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Knowing what makes for a good online casino will help players pick a site that is fun, safe and offers big jackpots. Payout percentages are one such term that is recommended to really understand. It can undoubtedly help a player make the right choice for the right online casino. Payout percentages are a key factor when it comes to playing online. casino sites make a point of publishing their payout percentage reports for a reason, and players can use this information, if only they know how to, for their advantage. Look at it as the odds for winning, as the percentage is the portion of the total amounts at the online casino that are paid to the winners in payouts. Payout percentages of 96.5% means the casino, over time, makes a 3.5% profit, which leaves gamblers with a fair chance to win the posted 96.5% of all bets. Once you read and get an impression of the casino payout percentage as posted on the gambling site, make sure to check that it is indeed verified and approved as honest and true by some trusted third party that engages in such a service in the casino industry. There are standard setting companies that will approve sites based on their payout percentage report and help guarantee that they are not fabricated. After all, you don't just want online casino to promise you generous payouts, you want them to deliver as well.
The once highly popular sports betting site, BetOnSports, based in Antigua and until recently serving many American gamblers, will receive assistance from the government of Antigua and Barbuda in collecting debts and paying bettors and employees alike. The governments decision to have its financial regulators help the company will in essence help the reputation and legitimacy of online casinos in general. Cash flow problems have interfered with the sites' past efforts to repay its customers. With government backing and assistance, the problems are expected to be solved and debts resolved. The problems all began with the ban on gambling passed in the United States, from which much of its wagers were placed. In fact, it has been since August 2006 that the debt situation has only worsened. Until now that is. In this context it should also be reminded that the CEO, David Carruthers, was arrested when arriving in the US in July. Carruthers is in St. Louis under house arrest. Unlike other companies that have altogether collapsed following the ban taking effect in the US, BetOnSports has survived, but only by suspending any real money gambling activities from American gamblers. This has caused a shortage of funds and started the whole debts issue rolling. The Antiguan government helping out with the issue is a good sign for those who are owed money, naturally, but also for the industry as a whole. It shows that with government backing, preferably via regulation and proper legalization, can help assure everybody walks away satisfied that the game was fair.
But that is only half of the picture, for the sites are constantly changing in the sense that a gambling site based in one country does not serve gamblers from another country for legal and other reasons. How can gamblers find the sites that they can play at? The answer comes from a software company. A popular portal has incorporated a simple software feature that updates regularly and reports to gamblers where they can play on the Internet. The portal features the latest info regarding region specific sites. Staying on top of the changes in the industry is the feature that this portal presents gamblers, with the kind help of software development. News and research staff, along with technological and software means, cover the industry and produce a list of sites and the countries and states from which they accept players. Not only factors such as popularity and others regarding the listed sites, but practical, relevant factors are calculated in the making of the list. A visitor to the portal will be presented with those sites that he or she may indeed play, and none others. Not only legal elements enter the calculations, based on geographical data, but also the language on the site and that spoken by the player. Thus hundreds of sites, hundreds more online poker rooms, sports books and other gambling sites are sorted and presented in order of relevance.
Atlantic City's casino hotel, The Tropicana Atlantic City, has announced it will go 100% from now on. No, it is not going to forgo profits from the games but ban smoking on the casino floor. It will create non smoking gaming areas for those players who wish to have fun and not have to breath in second hand smoke. The most practical way to go smoke free, as the managers have figured it out to be, is to close off sections for smokers, enclosed and separated by glass doors for the rest of the customers. The initiative was welcomed by non smoking advocacy groups who believe protecting innocent gamblers from second hand smoke is the way to go. A representative of the New Jersey Group Against Smoking Pollution said it will do if employees at least are protected from the harm of smoking. The new policy is in accordance with a city ordinance approved earlier this month, which limits smoking to only one quarter of the gaming floor. The ordinance sets a time-line for temporary solutions to close off sections from smoking and to hand in plans for permanent solutions for separations on the floors. Although it does not prohibit smoking from the entire casino hotel gaming floors, as some expected the ordinance to decree, it is still a step towards settling this dispute between smokers and non smokers, all of whom are fans of gambling.
The key is that blackjack in its online version may fit well with current regulations. Currently, the game a five-seat interactive online casino blackjack game is being tested by state officials. An official application to accept the game of blackjack at Pennsylvania's casinos was submitted in January. The Las Vegas based company that produces the game already operates 54 such machines in neighboring Delaware. Another game that is available in Delaware, in addition to blackjack and supplied by the company, is three-card poker. The way the blackjack game works is that five players sit facing a video screen, where a dealer deals cards and dispenses chips. The game is generated electronically by the machine with players taking on against the house, not each other. State regulations in Pennsylvania require that a game be a slot machine by definition, i.e. players must face a machine and not play against each other. A state official said on this matter: You pull the handle on your slot machine, it doesn't affect the person next to you. If the game of blackjack meets this requirement, then there should be no reason to keep it off the floors for long. Other requirements include such minimum payout percentage of 85%, a standard easily met by practically any game, known for generous payouts and small expenses, based largely on huge traffic of gamblers.
