Maximum Bets in Online Slots
August 25, 2011
The more you put in, the more you get out… well, in most things including your online slots game play. For the most part your investment will yield directly proportionate returns, so if a jackpot slot combination pays out 2,000 coins and a player’s line bet is valued at $1, then he/she will win $2,000 credits. If the player wagered $2 on the line they would win $4,000 for the same jackpot.
The exciting thing about slots is that they offer the opportunity to earn much greater returns on the initial wagering amounts than just proportionate returns. This is especially true in the case of progressive jackpot slots which can only be hit and claimed in full if the player is wagering the maximum bet value, if this has not been done then the player will only receive a fixed payout.
If we look at Microgaming’s King Cashalot progressive slot, wagering on its 9 lines at 4 coins per payline at a cost of $0.05, needs a total of $1.80 per spin. The fixed jackpot on this particular slot machine pays out at 15,000 coins which is equivalent to $3,000. The maximum bet to qualify for the progressive jackpot prize requires wagering on 9 lines at 5 coins per payline at a cost of $0.05 each which equates to $2.25 per spin. The guaranteed minimum payout when the jackpot is hit is $100,000 with maximum payouts into the million dollar mark. That’s quite a return for such a small investment!
Randomly triggered progressives enjoy a similar scenario. The jackpots are not dependant on predetermined symbol combinations but rather can be hit randomly after any spin of the reels and can also be hit if the player bets the minimum amount but again, the larger the wagers the player makes, the greater the chances of hitting the jackpot.
Recently online casinos have introduced new slot games in which players are provided benefits within regular payouts in return for betting larger values. Examples include some Cryptologic super hero themed slots like Batman wherein players are given the option of activating the Bonus Bet feature and bet 60 coins as opposed to the maximum bet of 50 coins. When the Bonus Bet function is active, scatter payouts are better and there is the additional benefit of a bonus game that can only be triggered when this function is in use. The bonus game pays out up to 100 times the triggering bet.
A similar feature called the “Extra Bet” is available and Microgaming powered casinos like Ruby Fortune, although in this case wagered amount is increased by 50% rather than just 10 coins. This option offers larger coin payouts than the standard game as well as free spins when certain symbols and combinations appear.
While increased wagering doesn’t assure one of increased returns, it often has the potential to provide a proportionate increase or greater. Betting the maximums on slots does however result in higher risks and one need to decide if this is something that can be sustained based on budget allowances.
Shooting Stars Bonuses at Casino Tropez
August 18, 2011
While the peak of summertime’s greatest meteor shower, the Perseid meteor shower, may have passed Casino Tropez promises to keep the excitement of this phenomenon alive with its stellar line up of bonuses from now until the 21st of August 2011.
On offers is a 30% unlimited bonus across all deposits as well as a 20% refund on all deposits. In order to claim your refund, all you have to do is contact Casino Tropez’s friendly customer service team on the 22nd of August and they will arrange the refund due to you.
Wagering requirements on these bonuses are as follows:
- Members: 25x Bonus plus deposit and 30x refund amount
- VIP Bronze Members: 25x bonus plus deposit and 20x refund total
- Higher Level VIP’s: 15x bonus plus deposit and 20x refund
You can complete these requirements on Casino Tropez’s massive array of casino games including newly released titles like Mr Cashback, Iron Man 2, 3 Clowns Scratchcard, and Perfect Blackjack or you can simply stick to the classics that you love, the choice is up to you!
So get over to Casino Tropez today and celebrate summer in what some deem to be the luckiest time of the year and you could enjoy a meteoric rise in your bank balance!
Understanding Payout Ratios across casino games
August 11, 2011
The term average payout ratio refers to the wagered amount that a casino player can expect to win or recover over a long period of time. As any seasoned player will tell you, over the long term you can expect to lose money at the casinos due to the house edge which has been built into various casino games in order to cover costs and generate profits for the casinos. This doesn’t however mean that you’ll lose all the time, it just means that over time the ratio of payouts made by the casino will be less than those made into it.
You’ll also notice from online casinos published payout rates that not all games carry the same payout ratios, which range from 95% to 99% depending on the game classification.
It is important for new players to be aware of the various payout ratios and which games are likely to pay out more than others. In general games like blackjack and video poker have a theoretical average payout of 99% depending on the variation (some game variations have lower payouts than others so it is important to always check the paytables before wagering). Next on the list is online roulette with payout averages ranging from 95% to 98%, again this is variation dependant and as always European Roulette versions are preferable to American ones if you can find them as they offer better odds and therefore higher payout rates. Online slots generally offer returns of around 95% while online craps ratios differ from bet to bet and can range from 85% to 98% depending on the bets you make.
Looking at the above information it would seem logical to only play blackjack or video poker and avoid the rest of the casino games, but it’s not quite that simple. Both of these games and their outcomes are dependent on your decisions and the payout ratio of 99% is said to be theoretical because it is based on you making the correct decisions in game play strategy all of the time, which of course you will learn to do over time but mistakes are still always likely to crop up from time to time, reducing the payout ratios quite considerably.
