carry a value of $600. Stop by the casino today to enjoy Eagle’s Wings and generate a nice welcome bonus.

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.