More than one Internet gambler has succumbed a little bit to World Cup Fever, with the big tournament now being watched all over the world – and promoted all over Internet casinos. Everyone has football-themed games, and the following are just a sample of some of the best online casino games for World Cup time.
In old-fashioned pub slots, Rival has the brand new Global Cup Soccer. It’s a one payline, three reel game with all the symbols of football present. Top payout on this game is 2,500 coins. Global Cup Soccer may be found at any Rival Gaming-powered online casino.
Microgaming-powered casinos have installed an online video slot in time for the big tournament as well: Soccer Safari blends cartoon animals with World Cup action and to further appeal to a wide audience has a big 60,000 coin jackpot.
Best of the lot in video slots has got to be Playtech’s Top Trumps World Football Stars and Top Trumps World Football Legends. In Football Stars, choose the teams you want to face off and players from those teams become high-paying symbols on the reels – the most popular choices are reportedly England and Brazil. World Football Legends is also a five reel 15 payline slot game in the football theme, but with set images on the reels of Zidane, Carlos and Jairzinho.
There are some specialty video games for the World Cup out there, too. The Casino Rewards group of Microgaming casinos has installed its World Cup Koala Game along with an exclusive promotion. Players use the koala bear goalkeeper to stop as many penalty shots as possible for Australia while thrilling to the roar of the crowd. The player with the most saves at the end of June 30 will win the top prize of $500.
Finally, Virgin Casino offers an interesting instant win scratch card game entitled Goal! Three2Win. Simply choose from the covered spaces until you match three of a kind. In standard play receive between 1 and 50 coins with a winning combination, but in the random “Mystery Round,” win up to an amazing 500,000 coins.
No matter how you feel about the World Cup, any of these games make for a fun online casino experience. Enjoy them while they last, because the World Cup will be over before you know it – for another four years.
More than one Internet gambler has succumbed a little bit to World Cup Fever, with the big tournament now being watched all over the world – and promoted all over Internet casinos. Everyone has football-themed games, and the following are just a sample of some of the best online casino games for World Cup time.
In old-fashioned pub slots, Rival has the brand new Global Cup Soccer. It’s a one payline, three reel game with all the symbols of football present. Top payout on this game is 2,500 coins. Global Cup Soccer may be found at any Rival Gaming-powered online casino.
Microgaming-powered casinos have installed an online video slot in time for the big tournament as well: Soccer Safari blends cartoon animals with World Cup action and to further appeal to a wide audience has a big 60,000 coin jackpot.
Best of the lot in video slots has got to be Playtech’s Top Trumps World Football Stars and Top Trumps World Football Legends. In Football Stars, choose the teams you want to face off and players from those teams become high-paying symbols on the reels – the most popular choices are reportedly England and Brazil. World Football Legends is also a five reel 15 payline slot game in the football theme, but with set images on the reels of Zidane, Carlos and Jairzinho.
There are some specialty video games for the World Cup out there, too. The Casino Rewards group of Microgaming casinos has installed its World Cup Koala Game along with an exclusive promotion. Players use the koala bear goalkeeper to stop as many penalty shots as possible for Australia while thrilling to the roar of the crowd. The player with the most saves at the end of June 30 will win the top prize of $500.
Finally, Virgin Casino offers an interesting instant win scratch card game entitled Goal! Three2Win. Simply choose from the covered spaces until you match three of a kind. In standard play receive between 1 and 50 coins with a winning combination, but in the random “Mystery Round,” win up to an amazing 500,000 coins.
No matter how you feel about the World Cup, any of these games make for a fun online casino experience. Enjoy them while they last, because the World Cup will be over before you know it – for another four years.
Now that proponents of fair taxation for bingo in Scotland have been elected/reelected into the country’s parliament, the Scottish National Party constituency now awaits a repeal to a proposed tax hike on bingo gaming.
One of the more outspoken proponents of bingo in Scotland was Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie. Hosie, who also serves as the SNP’s spokesperson for the treasury and economy, actually invested the time for his last photo opportunity of the election season to meet with Mecca Bingo players and managers in Nethergate in May.
