Is There a Call for a Campaign Against Lower Blackjack Payouts?
October 5th, 2012 by Site Admin
Recent news reports regarding the casino regulations in South Dakota reveal that the authorities have passed a regulation that lowers the payout rate for single blackjack games in regional casinos.
The South Dakota gaming commission has permitted casinos to issue lower payouts only for single blackjack games – as of now, other blackjack variants still retain their normal payout rates. This news has been greeted with disappointment from the blackjack community who are displeased that the casinos now have a chance to alter the payout from 3 to 2 to a new rate of 6 to 5 and give them lesser than what they were once entitled to receive.
This move has surprised the blackjack gaming community in South Dakota, because these Midwest gaming commissions once had to be encouraged and pushed to introduce higher payouts. However, now that one of these commissions is cutting the payout rate – it seems more like regression than progress.
Elliot Frome, a gaming analyst and author discussed the rule change of 6 to 5 from its once 3 to 2, “a blackjack occurs about once in 21 hands. This means on average you should be getting about 1.5 to 2 of them per hour. So, if you’re a $5 player, this means instead of winning $7.50 per blackjack, you only get $6…Assuming, you play properly, you would normally lose only about 70 cents an hour playing $5 single-deck blackjack. That just increased fourfold due to this rule change.”
Frome called for blackjack players to rally and not play at 6 to 5 casinos.
Viejas Casino Has the World’s Biggest Blackjack Table
October 2nd, 2012 by Site Admin
Blackjack is a game that players can win big money at – whether at online casinos or at brick and mortar casinos. What is more, most casinos offer the games of blackjack and poker in high roller tables enabling those players with big bankrolls who want to bet large to place no limit wagers and win million dollar prizes and such.
Land based casinos also have taken into promoting the game of blackjack by hosting bigger tables for players to enjoy. Most casinos accomplish this by raising the limits on the game and increasing the number of players, the Viejas Casino however, took the concept of the biggest blackjack table to new limits when it set out to literally create the world’s largest blackjack table and get its name entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.
As of now, the Viejas Casino holds the record for hosting the world’s largest blackjack table which is 60 feet long and 36 feet wide. What’s more, the Viejas Casino event went ahead and had playing cards designed to scale for this large blackjack table. The Viejas Casino has also designed large blackjack chips that players can use to try this game.
Reportedly, this table is ten times the size of a normal blackjack table.
Blackjack Ballroom Reported Top Online Casino for Blackjack Players
October 1st, 2012 by Site Admin
Blackjack Ballroom Casino, which has bagged a number of industry awards, has always kept its player community happy. Ever since it paid a record-breaker jackpot of $5.5 million to one of its lucky players back in 2008, the online casino has become very popular, attracting more and more new players through its innovative and generous promotions.
Blackjack Ballroom has launched a number of thrilling titles such as The Dark Knight. This new game, along with all the new promotions it has launched, has increased the number of new players at Blackjack Ballroom.
Speaking about the success of Blackjack Ballroom, a Casino Rewards spokesperson said that they have been promoting Blackjack Ballroom hard, considering the fact that it has always been a hot favorite among blackjack players. In future, Blackjack Ballroom will be launching excellent promotions, giveaways, and new games, promising entertainment galore for new as well as existing players.
Newly registered players can claim a free sign-up offer at $500, which can be spent on a wide range of casino games such as roulette, blackjack, slots, video poker games, and so on. If players win any jackpot using the free $500, they can keep the prize and use it on playing other games.
888 Launches Live Blackjack Casino Games With Real Dealers
September 27th, 2012 by Site Admin
Online blackjack players will be pleased to note that 888.com has ramped up its offerings for its members. The casino recently announced that it had launched live casino games such as blackjack. What is more, these games will feature live dealers to keep the atmosphere and excitement of the game.
888.com launched its live casino through its main enterprise 888 Holdings. This new development was a result of a deal made with 888 Holdings and Evolution, a gaming software provider. The live games will be fed directly to players who log onto the 888.com Casino site from a real land based casino located in Riga, Latvia. These images will be streamed live to player’s desktops.
