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.

An Unusual Slot

For those wanting to play a slot with a difference, Germinator is ideal. Paylines are constructed in a horizontal and vertical, six by six matrix, resulting in 12 paylines which are all enabled. Players wager one coin for every payline, with the coin size between £0.05 and £2.00. These can be multiplied between 0.2 and 10 times depending on the five different germ symbols which are used throughout the reels.

Alternative Winning Combinations

Unlike other slots where symbols normally have to appear in the first vertical or horizontal position, Germinator offers payouts when three or more germs appear together anywhere on the screen. Payouts are summed by using the multiplier of the germ and the number of symbols that appear in the winning combination. And for those who are extra lucky, if more than one chain is noted, Germinator will pay out for both separate winning combinations.

Extra Payout Features

In addition to Germinator paying out for each winning combination on the reels, it uses an interesting feature where players can gain even more coins. After the initial winning combinations have been paid out the associated symbols explode and disappear, allowing the germs above them to drop down into their place. If new winning combinations are formed more payouts are provided, with the system continuing until there are no more payout possibilities on the reels.

Germinator Medi Bonus

Germinator also has a Medi bonus where, if three of more Capsules are noted on the screen, a bonus game is triggered. At this point players choose a germ symbol which removes all associated symbols from the grid. As with the extra payouts, remaining germs drop into vacant slots, offering possible coin wins. And with this interesting layout, extra payout and bonus payout feature, Germinator will be very attractive for players wanting to explore new slots available at Virgin Casino Online.

Current Relationship

The deal between Victor Chandler and Microgaming isn’t the first time that the companies have worked together, with premium titles from the software company complimenting Victor Chandler’s portfolio. Using the flexible QuickFire platform, Victor Chandler is able to provide players with games with out the need for extensive software. This is a vital requirement for mobile gambling, and the relationship will see QuickFire in prime position to offer players using their mobile phones the ultimate scope for gaming. And with sports betting apps already in place, Microgaming games will be the perfect addition.

QuickFire Success

QuickFire has noted considerable success with casinos operating in the online environment, with its system seamlessly being able to integrate with existing and established software. It covers all platforms including live deal, mobile, casino and poker niches in addition to providing more than 250 proven Microgaming games for premium content. Top titles including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Thundestruck can be found, and with new titles added every month, the portfolio is constantly expanding. Added to this that QuickFire have now begun to offer titles from software developers other than Microgaming, and the attraction of the product is immense.

Mobile Gambling

Whilst e-commerce has taken off considerably, m-commerce is still developing though it is said that 2011 will really see this sector begin to make significant moves. With a huge range of gaming and shopping applications already catering to millions of smartphone users around the word, it is only a matter of time before mobile gambling becomes a very real and lucrative industry. Talking of the significance that QuickFire would have in the mobile gambling arena Victor Chandler’s Head of Mobile, Trulough Lally, explained that the product was a natural supplier for their mobile operations after its integration into the online casino area earlier this year. He added that with the incorporation of QuickFire into their mobile app, consumers would have the best gambling experience available on the smartphone platform.

Mad Hatters Good Times

The first new small prize pool tournament brought by Microgaming is the Good Times tournament on slot title Mad Hatters. This prize pool is worth $100 and is shared amongst five top players allowing winnings of $40, $25, $15, $12 and $8. Each event of Good Times has a maximum player number of 500 and runs for a five hour window, with each gambler getting an initial five minutes of wagering time. With a maximum bet of 300 coins and an initial coin stack of 25,000, players indulge in a one round tournament which includes Microgaming’s popular Rebuys and Continue Play options, with each choice having a maximum of ten and five purchases respectively.

Midnight Challenge

Structured in a similar way to Good Times, the Midnight Challenge is run on the Avalon slots title. The coin stack and maximum bets are smaller however, with an initial stack of 12,500 coins and the highest wager being 200 coins. Coin sums for Rebuy and Continue Play options are reduced appropriately.

Easy Money Tournament

Microgaming’s final new small prize pool tournament is Easy Money; a popular gambling option of up to 2,000 players which is played on the Hitman slots title. Whilst the top prize is still $100, the fund is shared between 10 players, giving more opportunities to win. However, winnings are reduced, with the highest payout being $30 and the lowest just $2. Like Microgaming’s other options, the tournament lasts five hours. However there are no Rebuys and up to 50 Continue Play choices, with a stack of 18,000 coins and a maximum wager of 300 coins.

