Online Gambling

I’ve gotten behind a little bit in updating my online slots page. Here’s what’s new in the world of online slots.

New releases at Top Game online casinos include: Black Diamond (in 1-line, 3-line, 5-line, and 25-line versions), as well as the 25-line video slots Ocean Fantasy and Shia Safavids Treasure. You can check out these games at Winward Casino, where new players receive a 200% initial deposit bonus up to $500.

Cosmic Quest: Episode 2 – Mystery Planets is the newest I-Slot from Rival Gaming. This slot features free spins, multipliers, expanding wilds and a brand new skill-based bonus round. Check out Cosmic Quest: Episode 2 – Mystery Planets at This is Vegas, where new players will get a 75% bonus on initial deposits between $25 and $1000.

Happy Golden Ox of Happiness and T-Rex will be familiar to you if you have played the Real-Series Video Slots at any Realtime Gaming online casino. Like most Real-Series Video Slots, bonus rounds, free, spins, and wild symbols are the name of the game. Try these new online slots for yourself at Club Player Casino using their new player $65 FREE promotion, and a 450% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $199.

Finally, Microgaming online casinos lead the way with eight new 5-reel video slots released in the past weeks: Beach Babes, Bearly Fishing, Fighting Fish, Great Galaxy Grab, Kings and Queens, Lucky Eggsplorer, Mayan Princess, and Stunt Pilot. Unfortunately, new accounts are not available to US residents, but non-US residents can enjoy these games at one of my favorite online casinos, CasinoShare.com.

(Note: The information present on this blog is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please check your local, state and provincial laws before you gamble online. If your local laws prohibit online gambling then we recommend you consider an alternative form of entertainment.)

11 May 2009: Received the check today and deposited in the bank. Will keep you posted if it clears. Even when it does clear, I’m not inclined to raise Doyle’s Room’s star rating above its current level of 2 (below average).

02 Apr 2009 Update: I just received an email from Jessica M., stating in part that: “I”m please to inform you that a check for $xxxxx dollars has been sent and you should be receiving it in a couple days more (5 to 8 days). The check number is xxxxx.”

Check payouts from Doyle’s Room have been delayed for 8 weeks. I’ve been in contact with Doyle’s Room in the past days and have been told that all payout requests since around January have been delayed.

Doyle’s Room moved to the Cake Poker Network about that time, and also picked up new payment processors. It was explained to me that both of these events are responsible for the delay.

Unfortunately (it was explained to me) there’s nothing that can be done to expedite anyone’s payout; they are being processed FIFO (first-in, first-out), and I was told that my check is still weeks away from arriving at my Ohio address.

To make matters worse, Doyle’s Room does not offer any electronic payout methods such as QuickTender, eWalletXpress, or Direct Deposit. Generally, payouts via these methods take days, not several weeks.

As a result of the payout delays at Doyle’s Room, the fact that they have no timeline for when this issue will be solved, and the fact that I have seen no formal communication from them about these delays, I am recommending that: (a) existing Doyle’s Room players make no additional deposits at Doyle’s Room, and (b) poker players looking to open an account on the Cake Poker Network look elsewhere, such as the 5-star rated BetUS Poker and Cake Poker.

Finally, I have reduced the star-rating for Doyle’s Room from 4 (above average) to 2 (below average).

While I have a high degree of confidence that all payments will be made, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll keep you posted on their progress toward resolving this frustrating issue.

(Note: The information present on this blog is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please check your local, state and provincial laws before you gamble online. If your local laws prohibit online gambling then we recommend you consider an alternative form of entertainment.)

Intertops is a 5-star rated site at The Online Casino Gambling Directory. Yesterday, I had an experience which confirmed their best-of-the-best 5-star rating.

I’ve been a bit distracted with helping to take care of my mother as she recovers from successful hip replacement surgery. As a result, I only have a few minutes a day to place wagers on the sporting events that I am interested in. Yesterday, I saw a great over on Thursday’s Missouri v Memphis game, and liked it for 2.5 units; however, I inadvertently made the wager for 3 units.

This is no big deal, really — I placed an extra half wager than I intended. But, I thought that I would give Intertops a call and see if they could modify my wager.

I called Intertops on the phone and a customer service rep answered almost immediately. I explained that I wanted to reduce my wager on the Missouri v Memphis game. She explained that it is the policy of Intertops to not modify a wager once it is placed. I understood and expected this response — confirming an online wager is equivalent to walking away from a betting window at the track or a book; all bets are now final.

However, she went on to say that she would check to see if an exception could be made. After a 2 minute hold, she came back on the line and said that they had made an exception and cancelled the wager.

