The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has been around since the inception of the online casino industry and is synonymous with the regulation of many well known Microgaming powered casinos like Roxy Palace.

Recently the Commission announced that it would be enforcing two significant changes in regulations that would greatly assist casino players in their interactions with online casinos licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission; these include both player dispute resolutions and self-exclusion policies.

Until this point, players with problem gambling symptoms were only able to request that deposit limits be put in place or opt for the self-exclusion option whereby the casino would not allow them to play from the casino itself and these requests were largely granted at the discretion of casino management. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has taken this a step further with their new policy implementation and players are now able to convey their self-exclusion intent at either one or a number of online casinos directly to the commission via a dedicated website and e-mail address. This information is then checked by a Compliance officer and sent as a directive to the casino/s concerned, thus ensuring that they comply with the self-exclusion request and prohibit the player from depositing and playing at the casino.

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has also made good on its promise to improve dispute resolution processes for players wagering at online casinos licensed in its jurisdiction and has appointed a Dispute Resolution Officer that can be contacted directly in writing should any issues arise. Fully comprehensive information regarding the nature of the dispute, the complainants identity and steps taking in attempting to resolve the issue with the online casino must be submitted in full and will be acknowledged within 24 hours and assigned a case file number. The Commission will then review all information to establish validity and if a valid cause for complaint is found, will proceed with an investigation into the matter. All Kahnawake licensed casinos are compelled to answer to the complaint within 7 days after which the commission will announce its decision and ensure that the issue is resolved accordingly.

These efforts just go to show that the once complacent Kahnawake Gaming Commission is getting serious about preventing problem gambling and helping those who can’t help themselves, which in turn speaks volumes for continued accountability and quality of the ever responsible Microgaming powered group of casinos.

As a player you may question the necessity to sign up for various online casino newsletters when you open a player account at the casino, especially due to the fact that there is probably already more spam than you’d like to deal with coming into your inbox without receiving any more!

While some of the less than savoury casinos may automatically subscribe you to their lists and spam you with useless or repetitive, the trusted ones with solid reputations like Roxy Palace will never do that, In fact they have strict spam control policies and are monitored by external bodies such as eCogra to ensure that player’s rights and privacy are respected at all times.

That said though there are actually a number of benefits to signing up for online casino newsletters including:

• New Games Notifications: If you love to be the first to try new casino games, you’ll be able to read the previews of upcoming games and reviews of the newly launched ones which most casinos include in their regular newsletters.
• Winners lists show which games are paying out: Many casinos include a list of winners in their communications; this is a great source of information when it comes to seeing which games are paying out most often.
• Promotional information right at your fingertips: Whether the casino is giving away free spins, credits or hosting specific promotions or even tournaments you’ll be able to keep up to speed at a glance without having to logon to your player account or the casino’s website to find out what is happening.
• Exclusive Promotions: Some casinos reserve exclusive promotions for those subscribed to their newsletters and supply specific promotional codes therein in order to access these, if you don’t receive newsletters you can be missing out!
• Customised offers: Many casino offer customised offers to players based on their loyalty tier, as with exclusive promotions mentioned above, if you are not signed up to receive casino communications then you will be missing out.

So always ensure that you sign-up for casino newsletters when joining a new casino, if these become tedious or you no longer play at a specific casino you can always unsubscribe. Happy gambling!

Platinum Play Online Casino in partnership with Neteller has just launched a new mega promotion! The promotional invitation reads, “Start the New Year off by relaxing and unwinding while taking in the delights of the beautiful and majestic Caribbean“. Now doesn’t that sound good?

In this latest offering Platinum Play and Neteller are offering lucky players the opportunity to win a luxurious seven day Caribbean cruise for two with all local flights and transfers included (this does however mean you’ll need to get to the specified mainland destination on your own steam). The prize winners will be determined through a lucky draw which will take place on the 17th of January 2012 and players will need to make a deposit at Platinum Play Casino via Neteller between now and the 13th of January 2012 to be eligible for the prize.

According to competition terms and conditions, players who make three or more deposits at the casino via Neteller will receive an additional entry into the draw, which means increased chances of winning this awesome getaway prize.

Players will not only benefit from Neteller’s recently revamped systems which now make it even easier to open and maintain an account to facilitate their gambling transactions, but will also enjoy the high quality entertainment experience offered by Platinum Play Casino including a sign up bonus of 1,500 free credits to use across their amazing array of casino games as well as a 10% deposit match bonus of up to $100 when making a deposit via Neteller.