For new players who don’t have blackjack or video poker expertise, some of the other casino games can actually offer better returns even with the lower average payout ratios because you can’t really make mistakes to affect these like you can in blackjack and video poker.
It is also important to remember that casino game play is not only about making money. Of course, everyone likes to win but enjoyment is also a key factor and often online slots are easier to learn and less stressful to play, not to mention that many of these are packed with features that offer great value for money and extended game play that blackjack and video poker often don’t. Also, when it comes to potential jackpot payouts, these are considerably larger on slots than any other casino game.
So while it is good to be mindful of the various payout ratios on games, it shouldn’t be the only factor you consider when choosing what to play at a casino because enjoyment is as much a factor as returns are and achieving a balance of the two is always the ideal.
Do Online Casinos Cheat Players?
August 4, 2011
This is probably one of the most burning questions in any persons mind prior to playing at an online casino.
Let’s face it, playing against software online that could potentially be rigged at a venue that is well, “virtual“, is not always a comforting thought and with the number of fraud and scams we hear about across the internet, it’s all really enough to keep you from ever trying a casino online at all.
That said, we’re here to provide answers to the question of whether online casinos cheat players and if it really is safe to play at these establishments.
Can online casinos cheat?
The straight forward answer to this question is yes, online casinos could probably find ways to cheat you if they wanted to, just like you can be “cheated” in online banking, online shopping and in any aspect of life in general from gym memberships to insurance.
The point is that most online casinos don’t cheat players because they really don’t have to… just look at the odds at any casino over time and you’ll find that they make enough of a profit without having to stoop to criminal levels.
Also, with millions of people playing at online casinos across the world, if patterns emerged that could possibly substantiate cheating, someone would have published something on a player forum and the issue would have exploded across the internet. Just doing a simple Google search will show you blacklisted casinos to avoid due to anything from payment issues to bad customer service but you’ll be hard pressed to find anything supported by evidence that casinos are cheating players.
In fact, you’re probably at less of a risk of being exposed to cheating at online casinos where everything is managed by software than you are at a land based casino where a dodgy dealer may be cheating you.
What about Software Development Cheats?
There are many people who question the integrity of the software and whether developers install cheating mechanisms when manufacturing online casino games. While this may be possible, reputable casinos like those advertised on this site, have to ensure that Random Number Generators are installed on all games within the casino platform to ensure that all results and random and fair. These outcomes are then audited by independent auditing firms in order to ensure and confirm authenticity and fairness. Furthermore, casinos are subject to scrutiny by licensing bodies that act as industry watchdogs and also require the auditing and authentication of the casinos numbers and outcomes.
Also, leading casino software brands offer players a play check system that records all game outcomes and transactions which can be reviewed at any time. If certain games were “rigged” within the software, veteran players would probably pick it up sooner or later and be able to use these systems as proof and that kind of bad publicity would close any casino and even the software developer down permanently.
Both of the above are very important and relevant question when addressing the subject of cheating but there are two important things that you need to keep in mind:
Reputation is key
When it comes to the integrity of online casinos, reputation is a key factor. There are numerous casino review portals across the web, including this one that will give you as much information as possible on the casino you are considering. Yes, these portals do generate income from advertising casinos but most work on an affiliate commission which means that they want you to be as happy as possible with the casino they refer you to because if you aren’t they don’t earn money, so it’s in their best interest to send you to top quality venues that will look after you well.
From these reviews you should be able to get an idea of what the casino is like and you can also cross check this against player forum’s “rogue” or blacklisted casino lists to ensure that they do not appear here.
A reputable online casino will offer you state of the art software (developed by a leading software provider) and security for your safety. They will openly publish audit reports which you can verify with the independent company or body concerned and offer you customer support every step of the way to make your experience a pleasant one.
Testing your Perceptions
One may often get the feeling that one is losing more than in a land based casino when playing online but you have to be aware of two important things that may skew your perceptions:
- Time: Even though you are able to play at your own pace at online casino, the usual “admin” in between games is not present as it is in a land based casino. You don’t have to wait for dealers to do their job, other players to place their bets etc. So you are able to fit much more game play into a space of time online than you would at a brick and mortar casino. This means that you may feel like you are losing more often but the reality is that the odds and probabilities are the same, if not better than in land based venues, the thing that is throwing you off is the elapsed time and number of games you are fitting into it.
- Playing Solo: When playing alone at an online casino you only see your results whereas in land based casinos you’ll see those of other players and even the dealer, making you “feel” like people are winning even if you aren’t and that the casino does actually sustain losses. This factor can also skew your perceptions as to the fairness of a casino and if it has, then check out the payout reports which are audited or play in a multi-player game and you’ll soon see a different side of the coin again.
So in conclusion, online casinos do not cheat players?
You can rest assured that the reputable casino brands don’t cheat players. They have too much riding on the success of their businesses as a whole and even the smallest issues in this highly competitive market can lead to failure and sudden death of the entire organisation. As any industry insider will tell you, with the enormous profits involved in online gambling services, why would any company in their right mind risk cheating?