SNP spent much of the election campaign warning bingo players that Scottish bingo clubs were at risk because of the Labour Party’s proposed budget. Planned for in the budget, SNP candidates said, was an increase from 15% to 22%. Calling the prospective tax hike “unfair,” Hosie at that time said that “Bingo is a highly popular social activity yet is paying 22%, while duty on other forms of gambling including sports betting, online casino and online poker and football pools will remain at 15%.”
And in fact SNP strategy also had party head/First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond playing the part of bingo caller in a Glasgow bingo parlor in October. Ironically, the winning number in the game Salmond drew was 74, the number of years Labour had held the parliament seat of the district in which Salmond was calling. “You can’t fight fate,” he joked. (SNP’s candidate David Kerr ended up losing anyway.)
In 2009, a House of Commons study showed that three million people in Great Britain played bingo regularly. In that fiscal year, 1.42 billion was played on bingo games in real-life bingo halls alone and 69.8 million was raised in taxes for the British government. The Scottish market accounts for about 20% of the overall British numbers.
Now that proponents of fair taxation for bingo in Scotland have been elected/reelected into the country’s parliament, the Scottish National Party constituency now awaits a repeal to a proposed tax hike on bingo gaming.
One of the more outspoken proponents of bingo in Scotland was Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie. Hosie, who also serves as the SNP’s spokesperson for the treasury and economy, actually invested the time for his last photo opportunity of the election season to meet with Mecca Bingo players and managers in Nethergate in May.
SNP spent much of the election campaign warning bingo players that Scottish bingo clubs were at risk because of the Labour Party’s proposed budget. Planned for in the budget, SNP candidates said, was an increase from 15% to 22%. Calling the prospective tax hike “unfair,” Hosie at that time said that “Bingo is a highly popular social activity yet is paying 22%, while duty on other forms of gambling including sports betting, online casino and online poker and football pools will remain at 15%.”
And in fact SNP strategy also had party head/First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond playing the part of bingo caller in a Glasgow bingo parlor in October. Ironically, the winning number in the game Salmond drew was 74, the number of years Labour had held the parliament seat of the district in which Salmond was calling. “You can’t fight fate,” he joked. (SNP’s candidate David Kerr ended up losing anyway.)
In 2009, a House of Commons study showed that three million people in Great Britain played bingo regularly. In that fiscal year, 1.42 billion was played on bingo games in real-life bingo halls alone and 69.8 million was raised in taxes for the British government. The Scottish market accounts for about 20% of the overall British numbers.
Two things seem certain and universal about Internet gambling: One, if people want to gamble online, they will in spite of vague threats from law enforcement; and two, somebody somewhere is making a lot of tax-free money.
Many European nations are currently modernizing their national laws to account for the rise in Internet gambling in the past 10 years. In countries such as France and Italy, a combination of pressure from the European Commission on fair competition laws plus the realization by state-run gaming monopolies that benefit would come from regulation and taxation will soon result in more freedom and safer gaming for those countries’ consumers.
Though the amount of online gambling being done is impossible to know, virtually every country without regulation in place has commissioned a study on how much money their government could stand to earn in revenue should online slots (estimated to represent 85-90% of all gambling monies collected) and reputable online casinos offering them be legalized.
While advisory firm KPMG has forecasted that the global online betting market will reach $32 billion by 2012, some specific representative numbers from around the world include the following.
• U.S. congressman Barney Frank, the chief advocate of creating regulatory law for online casinos in America, claims that online slots alone could generate $41.3 billion in tax revenue over the next 10 years. Taxing all gambling would make $62.7 billion for the government.
• Officials estimated that Thai citizens will spend $1 billion on World Cup gambling alone.
• Upon announcing that Greece could have online gambling made fully legal by 2011, state monopoly OPAP stated that the country’s market could be worth about €5 billion ($6.13 billion) in taxable revenue.
• An estimate from Denmark shows that citizens there spend €8.3 million per year at online casinos.
• Australia’s Productivity Commission estimated that nearly 750,000 Australians would *lose* $1 billion on unregulated online casinos in 2010.
The point: By allowing online casinos to go unregulated, the world’s governments are losing money hand over fist daily. One would think that in this global economy, such an opportunity would not be wasted. In the case of online casino slots, all that glitters could be gold – if only the politicians let it.
