Archive for October, 2008

Oct
19

How do you choose the right online casino? The fact remains that it is such a subjective thing. It all depends on what it is that you are looking for. Personally, I like online casinos which do not try and offer too much in one go. If, for example, I am in the mood for playing poker then I will not go to an online casino that offers 600 games with 30 of them being poker. I would rather go to a specialized online poker site.

However, there is a need for mass-market casinos, especially for customers who are looking for a bit of everything. This allows the casino to retain these customers so that they do not go ahead and sign up for competitor casinos just because their home casino does not offer slots or video poker.

The most important thing to do is find a reputable online casino that offers you what you are looking for. This could be online bingo, craps, roulette or whatever your heart desires. The great thing about having so many online casinos to choose from is that you will always find what you are looking for. This competition between casinos also makes them up their games to ensure that they retain their customers and attract new ones.

Oct
19

Sky King’s Casino

Posted by jacques ADD COMMENTS

Every once in a while I like to tell you guys about online casinos that I have reviewed. Today’s online casino of the day is Sky King’s Casino (www.skykingscasino.com ). Alright, so I’m not generally one for the flash casinos, but this one is alright in this regard. It does look as though the lobby would be carpeted with the plushest Persian rugs, but the $500 (or other major currency equivalent) is enough for me to overlook the decor. You can also choose the 100% welcome bonus of up to $200. If you like, you can also choose Euros, Pounds or Canadian dollars.

Sky King’s Casino is owned by the Sky International Group which has been operating since 1989 in the realm of land based casinos. This means that the casino has years of experience behind it. Experience goes a long way when it comes to offering a great online casino. Many online casinos are too young to understand this principle.

The casino is also powered by Playtech. This online casino software developer is one of the foremost players in the software market and has been responsible for creating some of the most loved online casino games.

The casino can be found at the above website and from what I can gather everything seems to be very much in order.

Oct
19

You may be under the impression that counting cards is illegal. This is probably from watching too many Hollywood movies. Ok, sure, those guys from MIT were all banned for life from casinos, but that is a different issue altogether. First base card counting in blackjack really does work – to a certain extent. It is not an awe-inspiring solution that will make you an instant millionaire but rather another way of looking at blackjack strategy.

Online casinos are no different because blackjack works the same way. The most basic way to count cards at blackjack online casinos is to use a points value for each card. All low cards (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) are valued at 1 point. The high cards (Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace) are worth minus 1 point. The other cards (7, 8, 9) are called neutral cards and are worth zero.

As the cards are dealt, you can easily calculate in your head how the game is going. If you are in the high minuses then you can estimate that many high cards have been dealt and the odds of you hitting a lower card are higher. This is quite a simple way of looking at things, but it does work. If you don’t believe me then try out any online casino which offers blackjack.

Oct
18

I am not just here to bring you the latest news and gossip in the online casino world. I am also here to give you valuable tips that will make you into a more complete online gambler. One such place to start is time keeping. If you have spent a lot of time in a land based casino you may have noticed that there are no clocks on the walls. You may also have noticed that there are no windows so that you can never see what time of day or night it is outside. This is a ploy to keep you gambling as long as possible.

Luckily for us, we have something in our arsenals called wrist watches. Use them. If you are gambling at home at an online casino then you should monitor your computer clock. Set yourself a time limit so that you do not suddenly sit up and wonder why the birds are chirping and the garbage collectors are whistling outside.

By setting yourself time limits, you will be able to exercise good self control. This self control will go a long way in making you a better gambler and also allowing you to protect your bankroll more effectively. Online casinos will not tell you to take a break. You need to do this for yourself.

Oct
18

Who loves their comp points? Of course you do. You want as many comp points as possible so that you can trade them in for free rolls, entry into competitions and draws and to trade them for branded merchandise. Comp points are one of the most ingenious methods of seduction ever introduced by online casinos.

It is a statistical fact that an online casino which offers better comp points will attract more online gamblers than an online casino which does not take these into account. There is one thing, however, that you need to keep in mind. How much money have you deposited to gain your comp points? Comp points do not equate to winnings. A large amount of comp points just mean that you have deposited large sums of money. If you have not managed to convert these deposits into winnings then the comp points you have gained are nothing more than a consolation prize.

In future, you should rather concentrate on a solid strategy to winning and allow the comp points to accumulate in the background. Let them be something that is nice to have as opposed to the be-all and end-all of your gambling experience. Branded caps are cool – but winning the jackpot is way cooler.