So what are you waiting for? Get over to Platinum Play Casino now, deposit via Neteller and you could be starting the New Year off in a very relaxing, stylish way.

When it comes to progressive jackpots, Playtech powered casinos like Euro Grand have jackpot pools with some unusual characteristics in comparison to the other software providers in the industry. The Playtech offering is comprised of close to 40 progressive jackpot online casino games which is significantly more than others. That said though, very few of these games affect the volatility of the jackpot pool which is not the case with other groups.

When all of the games in the progressive jackpot pool are at their peak simultaneously, the group’s prize pool is one of the highest around, conversely though, when jackpots are hit around the same times, the jackpot pool is the lowest.

Another unique aspect of the Playtech Progressive Jackpot offering is that it is comprised of not only slots but a variety of online casino game genres too, this means that players who enjoy table games for example, can also have a shot at winning large sums of money. One of the most popular non-slots progressives is Progressive Blackjack wherein the jackpot is hit when the player is dealt four aces of the same suit. There are also Video Poker games as well as two unique card games entitled Stravaganza and Wild Wikings that you’ll find only in Playtech Casinos, both are highly entertaining and rewarding if you make the right bets.

Online Slots enthusiasts won’t be disappointed either and will probably already be familiar with the Beach Life slot which is one of Playtech’s most famous, offering a base jackpot of $50,000 but often reaches well over the $4 million mark and is the most volatile progressive the group has to offer. Other favourites include the Gold Rally jackpot slot as well as the Marvel Movie Super Hero slots network.

There are also a number of progressive arcade games like Jackpot Darts and Genie’s Hi Lo as well as scratch cards, all of which can reach generous payout levels.

So if you’re in the mood for fun with big rewards, check out the Playtech Progressive Jackpot offering and you could just be the next big winner.

It has recently been reported that Microgaming’s Mega Moolah Progressive Jackpot Slot was hit last week with the jackpot standing at almost $4 million!

At present the details have not been released as the lucky winner is still undergoing verification processes, but once these are complete he/she will receive an outstanding $3.84 million payout! Once official, this will also be Mega Moolah’s tenth big jackpot win since its release and while not the biggest recorded win (which was in fact valued at over $6 million) it is still a life changing amount of money.

The great thing about the Mega Moolah Slot is that once the jackpot is hit, the jackpot doesn’t reset at a small amount but rather reverts to the $1 million mark, which means that even if it is hit again shortly thereafter, the winner still receives a generous prize. So if you’ve never played Mega Moolah, read the review here or play now at Spin Palace Casino.

While the legal drama unfolds, Full Tilt Poker’s employees based in Dublin, Ireland nervously await any news regarding what the future holds for the company and their jobs.

According to reports, employees describe the morale as “Bad” and told reporters that there had been “no communication” from management as to what was happening and whether or not they would still have jobs going forward.

Thousands of poker players have also been left in the dark as to what has happened to their money as no withdrawals from their Full Tilt player accounts are being processed at present.

Online casino like Spin Palace who are powered by major software providers such as Microgaming offer vast quantities of casino games some in excess of 500 within their portfolios while others offer a much smaller range of up to 60 games. We often get asked the questions of how crucial the difference in game spread is to the player and whether one should only sign up with casinos offering vast quantities of games.

In answering these questions, it is important to understand why the difference in game spread exists. There are two explanations for this, firstly some software providers have been in operation since the inception of online gambling while others came to the party in later years which means they haven’t produced the amount of games that industry leaders have over the years. Secondly, Microgaming adds four new casino games each month rather than sporadically like the others.

While large quantities of games offer a huge range of choice, even new casino players are unlikely to try all 500 games available at the casino and will usually stick to playing games in their favourite genre, like video slots or blackjack. So the number of games is not as important as the variety on offer at a given casino. While some will argue that 500 games offer more variety, this is not completely true because you may that a provider offering 200 games (like Cryptologic) can match the variation in offerings of Microgaming.

What is most important is the rate at which new casino games are added to the casino’s portfolio, giving their players the opportunity to experience new games each month with new features and options.

One must keep in mind that direct competition amongst online casino software providers is diminishing and greater fragmentation is occurring wherein different providers are attempting to establish niche markets. A clear example of this can be seen in Cryptologic’s specialisation in branded online slots.

While new players may wish to try every game genre, as you develop as a player you will discover your definite preferences of a certain few game genres and ultimately the total number of games on offer at a casino will not play an important role.

