New games and casinos rolled out for holidays
Posted by Gary Y on 1/1/11 : Industry providers rolled out new games and casinos in time for the festive season
Online punters enjoying a brief break from the workplace were well served in terms of new casinos and games this festive season.
Carmen Media Group released the Microgaming-powered Caribbean Draw Poker game, a five-card draw video poker variant with one standard 52-card deck in which the player competes against the house dealer. The new offering consists of two games, the main five-card draw game, and an optional bonus or side bet that can be played simultaneously and is based on the player's initial hand. The progressive jackpot is won if the player gets a royal flush as his initial hand when playing the bonus side bet.
The progressive jackpot is worth 20 400.00 credits on the main bet with a minimum of 50 000.00 credits available on the progressive side bet, assuming maximum bets of 100.00 and 1.00 respectively. Available chip sizes range from 1.00 to 100.00.
Outstanding graphics, digital sound effects and slick gameplay are all features of the game, which joins Microgaming's quality Gold Series.
Swedish provider Net Entertainment was also active, launching a download online casino for Betwize.com, a site that also offers an EveryMatrix-powered sports betting facility. Download and browser-based play are available, along with full player services and a generous matchplay SUB. The site targets the South African gambler.
RealTime Gaming, a veteran industry provider located in Costa Rica, also used the festive season to roll out another South African-facing internet casino branded ClubSA. The operation is ostensibly owned by a Curacao licensed company in Salford, England and offers the full range of RTG games.
Although this provider appears to be all too frequently at the centre of questionable operator disputes with players, there are some good licensees on its roster – the trick is to research thoroughly before putting money at risk.
The same can be said for the increasing number of online casino white labels churned out by the Rival software provider. Most recently three new white labels have launched, augmenting some ten online casinos officially owned by Bonne Chance NV and licensed in Curacao. Bet Cave.com and Casino Lust.com both feature very similar template site designs that are workmanlike if unimaginative, offering download and instant-play action on Rival's suite of over 100 games.
Both offer players a choice of 5 reel slots video slots, 3 reel classic slots and interactive i-slots, along with progressive jackpot casino games and blackjack, roulette, video poker and instant win scratch card games.
Bet Cave currently offers a $100 no deposit bonus with 30 minutes to play.
Although both sites welcome US players, Canadians are barred.
Rival also launched Vegas2Web Casino.com, a South African targeted online casino licensed in Curacao and owned by Rival's reportedly white label service company, Silverstone Overseas in Folkestone, UK. The average quality site boasts the usual Rival gaming suite, backed by full services and a tempting sign up bonus.
Among the latest games rolled out by Rival was Reel Party Platinum, a 5 reel, 15 pay-line slot. Based on the original Reel Party slot, Reel Party Platinum presents new graphics, colourful animation and features free spins, wilds, multipliers and a bonus round.
Japan-O-Rama is another recent Rival offering; this is a 20 pay-line, 5-reel i-slot that features three Pachinko bonus rounds with different Japanese themes, expanding wilds on reels 1, 2, and 3 and unique animations for each icon that lands in a row of 4 or 5.
The prolific Playtech studios launched Winner Casino.com and City Tower Casino.com in the closing weeks of the year, both with full player facilities and an impressive and diverse suite of games. Winner Casino is owned by Zirconium Gaming Limited in Curacao and carries that nation's licensing, whilst City Tower is believed to be a sister to City Club and Crown Europe, owned by a Curacao registered company branded Seagate NV. Both offer attractive sign up bonuses.
Online gambling operator Unibet launched its own platform in Italy on Unibet.it and is offering Italian poker players Sit & Go, scheduled and multi-table poker tournaments on the Ongame P5 Poker Engine.
Poker cash games, casino offerings and sports betting will be added to the platform in 2011.
“Re-launching our operations, using our own technology and joining Ongame network is the first step of our market re-entry in Italy. With the imminent introduction of cash games, we see great value in the Italian market”, says Unibet CEO Henrik Tjärnström.
The Unibet / Ongame Italian co-operation extends the companies partnership as Unibet have already announced its intentions to join Ongame Network France.
Caesars Interactive Entertainment (formerly Harrah's Interactive Entertainment) has also been active in Italy, announcing that it will work with Microgame S.p.A., Italy's largest poker network operator, to market the World Series of Poker brand in Italy with online and offline poker tournaments and promotions.
People’s Poker, a network of over 120 online poker sites, will be co-branded using both the WSOP and People’s Poker brands, and serve as the online hub for poker playing in the Italian market.
Using Microgame’s network both online and at retail, the WSOP brand will be used to attract new players to poker via these avenues.
Remote gambling software developer Wagerworks launched a new online slot themed on a famous television show series and already popular in land gambling casino slot machines manufactured by its parent IGT.
The new 100 000 Pyramid game is based on the extremely popular television game show series, Pyramid, and can also be found in IGT themed slots in land casinos worldwide. It is an enhanced version of The 50,000 Pyramid – one of the company’s most successful online games.
The new online version of the slot has fifteen pay-lines, giving punters solid opportunities to win up to 100,000x their line bet. Scoring three or more Winner’s Circle symbols anywhere on the reels initiates the bonus, where multipliers and additional free spins are earned as the Pyramid is climbed.
A new white label operated by TotalESoft Ltd.,UK has soft-launched titled Totally Wicked-Casino.com, offering slots, poker, craps and roulette. It is available in 16 languages and has multi-currency options. A spokesman for the company indicated that the Totally Wicked brand would be augmented in the New Year with additional branding and a dedicated online poker website. The new venture is part of an entrepreneurial group called Totally Wicked which has varied interests that include electronic cigarettes.
Online gambling software developer BetonSoft launched the precursor to its most popular title to date – Alpha Squad – detailing the life of the super hero leader, Captain Shockwave. The video slot features clear, high resolution graphics and excellent animation and offers players the opportunity to win up to 30,000 coins (with the highest coin denomination set at 50 cents) and 20 free spins.
Finally, a new Gibraltar-licensed online bingo site has launched on the Dragonfish network titled White Rose Bingo.com. The site offers 75-ball bingo, 90-ball bingo, slots, video poker, instant and table games.
