Slingo Inc, creators of the infamous combination of Bingo and Slots, has announced the installation of the Slingo Classic Bonus progressive game in the New York Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) market. The company has also expressed intentions to expand to further lotteries in 2009.
Virtually as long as the internet has been available in our homes, Slingo has existed, and yet the company continues to release fresh new games to the online casino industry. Slingo Classic Bonus is a 5 reel, 20 line nickel game with a bonus round that plays like the Classic Slingo game we all know and love. Regular Slingo customers are bound to recognize familiar icons on the reels, including wild Sling Jokers. Additionally, the game features a scatter pay function, triggered when three “Slingo Scatter Symbols” appear anywhere on the reels (the symbols do not need to be on pay lines to win).
The Bonus game offers a statewide progressive jackpot, beginning at $20,000, and every game throughout the state is connected to the top progressive jackpot with a chance to win. Three local progressive jackpots are offered as well that link Slingo games at each gaming terminal.
Slingo Classic Bonus offers 3 on property Minor, Major and Mega progressive Jackpots. The bet range is from 1 to 3 credits per line for a max bet of 60 credits.
“We, at Slingo, are very excited to bring Slingo Classic Bonus games to New York’s Video Lottery market. For years, Slingo has been extremely popular in many other gaming markets and we are happy to see that New York customers now have an opportunity to play this great new version of Slingo slot machines,” said Dave Lyons, Vice President of Casino Division at Slingo.
“As of November 7th, Slingo fans are able to play Slingo Classic Bonus games at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Finger Lakes Gaming and Raceway, Buffalo Fairgrounds Gaming and Raceway, Tioga Downs Racino and Monticello Gaming and Raceway,” added Steve Ranere, Director of Gaming Operations for New York and Rhode Island, SPIELO, a GTECH company. “Plus, many of these properties have planned Slingo promotional events and offeres. Check with your local track for more information.”
It has also been reported that a free online version of the Bonus game is in production and scheduled for release in 2009 at slingo.com. Some other Slingo games offered include the Slingo Bonus Reel Slots, Slingo Video Slots, Brasil Slingo Video Slots, Triple Slingo Jackpot, Bonus 21, Slingo Bonus Deluxe and Slingo Bonus Deluxe Community. The online casino offers Slingo Classics, regular Bingo, card games, puzzle and trivia games, strategy games and slots.
Loyal Slingo players will also be pleased to learn of the Slingo Community, which includes a member directory, forums, contests, prizes, egreetings, free games, blogs and horoscopes.
Microgaming’s actions following the Kentucky domain seizure case as worsened, as an announcement has been made that the online casino software provider will deny new registrations from all of the United States, not just those in Kentucky.
According to Brightshare in the GPWA forums today, Microgaming would cease to accept all U.S. customers as of Monday, November 10th. Because of this Jackpot Factory, marketed by Brightshare and powered by Microgaming, will no long accept U.S. players either. Referback made a similar announcement, saying that all six of its internet casinos – 49 Jackpot City, Cool Hand Poker, Jackpot City Online, Lucky Nugget Online Casino, River Belle Online Casino and The Gaming Club Casino, all powered by Microgaming – would reject all new U.S. registrations.
Vegas Affiliates, another Microgaming network, announced on Wednesday that it casinos, including Grand Hotel Casino, Colosseum Casino, Vegas Joker Casino, Vegas Country Casino, Vegas Slot Casino and Vegas 7 Casino will additionally ban U.S. residents as of November 10th.
Fortune Affiliate and Fortune Lounge have followed the example, shutting its doors to the U.S. According to a press release however, existing U.S. users have been told that they may continue to use their accounts. Other Microgaming software users have not made statements on the issue, and it is uncertain whether these domains will also leave the American market.
There are other Microgaming websites (Star Partner Network, Eurolynx.com and Intertops.com) that have enforced a 14 state ban throughout Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Utah, forcing players out of the internet casinos. Online sports and racebooks will still be available for U.S. customers.
The home page on the Microgaming website still remains unavailable to users, displaying a “Site Not Available” message. These recent developments do not bode well for the continuation of U.S. internet gambling. It is feared that the Kentucky ruling has opened the door to further unjust censorship by a State government that holds no jurisdiction in the overseas market to begin with.