According to Erez Sadan, the chief of Casino at 888.com, “We were one of the first operators to explore the potential of an Evolution dedicated table and we have seen firsthand the ROI this approach can deliver. This gives us full control over branding and the opportunity to maximize player time and loyalty through regular promotions and by building stronger relationships with dealers and customers.”
The live dealer games will feature 6 real dealer tables of which 5 will be dedicated to hosting blackjack games.
PPA Releases a Congressional Ratings Guide for Upcoming Election
September 26th, 2012 by Site Admin
The Poker Players Alliance has released a guide for voters for the upcoming elections. The PPA has tracked all members of Congress and the Senate. They have assigned a grade between A to F to each lawmakers on how likely they are to support online poker legislation.
According to their findings, fewer lawmakers are opposed to regulating online poker than in the previous couple of years. The PPA only gave a failing grade to about 10% of current lawmakers.
However, the movement away from opposition to online poker does not necessarily indicate that the landscape for online gaming is improving. The support for online gaming as a whole may be declining as well. The PPA has given fewer As and Bs to current lawmakers. This makes it more difficult for online poker advocates to determine who they should vote for in the upcoming Congressional election.
When the PPA released the same report during the 2010 Congressional election, 8 lawmakers were assigned a letter grade of C. The PPA has assigned that grade to 87 lawmakers this year. In addition, the number of lawmakers the PPA has classified as wild cards has doubled.
However, vice president Rich Muny has stipulated that much of the change is that the PPA has used much stricter standards in their rankings. Overall, Muny appears to be encouraged by the new ratings. He said that the real goal of the PPA has been to reduce opposition to online gaming. The findings published in the Congressional Ratings Guide have shown that more lawmakers are opening up to the idea of legalizing online poker at the federal level.
Some congressmen who were staunch opponents to online poker in 2010 now have a more neutral perspective. Texas Republican Senator Cornyn was given an F in the previous guide. However, the PPA isn’t sure how he would be likely to vote on a new bill at this time, because he has since opened up the idea.
Meadows Casino Announces $200,000 Blackjack Tournament
September 24th, 2012 by Site Admin
The Meadows Racetrack and Casino based in Pennsylvania recently announced an exciting blackjack tournament for players. The tournament is not a new creation but an old promotion that has been brought back by popular demand. The tourney will feature a blackjack prize of $200,000 and will host multi-day satellite tourneys throughout the promotion. The main event of the tourney has been scheduled to take place on the 8th of December.
In addition to the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Pennsylvania hosting a blackjack tourney, the North Strabane region will also be hosting one. This casino will also feature multi- day tourneys and will be hosting its main event on the 15th of December.
The Meadows Casino was noted to have been the host of the biggest blackjack event in the state of Pennsylvania a few months ago. The tourney saw a great turn out and had players very excited; needless to say that is why the event has been re-introduced. In the previous event, the first place prize winner took home $100,000 in cash.
According to Sean Sullivan, who is the vice president and general manager of the Meadows Racetrack and Casino, “Our blackjack tournament this spring was a smashing success. Demand and feedback has been very positive, which is the reason we decided to host another tournament within six months.”
Player Versus Player Blackjack Launched a
September 20th, 2012 by Site Admin
Blackjack enthusiasts can now avail of a brand new variant of blackjack called Player Versus Player, which is available at vsJack.com.
According to vsJack, which is trying to free the game of blackjack from casinos, online as well as offline, this is the best variant of online blackjack the industry has come up with. When players play blackjack at vsJack, they are not playing against the house; instead, they are playing against other blackjack players like themselves. Since players are encouraged to match their wits against other players, the game reminds them of poker. However, only time can tell if the variant will become popular.
Since there is no house to play against, the players at the blackjack table have to be the bank in turns, but there are no special rules for dealers. This means that the player who becomes the dealer can make any move required to win.
An entire set of new blackjack strategies need to be developed to improve one’s odds of winning Player Versus Player Blackjack. The variant requires players to have excellent mathematical skills and know basic blackjack strategy. Simultaneously, they must learn to analyze opponent behavior too because it can influence their own game in a big way.
New Microgaming Games in August
September 20th, 2012 by Site Admin
Microgaming announces three treasures, in the form of new slots, for the month of August. As a leader in the field of online gaming software, Microgaming regularly introduces new games to its impressive collection of entertainment.
