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Archive for June, 2010

VIP Program at Silver Oak

June 23rd, 2010

One of the upsides and perks of playing online slots games at an online casino are the VIP rewards programs that are offered to players. These are essentially loyalty programs, but these programs are offered to players for free.

The benefits of these clubs is heavily based on playing, and for online slots players it makes sense to receive some kick backs from playing online slots games.

Looking over some of the VIP offerings being offered to online slots players, I found this one at Silver Oak. It is a five level rewards program in which players earn loyalty points to move up through the ranks. The higher the level, the better the rewards are.

Players start out by signing up and enrolling in the program. They earn loyalty points for every $10 wagered in the beginning of your journey of playing online slots games to move up through the levels.

Palm Tree VIP: Level 1 VIP
Online slots players become a Palm Tree VIP once they have accumulated 3,000 loyalty points. Throughout this level players will continue to earn one loyalty point for every $10 they wager. And we all know how easy that is to do when playing an online slots game. Palm Tree VIPs also receive monthly VIP bonuses.

Cedar VIP: Level 2 VIP
Players become at Cedar VIP once they have accumulated 15,000 loyalty points. Every $10 still equals one loyalty point as players work up towards Level 3. But while at Cedar Level they receive up to $50 free monthly match play. The monthly VIP bonuses are also raised.

Evergreen VIP: Level 3 VIP
Level 3 is reached once 100,000 loyalty points are accumulated. Once the Evergreen Level is reached players will receive one loyalty point for every $7.50 wagered. At this point $50,000 in casino balance insurance is given. The free monthly match play is worth up to $250, and the VIP bonuses are raised as well.

Sequoia VIP: Level 4 VIP
This level is reached once a player reaches 650,000 points. The one point for every $7.50 wagered still stands. The free monthly match play is now worth up to $1,200. The player’s casino balance insurance is now worth $250,000, and monthly VIP bonuses are increased again. New to this level are the gifts and trips that are arranged by a personal Silver Oak VIP Valet.

Mighty Oak VIP: Level 5 VIP
This is the highest VIP level, reached once a player reaches 6,500,000 points. Further points are received one for every $5 wagered. The free monthly match play is worth up to $5,000 now. Casino balance insurance is increased to $1,250,000. The monthly bonuses are at their highest, and these players receive the best gifts and trips arranged by a personal Silver Oak VIP Valet.

As you can see online casinos offer some incredible rewards to their loyal players. It can pay in the long run to choose an online casino who offers a rewards program that you like and whose benefits you feel will truly help you and your bankroll. Online slots players can move up fairly quickly through the levels of rewards programs owing to how long they play.

Cleopatra’s Pyramid Review

June 22nd, 2010

This is an older online slots game from Vegas Technology, but it is a popular online slots game as I have seen this five reel, twenty payline game used for tournaments fairly often at Vegas Tech online casinos.

Visually this is a stunning online slots game. It has to be one of my favorites from Vegas Technology when it comes to the graphics: bright colors, smooth animation, even the 9, 10, J, Q, K and A are dressed up for this online slots game.

As I said this is one of my favorites in terms of graphics, otherwise Cleopatra’s Pyramid is not full of riches. But then, historically speaking, she did not keep her riches in her pyramid. In fact, she did not have a pyramid; she had her riches moved into her mausoleum that the Romans raided when they invaded Egypt.

On that note, perhaps I should try looking for riches in a Roman themed online slots game.

Anyway, the features offered in this online slots game seem pretty good:

Cleopatra is the Wild. She is one of those Wilds that double the winnings of any combination she completes. Thankfully she does appear fairly often.

The Scarab is the Scatter. And while its minimum payout has a 2x multiplier on the total amount of a spin, the minimum three needed to trigger the fifteen free spins never seem to appear at the same time. I never once triggered the free spins.

The Pyramids that apparently belong to Cleopatra are the trigger to the bonus game. They only appear on reels two and four though, and in order to trigger them they must not only both be present but land on an active payline.

Unfortunately I do not find this to be a bonus game worth the spins it takes to trigger it. Slots players are presented with seven rows of bricks in a pyramid. They must choose a block from each row to remove; reveal a cobra and the game ends.