Wow. I was surprised, but I guess not too much. Intertops has long been a 5-star site, and I suppose the fact that I have been a loyal customer of theirs for years and had never made such a request may have been a factor in their granting the exception…. but still, they took care of my exceptional request, and I wanted to let everyone know about it.

Now, I’m not saying to get into the habit of placing and then trying to cancel bets, nor am I saying that Intertops will always honor a bet cancellation request. I’m just saying that with Intertops, if you do make a mistake and want to cancel a wager, they’ll at least consider your request.

Oh. By the way — take the over in the Missouri v Memphis game. Good luck!

(Note: The information present on this blog is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please check your local, state and provincial laws before you gamble online. If your local laws prohibit online gambling then we recommend you consider an alternative form of entertainment.)

I am sitting at my local sportsbar in Covington, KY (Willie’s). They are running an NCAA March Madness bracket contest. I was asked by a patron what the odds are of picking a perfect bracket. I thought it was an interesting question, and so I did a little research.

Ignoring the play-in game Tuesday evening, if you just flipped a coin for each of the 63 games, the odds are (0.5 ^ 63) = 9,223,372,036,854,780,000 (9.2 quintillion) to 1 of getting a perfect bracket. If you assume that the #1 and #2 seeds will each win their 1st and 2nd round games, and that the #3 seeds will win their 1st round games, that leaves 43 games to get right. The odds of flipping a coin and getting a perfect bracket in this scenario is (0.5 ^ 43) = 8,796,093,022,208 (8.8 trillion) to 1.

By way of comparison, the odds of winning the Powerball is about 200 million to 1, or about 44,000 times more likely than picking a perfect bracket under the second scenario listed above. You’re about 50,000 times more likely to win Mega Millions with its odds of about 175 million to 1; you’re about 12.5 million times more likely to be struck by lightning (estimated to be 700,000 to 1).

So, let’s say you think you have a line on 43 of the 63 games, and have to guess on the remaining 20 games. Assuming that you are correct on the 43 that you picked, the odds getting the remaining 20 games correct are still slightly more than 1,000,000 to 1. (This hypothetical is somewhat of an over-simplification, but you get the idea).

Here are some of March Madness bracket contests that you can enter and compete for cash and prizes:

Intertops.com

• Prizes: $25,000 split among top 25 entries (plus any ties for 25th place)
• Eligibility: Place bets in the sportsbook worth at least $25 accumulated between March 16th and March 31st.

CBS.com

• Prizes: $10,000
• Eligibility: No purchase necessary. See content T&Cs for additional details.

All of the following sites have been blacklisted at The Online Casino Gambling Directory: 888.com branded sites (888.com Casino-on-Net, 888.com Pacific Poker, 888Sport.com, 888Ladies.com), Littlewood Poker, Littlewood Casino, GameOnQuickPlay.com.

Why blacklist these sites? All of these properties are promoted through an affiliate program called Uffiliates.com, who are IMO spammers.

BetUS is offering lines on all UFC 96 bouts on March 7, 2009 at 10 PM EST. Several fights on the undercard are interesting, but the fight of the night may be Keith Jardine (-350) vs. Quinton €œRampage€ Jackson (+250). Jackson, with his December 2008 win vs. Silva, could have waited for his shot at the UFC light heavyweight title, has decided to take this match against Jardine to stay in shape. Jardine, the heavy favorite, will be wise to remain wary of Jackson’s attempts to get this fight to the ground where Jackson would have the advantage.

BetUS is a 5-star rated sportsbook at The Online Casino Gambling Directory accepting all US players.

(Note: The information present on this blog is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please check your local, state and provincial laws before you gamble online. If your local laws prohibit online gambling then we recommend you consider an alternative form of entertainment.)

Fight the global economic recession with a win at Golden Casino’s $200,000 Freeroll Slot Tournament that starts today and runs through March 20, 2009. No feeders and NO ENTRY FEE to get in! Re-buys will be $20. 1st Prize is an impressive $100,000 and there are prizes all the way to 200th Place.

Golden Casino accepts players from all US states, excluding KY.

(Note: The information present on this blog is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please check your local, state and provincial laws before you gamble online. If your local laws prohibit online gambling then we recommend you consider an alternative form of entertainment.)

Hi folks,

March 1 – 7, 2009 is the 7th Annual Problem Gambling Awareness Week campaign, presented by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). The goal of this campaign is to “…educate the general public and health care professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling and raise awareness about the help that is available both locally and nationally.”

Please, if you think that you might have a problem, or just want to talk about your concerns with someone that is willing to listen and understand your situation, call the 24-hour confidential help line at 1-800-522-4700.

(Note: The information present on this blog is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please check your local, state and provincial laws before you gamble online. If your local laws prohibit online gambling then we recommend you consider an alternative form of entertainment.)