Europe was one obvious destination to which online casinos were to go. France included. But news this week has surprised the industry with reports of a probe by French authorities into the leading company 888 with regard to revenue and income from French gamblers. The online casinos company 888, namely its former chief executive, John Anderson, has been invited by French authorities to an interview. Although the French market is far from being a large one, compared to other countries where sites operate, the news was enough to hurt the companys stock value. Shares of 888, dealt at the London Stock Exchange, dropped 7.1 percent the day following the report. Other sites have also been hurt by the news, among them those of bookmaker Ladbrokes, which was reported to be in talks to possibly make a bid for 888. Ladbrokes dropped 4.4 percent. Gambling sites have fared rather well this past year. Even though the closure of the US market was a terrible blow, companies have reported an increase in revenue, with new gamblers joining online casinos elsewhere around the world to compensate for the loss of Americans. 888 is not the only company to be called for an interview by the French. It does have a tie with France that exceeds online casinos services, as it was the sponsor of the Toulouse soccer club until recently. Other online casinos officials that have been interviewed have also had additional ties to France, such as Internet betting firm Bwin, which had a sponsorship deal with AS Monaco.
The British are an example of how a country that wants to deal with the phenomenon of online gambling should act. Not necessarily that every country should blindly allow, regulate and even promote the sites, but that the policy designed to handle gambling be well thought out and based on reason and reality. To know what you are up against, you must want to know. This is why the recent statistical data released by UK authorities with regard to the industry is admirable and should be emulated by other countries around the world. What do these statistics say? The UK Gambling Commission has found that the percent of British adults who participate in gambling is eight. About one in 12 have played poker, the national lottery or any other games in the past month at least once. The national lottery makes up for about a quarter of these gamblers. Ninety two percent of British adults did not participate in any online casino game. Surprising findings? High? Low? What is definite is that they are helpful to best understand the gambling habits and the reasoning behind the government policies. The statistical research will help, a Commission spokesperson said, provide context to anyone who is involved in the industry. On the Commissions behalf, it means better distinguishing the various methods of gambling, namely the difference between using computers, mobile phones and television. The popularity of each of these forms of gambling at online casino sites is 5.2 percent using computers, 2.2 percent using mobile phones and 1.7 percent using interactive televisions. Technology that serves gambling is certainly diverse and British are using every form available for it. In terms of offering the services over these media and in terms of blocking them from underage gamblers, these numbers will come in hand.
Until laws are drafted and passed that will protect innocent online casino gamblers from such dangers, the responsibility lies on the gamblers shoulders to protect themselves ensure their payments go to the right destination their online casino account. Laws that have been passed so far, most notably in the United States, have not always been helpful to gamblers. By banning online casino gambling altogether, and running the business underground and pretty much invited sketchy players to the industry, gamblers are more than ever left to protect themselves. Either gamblers may be addicted to gambling or just love it so much the bottom line is that they wont be giving it up so easily, so quickly. More open minded laws that would address problem gamblers who are indeed addicted and regulate a business that may easily be abused, would have been much more helpful in the online casino gamblers perspective. The American online casino act leaves the floor for criminal organizations to develop their money laundering activities. With no regulator governmental or just legal to ensure online casino sites are legit and honest, what will make them try and be so, and what will help direct innocent gamblers to such gambling sites? The best advice for the current situation, until legislation that verifies identities of both gamblers and gambling sites is passed, is to mind your online casino payments with great care. That would be the best preventive measure to take with regard to your precious funds.
We have all followed the developments that took place in the United States in the past six months or so, legislative and enforcement actions that have led to the eventual ban on online gambling in the country. Now that we are over with the shock that the industry has undergone and the loss of a favorite pastime of millions of members, we can take it in as a history lesson and try and see what it can teach us with regard to the future. These days, as the French are initiating some such actions themselves, if we can predict what will happen it might turn out extremely valuable. The French have taken some actions that may lead, if taken seriously and followed through, to their own ban on sites, specifically those gambling sites that are non-state owned. Several top executives have been invited to talks that will be held later in March. Former chief of 888, John Anderson, has been invited this week. This follows arrests of executives from earlier this year. The industry has special ties with French culture, beyond mere gambling sites. With casino logos appearing on soccer team jerseys (888 sponsored the Toulouse football club until December, and others have also had similar deals). Although the authorities may not look favorably at these ties, they are a far cry from being terrorist acts, which the government claims to be going out against. In too many aspects, the French seem to take after the US behavior. We can only hope they do not. Not for gambling sake, but for honesty sake. False claims to justify a ban will not suffice. Nor will protectionist measures be acceptable.
One online casino joining hands with another. But for the sites to partner with beer companies? Now that's a first. Nevertheless it has happened, and is sure to make some gamblers very happy. A gambling company from the Philippines, one of the largest in the country, Pagcor, has joined with the famous Spanish beer company San Miguel. The company offers its games at gaming stations. These are outlets that have some ten or more computers where the games can be played. Now, not only will the games be available at these locations, but so will be free San Miguel beer. The stations are open 24 hours a day, and are widely popular all over the country. There are over 30 such stations by now and profits are on an increase. Now it might even grow in popularity, as the online casino stations will be spots for middle of the night gaming and beer drinking for free. Companies who offer such on-site gaming can be creative and competitive in what they offer free to their players and members. Free beer is certainly a shot in the right direction, as any demographic study of the customers will surely show that the average gambler enjoys drinking beer. More so, certainly, if it is free. So what will be offered free next? Look forward for a chaser to follow your beer or look behind you for a masseuse to rub your neck.
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