Casino Movement

Participating in tournaments is one of the more popular activities in online casinos. It is the only form of online casino activity in which players are pitted against each other, thus fostering not only competition but also camaraderie. There are other attractions of online casino tournaments. Many of the tournaments are freerolls, which implies that is there is no buy-in. Though these offer small prizes they enable players to start a bankroll without investing their own funds. On the other hand there are promotional tournaments that have exotic cruises and other bumper prizes.

Online casino tournaments differ from online casino games in some major respects. In casino games the player is pitted against the house whereas in tournaments the players compete against each other. In games the objective is to end with more credits than the player started with. In tournaments the objective is to end with more credits than the other players, no matter if it is less than the starting credit. Each player starts the tournament with the same number of credits, plays the same casino game for the same period of time. At the end of the expired time the players’ closing credits are compared. Usually the designated numbers of the players with the highest closing credits share the money prize in a manner announced earlier.

Though the basic structure of tournaments is as described above there are many types of tournaments. Sit and go tournaments specify the minimum number of participating players. Players keep on registering for the tournament and as soon as the minimum number is reached the tournament starts. As against these are the scheduled tournaments. The starting times of these tournaments are announced well in advance and players are allowed to register till the starting time. The tournament commences at the starting time with the number of participants registered. Some online casinos provide for private tournaments. A player hosts these for family and friends. Such tournaments are not open to the other members of the casino. The promoter decides the parameters of the tournament.

Some of the online software providers who incorporate tournaments in their online casinos are Microgaming, Vegas Technologyand Cryptologic. Microgaming offers tournaments only in slots games. Their tournaments featuring the slots Tomb Raider and Thunderstruck are extremely popular. The guaranteed prize pools vary from $50 to $200,000 and the buy-ins from free to $100. Cryptologic offers much fewer online tournaments but offers them in both download and no download versions. They also have a few tournaments in Texas Hold’Em, blackjack and roulette. Vegas Technology offers the best tournaments. The tournaments are held in slots, blackjack, roulette and various video poker games. Tournaments have guaranteed prize pools and also operate on sharing pots. The buy-ins are $10 or less and several tournaments allow rebuys. Despite the low buy-ins the guaranteed prize pools go up to $10,000.

User friendliness is one of the most critical factors for online gaming software. If a software package is not user friendly then players will avoid online casinos using that software. Therefore online casino software providers try and ensure that as far as possible all explanations are provided on the game screen. However there will be times when players, especially newbies, will need some assistance. For this purpose all online gaming software providers incorporate a Help function that provides detailed instruction and information about that game. Different gaming software providers have different mechanisms for accessing and using the Help function. How this function can be used in the case of some leading gaming software providers is discussed using slot games as an example.

In Playtech software the Help function is incorporated as one of the tabs in the Menu button. On clicking the Help tab the player is taken outside the game to a comprehensive help page. All the topics are in one page and the player can scroll down to search for what he wants. The different sections cover the detailed process of setting the paylines and bets. The different buttons on the screen are explained. Short cut keys for performing various tasks are given. The different bonus games and special symbols on the reels are explained in full. New players may find the brief explanations of bonus games given in the slot games difficult to understand and this is one area in which the Help function is useful. Playtech does not provide the payout table in the Help function but refers the player to the game.

Where to Click for Playtech Help:

The above shows the area within the menu that you’d need to click in order to access the “Help” button. After clicking on “Menu” within any game and then “Help” you’ll be able to view the help screen.

Playtech Help Preview:

The above is a preview of the window that will pop up after clicking the “Help” button while in a game.

Listing of top Playtech online casinos can be found here »

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In Microgaming software the Help function can be accessed by clicking on the ‘?’ icon usually found in the top left corner. The Help section is menu driven with different topics appearing on different pages. The main menu provides information about the game, the symbols, the bonus rounds, complete payout tables and game rules. The sections are cross linked through hyper links so that if a term is not clear the player can immediately check it out. The information provided is detailed and unambiguous and the method of calculating payouts is illustrated with suitable examples. The other information covered in the Help section is general information about slots and Microgaming’s Expert mode functions. Contact information is also provided in case players have further queries. But this is unlikely to be the case.

Where to Click for Microgaming Help:

The “Help” button represented by the “?” as seen in the above preview can be found in the lobby but also within each individual online casino game as seen in this example from Microgaming’sCentre Court video slot game.

Microgaming Help Window:

Microgaming has some of the most comprehensive help… The screenshot from above taken from the help within Centre Court offers extensive details on the game that will surely help you understand the game should the payout tables not be sufficient.

