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Customer service is the key to customer satisfaction, and to online casinos excellence. Sure, the casino should have a good reputation, and it doesn't hurt to offer a Welcome Bonus or Loyalty Program to players. But before sign up, during play, and after the fact - customer service is instrumental for any product. Availability: multiple - and easily accessible - means of contact are a big plus. Professionalism: customer service can help in a number of ways: technical problems can be resolved; payment confusions can be sorted out; a forgotten password can be retrieved; complicated bonus terms and conditions can be clarified. Timeliness: Doing so in a timely manner is elementary. In preparing this article we have contacted, tested, inquired about and evaluated the customer service at several online casinos. Our conclusion is as interesting as the data: online casinos offer more means of contact, more languages supported, round the clock availability and timely resolution of issues. The data below might change your perception of online casinos, for the better. Means of Contact Available Email and telephone are still the most obvious means of contact, and certainly suffice. Oftentimes you would find a fax number listed too, though that is not a modern means of contact, nor does it rank high in popularity. Online casinos have been quick and wise to add truly modern means of contact, such as Live Chat. Customers can pop a chat box on their screen even before they sign up to the casino, and throughout their stay at the casino. We wish to point out Golden Palace Casino's additional options; they take the extra step with a toll free phone number and a call-back service, where players leave their number and the customer service representative calls them back. At All Slots Mobile, mobile players have a call back request, which only makes sense as they are using their phone as it is. Most Popular Means of Contact Chat, phone and emails are the three most popular means of contact these days at online casinos. Our survey has the three almost even in how often they are used by casino players, with a slight edge to live chat. Of these, Jackpot City Casino's chat is quick to reply and works without a fault. 24/7/365 Do you play during office hours? Surely not. One of the biggest challenges for the online casinos is to answer their phone - or email or chat - all day and night long. 7Red, Gaming Club, Omni Casino and Golden Palace are all there for you - any time. Languages One of the biggest changes that online casinos have undergone is recent years is the global expansion and growing popularity across Europe and beyond. These changes have been demanding on customer service desks specifically, with the need to speak a number of languages, not only English. 7Red Casino's customer service fields queries from English, French, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German, Greek speakers, and other casinos are looking to expand their support to reach such variety. FAQs Life is often made much simpler - for the players as well as for the casinos - with a dedicated FAQ page - Frequently Asked Questions. A thorough list of question, clear answers, and regular updates based on recurring issues is key to satisfactory FAQ pages such as the one at Omni Casino. Timeliness Normal reply time for queries is within 24 hours, with some casinos (7Red) promising near-instant responses, and others (All Slots) qualify financial issues take up to 48 hours. 7Red Casino All Slots Casino Jackpot City and Gaming Club Casinos Omni Casino Golden Palace Casino Swiss Casino Means of contact Email, Phone, Fax, Live Chat, online form Email, Phone, Live chat. VIP and mobile players have a call back request Phone, Email, Chat Email, Phone, Live Chat Email, Phone (Toll-free), Live Chat, Fax, Call-back Email, Phone, Fax, Live Chat. Designated email addresses for Tech and Cashier Most popular means of contact Phone and Email 50% Phone and 50% Chat and Email Chat Email Phone and Chat Phone and Email 24/7 availability Yes Yes in English (Non-English speaking countries during office hours Yes Yes Yes Yes Languages English, French, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German, Greek English, Italian, Spanish, French, German English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch English and German Multiple Multiple FAQs on the site Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Time from first contact to resolving the matter Average under 5 minutes Up to 24 hours usually (48 hours for financial issues) Within 24 to 48 hours Instant to 30 minutes Normally within 24 hours Oftentimes on-the-spot solutions Popular Issues This is where it gets really interesting: What are the most popular issues on players' minds? The off the hand answer almost across the board is Bonuses and Promotions. The forgotten password is a close second. Many players ask for help updating their credit card details and other financial documents, while asking for free chips is not unheard of. A growing number of banks, under local regulations, are introducing restrictions on use of credit cards that cause trouble for players funding their accounts. The Swiss Casino customer service, for example, is trained to provide up-to-date information on APMs (alternative payment methods) based on each and every need, i.e availability, funding options, transaction fees, etc. 7Red Casino All Slots Casino Jackpot City and Gaming Club Casinos Omni Casino Golden Palace Casino Swiss Casino Most popular issues Bonus inquires Promotions (Bonus requests), Financial (Documents), Credit Card updating Bonus not credited immediately, Forgot password Bonuses, Forgot Password, Promotions Can I have a free chip, How to get my bonus Preferred payment method based on region, time for withdrawals and deposits, hidden fees
