Is the USA Getting Close to Legalization?

Two bills are currently before congress. One proposes legalization of online poker and the other to legalize online gambling as a whole.

The big argument is whether gambling should be regulated at the state or federal level. The big problem is the UIGEA because it prohibits financial institutions from allowing transactions related to online casinos and internet gambling.

Lobbyists are spending millions to get gambling approved. These are all groups that stand to gain a piece of the pie and gain profits from it. The true lobbyists are the players. Here’s an excerpt from an article found on PokerNewsReport.com

“In the lobbying battle between federal and state regulation lobbyists, one of the biggest spenders in the game revealed which side of the fence they were on. “We prefer federal legislation,” said Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas. Since the beginning of the year, the PPA has doled out over $1 million to send 20 lobbyists to Washington in an effort to garner support for federal regulations to legalize internet poker.

Although admitting that lobbyists can be a powerful force in getting a group’s message across, Pappas also feels that the efforts made by online poker players themselves who are PPA members also has considerable value that can sometimes be as effective as traditional lobbying efforts to persuade and influence lawmakers.”

“We’ve had tens of thousands of letters sent to Capitol Hill, hundreds of personal visits by individual poker players who care about this issue,” Pappas said. “Lobbyists are just a bunch of suits. Our 1.2 million members are really the heart and soul of our organization.”

It’s obviously all about the government getting their hand in the pot. Until they determine how they will get their hands on your gambling money, this won’t be resolved. Do you have faith that freedom is near?

The Launch of CTXM's XCasino at Bodog88.com

When it’s not the flamboyant Calvin Ayre himself, it’s Bodog making gambling news. In a recent press release I found posted on CasinoCityTimes.com, the latest goings on of this giant group is available for viewing….misspellings and all.

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Bodog88 Casino is the Asian licencee of the Bodog brand, offering Bodog88 Sportsbook and Racebook, Live Dealer Casino and Poker. Bodog88 is currently looking to overhaul the whole online casino space stage by stage by introduing state of the art technology and user-friendly interfaces. The first stage was the new lobby introduced in June, followed recently by the introduction of their own live dealer studio and now CTXM’s Xcasino.

CTXM’s XCasino’s end-to-end online casino software package aims to imitate the thrill and excitement of real casinos by providing unique features to enhance the casino experience including a community tool that facilitates meetings, chatting and multiplayer support.

UdyYosha, CEO of CTXM, stated:“We are honored that our games are now available from one of the world’s most respected online casino brands. The Asian market is significant for CTXM’s future development, and we are glad to be a part of Bodog88.com’s continued success.”

Robert Gustafsson, Managing Director of Bodog88, added: “For any online operator, casino is the most important component but has not been given the same attention and investment as poker and sportsbook over recent years. We are changing that by investing both time, technology and marketing in our online casino and the addition of CTXM’s XCasino is another step in that ever evolving process.”

I wonder what the “unique features” are. Will there be a hostess going house to house serving drinks as we play? I like the idea of the community too. If Bodog is involved, they are sure to have promising results.

Are you familiar with the suite of CTXM games? A few of my favorites slot games are Vampire Slayers, Gems and the City and New York Gangs.

11.11.11 was a Lucky Day at Mummy’s Gold Casino

The day that occurs only every 100 years has made gambling news with a major lucky player. One lucky guy had no idea what was ahead of him when he got out of bed that day. I found the story hot off the presses at CasinoAdvisor.com.

“It can only be called a coincidence that a player wagering at an Egyptian themed online casino took home a huge amount playing on two Egyptian themes video slots. The online casino is Mummy's Gold, which is a brand of the Palace Group. The day 11.11.11 proved lucky for a player from Australasia when he won $57,485 on the Microgaming slot games Mega Moolah Isis and Throne of Egypt.

Mega Moolah Isis is one of the four online slots linked to the Mega Moolah four tier progressive jackpot network. The player must have been trying for the largest of the progressive jackpots named Mega Moolah, which is currently ticking away at over $1.2 million. Though the big fish got away, the player will be quite happy with what he caught. Throne of Egypt has been drawing a lot of traffic at Mummy's Gold online casino since its launch earlier in November. Players are eagerly trying to reach the third level of the Bonus Chamber where they will meet three Egyptian princesses and will try to pick the one that offers the largest multiplier. But before that they have to find the golden key in the other two bonus chambers. One key is hidden amid golden scarabs and the other amid golden hawks. It is not known whether this Australasian player met the princesses or not, but with over $50,000 for one day's work he will not be complaining.

Mummy's Gold online casino offers other Egyptian themed video slots as well. One of them is titled Ruby of the Nile and it was released in February this year. Two Egyptian themed slots released in the same year says a lot about the popularity of such games. Ruby of the Nile offers two wild symbols, Ankh and Eye of the Horus. The Ankh is a x2 multiplier and the Eye of the Horus is a x3 multiplier. Ruby of the Nile Logo, Queen, Bennu and Anubis symbols offer scatter payouts. Players can win up to 20 free spins with doubled payouts. Treasure Nile is a long standing progressive jackpot online slot at Mummy's Gold online casino. The progressive jackpot is hit by getting five King Tut symbols on the ninth payline. Treasure Nile pays out on an average $120,000 every 12 days. It was last hit 25 days ago but has only reached $74,000. Obviously the new Egypt theme slot game Throne of Egypt has cornered some of the traffic.