The problem with this bonus game is that the bricks only reveal amounts such as $0.20 and $0.60. The most I was able to win off a bonus game was $1.60. And this is at $0.20 per spin.

On the whole while I would play this online slots game to enjoy the graphics, I would not expect riches from here. So perhaps we should be off to a Vegas Technology online casino to play a Roman themed online slots game to look for the riches stolen from Egypt.

RTG Releases New Slots Game

June 22nd, 2010

Real Time Gaming has done it again. They have added a new online slots game to their arsenal of online slots games.

This latest edition is a five reel called Ocean Dreams. A nice relaxing name for an online slots game that takes you beneath the waves for a fun, non-stressing spinning of the reels.

Players will find in the reels Seahorses, Shells, Whales and Crabs along with other signs of life teeming under the waves. And of course this online slots game carries RTG’s trademark smooth graphics, resulting in a visually appealing game.

While these ocean creatures might be of help in turning a profit, there are other features to help boost a slots player’s winnings. There is a Wild with a multiplier (which is always a good feature) and a Scatter.

But my favorite bonus feature is the free spins. There are up to one hundred free spins to be one in just one triggering of this bonus feature. And all of the free spins have a 2x multiplier on them. Oh, and that Wild? It will appear on all of the reels to help increase a slots player’s bonus winnings.

The free spins feature has a top payout of 40,000 coins while the regular game has a top payout of 10,000 coins.

Ocean Dreams is also a part of RTG’s Real Series. Online slots games in this series have two extra features for players to look forward to.

The first is the Win-Win. In this feature if the bonus feature does not award the slots player at least 10x the triggering bet, a different bonus game is set off so that the slots player can definitely win some bonus money.

The second feature consists of two random progressive jackpots: a Minor and a Major. Either one can be randomly triggered by any slots player who happens to be spinning the reels.

Ocean Dreams can be found at any of the Real Time Gaming online casinos, such as Cherry Red. It is a fun addition to the RTG line-up.

Princess Jewels Review

June 21st, 2010

If you are looking for an online slots game that is good after a particularly taxing day then look no further than Princess Jewels.

This older online slots game hails from Vegas Technology. It is a five reel with nine paylines to play on.

Graphics on this online slots game are on the basic side of things. In fact it is the simplicity that is charming about this game the centers around riches. Ironic, no?

The majority of the symbols are various colored jewels. Due to the simpleness of the jewels the spinning is actually a balm to the vexed mind. Oh, and naturally they sparkle when they make up winning combinations.

The Princess of the game is also found on the reels. She is the Wild, substituting for all the jewels. Land five of her and you will be okay not having your own little stock pile of jewels as five Princesses will award the player with 10,000 coins.

Lastly on the reels you will find the Fairy Godmother. It is her job to use the jewels to award you with extra winnings. This is down through landing three of her and triggering the bonus game. Players are then presented with a wheel with three portions that spin. Slots players will spin each section of the wheel in turn. The jewel that the arrow stops on each time corresponds to a multiplier that is then applied to the amount wager per payline.

Yes, you read that right, per payline. So if you are only wagering $0.05 per payline your bonus prize will be based off of $0.05.

Remember when I said that Princess Jewels was a good slot to soothe the mind after a taxing day? The soothing comes from watching simple graphics spin past. And you will be doing a lot of spinning.

For starters the Princess does not appear on the reels as often as Wilds do in other online slots games. And that Fairy Godmother? You have to land her on an active payline, and with only nine paylines this is easier said than done with this online slots game.

Your best bet when it comes to this online slots game is to play it in the free play mode and keep hitting spin until your mind no longer feels strained.

Microgaming and Virgin Games

June 21st, 2010

Microgaming makes some of the most incredible online slots games that I have seen, after iSlots that is. When it comes to their online slots games, Microgaming is best known for Thunderstruck and its sequel, released last month, Thunderstruck II.

When it comes to the power of Microgaming and its popularity it is one of the top online providers of casino games. Over 120 online casinos are powered by Microgaming, as well as forty poker rooms and quite a number of online bingo sites. Needless to say, between its innovative online slots games and their leading edge gaming technology, it is easy to see why Microgaming is one of the top software providers in the online casino industry.

