For many years the debate has raged on as to whether online casinos are harmful to land based casino’s business. In the US and in parts of Europe, this has been of particular concern given the number of brick and mortar casinos in existence.

However, a new study conducted by AlixPartners (a New York based research company) has found that online gambling is not detrimental to land based casino business but quite the opposite, it is actually beneficial to it. Instead of cannibalizing brick and mortar business, the study found that online punters could be an exceptionally profitable group for land based casinos to tap into.

The study was conducted in the US on 1301 adults representing a cross section of the population who were surveyed on numerous forms of gambling activities including playing the lottery, sports betting, race-track betting, visits to local and destination casinos as well as internet gambling.

After extensive data-mining of answers to surveys, the research findings indicated that what AlixPartners terms “Online Enthusiasts“, namely punters who gamble at both online and land based casinos, visit land based casinos almost as often as “Consistent Members” (punters with the highest casino visitation rates) do.

Furthermore, the results showed that the average “theoretical” (estimated average dollar worth of a player to a casino) could be 10% higher for the group termed “online enthusiasts” than for players who only visit land based casinos.

Insights from the study also revealed that the typical online casino player has an average daily gambling budget allocation that is 30% higher than “Destination Tourists” who have the second highest average daily gambling budget within the surveyed respondents.

The conclusions drawn by the study are that players categorized as “online enthusiasts” share the characteristics that land based casinos value, namely higher gambling budgets, higher average daily spends as well as more frequent visits to casinos.

The research also indicated that casinos could harness online gambling activities to their venues via loyalty points systems and programs to create a competitive advantage but in order to do this they will have to know which players to target and when.

All in all the evidence suggests that online gambling should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat. While some land based casino brands have already begun to look into the online arena, and online casinos also offering land based games like WMS Slots online, we’re sure to see more of a cross over between the two great divides in future.

Many different online casinos offer the same online slots, especially when powered by a specific software provider. Given this fact it is often tempting to think that there will be no difference in these games and that their returns from one casino to another, but that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.

A prime example of the same online slots offering considerably different Returns To Players (RTP’s) is the difference between the WMS online slots offered at independently owned BetSafe Casino, versus the same slots at WMS owned JackpotParty.com.

At Jackpotparty.com casino, the slot offered include a Jackpot Feature which the BetSafe versions of the games do not. Initially one may be tempted to think that playing at Jackpotparty.com would be the obvious choice given the fact that they seem to have more to offer when it comes to online slots entertainment. Again, this is deceptive because the BetSafe versions of the same slots actually have a higher RTP, so you’ve got more chance of walking away with money here than at JackpotParty casino. Here’s why:

At Jackpot Party the Jackpot Feature may promise added fun and rewards, but in reality is that these slots claim 3% of the RTP which is contributed directly towards the progressive pool whereas at BetSafe that same 3% of each wager made is added back to the standard game play. If you calculate that on both a spin by spin and overall basis, that is a huge difference in returns!

Of course JackpotParty.com and its fans would argue that there is always the added chance of winning the progressive jackpot which isn’t an option at BetSafe casino, but again one needs to consider that with this jackpot feature eating into your bankroll and the fact that the Jackpotparty.com payout rate is guaranteed at 92% while BetSafe’s is 95%, your game play time will either be a lot shorter or you’ll end up spending more when playing at JackpotParty.com.

In summary, if you’re about more than just progressive jackpots when it comes to online slots entertainment, then playing WMS slots at BetSafe is a much safer bet!

If you’re new to slots, check out our winning slots tips before playing – it may just increase your chances of winning!

When it comes to gambling, online casinos have received a great deal of criticism on everything from player safety and security to predatory terms and conditions while land based casinos seem to go virtually unscathed. And while we will concede that there are some shady online casino operations out there, for the most part the majority are not.

In fact, online casinos are subject to more stringent rules and regulations than their brick and mortar counterparts are and are actively monitored by industry watchdogs and regulatory bodies like eCogra in addition to having to comply with policies and procedures dictated by software providers and payment processors.

So let’s take a look at how safe and secure you really are when playing online versus at a land based casino.

Money and Payments

At land based casinos you are responsible for you carrying your money with you, any winnings you receive are paid back to you in cash or occasionally via a cheque. This means that you can be a target for thieves before entering the casino or upon exit thereof. Online casinos on the other hand have highly sophisticated security systems and online encryption which keeps your money and financial transactions safe and secure, and winnings are transferred directly to your bank account or payment wallet, which means that you never have to worry about carrying cash, or falling victim to online fraud during your transactions. Yes, you still have to be vigilant but it is still a whole lot safer than carrying money around.

Responsible Gambling

When it comes to responsible gambling, both land based and online casino are subject to so called “responsible gambling” regulations. The difference is however that compliance to these regulations at online casinos is monitored to ensure that it is taking place while land based casinos are not. Yes, they may have to feature responsible gambling information in their advertising, but that’s about all.

Online casinos on the other hand, have a number of practices to follow including:

• Monitoring player activity and identifying potential problem gambling patterns and taking appropriate measures to assist the player should he or she require help – this may even extend to locking the player out of his/her account should the problem persist.
• Offering players the option of limiting deposit amounts per day, week and month.
• Offering players a self-exclusion option whereby their account is closed for a minimum of 6 months. During this time no promotional offers may be sent to players.
• Adding a clock to the casino software interface so that players always know how long they have been playing for. Some casinos like Betsson, take it a step further and even have pop up screens to tell you that you have been playing for an hour, along with win and loss totals and a button to exit the casino – never will you see this in land based slots and casino games.
• Offering players access to their full player history from 60 days to 1 year upon request – land based casinos can’t do this because they simply don’t have the facilities.