Small Prize Pool Popularity

Microgaming’s new tournaments can be enjoyed at casinos such as Jackpot City, Platinum Play and Spin Palace, offering players the chance to enjoy an engaging experience even if their bankroll isn’t high. And whilst the prizes are small, for leisure gamers, the tournaments are the ideal option.

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.

Fellowship of the Ring Revamped

According to Royal Vegas, the new release of the reworked slot game will offer players the chance to play a favorite with an additional few tweaks. A new feature is the appearance of Gollum who will show himself anywhere in the game and offer gamblers the chance to win prizes and extra features. Originally a Hobbit, Gollum came possessed by the One Ring, resulting in him developing split personalities. A leading character in the book, his appearance in the revamped Fellowship of the Ring slot game will be greatly welcomed by players.

New Progressive Jackpot

In addition to the new character of Gollum, it was revealed that a progressive jackpot has been added. Four progressive jackpots will offer gamblers the chance to win big when the Bonus Wheel feature is randomly triggered. The higher the bet placed in the first place, the higher the chances that the progressive jackpot will be won.

Traditional Features

Whilst much of the slots imagery has also been revamped, with new graphics added, Micrograming have kept many of the traits which made Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring so popular in the first place. Of these, the 243 different ways to win have been retained so as to offer players as much variation and entertaining play as possible. And with cinematic reel spins featuring scenes from the Fellowship of the Ring also kept, keen players of this game will be able to enjoy the base original concept with a few extra add-ons as soon as the slot is released this month. Meanwhile, with Microgaming having already made a huge investment with Lord of the Rings copyright holders Warner Brothers, only time will tell when the next installment of the trilogy will arrive.

Call of the Colosseum

The game is a 20 payline video slot game with ancient symbols such as a Roman lady, the Colosseum, tiger, emperor, chariot, bag of gold, round shield and gladiator’s helmet. The Roman lady icon provides a fixed jackpot of 5,000 coins. Meanwhile, the emperor represents the wild symbol and can only appear on the second, third and fourth reels. The round shield is the scatter symbol and three or more equates to the ten free spins with double payouts.

This free spins round has an interesting twist. Each time the emperor appears, he forms a thumbs up or down sign as he would in the Colosseum. A thumbs up is equivalent to three more free spins being given to the player. A thumbs down ends the round. Also, the Gamble Game is available after each payout. Players have the option of attempting to double or quadruple their payout by guess the color or suit of a card.

Dynasty

Set in the background of the Great Wall of China, the reels in Dynasty slot game are crafted in an ancient manner. The structure of this game is similar to that of Call of the Colosseum in that it features 20 paylines and similar wagering designations. The Dynasty logo acts as the wild symbol and only appears on the second, third and fourth reels.

The scatter icon is represented by the emperor which awards three 10 free spins at doubled payouts. During this round, free spins can be retriggered when three or more scatter characters appears on the reels. Other icons in the game include, flag, swords, warrior and monument. The warrior character distributes 5,000 coins when five or more appear on any payline. The Gamble Game is also available following each payout.

With the addition of these games to their repertoire, Virgin Casino literally has some game that appeals to everyone. The most intriguing aspect of these games is the attention to detail with regards to the ancient theme that is historically accurate.

Microgaming Jackpots

Microgaming in particular has noted a huge increase to their overall jackpots, with the online casino software firm now having progressive jackpots worth more than $5m. Major Millions slot machines have been shown to offer over $1m to the total prize total, whilst Microgaming’s Mega Moolah is also making big waves, with the top winners lot worth more than $3m.

Real Time Gaming Jackpots

Elsewhere, software provider Real Time Gaming (RTG) has revealed that that both their random progressive jackpots and huge progressive jackpots are noting considerable increases as more players flock to online gambling. Four of RTG’s individual slot machines are each worth over $1m, totaling the progressive jackpot sum of $4.7m. Whilst Shopping Spree and Mid Life Crisis each have jackpots of slightly over $1m, Aztec’s Million and Jackpot Piñatas have won top spots with jackpots of $1.3m and $1.7m respectively.

