Online Casino Gambling

It has been revealed that online casino jackpots are continuing to swell, giving gamblers even more reason to play the big buck progressive games. A variety of online gaming brands are seeing their top jackpots grow to millions of dollars, making those few winners instant millionaires. And many jackpots have been growing for months, or even years, thus they are ripe for the winning.

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.

As one of the most popular online slot games at all Playtech online casinos, The Incredible Hulk slot game appropriately brings the Marvel character alive which provide some of the best payouts around. One of the largest and most recent was $23,000 on May 31^st, 2011 at Windows Casino. This win was achieved without hitting any of the associated progressive jackpot networks associated with the slot series.

The winning Italian player simply wagered at the online casino and won. She began at the X-Men slot game, moved over to Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World and ended at The Incredible Hulk online slot game. Between the first two games she accumulated over $800. Finally after a few spins into the Incredible Hulk game she hit the smash bonus symbol triggering the bonus game which paid out over $2,200.

She continued to win and finally hit the free spins bonus round where nine Hulk symbols aligned and paid out $23,380. Naturally these high payouts at Marvel-branded online slot games have excited many players and driven additional traffic to the already-popular games. Other popular Marvel slot games include:

• Elektra
• Fantastic Four
• Iron Man
• Blade
• Daredevil

Following the large win, Windows Casino released a statement recognizing that the Marvel games boast the best sound effects, graphics, game features. As a result, they are some of most well-designed games available with the Incredible Hulk topping the list. Add in the opportunity to win at one of four jackpots and you have a popular game that has all the features that appeal to the slot enthusiast.

Participants of Playtech-powered online casinos can chase other large payouts at Beach Life and Gold Rally which feature progressive jackpots. Beach Life currently boasts a jackpot of $650,000. The same game paid out over $1 million only two months ago to one lucky winner. Over the past four years, the game has paid out two different sets of $4 million each.

Several of the most popular Playtech online casinos that feature these Marvel-branded slot games include, Casino Del Rio, Omni Casino and Casino Tropez. The Marvel-branded online slot games have always been popular and attracted many players. Now that the gaming world is aware of how well the games pay, in addition to the four progressive jackpots, the popularity of these games is sure to soar over the next several months.

The French Open is full swing which indicates the world Tennis season is at its peak. The end of June will bring the Grand Slams at Wimbledon, the World Series of Tennis. As a result of this excitement, industry-leading online gaming software developer, Playtech, has released its latest creation, Tennis Stars. This is an exciting game about Tennis and the global superstars associated with the game.

Large Payouts

Tennis Stars features 40 paylines with four rows of symbols across the reels. All of the characters on the screen are Tennis-related. The main symbols include a male and female Tennis player that distribute a whopping 5,000 coins when five or more appear on a payline. When part of winning combinations, the symbols become animated. Other icons on the screen are Tennis balls and Tennis shoes in addition to high value card symbols.

The Free Spins Bonus Round

The wild symbol in the game is represented by a Tennis trophy which appears on reels 2-4. If the trophy emerges on all reels simultaneously, it pays out 10 times the total bet while triggering the free spins bonus round. In the round, players are given 15 free spins with tripled payouts. If this winning combination is repeated during the free spins round, the bonus will be reactivated.

The Scatter Symbol

The scatter symbol is represented by the pair of Tennis rackets. If two or more characters appear on the reels, players are given scattered payouts. If five of these characters appear, 100 times the total bet is distributed. Three or greater equates to the Championship Bonus round in which the player competes against the computer.

The Championship Bonus Round

First, the player is required to select the male or female player and then chooses a slice or flat serve. Points are awarded during the match based on the score of the game and number of aces. A shutout equates to a payout of 50 times the entire bet. Therefore, if four aces are served through the entire bonus round, there is an additional multiplier of five times the winnings. Additionally, the gamble game is available in Tennis Stars.

This is an action-packed online slot game with many exciting features and excellent graphics that are appropriate for the current Tennis matches. Stop by one of the many Playtech-based online casinos to try and win a large amount of money.

The first Spanish gaming license was given to Casino Gran Madrid. The license process began in 2009 when the operator signed an agreement to allow Playtech to power their casino. As a result, Casino Gran Madrid now offers a range of Playtech online casino table, slot and poker games. The player management system for the casino is provided by Media Tech, a Spanish company.

The Beginning of the Process

In 2006 and 2007, Madrid authorized current land-based casinos and bingo halls to allow the activity knowing that regulated gaming was scheduled for the future. The authorization permitted these operators to provide online casino, bingo and wagering. However, these companies were still required to acquire a license in the future and follow the rules of the online gaming law that was in development.

Casino Gran Madrid

As a result, Casino Gran Madrid became the first land-based casino to acquire the license. The license was signed on May 17^th, 2011 but no public announcement was given until after local elections had occurred. A spokesperson for the new online casino released a statement confirming that beta testing will begin soon and occur over several weeks. This implies that the casino could go live within the next month.