As mentioned, all of the above are strictly monitored in eCogra certified online casinos, but when last did you see a clock in a casino, or any type of authority figure monitoring game play or addictive behaviour – the answer is never, because it simply doesn’t happen.

Bonuses, Promotions and Comps

Both online and land based casinos offer a variety of promotions, bonuses and comps but again online casinos offer you match deposit bonuses, which land based casinos generally don’t. They also cannot offer free alcohol and food to keep you playing like land based casinos do, which means that you won’t be tipsy and playing on their accord, which land based casinos actually hope for because the more tipsy you are the more you’re inclined to play and lose.

These are just a few of the reasons why online casinos are a safer bet when gambling. We’re definitely not against land based casinos, in fact, we find them rather fun, but it does go to show that the negativity directed at online casinos regarding their business practices is generally unfounded.

The history of St Patrick’s Day is a rich one which follows the story of St Patrick who was a Christian missionary in Ireland. Legend has it that St Patrick used the three leaf clover, also known as a shamrock to depict the Holy Trinity. Usually clovers have three leaves which are said to be representative of the emotions hope, faith and love. A four leaf clover is a special rarity and it is said that the fourth leaf represents luck and if you find one, it will bring you good luck.

As with many other Christian holidays, Saint Patrick’s Day is also associated with a degree of paganism in the form of Irish mythology and folklore. Over the years St Patrick’s Day has been associated with legendary creatures known as Leprechauns who are said to be exceptionally wealthy and hide their pots of gold at the end of rainbows. Leprechauns are also believed to be notoriously mischievous and have the power to play magic tricks on people BUT if you hold a four leaf clover, it will cancel the Leprechaun’s magic so that you may discover his gold.

In light of these traditions and beliefs it’s no wonder that St Paddy’s day themed online slots are packed with 4 leaf clovers, Leprechaun’s, rainbows, pots of gold and loads of fun and rewards. So if you’re looking to celebrate with online slots play at your favourite Casino, look out for these St Patrick’s Day themed slots:

Plenty ‘O Fortune

Playtech powered Plenty ‘O Fortune is a newly released 3×5 reel, 20 payline video slot featuring a dancing 3D Leprechaun that could have you dancing all the way to the bank with wins of 500 times your line bet!

This game is a graphical delight and packed with features from start to finish so you’ll not only be entertained but rewarded all the way as you play.

Play it at Titan Casino today!

Irish Eyes

Microgaming’s Irish Eyes is a Celtic themed, 5 reel, 25 payline video slot filled with Leprechauns and their pots of gold, rainbows and let’s not forget…beautiful Irish lasses.

It is packed with free spins, scatters and wilds, even boasting a double feature that sets it apart from the rest and could have you taking home a pot of gold of your very own this St Patrick’s Day!

Play it at Spin Palace now!

The United Kingdom was one of the first countries to legalise, license and regulate the online casino and betting industry and is one of the world’s leading online gambling markets. Recent times however have seen discussions of a proposed new law regarding the taxation of these operations which will come into effect in December of 2014.

GamblingData, a leading research firm recently published figures on how much the British Treasury stands to collect in 2015 after a full year of operation and the figures are astounding.

GamblingData’s calculations are based on the projected value of the UK’s online gambling market being worth £2.74 billion by 2015, which is notably double that of the reported values of 2008. The current proposed taxation rate stands at 15% and while this is under debate, GamblingData applied this rate to their principle calculations. In addition the company has also projected rate of compliance at around 92.5%. Based on these calculations, the UK treasury will be receiving a whopping £385.7 million in tax on online gambling in a 2015, which is literally a landslide revenue. Should the tax rate of 20% be instituted then tax collections would increase to an unheard of sum of £514 million.

While the lawmakers’ debate, the UK online gambling industry is lobbying against the 15% tax rate, warning that this high rate would lead to larger incidences of non-compliance, they have further stated that 10% tax is the preferred rate to keep the industry functioning at an optimal level. It should be clarified that these figures are worked out on a Point of Consumption basis. GamblingData analysts have calculated that with a 10% tax rate and 100% market compliance, tax revenues of £274 million can be expected and have also indicated that in order for the Treasury to receive less than this figure, under a 15% POC tax rate, the rate of compliance would have to fall to 67%. The extent of a drop in compliance like this is highly unlikely and it will therefore be exceptionally difficult to convince lawmakers to lower the tax rate to the proposed 10%.

UK online gambling industry observers have expressed doubt on the projected worth of the market, arguing that imposing POC tax will increase the emerging trend of declining rates of online gambling operators as the increasing net gaming revenues are only likely to be moderate and may even decline which will affect viability and result in operators leaving the market. GamblingData does not however accept this argument, referencing the upcoming football World Cup in 2014, which in the past has always contributed to a significant surge in the UK’s sports betting market.

Head of content at GamblingData, Daniel Stone summarised in a recent statement “How the industry’s leaders and the UK Treasury negotiate the transition to the new tax regime could prove to be one of the defining moments for the online sector.“