Playtech's Beach Life progressive jackpot, which can be found at online casinos like bet365, William Hill and Titan Casino, is still smashing records well into the New Year. At time of writing it had hit $6.824 million, and was making its way quickly toward a whopping $7 million.Beach Life SlotThis 5-reel, 20-payline progressive slot has a beach theme, of course, with symbols such as the sun, ice creams, scuba divers, sandcastles and a treasure chest. The sun is the wild symbol, and the sandcastle represents the scatter.So how does one go about trying to win the multi-million dollar jackpot? Well, make it through the bonus feature which is activated by the appearance of three or more treasure chests on one active payline. Once there, play the bonus game and take a shot at that life-winning prize.So Many JackpotsAs one of the biggest providers of online gaming software, Playtech has a wide range of progressive jackpot games to take your chances on at its online casinos. Although none have quite the same worth as Beach Life, plenty of the smaller games provide great entertainment with the chance to win a prize you still would not knock back.The Marvel Slots and Gold Rally progressive jackpot slots have already passed the $700k market and are growing rapidly, while the fun Jackpot Darts game includes the lure of almost $300k in prize money. Several other progressive slots, all with unique themes of their own, promise to give one lucky player more than $100k.
Players at Red Flush Casino are in for a real treat, courtesy of Microgaming. The world's foremost software gaming developer has rolled out new games and Red Flush Online Casino is next in line to showcase some stellar gaming titles. These include the likes of Megaspin Break da Bank Again and The Grand Journey. As the world's leading provider of quality online casino games, Microgaming has delivered topnotch gaming titles in Thunderstruck II and the widely-acclaimed online game - The Lord of the Rings. The new games were released on January 9th and players the world over are able to enjoy these thrilling additions to the gaming arena. With 2012 already underway, these two games are a welcome treat for online casino players. These games add tremendous quality to the Red Flush Casino gaming selection. Red Flush Casino Games Among the many exciting games available at Red Flush Casino are the following gaming varieties: slots games, card games, table games, video poker games and Scratchcard games. Games include Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Poker and Slots. Indeed the tally of online casino games is immense and spans some 500 casino games.As part of the online casino's efforts to continually roll out new games, the two new games from Microgaming are certainly appreciated by online casino players. Megaspin Break da Bank Again is a 9 payline game which ramps up the action of the original Break da Bank slot game. There are Scatters, Multipliers and Free Spins aplenty and x4 the firepower of the original game. Between 15 and 225 Free Spins are awarded in the game and wins are x5 during Free Spins.The other game - The Grand Journey - transports players into the age of the dinosaurs with Sabre-Toothed tigers and jungle-themed backdrops. There's even a Free Spins bonus round which is activated by 3 or more Scatters. And there are even double loyalty points on this game during January 2012.
It's official. Online casino and sportsbook operator bet365 is now the largest company of its type in th UK, after a massive year in 2011 which saw the firm increase its year-on-year revenues by 22 percent to £501 million.Big YearBet365, which launched from humble beginnings in Stoke-on-Trent way back in 2000, revealed in its annual financial report that its live in-play sports betting option increased its bets by a massive 58% in 2011 - leading the impressive growth rate for the company.Despite absorbing some losses from its majority stake in English Premier League team Stoke City, bet365 still managed to emerge from the year with a pre-tax profit of £91 million. This would have been higher if not for the costs associated with launching the new in-play betting innovation, and the marketing campaign around it.Last of the UK GiantsBet365 is left with less competition than previously, as its main UK rivals Ladbrokes and William Hill both shifted their online operations offshore last year to Gibraltar because of the incredibly high taxes they would have to pay if they remained in their old British headquarters. Although bet365 maintains its operations base in Stoke, it does also have operations in Gibraltar to support its online casino, bingo and poker websites.CEO Denise Coates said recently after accepting the Queen's New Years Honour that the company is looking to expand into emerging markets. It is preparing for licenses in Australia, Spain and Denmark, and who knows - maybe the US could be on the horizon too.