Two things seem certain and universal about Internet gambling: One, if people want to gamble online, they will in spite of vague threats from law enforcement; and two, somebody somewhere is making a lot of tax-free money.
Many European nations are currently modernizing their national laws to account for the rise in Internet gambling in the past 10 years. In countries such as France and Italy, a combination of pressure from the European Commission on fair competition laws plus the realization by state-run gaming monopolies that benefit would come from regulation and taxation will soon result in more freedom and safer gaming for those countries’ consumers.
Though the amount of online gambling being done is impossible to know, virtually every country without regulation in place has commissioned a study on how much money their government could stand to earn in revenue should online slots (estimated to represent 85-90% of all gambling monies collected) and reputable online casinos offering them be legalized.
While advisory firm KPMG has forecasted that the global online betting market will reach $32 billion by 2012, some specific representative numbers from around the world include the following.
• U.S. congressman Barney Frank, the chief advocate of creating regulatory law for online casinos in America, claims that online slots alone could generate $41.3 billion in tax revenue over the next 10 years. Taxing all gambling would make $62.7 billion for the government.
• Officials estimated that Thai citizens will spend $1 billion on World Cup gambling alone.
• Upon announcing that Greece could have online gambling made fully legal by 2011, state monopoly OPAP stated that the country’s market could be worth about €5 billion ($6.13 billion) in taxable revenue.
• An estimate from Denmark shows that citizens there spend €8.3 million per year at online casinos.
• Australia’s Productivity Commission estimated that nearly 750,000 Australians would *lose* $1 billion on unregulated online casinos in 2010.
The point: By allowing online casinos to go unregulated, the world’s governments are losing money hand over fist daily. One would think that in this global economy, such an opportunity would not be wasted. In the case of online casino slots, all that glitters could be gold – if only the politicians let it.
A few years ago, the Web 2.0 revolution came riding in on a wave of technological advancements, bringing with it a fundamentally different way of thinking that has forever changed the world of personal computing. No longer are users tethered to bulky, immobile desktop PCs, tangled amongst a mass of cables and surrounded by piles of mis-labeled CDs.
Instead, small and lightweight netbook computers offer an almost sublime freedom, letting people stay connected to the world wherever they happen to be. Users can access email, communicate with friends, family and associates, or even do their personal banking from anywhere that offers a wireless internet connection.
The possibilities offered by netbook computers rely very heavily on a special sort of software that has evolved along with changes in hardware that made netbooks possible. So-called “web apps” are programs that live online, and that owe their power to software technology like Flash or Java which lets programmers embed these apps into their websites. Such apps do not need to be downloaded or installed – they just load right inside the user’s web browser. Web apps are often cross-platform, and can be accessed from virtually any computer in the world.
Web apps and netbook computers go hand-in-hand. Because netbooks offer limited computing power and meager storage space, users may find it difficult to install large programs such as full office suites or photo editing apps. Web apps, which stream their services through the internet, fill this gap nicely.
Moreover, the fact that web apps are always accessible means that netbook users are never far away from the files and the programs they need. Users only need to get online from wherever they happen to be, and everything they need becomes available right away.
Today, there is a “web app” version of just about every piece of software that a person might normally install on their desktop PC. Online programs are available that offer advanced word processing, spreadsheet, and database capabilities. Users can edit and resize photographs, create videos, compose presentations, and play games.
Even the world of online gambling has embraced the concept of web apps. Many internet casinos now offer “no download” versions of their best online casino games. These no download casinos let players connect to their accounts through their netbook computers to play real-money games and participate in multiplayer events like online casino free tournaments.
While the future of personal computing cannot be predicted, it seems that netbooks and web apps represent the beginning of a major wave of change. The move towards wireless systems, cloud computing networks, and web-centric software has only just begun, and as technology allows computing to become more and more portable, the possibilities can only increase.
A few years ago, the Web 2.0 revolution came riding in on a wave of technological advancements, bringing with it a fundamentally different way of thinking that has forever changed the world of personal computing. No longer are users tethered to bulky, immobile desktop PCs, tangled amongst a mass of cables and surrounded by piles of mis-labeled CDs.
