More waiting for online casinos as gambling debate is delayed

Senator Barney Frank: pro online gambling

Barney Frank, head of the US House Financial Services Committee and chief proponent to put an end to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in favour of legalized and regulated online gambling, is facing more pressing issues with the current global ec0nomic downturn and the Bill will not be debated until at least September 2009.

This is a mild blow for online casino operators who would wish to return to the US market once the current laws have changed.

Frank, a Republican, is enjoying growing support for the proposed legislation with pressure from the US public to exercise their right to gamble online. It also seems as if though the original supporters of UIGEA are either less vehement about banning online gambling, or now in favour of legalization and regulation.

For those US citizens wanting to gamble online, the only game they can play right now is the waiting game.

Coming soon: Leonardo Di Caprio in online casino movie

Leonardo Di Caprio is set to appear in a Paramount film about the world of Costa Rica-based online casinos, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The 34-year old star of blockbusters like Titanic and more recently Revolutionary Road will also produce the project which as yet has not yet been titled.

The film will be produced by Jennifer Davisson Killoran and the team is propped up by Brian Koppelman and David Levien who wrote Ocean’s Thirteen and Rounders, a look into the underground poker world starring Edward Norton and Matt Damon.

The film is one of a string of films about the world of online casinos including the 2000 hit, Boiler Room, starring Giovanni Ribisi.

Introducing the iWin: blackjack card counting with the Apple iPhone

Sooner or later it had to happen. Nevada gaming authorities have put out an alert for casinos to be on the lookout for potential felons using iPhone applications to count cards. According to Nevada legislation, the use of technology to assist in card counting (not in itself banned) is a felony.

Nevada authorities got the heads up from Californian casinos who noticed the use of the technology and decided to spread the word. Dubbed “iCheating”, the practice is sure to have iPhones banned from the tables.

The iPhone vibrates when it’s time to place a big bet, making this particularly difficult to detect.

This again shows how the nearly ubiquitous mobile phone is plugging us all in to various forms of technology – and with the ever growing number of iPhone apps, our abilities are sure to be near super-human in the near future.

Top 5 Craziest Casino Bets of All Time

You’ve heard of losing your shirt at the casino before, but these folks take crazy bets to a whole new level.

In ascending order of madness, here are the 5 craziest casino bets of all time:

5. The largest bet involving novelty items

Back in 1989 a crazy Welshman who is unknown to history entered his local bookie shop and placed a £30 bet that the following things would happen before the end of the century:

• 4 to 1: Singer Cliff Richards is awarded a knighthood
• 3 to 1: Irish mega rock group U2 remains a group
• 5 to 1: East Enders, the British soapie, still shown on British television
• 8 to 1: Soap opera Home and Away still being shown on television

The bookie gave the Welshman odds of 6,479 to 1 and a few days after the year 2000, the Welshman walked into the bookie office to collect his winnings of £194,400 – not bad for a day’s work.

4. Mad Londoner Ashley Revell bets it ALL on a single spin of the roulette wheel

It was 2004 when Londoner Ashley Revell sold everything he had including clothes and emptied his bank account to the tune of $135,300.

One quick trip to Vegas later and Revell was ready to bet it all on roulette – here’s what happened:

Yes, it was an interesting result to say the least.

3. Poker Legend Johnny Moss in a fist fight bet

The story goes that Poker Legend Johnny Moss once stood in a bar talking to a man who stated that he had never ever lost a fight before. Moss’s friends offered to test this theory and offered Moss 15 to 1 on his money. Moss took up the offer and got ready for the fight.

A few broken bones and a painful hospital adventure later, Moss came out with no regrets stating that “15 to 1 was too good to pass up.”

2. One Social Security Check becomes $1,000,000

Las Vegas residents are used to the vagaries of fortune, but for one man life was about to turn around in a big way. Having just been kicked out of his house by his wife, the man took everything he had to the Treasure Island Casino. The man smelt so bad that even Lady Luck was afraid of him and he turned a profit of $1,000,000 playing blackjack.

Sadly, the man kept on playing and lost it all in the same session.

1. Betting it all: William Lee Bergstrom

Casino owner Benny Binion drastically changed Vegas gambling bu allowing large bets – the first bet was the only limit.

One day William Lee Bergstrom strolled into Binion’s Horseshoe Casino with $777,000 tucked under his arm and bet everything on the Craps table Don’t Pass line. He won and his luck just continued.

He went on to win $590,000 and then $190,000 and finally $90,000, and then he lost everything, not knowing when to stop. Undeterred, he returned with a million dollars and promptly lost that too. Bergstrom lost the ultimate bet three months later playing Russian Roulette – with final consequences.