Player Eligibility

Casino Gran Madrid will only accept players that reside within the city limits of Madrid and are at least 18 years old. There has not been a name announced yet for the online casino.

Pending National Online Gambling Law

The most surprising aspect of this approval process is that licenses have been issued to operators prior to the enactment of the national online gambling law which was approved on February 2011. The next step is to be published in the Official Gazette and a draft submitted to the European Commission which incurs a three month delay for review. During this time, Casino Gran Madrid will become the authority in the Spanish regulated market.

Tax Proposals

Furthermore, Casino Gran Madrid will only be subjected to a 10 percent tax on gross gaming revenue while the proposed figure is 25 percent for poker and casinos. Therefore, it has not yet been determined whether Casino Gran Madrid will be required to pay the tax increase once the law is enacted.

Playtech is attempting to play a lead role in emerging gaming markets that are in the process of being regulated. This is a major step for the Spanish gaming market while strengthening European Union as a world-leader in online gaming regulation.

With the recent release of the long awaited, action-packed movie, Thor, this begs the question as to whether an online slot game will be developed based on the film. Super heroes have proven to be popular in movies, comics and online slot games. As a result, there are numerous online slot games available based on Marvel superheroes.

Thor The Movie

The movie Thor was produced by Marvel Movies and directed by Kenneth Branagh. The cast includes Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Academy Award winning actor Anthony Hopkins as Odin.

Playtech Versus Cryptologic

There are currently two leading online gaming software developers that provide Marvel-branded slot games: Playtech and Cryptologic. Playtech has an agreement with Marvel Movies and provides numerous slot games based on their superheroes. When Iron Man 2 the movie was released, Playtech simultaneously launched the slot game.

Prior to the Playtech agreement, Cryptologic has released several Marvel-branded games. Cryptologic has an agreement with Marvel Comics which is an entirely different entity from Marvel Movies. To date, Cryptologic has release over 15 Marvel Comics super hero online slot games, one of which details the life of Thor. This begs the question, since the comic was converted into a movie, will Playtech produce a new version of the game?

The Original Thor Game

Thor is a super hero based on the mythological Norse god and features all his allies and enemies as symbols in the game. Other symbols include accessories and weapons that grant him super powers. The wild icon is the thunderbolt which becomes animated when the jackpot is hit which pays out 4,000 coins.

The Thor logo is representative of the scatter symbol and activates the free spins bonus round. During this extra game, players are given 10 free spins at triple the payouts. The highlight of the game is that the progressive jackpot can be randomly hit on any spin. This jackpot is three tiered. The first level is Hero, second is Super Hero and third is Marvel. This game is available at all Cryptologic online gaming sites.

Since a popular Thor game already exists from the Marvel Comics-brand, it is difficult to predict whether an additional game will be released to the public based on the movie. However, to remain competitive in the industry, Playtech may release a newer, updated version to give players a choice.

Online poker rooms and online casinos are two separate digital entities. Online poker rooms allow players to compete against one another with the operator taking rake from each pot. Online casinos offer games where the player bets against the casino in games like roulette, blackjack and slots. Both types operate utilizing the same technological, legal and financial means which can affect one another. If a legal event occurs with regards to online gambling, all operators pay attention.

Seizure of Three Domains

On Friday, April 15^th, 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice seized the domains of the three largest online poker room operators: Poker Stars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker. A warrant for the arrest of the owners has been issued along with a demand of $3 billion in penalties. However, the owners do not currently reside in the United States so they cannot be taken into custody at this time.

UIGEA 2006

The Department of Justice enforced this indictment under UIGEA 2006. One of the charges held against the operators is conducting illegal online gambling with the most severe being bank fraud and money laundering. According to the UIGEA, the funding of illegal gambling is a criminal offense therefore, since payments have been made from the casino to players, these operators are violating the law.

Payment Processors and the UIGEA

Due to this section of UIGEA, most online banks are weary of making financial transactions with online gambling sites. The payment processors used for financial transactions in the incident claimed to be online merchants that purchase various types of physical merchandise. According to legal experts, these are the primary aspects of the transactions that can get gambling operators into trouble.

Reaction from the Online Community

Of course the actions taken by the Department of Justice have been condemned by the online gambling community. The three poker rooms at fault have not yet released any type of statement. Additionally, no statements have been made from other online poker rooms that allow U.S.-based players. Legal professionals are advising players to wait and keep an eye on this situation.

This event was not unexpected as online gaming software providers Playtech and Cryptologic and payment processor Neteller all withdrew from the American market when the UIGEA was enacted in 2006. Microgaming followed two years later after the Kentucky domain name case began. It is unpredictable as to whether this particular event will cause additional flight by operators from the online gambling industry.