Listing of top Microgaming online casinos can be found here »

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In Vegas Technology software the Help function is accessed through a Help button available on the game screen. The Help section is menu driven. The How to Play section provides details on coin and payline selection and starting the spins. The rules section explains how winning combinations are determined and also details of the special symbols. The bonus games are explained in separate sections. The payout section reproduces the graphical table from the game. The final section explains the buttons on the screens. A unique feature in the Vegas Technology software is that it allows printing of the section. Players can print it out so that they need not toggle back and forth from the game.

Where to Click for Vegas Technology Help Preview:

Above is a screenshot showing you where you should click in the event that you’re looking for help while playing a Vegas Technology casino game.

Vegas Technology Help Window:

This preview demonstrates what the game help window looks like after the help button has been clicked while in a game.

Listing of top Vegas Technology online casinos can be found here »

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Realtime Gaming Software does not provide comprehensive Help sections. They merely reproduce the screens that contain the payout table and the rules from the slot games.

Where to Click for Realtime Gaming Help Preview:

The screenshot above shows where to click when looking for help while playing a Realtime Gaming online casino game. In many cases clicking on this button will present 2 options. The first option will be “Live Chat” whereby you’d actually be communicating with the online casinos customer support team to ask them questions about a particular game.

Help/Payout Table Realtime Gaming Preview:

The above is a screenshot of what you’ll see when you click help when in an RTG casino game. As you can see clicking on the help button doesn’t do much other then take you to the payout table for a particular game. I suppose that they offset the need for additional information by adding the “Live Chat” option so if you want you can contact the casino directly for help.

Online casino bonuses are one of the attractions of online casinos that differentiate them from brick and mortar casinos. The main bonus is the welcome bonus, which is offered to attract new players. The bonuses have two aspects to them. One is the structure of the bonus and the other is the wagering requirement. The different online suppliers have built in different bonus mechanisms into their software. Most online casino disputes relate to bonuses and therefore players should thoroughly understand the bonus mechanism before wagering.

Microgaming has made significant changes in its bonus system recently and most Microgaming online casinos are now offering the new free spin no deposit welcome bonus. Once players complete the registration they are given a number of free spins that they have to complete within a specified time period. They are also given an initial playing credit balance. At the end of the period the player gets to keep the winnings. Microgaming has also introduced the Clearplay wagering requirements. This separates the cash from the bonuses and allows for automatic transfer of bonuses to the cash account in a transparent manner.

Cryptologic casinos offer the welcome bonus in the standard form of X% of the initial deposit up to a maximum of $Y. Each Cryptologic online casino decides its own values for X and Y. The online casinos provide bonus codes and it is mandatory to enter these codes before making the deposit. The wagering requirements also vary from casino to casino. The wagering requirements apply only to the bonus amount and not to the bonus and deposit amount. Only the winnings from the bonus can be withdrawn and not the bonus. The online casinos specify the games on which the wagering requirements are to be met.

Real Time Gaming online casinos like One Club Casino and Rushmore Casino generally offer the welcome bonus spread over more than one deposit. This makes it easier for the player, who does not have to put up a large deposit upfront. Entering of the given bonus code is mandatory. Some Real Time Gaming online casinos require both the deposit and the bonus to be wagered but have lower wagering requirements. Others require only the bonus to be wagered but have larger wagering requirements.

Vegas Technology online casinos too offer the welcome bonus spread over multiple deposits. The amount of the bonus varies from casino to casino. However the wagering requirements are uniform. The bonus and deposit both need to be wagered 20 times on the specified games. The bonus is credited into a separate account. The wager is first placed from the bonus account and the winnings if any are credited to the cash account. Vegas Technology casinos do not require the specification of a bonus code. The bonuses are credited automatically. If a player wants to play without the bonus he must inform the casino before making the deposit.

The importance of online casino bonuses cannot be overstated. It is one major difference between online casinos and land based casinos. Online casino bonuses can be divided into two categories match deposit bonuses and no deposit bonuses.

Deposit bonuses, as their name suggests, first require the new player to make a deposit and then the online casino offers a bonus in proportion to the deposit, with some maximum limit imposed. In this way the player has to first contribute his share. The most common deposit bonus is the welcome bonus. It is offered as soon as the new player makes his first deposit. Therefore the welcome deposit bonus is available to the online casino player before he starts wagering. The welcome deposit bonus is one of the largest casino bonuses offered. It is usually at least a few hundred dollars. There are some online casinos that offer a welcome deposit bonus of a few thousand dollars. In this way the player immediately enhances his bankroll. Another type of deposit bonus offered by most casinos is the monthly bonus. This is offered to existing players. For every deposit they make the online casino offers a proportionate bonus subject to a monthly cap. Some online casinos offer additional deposit bonuses if the deposits are made using specified deposit options.

