New Playtech Online Casino Launched

The launch of a brand new Playtech online casino has made gambling news. Vernons Casino has gone live!

Vernons Casino offers a two stage deposit bonus promotion to new players. High rollers are not left out with a special first deposit bonus. As a new casino on the scene,  Vernons Casino has a truly amazing Refer a Friend program rewarding players with £40 when they introduce a friend to Vernons Casino. As if that’s not great enough, each friend referred will also receive a £25 bonus. There’s a great 4 tier VIP program where players accumulate loyalty points. The higher the tier, the better the value of points. Vernons also has a weekly mystery game that offers double loyalty points.

Vernons offers a wide range of over 150 Playtech games. Games available include various card games, table games, video poker, arcade games and slots. The slot games include progressive jackpot favorites such as Beach Life and Gold Rally alongside Playtech’s Marvel slots such as X-Men and Blade. Players have the option to download the casino or opt for the flash version.

This is a statement from the Vernons Casino website, "Partnering with software giant Playtech means that Vernons.com not only provides customers the most interactive game play that can be experienced online but also an unbeatable range of games along with the fact that they are the first in line when it comes to new software releases."

Customer service is available 24 hours a day and includes a Live Chat option. Players from the UK may contact them directly via a toll free number. Players can check out the FAQ’s and scroll through the section of various Game Rules.  A very respectable aspect of Vernons Casino is that they regularly donate to registered charities.

Have you tried Vernons Casino yet? What’s your assessment of the online casino?

Paddy Power Needs More Than Censoring

The Irish bookmaker, Paddy Power, has made gambling news by becoming the most recent gambling operator to be hunted and censored by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Paddy Power has stated that it was absolutely not their intention to be misleading customers but the ASA has told the operator to pull their TV and radio adverts off the air.

A series of complaints were made against the Paddy Power TV advert claiming it was misleading. Why? It was all down to the fine print and it contradiction to the offer advertised. Similar complaints are also swirling around the radio adverts. The advertising campaigns revolved around bets on the Champion League final match between Manchester United and Barcelona. Paddy Power had offered to refund player losing bets if Barcelona won in normal time with a maximum refund of £100.

Paddy Power reaffirms that it was not their intention to mislead customers. They also claim that the fine print simply clarified the advertisement. They agreed to refund some and certainly not all losses. Paddy Power has also argued that adverts were broadcasted on sports related television and radio stations where the average viewer / listener would be familiar with the basic terms and conditions associated with such offers. In other words, if you’re a bettor you should know better? I don’t think so.

The ASA supported the complaints related to both the television and the radio adverts. There will always be gaming companies that will walk a fine line with their fine print and the ASA will have to continue to investigate claims against advertising campaigns. The ASA review is a process and by the time it is finalized the offers advertised by online casinos or sportsbooks have run their course. It would seem that the operators also get extra exposure as a result.

Do you think that some stiffer punishment should be in place as a means of prevention? Maybe if there were bans or significant fines, operators would be a bit more reluctant to mislead us.

Mobile Casinos Hit the Italian Market

Mobile casinos have dominated gambling news lately. Many online casinos are jumping in on the band wagon. I personally am undecided about the mobile casinos but many people see the convenience. When I gamble I want to enjoy the experience. A tiny screen just seems like it would make things difficult.

An article from CasinoAdvisor.com describes a new deal for the Italian market.

“Mobile gaming has widely been recognized as the fastest growing segment of online casino gambling. It has really taken off in the newly formed regulated online casino market in Italy. The first of the news items concerns a new mobile gaming casino in this market. The second news item concerns an online gambling research company's foray into mobile gaming research.

Spin3 is recognized as a leading provider of mobile gaming services. It is a subsidiary of Spiral Solutions and is a partner of Microgaming. Spin3 has announced a tie-up with Neomobile to launch Casino Planet, a new mobile gaming operation for the Italian market. Casino Planet will offer to its customers popular table games from the portfolio of Microgaming, such as roulette and blackjack. These games will be optimized to offer a smooth and immersive mobile experience across a range of advanced smart phones such as iOS and Android devices. Spiral Solutions will provide the complete administrative services specifically tailored to support Neomobile and to increase its brand equity in Italy. Neomobile is one of the first AAMS licensed providers in the regulated Italian market.