Instead, small and lightweight netbook computers offer an almost sublime freedom, letting people stay connected to the world wherever they happen to be. Users can access email, communicate with friends, family and associates, or even do their personal banking from anywhere that offers a wireless internet connection.
The possibilities offered by netbook computers rely very heavily on a special sort of software that has evolved along with changes in hardware that made netbooks possible. So-called “web apps” are programs that live online, and that owe their power to software technology like Flash or Java which lets programmers embed these apps into their websites. Such apps do not need to be downloaded or installed – they just load right inside the user’s web browser. Web apps are often cross-platform, and can be accessed from virtually any computer in the world.
Web apps and netbook computers go hand-in-hand. Because netbooks offer limited computing power and meager storage space, users may find it difficult to install large programs such as full office suites or photo editing apps. Web apps, which stream their services through the internet, fill this gap nicely.
Moreover, the fact that web apps are always accessible means that netbook users are never far away from the files and the programs they need. Users only need to get online from wherever they happen to be, and everything they need becomes available right away.
Today, there is a “web app” version of just about every piece of software that a person might normally install on their desktop PC. Online programs are available that offer advanced word processing, spreadsheet, and database capabilities. Users can edit and resize photographs, create videos, compose presentations, and play games.
Even the world of online gambling has embraced the concept of web apps. Many internet casinos now offer “no download” versions of their best online casino games. These no download casinos let players connect to their accounts through their netbook computers to play real-money games and participate in multiplayer events like online casino free tournaments.
While the future of personal computing cannot be predicted, it seems that netbooks and web apps represent the beginning of a major wave of change. The move towards wireless systems, cloud computing networks, and web-centric software has only just begun, and as technology allows computing to become more and more portable, the possibilities can only increase.
The following is an overview of the top-rated brands for online casino games and online bingo in the UK. Often, one site will offer both services under one account, which is a good deal for players who are interested in variety.
Intercasino
It’s almost as old as the internet, and it’s one of the most well-known brands in the online gambling world. They run a very solid Cryptologic casino with over 200 games available. Bonuses are strong ($225 for new players) and a VIP club treats strong players to extra benefits.
Spin Palace Casino
This is the flagship casino of the Spin Palace Group of online gambling sites. It is also one of the most complete Microgamign casinos on the net, with more than 400 different games available in the download suite. Look for regular tournaments on both blackjack and slots at this great site.
32Red Casino
This is another huge Microgaming casino, and this one is particularly famous for its excellent Club Rouge loyalty program, a great comps system that gives a little back on every wager. As an added bonus, UK players will recognize Patsy Kinset as the dealer’s voice (she played Sadie King on Emmerdale).
All Slots Casino
This Microgamign site supports over 400 games and runs great slots and blackjack tournaments. The casino is tied in with several others in the Jackpot Factory group through a networked loyalty program that benefits players by letting them spend their points at any participating casino.
Virgin Casino
The Virgin brand is notorious in the UK, and their online casino lives up to it. It is 100% instant play, so there is nothing to download or install. Hundreds of games and great promotions keep players busy all year long. Earn bonus points and trade them for store vouchers, airline miles, and more.
Foxy Bingo
While this site is just five years old, it is one of the biggest and best around. Inside, 40 rooms offer just about every imaginable form of bingo, from zany 75 ball pattern games to intense 90 ball coveralls. A free £20 welcome bonus helps new players try out a few games on the house.
Jackpot Joy Bingo
Fifteen styles of bingo fill the halls of this great site. Many games are only found here, like their Family Fortune Team Bingo that is modeled after the popular television game show. Join now for a 100% deposit match, and then jump in on some progressive bingo games to win massive prizes.
Wink Bingo
This is a bubbly pink site with a fun and playful atmosphere, but that doesn’t mean they’re not serious about bingo. With both 75 ball and 90 ball games offering jackpots as high as £10,000 the money here just never stops flowing. Grab £15 free when signing up, and get 10% cashback for life.
Virgin Bingo
The Virgin brand was already mentioned as a great casino site, but they run a tremendous bingo site as well. Enjoy 75, 90, and even unique 80 ball games, plus great chat rooms, non-stop promos, and weekly cashback bonuses. Players can even sign in using their Virgin Casino accounts.