No deposit bonuses, as their name suggests, do not require the new player to make any deposit. The casino offers the player a free amount so that he can try out the games without using his own funds. These welcome no deposit bonuses are much smaller than the welcome deposit bonuses, usually around ten or twenty dollars. This is understandable because the player does not contribute. Not many online casinos offer this welcome no deposit bonus. Microgaming online casinos are offering a different type of welcome no deposit bonus known as free spin bonus. Players are given a fixed number of free spins on certain online slots games, to be completed in a specified time, and get to keep the winnings. Another type of bonus in which the player is not required to make a deposit is the Refer A Friend bonus. Here the player gets a lump sum bonus for each friend he introduces.

Deposit Bonuses

Pros

• Deposit bonuses usually are larger and tend to be in hundreds of dollars
• The welcome deposit bonus is offered up front before the player stars wagering
• Deposit bonuses are usually offered by all online casinos

Cons

• Deposit bonuses are given after a player contributes his share

No Deposit Bonuses

Pros

• No deposit bonuses do not require any contribution from the player
• The welcome no deposit bonus enables the player to test games without investing his own funds

Cons

• No deposit bonuses are usually much smaller running only into tens of dollars
• Only some casinos offer no deposit bonuses.

Due to the generosity of online casinos who offer players essentially free money in exchange for their signing up and playing and or patronage to an online casino it is necessary for casinos online to apply what’s know as wagering or playthough requirements. These requirements are structured and in place to offset the risk that a casino takes by offering bonuses to it’s players.

Wagering / Playthough requirements often times are not the most obvious as it’s not one of the more attractive parts of the offering provided by casinos but none the less required. It’s because of this that they are often times tucked away and not so obvious to find. The most important thing to keep in mind if you’re evaluating a bonus at a casino you’d like to play at are the terms and conditions for that bonus which will include details on the wagering / playthough requirement for the particular bonus. Usually the link to the section that within a casino site that will provide the conditions of the bonus will be in either the promotions / bonus page of the casino site or alternatively somewhere below where there is mention of the bonus.

So what exactly is a wagering requirement?

A wagering requirement is a number that represents the number of times you have to playthough either the bonus or the bonus + the deposit at an online casino before you are eligible to cash out. The number that represents the amount of playthough required for a bonus is typically assigned by the risk management team representing the casino. Generally the more generous the bonus, or if it’s too good to be true it’s likely that they will have imposed a larger wagering requirement for the bonus. Playthrough requirements can range between 15x for the less strict bonuses and up to 40x for the more strict bonuses.

Example:

Let’s say the wagering requirement is 20x and the bonus being offered is a 100% match bonus up to $100 free at an online casino and let’s say that for the sake of this example you take advantage of the full $100 bonus and so you’ve deposited $200. Also let’s say that the playthrough is 20x your deposit + your bonus.

• Calculation: $200 x 20 = $4000

So in the above example you will have to playthough $4000 worth of bets before you’d meet the wagering requirements for the bonus and be eligible to cash out.

Are there different wagering / playthough requirements for different games?

This is where things get a bit more complicated. Often times casinos will place different percentages on specific games that account for the contribution to meet the wagering requirements. Typically slots wagers will count for 100% of their bet value towards the play through requirement but other games like blackjack & roulette may not count at all or count for very little towards meeting the requirement. The percentages of the contributions for various games at casinos for their bonuses will often times vary and it not overly consistent in the industry. It is however believed that casinos powered by Microgaming software that utilize the “Clear Play Bonus System” do have standards that are consistent across all casinos powered by their software.

Example:

Let’s say the player receives a bonus of $100 with a 20x wagering / playthough requirement at the casino.

He/She then proceeds to bet the following amounts on the following games $30 on Slots, $20 on Video Poker, $20 on Blackjack and $20 on Roulette.

The total amount of the contribution for the wagering requirement would be as follows (note: that this is just an example and that before playing be sure to review the casinos terms and conditions for the bonus so as to know exactly how much each game contributes to your meeting the wagering requirement):

• Contributions: 100% of $30 (Slots) + 80% of $20 (Video Poker) + 10% of $20 (Blackjack) + 25% of $20 (Roulette)

So $30 + $16 + $2 + $5 = $53 has been wagered towards meeting the $2000 wagering requirement.