There are many familiar names in the big winners list at Mummy's Gold online casino in November. These include Thunderstruck II, Irish Eyes, Riviera Riches and Break da Bank Again. Mummy's Gold online casino is licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta and carries the eCOGRA seal of approval.”

What would you do with all that cash? When you ear of major wins, does it make you want to play at that casino or avoid it for a while? I tend to stay away since a major win was very recent.

New BetSoft Slot

Betsoft is in gambling news this week with the release of the new slot game, Ned and his Friends. It’s the latest to hit the online casino world. I found a great slot review from LatestCasinoBonuses.com. You’ve got to give it a try.

"About Ned and his Friends

Whether you’re looking for a nice game to cut your time between Halloween and Christmas holidays, or you’re just in search for a graphically superb slot, you simply have to drop by one of the Betsoft casinos and give their latest title a try – we promise you won’t regret it!

“Ned and His Friends” is a brand new addition to the software house’s Slots3 series, which is known for its state of the art graphics and sound effects. This is one of the most adorable games you will ever cross path with – with its cute, singing rats who hang out in an ordinary guy Ned’s house and scare to death his girlfriend, and sounds that include a song sung by the rats’ little voices whenever you spin the reels. All of this combined creates an atmosphere that is very hard to resist. And when you take into account this five-reel, 30-payline slot’s special features that bring you some very generous prizes and include scatters, free spins, click-me feature and a bonus round, you won’t be able to say no to “Ned and His Friends.”

And to make the game available to all types of punters, Betsoft designers introduced a great variety of bet amounts to choose from. There are coin denominations going from as little as $0.02 to $1, and the possibility to place up to five coins per line. Also, you can choose the number of lines to play on, but it’s highly recommendable to keep this number on the maximum 30 lines, as that will boost your chances to win nice prizes.

Special Features:

This is an area of the slot that is a bit out of the ordinary. Namely, it’s very common for slots to contain a wild symbol, which “Ned and His Friends” does not have. However, this does not diminish the number and amount of prizes, as there are plenty of other special features to cover for the lack of a wild symbol.

Those features include free spins, which are triggered by three or more white rats anywhere on the reels. During the free spins mode, rats will sing and dance to entertain you while you’re winning, and you can also get additional free spins if you land more of the white rat symbols. Apart from the free spins, there’s the Click-Me feature, activated when three or more rat tail symbols appear anywhere. Once this happens, you will get to choose one of the symbols in order to reveal an instant prize. This feature could appear more often, though. Finally, three or more Ned’s girlfriend symbols will start the fantastic bonus round, in which the girlfriend faints when she sees the rats and you need to choose a main soloist among them to lead the choir while they sing to her until she wakes up. Apart from being very sweet, this feature involves some good prizes, so it’s worth the wait.

“Ned and His Friends” is one of the truly amazing releases, in which Betsoft has outdid itself. Complex graphics representing simple things, various features giving away nice prizes, great generosity in regular spins – all this will keep you tied to this fabulous game for a long, long time!"

November 2011 Microgaming Slot Releases

The moment that online casino lovers wait for is news of brand new games. There are several new releases from Microgaming that went live over the last few days. Enjoy!

Press Release:

MICROGAMING ANNOUNCES NEW GAMES FOR NOVEMBER

ISLE OF MAN – Microgaming (www.microgaming.com), the world’s largest provider of online gaming software, announces a raft of exhilarating new games for release in November.

Throne of Egypt is a five reel, twenty-five payline video slot, which builds magnificently on Microgaming’s portfolio of popular Egyptian themed games. The intricate design amplifies the experience as players are taken through different chambers when they trigger the bonus. Following this, players have access to many riches, such as jewelled scarabs and free spins. In addition, players can enter a final Bonus level that takes them through to the King’s Chambers, where they will find a number of beautiful princesses bearing fantastic prizes.

Throne of Egypt will be available on Microgaming’s Flash and Viper platforms.

Dr Love is a fantastic addition to Microgaming’s established collection of quirky games. This five reel, twenty line video slot has a comical hospital theme with bright animation and whimsical sounds. The game prescribes fun and excellent prizes as players are able to win up to twenty free spins with all prizes trebled – the free spin feature can even be re-triggered.

Dr Love will be available on Microgaming’s Flash and Viper platforms.

King of Cash is a royally good way of striking it rich. Players can win free spins or match three kings to be awarded a second screen bonus round. The game’s superior graphics, coupled with the high quality animation and sounds, make playing a very regal affair. King of Cash offers frequent base game wins and huge rewards on the free spin and second screen bonus rounds, which ensure that players will keep coming back for more.

King of Cash will be available on Microgaming’s Flash platform.

Crocodopolis is a feisty twenty-five line, five reel video slot with a surprising and unique feature. Not only does this game have free spins, but it also has a Slide It Wild patented game feature, which allows players to have manual control over the place and behaviour of wildcard symbols. This intense game is extremely gratifying to players who can effectively set their own game volatility and play in their preferred personal style by sliding the power of the wild. The strong character married with rich graphics and sounds make Crocodopolis a game that is sure to be snapped up by many.

Crocodopolis will be available on Microgaming’s Flash and Viper platforms.

Alaskan Fishing is a five reel Video Slot with 243 Ways, stacked Wilds, a second screen bonus game and recurring Free Spins Feature. Players can enjoy the serenity of a fishing trip without leaving the house, catching salmon in the Fly Fishing bonus to win up to seventy five times their total bet. Furthermore, if players secure three or more tackle boxes to receive free spins, they can potentially double their wins.

Alaskan Fishing will be available on Microgaming’s Flash platform.