Mecca Bingo
Every new player at Mecca Bingo starts off getting a 100% deposit match bonus up to £50, and that’s only the beginning. Daily specials give players lots of ways to win, while several rooms packed with non-stop games means there is always something happening. They even have Deal or No Deal bingo games!
These ten sites represent the best of the best in the world of online gambling in the UK. They are all industry leaders, and they do a good job of demonstrating the immense creativity that can be found in online gambling sites. Of course, these sites are just the crème of the crop, and there are quite a few more excellent casinos and bingo sites that cater to players in the UK.
At the end of the day, players can either give in to advertising and stick with just one brand because it’s always on the tele, or they can take some time to explore what is available, and decide for themselves which online gambling site best fits their style. What type of player are you?
The following is an overview of the top-rated brands for online casino games and online bingo in the UK. Often, one site will offer both services under one account, which is a good deal for players who are interested in variety.
Intercasino
It’s almost as old as the internet, and it’s one of the most well-known brands in the online gambling world. They run a very solid Cryptologic casino with over 200 games available. Bonuses are strong ($225 for new players) and a VIP club treats strong players to extra benefits.
Spin Palace Casino
This is the flagship casino of the Spin Palace Group of online gambling sites. It is also one of the most complete Microgamign casinos on the net, with more than 400 different games available in the download suite. Look for regular tournaments on both blackjack and slots at this great site.
32Red Casino
This is another huge Microgaming casino, and this one is particularly famous for its excellent Club Rouge loyalty program, a great comps system that gives a little back on every wager. As an added bonus, UK players will recognize Patsy Kinset as the dealer’s voice (she played Sadie King on Emmerdale).
All Slots Casino
This Microgamign site supports over 400 games and runs great slots and blackjack tournaments. The casino is tied in with several others in the Jackpot Factory group through a networked loyalty program that benefits players by letting them spend their points at any participating casino.
Virgin Casino
The Virgin brand is notorious in the UK, and their online casino lives up to it. It is 100% instant play, so there is nothing to download or install. Hundreds of games and great promotions keep players busy all year long. Earn bonus points and trade them for store vouchers, airline miles, and more.
Foxy Bingo
While this site is just five years old, it is one of the biggest and best around. Inside, 40 rooms offer just about every imaginable form of bingo, from zany 75 ball pattern games to intense 90 ball coveralls. A free £20 welcome bonus helps new players try out a few games on the house.
Jackpot Joy Bingo
Fifteen styles of bingo fill the halls of this great site. Many games are only found here, like their Family Fortune Team Bingo that is modeled after the popular television game show. Join now for a 100% deposit match, and then jump in on some progressive bingo games to win massive prizes.
Wink Bingo
This is a bubbly pink site with a fun and playful atmosphere, but that doesn’t mean they’re not serious about bingo. With both 75 ball and 90 ball games offering jackpots as high as £10,000 the money here just never stops flowing. Grab £15 free when signing up, and get 10% cashback for life.
Virgin Bingo
The Virgin brand was already mentioned as a great casino site, but they run a tremendous bingo site as well. Enjoy 75, 90, and even unique 80 ball games, plus great chat rooms, non-stop promos, and weekly cashback bonuses. Players can even sign in using their Virgin Casino accounts.
Mecca Bingo
Every new player at Mecca Bingo starts off getting a 100% deposit match bonus up to £50, and that’s only the beginning. Daily specials give players lots of ways to win, while several rooms packed with non-stop games means there is always something happening. They even have Deal or No Deal bingo games!
These ten sites represent the best of the best in the world of online gambling in the UK. They are all industry leaders, and they do a good job of demonstrating the immense creativity that can be found in online gambling sites. Of course, these sites are just the crème of the crop, and there are quite a few more excellent casinos and bingo sites that cater to players in the UK.
At the end of the day, players can either give in to advertising and stick with just one brand because it’s always on the tele, or they can take some time to explore what is available, and decide for themselves which online gambling site best fits their style. What type of player are you?
Traditional brick & mortar casinos like the ones found in Las Vegas often pamper their best players by offering things like free steak dinners, complementary hotel rooms, and an endless string of delicious cocktails. Online casinos, on the other hand, have to do things a little differently – simply because virtual steak dinners really don’t taste very good. In order to fill in this gap, online gaming sites have invented bonuses.