The Slots Guru Speaks

There’s something about slots. They exude the mystery of treasures within. They bear the key to unlocking untold fortunes. They hold the secret to that enigmatic winning jackpot. Their spinning reels and jingly rhymes are almost hypnotic. Slot machines are certainly magical!

It’s no wonder then that they’re the most popular betting game on the planet and that popularity has spread even further in cyberspace. From humble beginnings as sideline entertainment for the wives of gamblers in the Wild West, slots have overtaken all traditional table games to become the Sultans of Ka-Ching!

We’re sure most readers are familiar with slots, but as some wise man once said: “Knowledge is power.” In this article, you’ll find out all there is to know about those fascinating spinning reels and how much fun can be had from such a simple concept. You may even pick up some hints on how best to play the slots you love.

Q: What types of slot machines are there?

A: There are three main types of slots 3-reel Slots, Video Slots and Progressive Slots:

3-reel Slots
3-reel slots basically look like the old-style slots with the ‘bar and cherries’ symbols. These are typically Mechanical Slots – Mechanical, or traditional, slot machines have actual reels in them. Your typical 3 reel land based slot machines are manufactured by Universal, I.G.T. and Bally. These games are most popular amongst the purist players that enjoy the traditional slot game. At Platinum Play Online Casino you can enjoy a variety of 3-reel slots, including BarBarBlack Sheep, Break da Bank, Frostbite and Sonic Boom.

Video Slots
Video Slot games are slot games with more than three reels; they tend to have more imaginative themes, more animation and graphical entertainment than 3-reel slots. Additionally, they have more pay lines and winning combinations. The tailor-made International Casino Games and Fortune Lounge video slots are two very popular Video Slots you can enjoy exclusively at Fortune Lounge casinos.

Progressive Slots
Slot games that allow you and other players of the game to increase the potential jackpot each time a new coin is inserted for play. When the progressive jackpot finally hits, the amount resets to the starting number. Fortune Lounge casinos boast a variety of exciting Progressive Slots, including King Cashalot and Lotsaloot.

Q: What determines where the reels will stop?

A: Possibly the most important question when dealing with slots. Modern slots are all governed by a computer. This computer has independently audited Random Number Generator software. That sounds complicated, but it really isn’t. The Random Number Generator or RNG is, for lack of a better word, a computer that constantly generates new numbers that are assigned to each stop on a reel in the slot machine. When you pull the handle or push the spin button, the RNG tells the reels where to stop. This is completely random.

Q: What is the payout percentage?

A: When playing at different casinos you will hear about different payout percentages. This percentage is the amount of money that the slots can reasonably be expected to pay out to the player. This number varies from casino to casino, but on average it can be between 88-97%. To better explain what a payout percentage is: This is the amount of money, in percentage form, that a slot machine pays back to the players over time. For example, a slot with a 97% payback percentage will return $97 of every $100 wagered on it over time.
Hold Percentage – The slots machine holdback percentage is exactly the opposite of the payback percentage. In our example above, the hold percentage would be 3%, holding $3 of every $100 played over time for the casino.

Q: Which casinos offer the best payout percentages?

A: It depends on the casino. The hold percentage averages for the Las Vegas Strip are 11% for nickels, 6.5% for Quarters, 4.5% for dollars, and 3.5% for five dollars and above.

Online casinos overall hold percentage across all games vary from 3.2% to 3.8%.

Q: Does it improve my odds to put more coins per bet in a slot machine?

A: It doesn’t necessarily increase your odds of winning, but definitely your odds of winning MORE. Always check the payout table on the slot machine, which will tell you exactly how much you will win depending on how many coins or pay lines you play. Most slots have the best payouts for max bet amounts – especially for jackpot payouts.

Q: What’s the number one slot machine tip?

A: The number one tip for playing slots machines is: HAVE FUN! While you’re having fun though, you must remember a few things too. Don’t be greedy and don’t chase your losses. Set yourself limits in time or money or both. Use common sense and you will always get maximum enjoyment and entertainment out of your slots play.

Here are a few tips for having a more enjoyable slot playing experience. These tips pretty much sum up a great slot machine strategy:

• Don’t play with money you can’t afford to lose
• Don’t expect to win anything
• Join the Players club and take advantage of the points and special bonuses and promotion
• Always bet the max coins. You can’t win the big jackpot unless you’ve played max coins
• Slot systems don’t work, no matter what anybody says in their slots books
• Don’t waste your money on most slot machine books or ebooks. You won’t learn anything too interesting from them anyway