We all spent time in our early days of poker playing trying to learn the order of poker hands. When playing with friends and family, and certainly online, we unquestioningly follow these predetermined rules as it is the standard and accepted system of identifying the winner.The rankings of each hand are based on the probability of it being randomly dealt assuming the cards have been properly shuffled. And this is where one well-known poker player bases his argument that the accepted ranking of hands should be overhauled.Conventional thoughts on poker hand rankings are being confronted by the player, Nic Szeremeta, who is trying to turn things on their head. Nic is widely credited with initiating the poker boom in the UK and is responsible for Channel 4's poker show, Late Night Poker. In the poker industry, he is an authoritative figure and his call to change the poker rules are making waves.At its most basic, Nic reasons that the rules of poker are fundamentally flawed and that a flush ought to beat quads. This is because statistically and mathematically speaking, a flush occurs less frequently than a four of a kind in a 32 deck of cards. There are simply fewer ways that a flush can occur. In fact it is about 10 percent more difficult to make a flush.In light of this, it is indeed difficult to defend the current system and say that a flush ought to trump a four of a kind. Perhaps the next time you gather around your kitchen table for a friendly game of poker, you might introduce these changes yourself.In the meantime, however, Nic is calling on the regulators - both online poker rooms and in live casinos - to change how poker hands are ranked and in fact pot the push in the other direction. For years, it is claimed, huge sums of money have been awarded to the wrong player and that the principles should now be amended.If this has got you thinking, the full argument has been laid out in poker column of the newspaper, The Independent, and in the Bluff Europe Magazine.
Everyone loves something for nothing particularly online casino players. Most online casinos offer players free play within their sign up offers and promos. Here players can play for free but win for real, now that's got to be an attractive offer!Free Play at Golden Riviera CasinoThere's a great free play offer at Golden Riviera Casino. Players simply download their easy-to-use software and then register for a real casino account. Then just click on the free play button to win a sizzling 60 minutes of free play.There are no losers at Golden Riviera Casino - if players don't win during their free play hour they are awarded a 100% match bonus plus 50 fantastic free max payline spins on top slot Riviera Riches! Wins During Free PlayAll promos have small print and the Golden Riviera offer includes a cap of 2,500 credits during the hour of free play and a limit of $200 winnings that can be cashed in. There's also a wagering requirement of 50 credits before any winnings can be cashed in.Great GamesGolden Rivieria Casino is packed with more than 550 Microgaming online games including blackjack, video slots, roulette, video poker and baccarat. Games are available in instant play or download casino - including an options for Macs.Everyone's a winner at Golden Riviera Casino; where there's a world of excitement just awaiting your discovery.
Online sportsbook and gambling operator Betfair will share information on potential issues involving betting integrity at the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games, after signing a memorandum of understanding with the International Olympic Committee.Sharing DataUnder the agreement, which was similar to the one the company signed for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Betfair will share customer and transactional data in the result that suspicious activity is detected in betting on a particular Olympic event.As Betfair chief legal and regulatory affairs officer Martin Crudace pointed out, it is in the interests of both online betting operators and the IOC to ensure that customers can bet on sporting events in a transparent and secure manner. He said the agreement with the IOC would help "protect the sports we all love."A Betfair integrity team situated in London will monitor the company's high-speed computer systems around the clock for suspicious activity. The IOC will also be given access to a system which shows real-time details of bets, from the moment they are placed to the moment the event finishes.Biggest Olympics EverMost online sportsbooks are already predicting that the London 2012 Olympics will be the biggest ever. Like its competitors Betfair is providing markets on every gold medal being competed for in every different sports, in addition to a wide range of other markets such as how many gold medals selected countries will win.Team GB Specials already see Great Britain listed at 3.1 odds to win 26 gold medals or more. The more specific categories of 23-25 and 20-22 are paying 4.3 and 4.1 respectively, while the possibility of winning only 19 gold medals or less is paying 3.4.
