Online Casino Edition – Casino News News about online casinos and gambling

August 7, 2011

Microgaming Has New Launches

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 12:00 am

Whereas regular exciting launches of slot games has always been Microgaming’s forte, this time they have come up with diverse game types.

One of which is an online roulette game, second being a regular slots one, and the third is an alternative slots game. This is better known as the Riviera Riches which has a casino as its theme and proud gamblers displaying their riches. There are 15 paylines and five-reel slots with flashy images of beautiful women and trendy cars. There is a free spin feature where players get to earn as much as 12 free spins.

Interestingly, the Riviera Riches game comes with another bonus game. In this the players can select any number between 1 and 36 with which they get to play two rounds of roulette and can win huge amounts. You can play this game using both the Microgaming download and Flash formats. The Premier Roulette in the Diamond Edition, that has many players, allows these players to interact among themselves and view the wagers being placed by them. As a player, you can pick up any table you wish to play in depending on how long the game will last – whether 20, 40, or 60 seconds.

You may even choose an Avatar to represent yourself at the start of the game. This multiplayer roulette can also be played using the Microgaming Flash platform as well as the Microgaming Quickfire medium. The alternative slots called Hexaline contain a honeycomb grid having different colored hexagons. As soon as players win some blocks, these get exchanged with newer ones. When all wins have been taken care of, those players who have won three or more bonus symbols are transferred to the Gold Train. You will need to reach the End Bonus symbol by picking up hexagons from the left-hand side of the screen and transferring them to the right. This game is definitely more interesting from other regular slots that most players have become used to playing at online casinos.

Rockefeller Speaks Out

By taxing gambling that is taking place on the Internet, the United States Senator Jay Rockefeller hopes to improve the federal budget deficit.

Rockefeller is incidentally the Chairman of the Senate Commerce. He has earlier recommended that the President ought to have the authority to close down the Internet access for all the nation’s citizens if at any point of time a threat to national security is perceived. He finds the online gambling practice an illegal market. He feels these needs to be regulated at all costs so as to safeguard consumers and insure that part of their gambling money finds a way into the federal coffers. He feels that when online payment processing gets banned, the US casino players will find it very hard to gamble online.

What is of utmost importance is to tax online casinos and other various forms of online gambling. When you have gambling laws, the consumers are protected and so is the state’s sovereignty. A massive illegal market which specifically benefits companies lying overseas is completely disrupted. Protecting the state’s sovereignty possibly hints at the “opt-out” clause which according to many ought to be extended to those states not keen to allow online gambling.

August 5, 2011

Cutbacks On Casino Floor Supervisors

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 12:00 am

Floor supervisors have long been used to prevent criminal activity. However, today, there are less of them to be seen on the gaming floor than in previous years. This is because, as with other businesses, casinos are trying to cut costs by getting rid of excess labor and either replacing this workforce with technological alternatives or giving some of the responsibilities to other employees.

Downsizing

Experts in security issues, along with casino employees, have warned that downsizing the staff will mean a possible increase in the theft of chips and cash. In addition, the possible temptation to steal is currently very high compared to at other times.

Where once a supervisor would be expected to keep an eye on one to four tables, nowadays a shift consists of watching six to 10 tables. In many casinos, pit bosses, who used to overlook the supervisors, have already been dismissed and their roles taken over by either machines or other employees.

An industry consultant and Professor of UNLV gaming management at UNLY, Jeff Voyles, explained that less concern is being placed on security due to the expense of payrolls.

“When I first got into this business, I thought it was amazing to have a manager every 10 feet,” he said. “Nobody has that. But they could afford that at the time.”

Financial Gains

After the state dumbed down legislation concerning the number of supervisors required to watch a game, Atlantic City casinos quickly downsized their staff. This was deemed particularly necessary because the casino industry within this region had been struggling. They say that they have managed to save tens of millions of dollars due to this move.

Video surveillance has also changed the supervisor role in some casinos. Some have evolved into customer service workers which has seen their pay rise from $60,000 up to $80,000. In addition, they no longer have to keep track of what is occurring at the table due to computers and loyalty cards.

Figures So Far

According to the Gaming Control Board, after an increase in casino employee theft in 2009, arrests decreased in 2010. Although arrests cannot be seen as a reflection of the amount of theft, it is thought that since less supervisors have been around, there has not been an increase in theft.

Jerry Markling, enforcement chief of the Control Board, backs up this argument stating that large casinos will usually get the Control Board involved if an individual is found to be stealing or cheating.

Concerns

However, a previous Nevada regulator and current casino security consultant, Bill Zender, feels differently about the situation and thinks that this is not a wise move by casinos.

“A floor supervisor can’t reasonably watch more than six games,” he explained. “So they’re not going to catch mistakes. And surveillance only has a handful of people (watching security cameras) so they’re not going to catch them either. I think (the casinos) are going overboard trying to save a few dollars and I think they’re missing the point.”

August 3, 2011

Casino Party Pits Add Sophisticated Edge

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 12:00 am

In keeping with the more sophisticated gamblers, Las Vegas has introduced casino party pits. In essence, these are mini casinos built within the main casino and include their own dealers, music and even dancing entertainers. Unsurprisingly, the main aim of these is to keep gamblers playing for as long as possible.