In accordance with the recent Kentucky rulings, Microgaming online casinos have begun to block IP addressed from those users located in Kentucky. Because of this, the main Microgaming website has not been available since Tuesday, and as of Wednesday morning, a “Site Note Available” statement was left on its home page.
Some of Microgaming’s internet casinos are merely blocking Kentucky residents; however others are taking more extreme action. Star Partner, an affiliate program, with 14 other casinos in its gaming network, are banning users from Kentucky’s surrounding states: Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri residents will not have access to these casinos until they are able to provide “proof of identification in the form of a utility bill and an identification document.”
The Kentucky court case has spread a certain degree of panic within the industry, forcing domains like Star Partner to take immediate action to ensure that their websites are not seized. A spokesperson for the gaming affiliate site states, “this may be incredibly inconvenient for the players in these selected states but unfortunately our hands are tied.”
Microgaming, a leading internet casino software provider, was among the 141 online gambling websites that was subject to seizure in early October, however given 30 days to block access to Kentucky residents.
In his ruling, Judge Thomas Wingate claimed that if the sites were able to “reasonably establish to the satisfaction of the Kentucky’s Justice and Safety Cabinet or this Court that such geographical blocks are operational, (they) shall be relieved from the effects of the Seizure order and from any further proceedings in the instant civil forfeiture action.”
One Microgaming website, Eurolynx.com, has posted a disclaimer on its “Viva America” page stating that while the casino is operational, U.S. citizens residing in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Utah “cannot play poker or in the casino, but are welcome to play in the sportsbook.”
Similarly, Intertops.com, another Microgaming website has posted a disclaimer in a link at the home page entitled, “Important legal notice and disclaimer.” When following the link, users are greeted with a statement that “no bets will be accepted in the Casino or the Poker room if placed from: Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Nevada, Washington, Indiana, South Dakota, New Jersey, Utah, Kentucky or New York.”
Other Microgaming websites that are enforcing the 14 state ban are DoylesRoom.com, PokerHost.com and PokerTime.com. Website representatives say that existing users of these websites, within these states will have their account balances refunded as soon as possible.
It is unclear at this point what long-lasting effects the Kentucky ruling will have on the internet casino industry, or what other domain owners will follow Microgaming’s example; which states will follow Kentucky’s example in further attacking the rights of American citizens to gamble online. It can be certain, however, that this is a turning point in legislation against internet gaming and for the censorship of online content.
The World Lottery Association has named Svenska Spell, a Swedish gambling monopoly, as one of the leading in responsible gaming practice in a conference in Rhodes last week. Acting CEO Anders Hagg said that he was “delighted to receive recognition for the heavy investment the firm has made in the field.” Similarly, Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg commended the company.
An award for such outstanding practice in responsible game was established in the World Lottery Association’s last conference in Singapore in 2006. The WLA Award for Responsible Gaming Excellence is awarded to the company that represents the “best practice” in this field as an incentive for the casino gambling industry to work hard toward responsible gaming.
The award was presented to Svenska this year, and the WLA president and jury chairman Mike Randall stated that the company “…overall shows first class behavior in the area of responsible gaming.” Svenska also won the first prize for the best training program in the gaming agent/retailer sub-category.
The jury that would decide where the awards would go encompassed a group of experts in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility. Each member came from a different industry, such as banking and trade.
Hagg said as he accepted the award, “We are of course incredibly pleased and proud, a lot of gaming companies around the world have, in recent years, invested a lot in developing gaming responsibility programs, so competition for this prize has been tough.”
The company’s Chairwoman, Margareta Winberg commented, “Our brief from the government clearly points out social responsibility as the main purpose of Svenska Spel’s operation; which is why it obviously feels great that independent international experts have verified that we are currently leading the development in this important area. It is a major recognition and an incentive for us to become even better.”
PartyCasino.com has announced the release of “The Terminator” themed slot game in the world’s largest online casino, adding to the collection of Hollywood blockbusters. With themed games growing in popularity, PartyCasino is paying out over $10 million each day to players.
‘The Terminator’ is a 20 line, 5 reel slot machine based on the cult classic that provides an unprecedented gaming experience. The game is complete with free spins and full of futuristic high tech robots, police cars, motorcycles, firetrucks, guns, bombs, the Terminator himself(as well as other main characters), audio and everything else you’d expect from the film.