Gambling on Facebook could soon be a reality, after leading online casino software manufacturer International Game Technology agreed to pay up to $500 million for Double Down Interactive - which develops casino-style games for the social network.'Enormous opportunity'This creates an enormous opportunity, as Double Down is the dominant casino product on Facebook, and Facebook has talked about allowing real-money wagering in authorized jurisdictions, Greg Enell, CEO of the Seattle-based company, said in an interview with internet magazine Geek Wire following the announcement.Enell said the company's acquisition by International Game Technology made sense because of IGT's enormous studio capacity for developing slot content. He said he was particularly excited about the idea of them being able to build slots for Double Down's platform, and incorporate brands like Wheel of Fortune, Sex & The City and DaVinci Diamonds, and the more recent DaVinci Diamonds Dual Play.The DealThe deal is expected to be completed by the end of March, and involves $250 million in cash, $85 million in retention payments and another $165 million cash payable over the next three years if DoubleDown meets financial targets, according to a press statement released jointly by the two companies this week.Double Down Casino was only launched in April 2010, but already has 1.4 million active users each day on Facebook, making it the social network's fourth-most popular game last year. Double Down has around 80 employees, who will remain headquartered in Seattle until the deal is closed, but from March the expansion will begin.
It's the middle of January, and the first grand slam of the year, the Australian Open, is already upon us. The usual suspects are still up there in the online betting odds, but they're joined by a few newcomers as well.Djokovic, Kvitova FavoritesOn the men's side, Novak Djokovic is 11/10 tournament favorite at William Hill, followed by Roger Federer, 7/2, Andy Murray, 5/1 and Rafael Nadal, 11/2. In fact, these four superstars are so far ahead of the rest of the field that Hills is offering 11/4 odds on all four making the quarter-finals (between the best eight players).In the ladies, Petra Kvitova leads the betting at 9/4, and she is followed by Serena Williams, 10/3, and Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka at 6/1, and Na Li at 10. A host of other players can be found at odds tighter than 25/1, and similar odds to those listed by William Hill can be found at Sports Interaction and bet365, so always it is worth comparing.SpecialsBrit Andy Murray has lost three grand slam finals in his career but is yet to break through with a victory, and William Hill is giving punters odds of 9/2 on him mirroring the career of new coach Ivan Lendl, who lost four grand slam finals before winning one.Sports Interaction has gone to great detail, as its specialty, and is offering head-to-head odds on selected matches in both the men's and women's singles. The online sportsbook also offers live betting on all matches, so you can wager as you watch all the action from Melbourne.
UK based online gambling company and leading sportsbook Betfair this week welcomed the actions of Italian authorities in notifying a ministerial decree to the European Commission that it will regulate betting exchanges in Italy.Opens Door for BetfairThis decree will allow Betfair and other foreign companies to apply for authorisation under its current Italian online gambling license to operate the company's betting exchange service in-country. The ministerial decree is set to be reviewed by the European Commission, and then returned to Italy's Finance Ministry for approval.Once approved, this will virtually complete Italy's transformation into a completely open market for foreign online gambling operators. Regulations were approved last year to allow operators to offer online poker and casino games, bringing big names like 888casino and William Hill Casino into the market.Signals Positive DevelopmentBetfair chief legal and regulatory affairs officer Martin Cruddace, addressing the Italian decree on online betting, said his company was delighted for the opportunity it presented. He added that the decree signified the positive on-going development of online gambling regulation in Italy, and demonstrated that local authorities have full confidence betting exchanges will be good consumers and the general betting market.As for what it means for Betfair, he said international expansion is a key element of the company's current growth strategy, and therefore the ability to license its core exchange product in a market as large as Italy's is "hugely important for us." For more on the local market in Italy, visit Online Casino Reports Italia.
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