Casino Articles providing free RSS feeds regarding online casinos and online gambling http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/ Copyright © 2005-2006 Eninbet.com en-us Slot tournaments have grown in popularity over the last couple of years due to the excitement they offer and to the huge cash prizes involved. Players with a competitive nature enjoy playing in tournaments; slot tournaments are fun because they are very easy to play and do not require any special skills. Luck is basically everything that the players will need in order to win such a tournament. In order to participate in a slot tournament, the first thing you have to do is to sign up; then the casino will assign you a slot machine number and a session time to play. Players are usually given a set amount of credits that must be played within a certain period of time. The object of a slot tournament is to use up all the credits and to gain as many points as possible in the allotted time frame. The winner of the tournament will be the player with the highest point total for the entire slot tournament. The basic skills required for a slot tournament are speed and concentration. You also have to make sure that you are rested and that you won't get too tired as the tournament progresses; try to be at your best the moment you start playing in a tournament. The best tournament strategy is to be fast, to stay focused and to keep in mind that playing slots is fun. There are three basic types of slot tournaments, namely free and invitational tournaments, tournaments returning all entry fees and tournaments that profit the casino. Invitational tournaments are not open to the general public and are usually a means of... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Slot_Tournaments/ Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Slot_Tournaments/ Online gambling is a fun and entertaining activity which should enable us to relax and to enjoy the game of our choice. Whereas some have fun by simply playing a casino game, some others take much more pleasure out of the game when they win. Since consistent casino winners are really smart players, we will provide you with some tips which may help you improve your gambling strategy and consequently, play smart. First of all, we strongly advise you to always use your player club card. Players who do not use their card lose a series of incentives and are practically turning their back on free money. Secondly, it is highly recommended that you read a book on your favorite game. Players with extensive knowledge of a game are always in advantage, since they will be capable to make the best decisions when sitting at the tables. Another important thing to remember is always to take advantage of casino promotions. These promotions, which may include special drawings, tournaments or loyalty programs, give you the possibility to win something extra, so it would be a pity to ignore them! It is always fun to learn a new game, even if you already have a favorite; for example, slots players should really give table games a chance, since it is widely known that the latter have a much lower house edge than slots machines. Learning a new game also implies changing the pace, so that you don't turn gambling into a routine activity. Smart players are those who make a gambling plan before visiting a casino; it is recommended that you set the duration of your play... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Learn_to_be_a_smarter_player/ Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Learn_to_be_a_smarter_player/ The eCOGRA Global Online Gambler Survey, the most comprehensive online gambling study ever, conducted by the Betting and International Gaming Research at Nottingham Trent University, has just been released. The study, which is of significant importance, aims at shedding some light on online gaming in general, as well as on its social and economic implications. The survey focused on aspects such as players characteristics, attitudes and behaviours, and player protection. A number of 10,865 participants, of whom 58% were male and 42% female, answered the 85 questions related to what type of persons gamble, what motivates them, when they gamble, how they gamble and what their views on regulation and responsible gambling are. Here are the most important findings of the Global Online Gambler Survey: most respondents gamble online at home,with the most popular time of the day for gambling being the evening.; half of the players are influenced by software providers when choosing the sites they want to play at; Internet casino players tend to be older than Internet poker players; Internet casino sessions tend to be different for men and women: it seems that women gambler more often and for longer periods, but spend less money than men on online gambling; the most important criteria when choosing an online casino are bonuses, variety of games, deposit methods and the reputation of the website; the first six gambling motivations were, in order, relaxation, excitement, distraction, financial gains, escape and socializing; most players tend to focus on the game, and are not very interested in the socializing aspect; players who... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Main_findings_of_the_eCOGRA_gambling_study/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Main_findings_of_the_eCOGRA_gambling_study/ 2006 was a controversial year for the online gambling industry, which underwent considerable changes, especially during the last months of 2006. Though online gambling is at the moment one of the most popular pastime activities of millions of people throughout the world, its evolution has been somewhat hindered by various regulations aimed at banning this industry altogether. Among the positive events that marked Internet gambling in 2006, we should mention the appearance of new casino gambling operators, the development of improved software for casino and poker games and the growing number of online players. As far as online poker is concerned, it is worth remembering the great success of international poker tournaments such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the World Poker Tour (WPT) and the European Poker Tour (EPT), the record number of participants in various poker events and the overall good reputation that this incredible game of skill has acquired lately. All in all, 2006 was a pretty profitable year, and things could have been even better, hadn't it been for unpleasant surprises such as the passing into law of the UIGEA in the US or of other restrictive and prohibitive regulations in countries such as France, Germany, Russia, China or Turkey. When president George Bush signed the UIGEA into law, most reputed online gaming operators ceased to cater to US citizens and many of them registered severe financial losses. Nevertheless, most of them managed to put their business back on the right track by shifting focus to European and Asian countries, where more and more people start gambling online. The US may have been the first in their... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Online_Gambling_in_2006/ Fri, 19 Jan 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Online_Gambling_in_2006/ Slots are the most popular games in online, as well as in offline casinos. It doesn’t take much time to casino owners to realize this. Slot machines are computer-controlled devices where nothing is left to chance. These machines have spectacular designs and are the number one choice of gamblers throughout the world. Slot machines use Random Number Generators that continuously select a series of numbers at random, irrespective of whether there is somebody playing at the machine or not. When these machines first appeared, the reels operated independently and they spun until they stopped. Nowadays, the computer decides where the reels will stop based on the number series selected by the RNG. The spinning of the reels is nothing but a diversion, since the symbols could be displayed the moment they have been selected. Players have no influence whatsoever on the outcome of the game, they cannot change something that has already been decided and there are no such things as win and loss cycles. There can be machines that pay out for hours, incessantly, as well as there can be others where you can play for days and still be losing. Nevertheless, if you take a look at the way these machines perform throughout a year, you will notice that most of them respond almost exactly the way they were programmed, returning a percentage of the money that was put in them. Let’s take an example: if a machine returns 90 per cent, this means that it will give back 90 cents for every dollar played. Thus, the machine keeps ten cents on a dollar. Slot machines are fun, entertaining and... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/All_About_Casino_Slots/ Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/All_About_Casino_Slots/ This article is meant to explain and to prove that many gambling myths and superstitions are in fact mistaken and unfounded.  Many gamblers tend to think that the winnings and losses at slot machines are predetermined; well, let me tell you that this is completely untrue. The Random Number Generator that all slots machines use is indeed random and it is practically impossible to calculate where the ball will land at the next spin of the reels. However, slots aren’t the only gambling area where misconceptions abound. Table game players are often influenced by a series of myths that they have accepted without even taking some time to think. Some players believe that a good game is a game where players can easily win, but this couldn’t be any further from the truth. A game cannot be deemed good or bad according to how much money you win or you lose. Many blackjack players think that they must assume the dealer has a 10-valued card in the hole whenever they are playing; consequently, if the dealer is showing a 10, the player assumes the dealer has a 20 and makes his hitting and standing decisions accordingly, but this assumption is dead wrong, since a standard deck of cards contains sixteen 10-valued cards and 36 non-10s. Consequently, it makes much more sense to assume that the dealer has a non-10 in the hole, especially if his upcard is also a 10. Blackjack players should make their decisions based exclusively on the dealer’s upcard. The last misconception we are going to discuss refers to whether it is better to play one or two spots. Let me tell you that the only difference between playing... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Casino_Superstitions/ Fri, 29 Dec 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Casino_Superstitions/ Some players tend to think that casino games are more about mathematics than about luck. Some others feel that luck can change the outcome of a game within a couple of seconds, irrespective of how good a player you are. In my opinion, when playing casino games, both luck and skill have their own contribution to the game, contribution that should not be overlooked: we have no influence whatsoever on the cards that we are going to be dealt (and this is where luck interferes) but we can play our best irrespective of the cards we hold (and this is where knowledge and skill come into play). There will be, of course, times when your losing or winning will be determined by luck, especially in the case of a high house edge. When playing slots or roulette, you can't really expect to win unless you are truly lucky. In the long run, these games will turn out to cost you lots of money. The probabilities for winning when playing the roulette or slots are really low, so luck is the only factor that can help us when trying one of these games. Poker and blackjack are considered games of skill, and not of chance. If you want to play this game and to get some money out of it, you have the possibility of improving your chances and luck has very little to do with it. The only time that luck matters in the poker game is when the cards are dealt. From there on, what matters most is how each player manages to gain control of the game with the help of their knowledge and skill. Players with extensive knowledge of poker are aware of the fact that... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Skill_or_luck/ Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Skill_or_luck/ When trying online games, all players want to make sure that they are playing at a safe and trustworthy Internet gambling site. They will not make any deposits unless they know that their money is safe, that they will get paid in case they win, that they will not get cheated and that the customer support team will reply to their queries and help them solve any problems that may arise in an efficient and professional manner. eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) is the only independent, non-profit organization that constantly supervises and audits some of the best online casinos and poker rooms in the world. It was founded in 2003 and it established some standards that all Internet casinos and poker sites must meet in order to be certified. eCOGRA’s main objective is to protect online players by making sure that the games provided by Internet operators are fair, that the players will be paid on a timely basis and that the gambling sites will behave in a responsible way. The sites bearing the eCOGRA logo must comply with all the requirements set by the organization and are periodically reviewed in order to see whether they are still abiding by the eCOGRA regulations or not. At present there are one mobile site, 90 online casinos, including Casino Classic, Casino Kingdom, Gaming Club Casino, Golden Tiger Casino, River Belle Casino, and Lucky Nugget Casino, and 21 poker rooms, among which Pacific Poker and River Belle poker, that bear the "Play It Safe" logo and some others are currently under review. Any disputes that may arise between players and sites certified by eCOGRA will fall under eCOGRA's authority. These disputes are normally settled within... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/_eCOGRA/ Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/_eCOGRA/   The Eastern Europe online casino market is currently undeveloped and not fully exploited; nevertheless, studies show that the industry will grow in the next couple of years. There are 40 million Internet users in Central and Eastern Europe at present; 10% to 20% of these people are expected to visit Internet casinos at one point and to start gambling online. Mentor Gaming, an international supplier of software platforms, is the first to have expanded its business in Eastern Europe, setting its offices in Romania. The company is sure that it will make a profit in this part of Europe where only few gambling investors have dared to start a business. Eastern Europeans don't gamble as much as other European or US citizens; the revenue in Eastern Europe developing countries is still low and many people couldn't afford to gamble, not even if they were curious and willing to try it. Moreover, Eastern Europeans do not like to lose when playing for money, and are rather hesitant when it comes to spending their earnings on playing Internet games. Nevertheless, research shows that young people, aged between 20-45, do gamble, even if they do not spend more than Euro 70 per month on playing online. Gaming operators are certain that countries in Eastern Europe represent a very good investment as far as the Internet gambling market is concerned. Profit is expected to reach a couple of hundreds million Euro in a couple of years. The most serious problem for foreign gaming providers consists in the fact that international processors of online payment are very reserved when it comes to payment operations in Eastern Europe.... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/The_Eastern_European_Online_Casino_Market/ Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/The_Eastern_European_Online_Casino_Market/ With the US banning online gambling and several European countries introducing new gambling legislation which is often restrictive, Asia seems to be the promised land for Internet gambling. Many gaming operators have moved their focus towards the Asian market and are very optimistic in regard to the future of Internet gambling in the Far East, though they are aware of the fact that they will meet a number of cultural and social barriers. With Asians famous for their gambling instincts and Asian countries willing to make a profit from this blooming industry, there is no reason why things shouldn't go well for those who have been investing in Internet gambling. Gaming companies that want to start a business in China are likely to face a series of bureaucratic problems; a good strategy is to get a successful local partner in order to make the entire procedure much easier. Each new company is trying to come up with games that are specifically tailored for the Asian market in order to succeed, games meant to appeal to local tastes, but it's not very easy for Western gaming operators to understand the mentality and the lifestyle of the people in the Far East. China could turn out to be a huge market for Internet computer games, but not all its citizens can afford a game console or PC. At present, there are around 63,8 million Internet users, out of which 14 million play Internet games on a regular basis. The Singaporean gambling market is expected to grow at a annual growth rate of 21% from 2006 to 2010 reaching $3,6 billion by 2010. This growth is primarily caused by the increasing number of Internet gamblers. http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/The_Asian_Online_Casino_Market/ Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/The_Asian_Online_Casino_Market/ Progressive games are fun and exciting; the idea that we can change our entire life by hitting the jackpot in a single magic moment attracts million of players from all over the world towards this type of game. Roulette Royale, Triple Sevens Progressive Blackjack, Megajacks come to show that slots are not the only games with progressive variants, although they are indeed widely preferred by Internet gamblers. Roulette Royale is based on the standard European roulette, comprising a roulette wheel and table and it has a progressive jackpot which can be won in case the same number is hit five times in row. The object of the game is to guess which number the ball will fall on . There is also a side bet which enables the players to qualify for the progressive jackpot. The Roulette Royale pot can reach huge amounts. The two main types of bets in Roulette Royale are inside and outside bets. Triple Sevens Progressive Blackjack differs from traditional blackjack in that it has an additional $1 side bet which enables the progressive feature. Triple Sevens is powered by Microgaming software and can be found at casinos like Lucky Nugget, Riverbelle, Phoenician Casino, etc. The objective of the game is to beat the dealer's hand; in order to win the progressive jackpot, you must receive 3 consecutive Diamond Sevens from the first card of a hand. Here are the most important rules for playing Triple Sevens: the dealer is forced to stand on all hands of 17, doubling down is permitted on player totals of 9, 10 or 11, splitting is allowed only once, you may not double after splitting, and you can rehit split aces. The most popular video poker games are Megajacks,... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Online_Casino_Progressive_Games/ Fri, 24 Nov 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Online_Casino_Progressive_Games/ The European online gambling industry has registered considerable progress over the last few years; more and more Internet gambling operators are targeting the European market now that online gaming has been practically banned from the US. The Swiss Institute of Comparative Law performed a study on gambling in Europe and findings showed that the legislative framework for gambling in Europe is characterized by a high level of heterogeneousness. Each European state regulated the gambling industry as it pleased and there are very few EU members that fully comply with the requirements of the European Court of Justice in regard to the various forms of gambling. Though the ECJ specifically stated that gambling regulations should by no means be discriminatory, several European states have adopted protectionist measures, prohibiting foreign sports betting and gambling services to operate in their countries. They have argued that they have taken restrictive measures so as to prevent money laundering and crime, to protect players or due to various social and cultural considerations, but there justifications are seldom convincing. Whereas countries such as the UK, Italy and Belgium are making efforts to regulate gambling, realizing that this industry has great potential, some other states prohibit it. This is the case of Cyprus, The Netherlands, Greece and Portugal, where licenses cannot be issued for online gaming. States such as Belgium, Estonia, Lithuania, The Netherlands and Polland allow Internet gambling, but put severe restrictions on advertising it. The policy for granting licenses is generally restrictive; gaming licenses can only be issued by national or regional authorities. Most EU states have limited the the number of operators that are entitled to run a gambling business. There are some countries where only one single operator is... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/European_Online_Casino_Legislation/ Fri, 24 Nov 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/European_Online_Casino_Legislation/ Words like chaos and lack of uniformity best describe the current legal framework of the online gaming industry. Though the Internet gambling market is developing at high speed, there are no international standards concerning the requirements that must be met in order to be granted a license. Whereas some countries move ahead and try to come up with responsible and advantageous solutions, some others remain in the dark and ban the gambling industry altogether instead of attempting to regulate it. There are over 80 online gambling jurisdictions throughout the world, but most online casinos, poker rooms and bookmakers are licensed in Antigua&Barbuda, Gibraltar, Costa Rica, Malta, The Isle of Man, Belize and Kahnawake(Canada). These rather small, developing countries, which were once considered a fiscal paradise, have made it more difficult for Internet casinos to be granted licenses, trying to prevent money laundering operations and to protect players. Online casinos cannot function in legality unless they have a license in one or several gambling jurisdictions. As we have already mentioned, the standards for being granted a license differ considerably from one jurisdiction to another. Antigua&Barbuda was one of the first jurisdictions to grant online gaming licenses. The conditions for obtaining a gaming license have become much harsher over the years; at present, licensed gaming operators are subject to money laundering controls, monthly reviews and random checks. The Antigua&Barbuda gaming legislation puts great emphasis on players protection and industry enhancement, since Internet gaming brings an important part of the country's revenue. Online casinos, poker rooms and bookmakers that hold a Antigua&Barbuda license include Sportingbet, Gamebookers. Casino Tropez, Titan Poker, Sportsbetting.com, Vegas Red Casino, Club Dice Casino, Casino del Rio, USA Casino and Casino Las Vegas. http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Online_Casino_Jurisdictions/ Thu, 23 Nov 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Online_Casino_Jurisdictions/ With million of Internet users all over the world and the explosion of online gaming, casinos and poker rooms depend on software providers in order to offer their customers a fun, fair and 100% secure gaming environment. Software developers have contributed to the growth of the casino gambling industry and the important role they play should by no means be underestimated, since the entire gambling business is based on the already established reputation of the major software manufacturers. From the comprehensive list of online casino software providers, we have selected to present some of the most important and credible names in the industry, such as Playtech, Microgaming, World Gaming PLC, Boss Media, Real Time Gaming, Tribeca Tables and Cryptologic; in fact, these are the software companies that power the most successful online casinos and poker rooms in the world. Playtech Company was founded in 1999 and it soon became a leader in the industry. The UK-based company has recently bought rival Tribeca Tables, thus expanding its business even more. The casinos that use its software include Carnival Casino, Casino del Rio, Casino Tropez and Golden Palace Casino. Microgaming has been offering innovative gaming solutions for more than a decade; it provides its services to 120 online casinos and to 40 poker rooms. The company's portfolio comprises over 250 first class games. Microgaming runs the world's largest poker and progressive jackpots networks. The company has co-founded e-COGRA ( e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) and pays great emphasis on respecting the strictest quality standards in the gaming industry. 32 Red, Lucky Nugget, Phoenician Casino, River Belle Casino and Golden Tiger Casino are some of the casinos that have resorted to Microgaming products and services. http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Online_Casino_Software_Providers/ Thu, 23 Nov 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Online_Casino_Software_Providers/ Tipping is a regular practice in any service industry, including that of gambling, and it basically means saying thank you for a job well done. There is no established standard for how much to tip casino staff, but we can try to make some estimations and come out with some decent amounts. Casino staff are usually paid the minimum wage, since their employers are aware of the fact that they will receive tips. Dealers, cocktail waitresses, valets and cab men, they all earn their living from the tips you give them. When in a casino, keep in mind that for people working here, tips are an important part of their income.   The idea that dealers are well paid at a casino is actually a myth; dealers are paid very poorly and their living depends greatly on the tips they get. You normally tip a dealer depending on whether you are pleased with the service he provides. You don't have to tip dealers if they are rude or unfriendly. Dealers are usually tipped $5 per hour. There are several ways of tipping a dealer: you can either pay him or place a bet for him, but it is better to ask him what he prefers. You can either tip him throughout the game or at the end of the gambling session. There are players who don't give tips when they lose; if you are one of the, remember that dealers are not the enemies, they are just doing their job and your losing is not their fault, so don't take it... http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Tipping_Casino_Staff/ Fri, 17 Nov 2006 00:00:00 PST http://www.eninbet.com/Articles/Online_Casino_Articles/Tipping_Casino_Staff/