The slot features two bonus game features that offer a chance to win extra prizes. When a player spins “The Terminator” symbol, it can be substituted for all other symbols aside from the T800 Head symbol. 3 or more scattered T800 heads will trigger the “Locate Sarah Connor” feature game. With this game, users will search for Sarah Connor through a building, killing all targets that stand in the way. For every target eliminated, the user is given an award, based on a random multiplier multiplied by the total stake of the triggering game.
Free spins are awarded when the nitro bomb symbol appears anywhere on the first reel, the motorbike symbol appears anywhere on the third reel and the tanker appears anywhere on the fifth reel. Additionally the “Kyle Reese” feature is started randomly. Playing as Reese, users must fight off the Skynet forces for as long as possible, and are awarded a prize for every tank and hunter-killer destroyed. Each shot robot awards an amount based on a random multiplier multiplied by total stake of the triggering game.
The minimum bet in “The Terminator” slot is $0.01 and the maximum bet is $1,000. Players may bet on up to twenty lines. The maximum jackpot win is $500,000, or 500,000 Euro, depending on the currency a user plays in.
Party Gaming has been on a role lately, adding new games and coming to new agreements in order to increase business to higher profits. There is talk of the addition of a poker business, following the recent signed agreement with Cryptologic.
A PartyCasino spokesperson added to the spirit of the film, “The machine rose from the ashes of a nuclear fire. The war to exterminate mankind has raged for decades, but the final battle would not be fought in the future. It would be fought here, in our present and on PartyCasino.com.
“PartyCasino.com has already developed a portfolio of slots that reads like a collection of Hollywood greats and there is more to come. We’ll be back.”
Non-profit organization Casinomeister.com, dedicated to the practice of fair internet casino gaming and mediating disputes, issued a rare warning against an online casino provider last week. The warning follows a dispute in which the casino in question gave administration the runaround for some time.
There were a series of complaints made against BeTheDealer.com, but the main dispute came from a user who had been unsuccessfully attempting to collect his earning of some $33,500 for several months. The user had made an agreement with the casino, in which the company would pay out in installments, but failed to make more than one payment. After the casino failed to make two consecutive payments, the user filed a complaint with CasinoMeister.
BeTheDealer.com management refused to issue a statement or discuss the matter, but assure Casinomeister that contact was made with the user to come to a solution. The casino promised the payments would be made within days, and the user accepted. However, no payment was made.
Casinomeister contacted the company a second time, and were given the same response, saying that a new date for payment had been set. The player agreed to this again, however the payments were not made, despite that Casino agreeing to the money owed. BeTheDealer still owes this player $18,500.
Any contact from Casinomeister has since gone unanswered and this has gone on for weeks. The dispute has resulted in a cautionary statement from Casinomeister saying, “Warning: BeTheDealer is not paying players even after agreeing to payout terms. The casino manager repeatedly makes and breaks commitments with the end result that players wait but the payments never come. When the requests for help become inconvenient the casino people simply refuse to reply.”
“Scary moments in online casino land? Seemingly so. Either the casino cannot pay or is simply unwilling to pay this player. Is there a cash flow problem? Is there unreliable customer support? You be the judge, since they are the only ones who know.”
Mecca Bingo Limited has joined with UK-based Barcrest Group, as a means for the organization to offer the Barcrest’s sb server-based gaming, Iconic, to its players. Using Iconic, Barcrest will stream its latest games to Mecca Bingo players. From there, each online casino will have the ability to switch out games to appeal to a certain market.
Along with the ability to host more games, Mecca Bingo will be allotted software download and verification, configuration of terminals, event report and logging and accountancy.
Mark Jepp, head of amusement operations for Mecca commented, “Mecca Bingo is deligted with the performance of Iconic sb. With Mecca staff now fully trained in the capabilities of the system, we are looking forward to maximizing our machine income as a result.”
A spokesperson for Barcrest told the public that the organization has intends to extend its reach to Continental Europe, following a successful introduction of the software in Britain. Barcrest will first launch its software in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, after joining with the Czech-based Jamp.
