slots in online casino

Should there be laws to regulate online gambling?

admin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:37:13 +0000

There is a new groundswell of opinion rising in the U.S. that there should be more direct government regulation of online casinos and gambling. The reason for this shift is the series of scandals currently roiling the world of online poker. The most positive demand for federal regulation has come through the Poker Players Alliance (see http://pokerplayersalliance.org/press-releases/2008/07/22/press-release-statement-of-ppa-chairman-senator-alfonse-damato-in-response-to-online-poker-cheating-scandals/). The gory details of these scandals and all the allegations are too much to deal with here, so I’ll just focus on this press release. Former Senator D’Amato makes the obvious point that the game of poker depends on trust. The players need to know that managers of casinos and the organisers of tournaments are committed to policing both themselves and the players. When there are allegations of cheating in real world events, local regulators and, if appropriate, law enforcement officers will investigate and report. The process is reasonably transparent and people are usually held accountable for breaking the rules or the relevant laws. When cheating may have occurred on the internet, there are serious problems of jurisdiction. Who exactly has the power to investigate and what powers of sanction does the investigator have? The former Senator argues with force that public trust can only be maintained if the same level of transparency applies to both real world and online gambling. So, if anyone, whether manager, organiser or player is to be put at risk of punishment, what is due process? What court or tribunal can decide whether there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing and make a proportionate response? As it stands, it is left to regulatory authorities in the country where the company running the internet site has its registered office. There is very little transparency with few details of the investigations or their findings ever made public. In the history of the internet, there have been no prosecutions or formal judicial sanctions applied to any company or individual running online gambling. Players are therefore left with the quite natural feeling that there is no effective regulation. But the desire for federal intervention is not likely to meet with any new laws. The U.S. Government does not have extraterritorial jurisdiction to go and investigate a company in a foreign state. Its only sanction is to bar access to the site which is a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Playing Slots Tournaments Online

admin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:06:41 +0000

There are many different types of online slots tournaments. Generally, there is a set price to ‘buy into’ the tournament, and this fee provides you with a set number of credits. And the aim, of course, is to get the largest winnings possible. In most tournaments, you will be playing with only ‘tournament or play money’, which means in effect that all you stand to lose is your entry fee. Whether you are a high roller or not, you will have the same odds as every other player and have the potential to win a lot of cash. Some of the other online slots tournaments ask that you play with ‘real money’, and stakes are always dependent on the individual slots tournament. Common Types of Slots Tournaments Different slots tournaments work in different ways, but there are four common types: 1 - An entry fee of between $5 and $35 entitles you to play money chips for use in the tournament. 2 - There is a time limit on your playing period. 3 - The aim of the game is to have more play money than the others in the tournament and you are able to leave the game at any point. 4 - When the game ends, those in the top price bracket are the winners; and prize money is made up of the collected entry fees. Maximize your Chances of Winning Generally speaking, the rules for slots tournaments are universal; but different tournaments set different criteria for winning. In some cases, the winner will be the player with the highest total at the end of the game; in others, the winner will be the player who achieves the highest score in a bonus round. So, in order to maximize your chances of winning, always read the rules before beginning a game! Where you are given a set time limit for your play, it is often a good idea to keep your finger on the spin button. This ensures that you get in the maximum number of spins during the time period, and the wheel should only stop to allow for your wins. Slots Tournaments Online Playing online slots tournaments is a great way to potentially win serious cash for relatively little outlay, as playing online tends to be much cheaper than playing ‘for real’. One particularly good value example is The Sands. Here, the entry fee is only $25 and this entitles you to play for up to an hour. It is extremely common for online slots tournaments to allow great value for money and plentiful playing time. The very best of online slots tournaments, however, are for most people the Freerolls. These games ask no entry fee at all - but give the potential to win real cash!

PLAYING “MAXIMUM BET” RESULTS IN MORE WINS

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:53:07 +0000

I’ve heard countless tales of people who play their machine with a maximum bet, but when their credits run low they drop their bet down and almost immediately hit the (now much smaller) jackpot. It’s purely coincidence, and they forget all those times that they dropped their bet down and nothing happened. That’s why I recommend always playing the maximum bet you can comfortably afford.

No, it doesn’t affect the odds one way or another. But you don’t want to be kicking yourself if the jackpot hits.

Keep in mind that there are professional poker players and professional blackjack players, but there are no professional slot machine players. The system is so well designed by the casino industry that to win consistently is downright impossible. It’s a lot harder to find and exploit trends, as there’s no way of knowing just by looking at a machine what kind of payback it has. But to increase the odds of getting lucky, go with these tips:

• Play where there are lots of other casinos. If they’re the only game in town, what are the odds they’re going to have loose slot machines? Competition means that casinos must have machines that pay high enough to keep people from going next door. So stick with Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, and other popular places with several nearby casinos.

• Stick with casinos, not airports. In places like Nevada, you’ll find slot machines at the airport and at every store. These machines are infamous for being tight to the extreme.

• Go with the highest denomination you can afford. If you can afford dollars but are playing pennies, then you’re ruining your chances of winning. The higher the denomination, the higher the return. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should play $25 slot machines if you’ve got only a hundred bucks. Be reasonable.

• Use your slot-club card whenever you play. The bonuses that you can get with your slot card include cash back, free meals, discounts at the gift shop, and even invitations to special casino events.

• Keep in mind that progressive slots have less frequent payouts, both big and small. You’re going for life-changing money when you play progressives. If you want your money to last a bit longer with more frequent but smaller wins, then stick with the regular slot machines.

SO THE MACHINE’S LOCATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:50:55 +0000

There was a time (back when all slot machines were boring three-wheeled cherries, lemons, and candy bars) when casinos would put the loose machines by the door and other high-traffic areas. Some authors have even perpetuated that myth today; if that’s still the case, it’s a rare exception and most definitely not the rule. With all the fancy bells and whistles and bonus games and video playback etc., etc., etc., people will play slots pretty much no matter where you put them.

A slot manager these days is most concerned with aesthetics - having the layout of the slot floor look good, having the machines easily accessible, and putting machines where people will want to play them.
Far more important in slot payback is the denomination: Dollars pay better than quarters, which pay better than nickels, which pay much better than pennies.

The Amount Of Time From The Last Jackpot Makes A Difference

It’s true that some machines seem to be just paying out like there’s no tomorrow, or as some say, “on a pay cycle.” However, there’s no computer program that prevents or promotes a slot machine from paying more or less than normal. If it just hit a big jackpot, it’s just as likely to hit (or not hit) again on the very next pull. These decisions are made by the random number generator; they are random.

In the casino where I’m currently working, we just installed a slot machine whose jackpot is supposed to be hit only once every 100,000 pulls, on average. But this machine hit three times before it went through its first 50,000 pulls. You just never know.
Casinos Penalize Players Who Use Their Lot-club Cards

What possible reason would the casino have to punish you for inserting your slot-club card? Even in my most paranoid moments, I can’t think of any reason. The slot-card equipment is not connected to the hardware of the slot machine; all it does is keep track of your play so you can earn the proper credit. Casinos want the customers to win sometimes; otherwise they won’t come back and neither will their friends.