Casino bonuses might seem complicated at first, but the concept is really simple. Bonuses are special incentives that reward players with free casino money. This money cannot be converted directly into cash; instead, it is used to play more online casino games. If players win while playing with bonus money, these winnings can then be withdrawn as real cash.
As with everything, there is usually fine print surrounding these bonuses that tries to keep players from abusing them. This usually involves inserting a delay between the time the bonus is given out, and the time that the money can be withdrawn. During this delay, players must wager a certain amount of money before winnings from a bonus can be cashed out. This wagering requirement is typically higher for games like blackjack, which have a low house edge.
Despite these measures, there are people who make a very good living preying on casino bonuses. They start out with a very large amount of money, and do a bit of searching to hunt down the latest casino bonuses. They usually go after welcome bonuses, since these are typically the biggest ones available. Bonus abusers will sign up with a new casino, make a deposit, grab the bonus, and then use the bonus cash to win quite a lot more money.
Once they have fulfilled the wagering requirement for the bonus, these bonus abusers will cash out and move on. There is definitely risk involved in this sort of “hit-and-run” activity, but when done just right, it has the potential to pay off.
Lately, many online casinos have been struggling, trying to figure out how to block bonus abusers. One strategy is to only allow one bonus per household (IP address). This keeps players from creating multiple accounts with the same casino just to get more bonuses.
Another strategy is to watch what country new accounts are created from. If a casino notices a rush of bonus abusers signing up from a particular country, the casino may stop accepting players from there. Many players dislike this sort of “blanket punishment”, since it clearly affects honest players too, who might suddenly find that they are not allowed to sign up at a particular internet casino.
The latest step that casinos are taking is to completely change how bonuses work. Instead of relying on fixed bonus systems, some casinos are using special formulas to calculate bonuses, based on variables such as how soon a player cashes out, or how quickly they fulfill a bonus’ wagering requirement.
Traditional brick & mortar casinos like the ones found in Las Vegas often pamper their best players by offering things like free steak dinners, complementary hotel rooms, and an endless string of delicious cocktails. Online casinos, on the other hand, have to do things a little differently – simply because virtual steak dinners really don’t taste very good. In order to fill in this gap, online gaming sites have invented bonuses.
Casino bonuses might seem complicated at first, but the concept is really simple. Bonuses are special incentives that reward players with free casino money. This money cannot be converted directly into cash; instead, it is used to play more online casino games. If players win while playing with bonus money, these winnings can then be withdrawn as real cash.
As with everything, there is usually fine print surrounding these bonuses that tries to keep players from abusing them. This usually involves inserting a delay between the time the bonus is given out, and the time that the money can be withdrawn. During this delay, players must wager a certain amount of money before winnings from a bonus can be cashed out. This wagering requirement is typically higher for games like blackjack, which have a low house edge.
Despite these measures, there are people who make a very good living preying on casino bonuses. They start out with a very large amount of money, and do a bit of searching to hunt down the latest casino bonuses. They usually go after welcome bonuses, since these are typically the biggest ones available. Bonus abusers will sign up with a new casino, make a deposit, grab the bonus, and then use the bonus cash to win quite a lot more money.
Once they have fulfilled the wagering requirement for the bonus, these bonus abusers will cash out and move on. There is definitely risk involved in this sort of “hit-and-run” activity, but when done just right, it has the potential to pay off.
Lately, many online casinos have been struggling, trying to figure out how to block bonus abusers. One strategy is to only allow one bonus per household (IP address). This keeps players from creating multiple accounts with the same casino just to get more bonuses.
Another strategy is to watch what country new accounts are created from. If a casino notices a rush of bonus abusers signing up from a particular country, the casino may stop accepting players from there. Many players dislike this sort of “blanket punishment”, since it clearly affects honest players too, who might suddenly find that they are not allowed to sign up at a particular internet casino.
The latest step that casinos are taking is to completely change how bonuses work. Instead of relying on fixed bonus systems, some casinos are using special formulas to calculate bonuses, based on variables such as how soon a player cashes out, or how quickly they fulfill a bonus’ wagering requirement.