Playtech Jackpots

Finally, Playtech Casinos have also revealed swollen jackpots rising into the millions. The company, who has consistently advertised large progressive jackpots, revealed that slot machine Beach Life currently has a jackpot worth $1.8m waiting to be won. And with the company’s total jackpot sum amounting to $4.8m, there is large money waiting to be claimed by online gamblers.

The revelations will be welcomed by gamers who are ready to play their hand and win their fortune. Some of the jackpots revealed have not been won for more than two years, making the swollen totals fit to burst. Many gamblers, especially new ones, may assume that they’ll never win, but it only takes one time on these progressive online jackpots to become a millionaire. If you don’t play, you’ll never win, so there’s no harm in trying. And with such lucrative jackpots just sitting waiting to be claimed, playing one hand could set you up for the rest of your life.

Mega Moolah Website

The site currently only entails Mega Moolah information and no other games connected to the progressive jackpot. The homepage presents a jungle with sparse plains and hills in the background. The first message users see is “Mega Moolah is something special! Not only does it provide the biggest jackpots in online casino history it was also the first four tiered progressive casino slot developed by Microgaming.”

Buttons Shaped like Symbols

Additionally details about the slot game can be accessed through the buttons shaped as animal symbols. The monkey icon displays the four largest jackpot winners of all time within this specific progressive jackpot network. Also, links to the casinos where the winners acquired their fortunes are listed.

The giraffe character presents detailed gaming information which includes the reset values of the jackpot, wagering parameters such as coin denomination and betting values and then numerous features offered in the game. At the largest jackpot tier, the credit counter resets at 1,000,000 credits with a guaranteed hit of one million dollars.

The antelope symbols offers a link to download the Mega Moolah software while the elephant discusses playing the slot game utilize mobile phones. Additionally, Mega Moolah is available in a non-downloadable Flash version through your favorite browser.

Welcome Bonus

As a welcome, players who download and install the software then make a real money deposit at the casino will receive a generous bonus of 100 percent matching with a maximum of 200 Euros. The second deposit pays 100 percent matching up to 300 Euros. Also, players will receive 15 free spins on Thunderstruck II, a popular online slot game from Microgaming.

A representative from Mega Moolah UK stated that the company is attempting to create a one-of-a-kind user experience by developing a website that mimicked the game with regards to sounds, animation and graphics. The objective of the site is to provide users with information and give them the entire Mega Moolah experience prior to download. It appears as if the website has generated additional traffic for the slot game due to the branding of the host casino.

Promotional Period

Therefore, players will have between August 15^th and the 19^th to wager between GBP 500 and GBP 25,000 on these two games and several other selected top slots. If players meet the wagering requirements for release of bonus amounts, they will bring home guaranteed cash prizes.

Ten Wagering Tiers

To accommodate the variety of bettors at the casino, the promotion signifies ten wagering tiers with subsequent bonuses for each tier. The first tier requires betting at least GBP 500 for a bonus of GBP 10. The second tier involves wagering at least GBP 2,500 to receive a bonus of GBP 50. Therefore, as the wagering limit increases so does the awarded bonus. The top tier entails a wagering requirement of GBP 25,000 for a maximum bonus of GBP 650.

Eligible Playtech Slot Games

The Virgin Casino website displays the complete list of eligible games for the promotion. Players can only wager on these games to count toward the fulfillment of the wagering requirements. All amounts won during the betting on these games are the players to keep. The list of Playtech games include: Monopoly YITM, Star Trek, Cleopatra, Da Vinci Diamonds, Crocodopolis and the War of the Worlds

Eligible Microgaming and Cryptologic Slot Games

Eligible Microgaming slot games include, the Lord of the Rings, Rhyming Reels Queen of Hearts, Hot Ink and Tomb Raider II. Cryptologic games that are part of the promotion include 300 Shields and Batman. Since Virgin Casino does not have one exclusive supplier, they utilize many of the best casino software development companies.

There is always a lot of exciting activity at Virgin Casino. Game launches, promotions, tournaments and bonuses are the norm at the casino. This is simply another example of the launch of two new games accompanied by generous bonuses. It will be interesting to see what the casino has up its sleeve for the month of September and beyond.