Mini Casinos

AUNLV gaming professor and consultant, Jeff Voyles, who specializes in creating casino games, explained that these miniature casinos give people the feeling that they are having fun and not just gambling.

“People want to spend $1 to get a $1.50 back in entertainment value. The consumer’s behavior has changed forever,” Voyles said. “Casinos are saying, ‘We are going to give you some free entertainment while you play,’ just like the old lounge acts.”

The Flamingo has already taken the concept on. They will be installing a party pit at ‘Parrot Head’s’ Paradise in October which will be called Margaritaville Casino. This will be in partnership with Jimmy Buffett’s national restaurant and bar chain.

Buffett’s chilled and tropical vibe will be reflected in the decor of the mini casino. In addition, as well as gambling tables and slot machines, there will be Buffett music and a ‘Five O’Clock Somewhere’ bar serving margaritas in the middle.

In total, this mini casino will cost around $10 million. It will be built where Steakhouse 46 used to stand and will connect Las Vegas Boulevard with the Margaritaville Restaurant and Bar.

“This is a great opportunity to create a Margaritaville Casino that is tied into the restaurant and retail area and help bridge those two pieces together,” Regional President of Caesars Entertainment, Rick Mazer, explained. “The restaurant sits on the corner and the Flamingo sits as a separate entity. The crossover wasn’t as great as I would like. Bringing the two brands together just made sense.”

Mazer hopes that this venture will appeal to a wide array of ages, from 20 year olds, who will know Buffet’s songs spanning the last ten years, to the Baby Boomers, who make up the artist’s main fans.

Previous Attempts

Party pits have previously been tried by Caesars Entertainment. They introduced the Pussycat Dolls area at Caesars Palace which incorporated attractive female dealers and dancers in go-go cages and also casino tables in Toby Keith’s restaurant based at Harrah’s. However, the Margaritaville Casino is to be a much larger investment.

Caesars currently has casino pits in other establishments, including celebrity impersonator dealers, known as ‘dealertainers’ which can be found at Imperial Palace.

Hard Rock contains Off the Strip with its loud music and constant party atmosphere. The Hell’s Belles pit is known for its lingerie clad pole dancers and female dealers in similar outfits.

Future Hopes

The Vice President of casino operations for Warner Gaming, Sal Semola, explained that the added entertainment provides an intriguing ambiance to gambling as opposed to being distracting for the players.

“You watch those pits when they are open, and it’s amazing how many people are in the pits,” Semola said. “And they’re not necessarily paying attention to the dancers.”

August 1, 2011

Underage Gambling Part Of Rivers Casino Fine

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 12:00 am

A fine of $150,000 made against Rivers Casino will include over a dozen charges concerning slot machines which were improperly connected and to underage gambling.

The penalty was issued on Wednesday, the 20th of July by the state Gaming Control Board. This is now the third fine for the operator Holdings Acquisition Co. due to underage gambling. In fact, $80,000, which is over half the fine, involves gamblers under 21 years old being allowed to play in the casino. The individuals were either not asked for any form of identification or only asked once in the establishment.

Underage Accusations

One instance was that of a young man who came to Rivers Casino to celebrate his 21st birthday and was given a duplicate player’s card. It later transpired that he had been granted a card when only 20 years old and had played at the casino nine times previously.

Further situations involved teenagers being asked for their identification once they were already inside the casino. They then presented the security officers with cards which belonged to other players.

Disincentives

A lawyer who represents Rivers Casino, Michael Sklar, says that more blame should be attached to teenagers who try to access casinos illegally as opposed to fining the casinos. He backed up Rivers by claiming that it does not support underage gambling in any way.

“There is no way that you can keep them out 100 percent of the time,” he explained.

Greg Fajt, the Gaming Control Board chairman, said that different disincentives should be used, for example, putting an individual’s name on an excluded list or suspending their driver’s license. However, on the other side, it was also important that casino staff were better trained in recognizing people who are underage.

Fajt explained that, “Our fines are getting more significant, and they will continue to get even more significant until we see the industry responding to this issue.”

Similar Fines

Along with the Rivers fine, Fajt referred to the $160,000 fine given to Mount Airy Casino Resort based in Monroe County. This was issued when seven 16 and 17 year olds were discovered gambling in the establishment. Fajt explained that he believed the fine should have been bigger adding, “There is no reason that 16 and 17-year-olds should be on a gaming floor in any casino in Pennsylvania, especially when there is seven of them.”

Another fine issued on Wednesday was against Hollywood Casino located in Dauphin County. This was for $40,000 and was due to a slot machine, which had not been properly tested or certified, being put into service.

Machine Testing

The other part of Rivers fine, which amounts to $70,000, is due to the same issue. While the machines were being played, they failed to add up particular financial data. However, gaming officials claim that all revenues were calculated and then paid by the casino at a later date.

Since this time, Sklar explained that Rivers Casino has upped its technicians from one to two and both are required to check all machines before they are ready to be played.

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