If you’re at all familiar with the online casino world you’ll know the name eCogra which has earned its reputation as the leading online casino accreditation organisation within the industry. This watchdog body applies rigorous standards to casinos bearing its seal and releases bi-annual dispute resolution statistics based on the cases reported regarding approved casinos.

The first report of 2011 was recently released and findings indicated that eCogra certified casino operators have maintained a considerably low complaint ratio which equates to an average of under 0.5% per site each month for the first half of the year. Currently eCogra has over 145 major online gambling sites registered with the organisation and offers free dispute resolution to players bearing the eCogra “Safe and Fair” seal. In the year to date eCogra has received 475 complaints, 57 of which were from casinos not accredited by the body and 60 of which were classified as invalid due to lack of supporting information and documentation required. Therefore a total of 358 legitimate complaints were received, 41% of which involved cash-in issues, 23% bonus related problems, and 21% reported involved locked accounts.

What was most impressive about report findings was that the majority of valid complaints received were resolved within 72 hours, indicating and overwhelming willingness of casino operators to ensure the speedy resolution of legitimate issues arising. eCogra’s Fair Gaming Advocate Tex Rees commented that the body did receive a small percentage of complaints from players trying to circumvent terms and condition governing play and payouts at the casinos and that these types of players were increasingly creative in their tactics which has necessitated operators to develop correspondingly improved methods of identification and account closure.

So while issues arise at even the best online casinos, what sets the really good casinos apart is the speed and efficiency with which the resolution of these disputes occurs, and eCogra certified casinos like Spin Palace and Roxy Palace surely do make an impact when it comes to this. So always check for the seal to ensure that you’ll enjoy safe and secure gaming and if issues do arise, they’ll be sorted out quickly.

Calling all slots fans! The Fortune Lounge Group of casinos has a treat for you and is extending an invitation to participate in the International Slots League held at various casinos within the group like Royal Vegas and Platinum Play.

The International Slots League is a continuous line-up of slots tournaments which offer you the opportunity to participate in six events and play against other casino patrons on the web’s most popular slots to win your share of over $40,000 each week.

The week kicks off on Monday nights with the Kings of Legend free rolls on the Avalon Slot. Due to the fact that this slots tournament is of the free roll variety, no entry fee is required to participate and prize values start at a guaranteed $200 but you will have to pay for rebuys and add-ons.

Tuesday and Thursday nights host the Night on the Town freeroll and are also tagged as “ladies nights” but don’t worry guys, you are also allowed to participate! The designated slot on these evenings is the aptly named Ladies Nite slot machine. Again this is a freeroll tournament with $200 in prize money and only rebuys and add-ons require you to spend money.

Wednesday sees you “Take a Break” with the Spring Break slot with a guaranteed $200 up for grabs once again.

Then it is on to the Friday night free roll tournament is entitled “Strike it Rich” on the legendary Thunderstruck Slot. Weekends really heat up at the casinos and offer you some well-deserved fun to end the week off with not one but two tournament options. The first entitled “Triple 7 bling fest” is yet another free roll tournament played on the Loaded Slot which features copious amounts of bling and could have you winning a share of the guaranteed $5000 prize pool.

The other week-end slots tournament entitled “Weekend Treasure Hunt” played on the Tomb Raider video slot is different from the rest in that it is not a freeroll and requires a nominal entry fee of just $10 and offers a guaranteed prize of $3,000.

So don’t delay, sign-up and be a part of this amazing slots tournament schedule now!

The Mega Moolah Progressive Online Slot is one of the web’s most popular and played games, and as anyone who has ever played it can tell you, it’s not hard to see why. With its wild African theme, this slot is jam-packed with vibrant graphics, outstanding features and also has a reputation for payouts in the millions of dollars if you’re lucky enough to hit the jackpot.

While Mega Moolah is readily available at Microgaming powered online casinos like Spin Palace, it is now also accessible on Android smartphones, meaning that you can now play it wherever you are thanks to Spin 3 who has made it available on their mobile platform. The mobile version of the game is an exact replica of the original and retains all of the jackpot games, bonus prizes and features of the online slot which is a big bonus given that games are often “adapted” for mobile and lose their appeal, but this definitely is not the case here.

The launch of the Mega Moolah Android application is an indication of the widening focus of casino developers. In the past new releases were launched on Apple products like the iPad and iPhone only but now the focus has shifted to include Android devices. This is largely due to the Android OS gaining popularity and vast segments of the mobile entertainment market share, making it a “must” for players within the mobile casino industry.