Oct
18

Well, it looks as though the economic slowdown has finally hit the heart of the gambling world. Although this may not seem like the biggest surprise – as it was not to me – but something like this is still worth a mention. Maybe it is a childhood fantasy of mine that is manifesting itself only now, but I have always seen Las Vegas as infallible. But the figures don’t lie. The latest stats released show that there has been quite a sharp decline in the amount of money spent at casinos on the Las Vegas strip. In fact, the whole of Nevada has been affected.

The month of September has shown a decline of 8%. This has allowed the figure to drop below the magic billion dollar mark. Although this may not seem like a big decline, this is the type of figure that makes land based casino owners a bit jittery. People visit land based casinos because they offer innovations, and these low figures may stop casino owners from adding anything new until the economy turns around.

Thankfully, online casinos do not seem to be affected as much. This is due to the fact that the typical online casino does not have as many costs and overheads as land based casinos. They use less staff, much less floor space and do not exactly have huge electricity bills.

Oct
18

There have been rumors in the past few months that Mansion would be closing its doors in Gibraltar and moving on to other pastures. I can safely say that although I may have heard these rumors, they are completely unfounded. Mansion will be staying in Gibraltar and not relocating anywhere else.

If you have not been privy to these rumors, then allow me to recap. Mansion, one of the online casino giants, which caters mainly for the Asian market, was said to be closing its doors in Gibraltar and moving to either Singapore or Israel. These falsities started when Mansion laid off 150 staff members. Although these job cuts may have sparked the rumors, the company is still in a strong financial position and will continue to compete with the other major online casinos.

Gibraltar has always been kind to online casino operators due to its inclusive policies and stringent controls that have been set in place. Singapore could have been a good option with regards to better tax incentives and Israel also has its strength in the fact that it provides incredible IT and back-end solutions. Perhaps Mansion could look at branching out and using these two other countries to further entrench themselves in the Asian market.

Oct
18

We all know what happened with Neteller after the UIGEA debacle in the USA. Although the company has recovered financially since its terrible lawsuit with the US Department of Justice, the powers that be at Neteller have come to realize that they may not be able to survive something of a similar nature if it were to happen again.

This is why you will not see Neteller around for much longer – but do not panic. The company is just changing its name. Neteller will still keep all its old secure online payment options in its stable, but it is also looking for ways to generate revenue in other ways. Very shortly, the company will be known as Neovia Financial and will offer services in the financial field aside from its niche of deposits and withdrawals from online casinos.

Neovia Financial (learn this new name) will start off by diversifying its portfolio with an 18.5% change in its offering. By retaining the online casino market as its main point of contact, the company will still be able to remain highly successful, even though it wishes to have a 30% stake in other fields by 2010.

I’m glad that Neteller will still be around, because as far as I am concerned, this company is one of the beacons of the online casino industry.

Oct
18

You may have noticed that in the past few years you have not seen any online ads on Google for online casinos. This is due to the fact that Google had placed a worldwide ban on all online casino advertising. If you live in the UK, you will see that this has changed. It seems as though Google has relaxed its controls with regard to what is allowed to be advertised on its search engine.

Google is not stopping here. The company is currently in debate with the Gambling Commission from the European Economic Area which makes up 30 European countries. This means that if you are based somewhere in Europe, you will start to see online casino advertising in your Google search engine. This is great news for the online casino industry and also as a source of revenue for Google. Online casino giants 888 and PartyGaming have already entered into talks with Google to get first rights to advertise their casinos.

It will now be up to the owner of the computer to apply the correct filters as online casino ads will be classified as “non-family safe”. So if you are a concerned parent, you should think about changing your Google security settings.

Oct
18

It’s odd to see how many countries differ with regard to their online casino legislation. The Internet is a global phenomenon and if people have access to online casinos, surely it is in their rights to use them if they are not harming anyone? I suppose that this debate will rage on forever, but if you look at Malaysia it doesn’t look as though it will get any easier in the near future.

Over the past few days, police in Malaysia have arrested 12 people and confiscated several computers from Internet cafes which have allegedly been allowing their customers to gamble online. This comes on the back of other clampdowns around the country with regards to other “breakings” of the law.

Many Internet cafe owners see this as a show of force from the government as a sign to others who offer illegal online gambling. The main problem is that any country which allows for the free flow of information will always open itself up to information which it does not deem appropriate for its population.

So, if you’re an Internet cafe owner in Malaysia, you should look out for cops lurking around. It’s probably that way. Or if you want to play it even safer, stay within the online casino laws of your country.