Ready to roll is the new game Leagues of Fortune that is a five reel video slot. This pursuit boasts an incredible 1024 ways to win! With top quality visuals, this game is overflowing with fun and bears the chance to earn large rewards. Leagues of Fortune offers various entertaining features such as the YourGamble element that presents the opportunity to gain up to 20x of the wager. At this slot, players may also have the chance to earn between 6 and 35 free spins. This new video slot will be accessible on Microgaming’s Viper and Flash platforms.
Magic Charms is a fun 5 reel slot that presents 243 possible ways to win. This charming game spins with a fairy-tale theme and rolls with rainbows, magic wands, treasure chests and of course jackpots! Magic Charms offers a great free games feature in addition to a double up feature that presents the chance to gamble winnings. This new slot will be accessible on Microgaming’s Flash platform.
The last of the new games for August is House of Dragons that has an ancient Chinese and archery theme. With its 5 reels and 20 lines, this slot may produce great rewards. This game will be accessible on Microgaming’s Flash platform.
With years of experience in the arena of online gaming software, today Microgaming offers more than 500 game titles. This expert software provider supplies software and solutions to more than 160 gaming sites around the world.
Check out the new Microgaming action due to be released during the month of August!
Fitch Ratings: Online Poker Won’t Happen Until 2013
September 17th, 2012 by Site Admin
Fitch Ratings rendered its outlook for the online gaming industry last Thursday. According to their analysts, the federal government won’t legalize online gaming this year. This outlook has been shared by many other experts, including Harry Reid and other advocates of online poker.
Fitch cited two key challenges that are holding back a bill that would legalize online gaming. The biggest problem is the growing disparity between republicans and democrats in their view on online gaming. In addition, many of the politicians who have played a significant role in the discussions are retiring this year.
Michael Paladino is one of Fitch’s chief analysts. Paladino referenced the Republican Party’s new platform that would ban online gaming. That initiative isn’t necessarily a nail in the coffin for online gaming. However, it makes it unlikely that Congress will pass a bill that would legalize online gaming in the near term.
Fitch said that the outlook poses challenges for many of the casinos that are hoping for online gaming legislation. The rating agency recently downgraded the outlook for Caesars Entertainment. The downgrade was primarily due to concerns about the firm’s financial stability. However, analysts also stated that part of the reason the downgrade was implemented was due to the decreased likelihood that online gaming would be legalized in Washington.
Caesars intends to make online gaming a priority if it is legalized in the United States. The firm is likely to have a more difficult time resolving its financial problems without a bill that would regulate the industry. Other firms may be in the same position as they intend to pursue the market for online gaming in the United States.
Despite the challenges the industry faces, Fitch acknowledges that there are factors that yield more hope for those waiting for online gaming legislation. The Justice Departments new interpretation of the Wire Act last December and a federal judge’s ruling that online poker is a game of skill have increased the likelihood that online gaming will be legalized in the future.
Nevada Considering Leading Online Gaming Revolution
September 12th, 2012 by Site Admin
According to a new report from the Reno Gazette Journal, online gaming can create a number of benefits to the United States economy. The state of Nevada is seriously considering being the forerunner of the new industry that would legalize online gaming. As intrastate gambling has been legalized and lawmakers in the nation’s capital are considering legalizing online gaming, the state is looking to make the most of it.
Experts are debating how Nevada can take advantage of the new interpretation of the Wire Act and the new bill that legalizes online poker within the state’s borders. They argue that the gaming industry needs to invest more heavily in federal lobbying efforts. Encouraging lawmakers to pass a new bill that would legalize online gaming throughout the United States.
According to James Costa of 3G Solutions, Nevada will not be able to fully leverage the potential of online gaming without federal regulation. Costa said that the Silver State could become the leader in the digital revolution, which is currently being led by firms in Northern California. However, the state won’t be able to lead the online business revolution without the cooperation of federal lawmakers.
Gaming technology developers in Nevada have extensive experience and valuable connections in the industry. They would play an invaluable role in setting the direction for online gaming, but they don’t have any teeth to accomplish anything without the support of Harry Reid, Jon Kyl and other lawmakers supporting online gaming legislation.