Barcrest offers Ooh Aah Dracula, Big Bucks, Extra Bail Bingo, Mummy Money, Neptune’s Treasure, Roulette Royale, Tooty Fruity and World Poker Tour Challenge in its game library to date, but more activities are expected as the company progresses.
Jamp Sales Manager Karel Hamr said, “We are very excited by this new venture with Iconic sb. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Barcrest Group already enjoys a reputation for great games and reliable technology so we are building on existing success.”
UK-based gaming operation William Hill Plc has announced that it is donating a portion of its bingo profits to the charity organization Breast Cancer Care all through October, in keeping with Breast Cancer Awareness month.
The online casino will host a series of Pink Ribbon bingo games as a fundraiser in which ten percent of the proceeds will be directly contributed to Breast Cancer Care. Additionally, William Hill has opted to donate 10GBP to the charity for every individual who registers from now until the end of December, using the promotional code “care,” and wagering at least 20GBP within that time frame. The proceeds will go to benefit breast cancer patients – 3,000 of which will be diagnosed in just this month alone.
Head of Corporate Fundraising at Breast Cancer Care Sarah Hill expressed her delight with the Pink Ribbon Bingo games, saying, “It is fantastic to have William Hill on board for what I believe will be an extremely successful partnership. Breast Cancer Care works very hard to make a meaningful difference to the lives of people affected by breast cancer.
“Our services ensure that people don’t have to face a breast cancer diagnosis alone and uninformed. But we still don’t reach everybody. There are many people who are struggling to come to terms with their diagnosis on their own at this very minute and that is unacceptable. That’s why we are so grateful for the support from William Hill. The crucial funds raised will help us to reach more people and to offer them the care and support they need, whenever they need it.”
Bodog(life) users will remember the domain name change earlier this year as the result of a dispute over a patent between the online casino and sportsbook and 1st Technology LLC. Unfortunately for Bodog, whose management has struggled through a slew of attacks recently, the appeal to the Federal Circuit this week did not work in their favor.
The litigation follows claims in June of last year that Bodog has infringed on a 1st Technology domain name patent, the result of which was a $46,597,849 fee and the confiscation of Bodog domains. Bodog’s appeal had worse results, however, as according to 1st Tech CEO Dr. Scott Lewis the fines now exceed $50 million.
“We cannot be more pleased,” says Lewis. “Bodog has consistently tried to circumvent the United States justice system, and disregarded the legitimacy of our claims against it. We now have the certaintly we need to accelerate our seizure of any and all global assets to satisfy the judgement, and bring fairness and respect back to Bodog’s commercial dealings.”
1st Tech had previously celebrated a victory against Bodog in the District of Western Washington last week where the court granted 1st Tech the right to halt any transactions in or out of Bodog’s trademarks.
More online casinos are working to ensure the safety of their website users, and many are turning to an eCOGRA accreditation to gain the trust of online casino gamblers. eCOGRA is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to serve the internet gambling community with fair and safe gaming through rigorous inspection and strict regulations as well as user arbitration. 32Red Plc is the newest among the ranks, having just received an accreditation.
32Red may now proudly display the eCOGRA “Safe and Fair” seal, showing all users and visitors that they are committed to “high standards of business practice, player service, gaming fairness and integrity.”
32Red CEO Ed Ware explained how thorough the process had been to obtain the seal, as in order to do so, eCOGRA must visit the physical operating location and examine and analyze every element in the website’s management. This is how eCOGRA ensures compliance with their regulations and detailed requirements on systems and policies.
“It was an exhaustive inspection, and I am pleased that our systems were found to be professionally sound and of integrity,” states Ware. “The eCOGRA regime insists on continuous monitoring of our transactions to ensure fairness, and periodic reviews which keep eCGORA ‘Safe and Fair’ accredited operators on track at all times.”
eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge commended 32Red online casino on their openness to the inspection and having successfully achieved all of the requirements. “32Red has a fine reputation for management transparency, player sensitivity and professional conduct, and this was proved in the report from the inspection teams,” said Beveridge. “We are delighted to welcome them aboard as a truly tier one online gambling organization.”
eCOGRA will release a set of standards and policies for online bingo and online sportsbooks in the near future after research and development is completed.