Today Virgin Games announced that it is going to be partnered with Microgaming, joining the ranks of the over 120 online casino with Microgaming powered games.

Virgin Games is a very popular online casino, with more than 1 million players and games from a number of other software providers including Cryptologic, Wagerworks, Freemantle, Ash Gaming and Endemol.

Simon Burridge, CEO of Virgin Games, said, “Our customers have told us that they want a wider range of games and specifically they would love to play Microgaming games as a part of the Virgin Games offering.”

It seems that what Virgin Games patrons want they get. Or at least that the company takes the suggestions of its patrons more seriously.

As a leader in online slots and in online casino games technology, players at Virgin Games have to be excited about the Microgaming game additions to their playing choices. For those who play online casino games, this partnership appears to offer nothing but good things to those involved.

Microgaming games will be added over the course of the next few months to the game offerings already available at Virgin Games.

Online Slots vs. Slot Machines

June 18th, 2010

Playing slot online offers a fair amount of advantages over playing slot machines in brick and mortar casinos.

For one thing online casinos have higher payout percentages than brick and mortar casinos. For the online slots player this means an increased chance in either winning larger payouts or more frequent payouts. It is an increased chance, mind you, not a guarantee. But I will take the increased chance any day.

Software developers are constantly creating and releasing new online slots games. Microgaming, for example, releases new online slots games every couple of months. Vegas Technology does not release quite as often as Microgaming, but they do have new online slots games every few months.

The point is that there are new online slots games being added the online casinos’ lineups. This means that an online slots player is going to find a variety of entertainment rather than the same old games. New slot machines are released, at most, twice a year, only because it takes longer to create them, manufacture them and disrupt them.

While you might earn comps for playing slot machines at a brick and mortar casino, online casinos reward you with bonus bucks to play with and with a percentage of your loses returned to you in payback. Ask yourself which would you rather have: a free trip to the buffet or some of the money you lost returned?

Overall playing slots online offers more convenience and more rewards. At least I find it so. Not to mention how online casinos give out some pretty generous Welcome Bonuses to players who sign up at their online casinos. The last time I checked I was not being given a couple thousand dollars or more just for deciding which brick and mortar casino to play at.

Oh, and did I mention you can play online slots at home in your pajamas if you want? No? Well, you can. Playing slots online allows you to the convenience of playing from your own home so that you do not have to worry about travel or accommodations.

Playtech’s Top Online Slots

June 17th, 2010

Every now and then an online casino will send out newsletters to their players to let them know about upcoming promotions and such as well as news from the online casino itself. Recently in a newsletter from a Playtech powered online casino they listed their top online slots games and some of the other favorites of their online slots players.

Online slots games are not rated as top online slots games simply because they are popular. Top online slots games must also offer players some great features.

According to Playtech, their top online slots game is Pharaoh’s Fortune.

Players can find excellent graphics and animations and a huge payout potential with this online slots game. The game’s top features are a bonus round that offers players 100 free spins; a Wild that expands and doubles payouts in bonus rounds; and an extra Wild that can be activated by making an additional wager.

The other top five online slots games in from Playtech include Punisher, Archer, The Discovery, Penguin Vacation and Banana Monkey. While these online slots games offer some great features to players, they still cannot beat Pharaoh’s Fortune.

Also in this newsletter were listed three online slots games that are popular with players as well: Iron Man and Daredevil. I think those two are popular with players simply because they bring favorite comic and now movie characters to the reels.

With fun features to help players increase their bankrolls, it is no wonder that online casinos have become so popular within the last few years. They not only offer convenience but also a fun way to play favorite online casino games. I hope that the software developers are hard at work coming up with more fun online slots games—especially ones with 100 free spins. I do like the sound of those.

Atlantic City Digging in its Heels

June 17th, 2010

Back on June 3rd S490 cleared the New Jersey Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee. This means that one more hurdle has been cleared in the effort to allow casinos in Atlantic City to offer online gambling options within the state to citizens.

You would think that the casinos would be throwing up their hats and celebrating the overcoming of that hurdle. You would be wrong. Instead Atlantic City casinos are gathering all their slots and table games in their arms and saying ‘No online gambling, thank you.’