H2 Gambling Capital had recently released a comprehensively researched report on the mobile gaming market titled Gambling Goes Mobile. It has now announced the launch of its new mobile data consultancy and market intelligence business H2 Mobile. Charles Palmer, the former head of the mobile gaming operations of Betfair, will join the H2 Mobile team. According to a statement issued by H2 Gambling Capital, Palmer will be available to "advise clients on opportunities presented by new technologies and assist in developing strategies to allow businesses to benefit from disruptive trends". Elaborating on the H2 mobile venture, Joel Keeble, the head of mobile, poker and special projects, said that it is designed to give online gambling operators the edge that is needed in a new market. It will help them prevent a loss of market share in their existing operations due to the emergence of new technologies. He compared the situation to what land based operators had faced during the initial years of rapid growth in online casino gambling.”

I understand that mobile casinos are the new wave and the next big thing in gambling. What attracts you to mobile casinos? Is it simply the convenience factor?

New Neteller Product

I recently came across the latest in gambling news, Neosurf. An article described the new product offered by Neteller. Casino Adviser said it best so here’s the low down on Neosurf.

“Neteller is a leading payment solutions option that is accepted at practically all online casinos. Neteller not only regularly keeps improving its services but also keeps its members informed of the improvements through e-mails. The latest e-mail from Neteller concerns a new product Neosurf.

Neosurf is a prepaid card that can be used to deposit funds instantly into Neteller electronic wallet accounts. Then players can transfer the funds to their favorite online casinos or use them for making other online payments. At the moment Neosurf is available only to Neteller users from France, Italy, Spain and Belgium, but the domain will be extended in the future.

The e-mail explains in detail the process of loading Neteller electronic wallets using Neosurf. Neosurf cards can be purchased from any authorized Neteller retailer in the four countries. Then the Neteller user has to sign into his Neteller account and select the Deposit or Money In option from the main menu. From the options then displayed on the screen players should select the Neosurf deposit option. The status column states that players can make a deposit between €22.50 ($30) and €4,372.50. Further details about the Neosurf option can be obtained by clicking the "Learn More" link. Online casino players who want to load their Neteller electronic wallet should click "Make a deposit" link.

Step by step instructions are provided to help Neteller users. In Step 1 the amount of the deposit has to be entered. The allowable range is again displayed for the convenience of the online casino players. Players are informed that a processing fee of 1.50% will apply. Players can abort the process by clicking "Cancel" or can go to the next step by clicking "Continue". The screen in Step 2 displays the amount being deposited and the processing fee amount. The Neosurf users can confirm the deposit by clicking "Continue", abort the process by clicking "Cancel" or alter the deposit amount by clicking "Change Details". Confirming the payment will take the users to the payment page where the process will be completed. In the payment page players will be required to confirm the deposit details again. In this page a link is provided to the Neosurf support team, so that players can get assistance if they face difficulties in making the deposit.

Each Neosurf card has a 10 digit PIN number printed on the back of the card. In the final step players will have to enter that number on the screen and click "OK". The funds will automatically be deposited into the online casino player's Neteller account and he will be connected back to the eWallet. He can then transfer funds to online casinos using the normal procedure.”

This should prove to be very useful for online gamblers. Are you interested in Neosurf? Do you think it will be useful in to you personally?

Gollum Now Featured on the LOTR Slot Game

Gollum is making gambling news headlines. The Lord of the Rings slot game has been improved. My favorite character Gollum is now part of the actions. I’ve played it and I’m already hooked. Here are the details from Royal Vegas Online Casino. They were among the first to release it.

“(PRESS RELEASE) -- Royal Vegas Online Casino is the flagship casino of the Fortune Lounge and new games are regularly added to the already extensive gaming portfolio. The latest game released in September 2011, is the revamped edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring video slot.

This updated addition to the Microgaming video slot portfolio builds on the success of the original game. The game has additional features such as a progressive jackpots and new imagery to enhance game play. The addition of the character Gollum is also an addition that will capture players’ imaginations.

The game boasts 243 Ways to win and provides an entertaining and rewarding experience to players. The game also has Cinematic Spins™ where cinematic scenes from the movie are incorporated into the slot game.

The game has four progressive jackpots. There is a chance to win one of four jackpots within the randomly triggered Bonus Wheel feature. The higher the bet, the better the chances are of winning the progressive jackpot.

The addition of the character Gollum is an exciting new feature. The Gollum character can appear anywhere and award players with features and prizes.

Royal Vegas is dedicated to providing quality online entertainment to their players by making sure that their gaming portfolio is the very best. All the games at Royal Vegas are powered by Microgaming, which has a reputation for developing games of an exceptional quality.”