In a letter to from the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ) to the chairman of the Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee, CANJ president Joseph Corbo expressed the CANJ’s opinion that they are interested in “viable business models to deal with some forms of Internet gambling,” but “it is very clear that the federal government must take the lead on this issue.”

But according to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), states are allowed to offer online gambling. The only catch is that each state must be able to keep minors and non-residents of that state from gambling online.

So you would think that Atlantic City, knowing that the federal government has given them the clear as long as they can keep minors and non-residents from their online gambling services, would be all over the ability to offer online gambling such as slots games. But they are still fussing. Why?

I would have to say it is because they are afraid. In his letter, Corbo said that the eleven Atlantic City casinos are worried that they will still lose business overall because it would hurt them as a resort destination. In other words, they worry they will not make money in their shops, restaurants and hotels.

But there are two groups that gamble. The younger group are the ones who prefer playing their slots games or whatnot online, while the older group prefer going to the casino over sitting in front of their computers.

Frank Catania of the Catania Consulting Group of New Jersey believes that offering online gambling options would open up a new way for the Atlantic City casinos to try to bring in this younger group in to their casinos.

I did not expect to see Atlantic City turning its back on another method of bringing in income whether they use their online gambling options as a way to bring in guests or not.

Northern Lights Review

June 16th, 2010

I thought with how hot it is getting to take a break from the heat with Northern Lights.

This online slots game goes from Vegas Technology, and features five reels and twenty paylines.

Graphics on this online slots game are on the simple side, and include the traditional 9, 10, J, Q, K and A. As for symbols that go along with the Arctic Circle theme, there is an Eskimo, a Killer Whale, an Igloo and a Seal.

To help players increase their winnings on this online slots game there is a Wild, a Scatter and a bonus game.

The Wild is the Polar Bear, who substitutes for all symbols other than the Scatter. Unfortunately he does not double any winning combinations when he completes a winning combination. But he does wink at you when his animation is set off.

The Scatter is the Aurora, the lovely ribbon of lights seen in the northern night skies near the Arctic Circle. Unfortunately this is one of those Scatters that only pays the equivalent of one spin as a minimum Scatter payout.

While the Wild and the Scatter are adequate, the bonus games is rather nice and can possibly make up for the spins needed to trigger it. Three Auroras will trigger the Northern Lights bonus game.

In this bonus game a polar bear starts out on an ice floe. Your job in this bonus game is to choose one of the three neighboring ice floes for him to jump onto. Players will keep choosing an ice floe, and each time a jump is successfully completed, a bonus amount is revealed. The bonus game only ends when the ice floe the polar bear lands on breaks apart and he falls in the water.

On the whole I found this bonus game worth the spins. I won $134.50 the first time I triggered it, $125 of that amount won in one jump. Most jumps will reveal $1 or $5.

Slots players can find Northern Lights at any online casino powered by Vegas Technology.

World Cup Fever Hits Playtech

June 16th, 2010

With the World Cup underway, online casinos and online slots game developers are still putting out and creating games and promotions and tournaments to go along with the World Cup Fever.

And now the World Cup Fever seems to have taken a hold of Playtech, one of the online casino industry’s leaders in online casino games, has now released not one, but two online slots games that relate to the World Cup.

The first of these two new online slots games is Top Trumps Football Legends. This online slots game features five reels and fifteen paylines. In this slots games players will find themselves spinning the reels with Gordon Banks, Zindedine Xidane and Roberto Carlos as this game celebrates those have made legends of themselves in past football glory.

Players will find they are able to trigger free games and will have the aid of extra Wilds. But the ultimate goal of this online slots game is the Wall of Fame bonus game. It is triggered by landing two Wall of Fame symbols. Once at the Wall of Fame, slots players can choose three football legends who will reveal a bonus prize.

The second football themed online slots game from Playtech is Top Trumps Football Stars. Like the Football Legends online slots game, this one is also a five reel, fifteen payline slots game. I think this one is a little more fun to play since players can choose two football teams to play with throughout the course of spinning the reels. The teams chosen determine the symbols that will be on the reels as well the action of the bonus game.

Players that are slots fans and who have also been bitten by the World Cup fever can these two new online slots games at a casino online that is powered by Playtech.