Licensed slots are the most lucrative, but also the most dangerous game to play in the slot business. With dozens of slots being released practically every single month, literally the only way to stand out from the crowd is to either be heavily promoted by the casino (which is almost impossible without some pretty heavy deals involved) or to bear the name of a very recognizable and popular brand, such as “Game of Thrones” or “Jurassic Park”. While doing these licensing deals to place very recognizable names front and center on the slots certainly has its benefits, it’s also a bit of a double edged sword, because at some point the license holder may decide they’re no longer interested in the agreement and pull out, leaving the slot developers with no way to continue the partnership.

That is the exact same situation in which famous developers Playtech found themselves when their long-term partners Marvel were purchased by corporate giant Disney. Disney has a notoriously anti-gambling stance, and while they didn’t have the power to cancel out the deal, they were perfectly able to let it expire. As such, one of the most successful business partnerships in iGaming history came to a sudden end, with many amazing classics like “The Avengers” and “Spider-Man: Attack of the Green Goblin” suddenly finding themselves orphaned. They’re still playable and still have their Marvel jackpot attached to them, but unfortunately no new slots based on the Marvel properties can be made, and since audiences grow bored quite quickly, in 2017 it’s hard to find anyone seriously playing the old Marvel slots, which were once some of the most popular games around.

Not wanting to remain without work, Playtech quickly struck a deal with Warner Bros in 2016 to create several slots based on DC properties, with another deal last month for slots based on their most recent movies, including “Justice League” and “Suicide Squad”. The fruits of those agreements became prominent when, over the course of the year, Playtech released multiple slots based on movies like “Green Lantern”, “Man of Steel” and the earlier Christopher Reeve “Superman” flicks, as well as not one, not two, but six different slots based on the “Batman” TV show from 1966 (which is 5 more than it deserves, but that’s just me). These slots have been reviewed, and so far the general consensus is that they’re pretty good. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like they’re primed to receive the same level of attention as their Marvel counterparts.

That’s completely natural – Marvel has been killing it at the box office, with currently the single biggest movie franchise of all time. Yes, you heard it correctly – Marvel has made more money than “Star Wars”, “James Bond” and “Pirates of the Caribbean”! Warner Bros, despite fully owning all of their characters (unlike Marvel, whose most popular characters like the X-Men and Spider-Man reside with other studios, even if Spider-Man is allowed to share a world with the Avengers) and also being in possession of some of the biggest pop culture icons of all time, like Batman and Superman, have simply been unable to produce a movie franchise to even come close to what Marvel has built. And unfortunately, no matter how good Playtech’s slots are, until Warner Bros get it together and make a decent DC movie, we’re not going to get a slot that’ll surpass “The Avengers” in popularity. There is hope, though – the new trailer for “Justice League” has been received quite well, so with a bit of luck maybe Batman and Superman’s team can truly measure up to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in both cinemas and online casinos. I’ll keep you guys posted when November approaches!

When you open up an online casino – any online casino – you get immediately bombarded by recommendations for various games that the people behind the casino really, really want you to try. Typically, we’re talking about either very high-profile, big-budget slots that have a big jackpot or a huge name attached to it (such as “Mega Moolah”, “The Avengers” or “Game of Thrones”) or classic games that everyone knows and loves (roulette, blackjack, you know what I’m talking about). But just because a game is being presented to you on a pedestal doesn’t always mean it’s that great. A good example is the aforementioned “Mega Moolah”, which, aside from its gigantic jackpot, is actually mediocre at best. However, if you’re willing to dig under the surface and try some newer things, you might actually find some hidden gems just waiting to be uncovered! And, because I love you so much, I actually did the dirty work and dug a few out for you. here are three games you might not have tried when playing online casino, but probably should!

3. Baccarat

If I ask you “What game did James Bond play in Casino Royale against Le Chiffre”, chances are you’re going to answer with “Poker”, and while that may be true for the latest movie adaptation (which is also the best Bond movie ever made, I’m just saying), it’s not entirely true for the novel! No, in Ian Fleming’s original vision, 007 actually entered a baccarat tournament. For years, baccarat has had a reputation of being a gentlemen’s game, one that is reserved for the higher class only and that the common folk couldn’t possibly comprehend. That has, unsurprisingly, actually alienated more people than has attracted, which is a shame, because A) baccarat is actually very easy to understand and play, perhaps even easier than poker, and B) baccarat offers some of the best odds in any online casino. So the next time you’re itching for a new experience, maybe consider taking a few minutes to learn baccarat’s rules and giving that a shot instead of dismissing it. Just remember to keep a martini by your side. Shaken, not stirred.

2. Spider-Man: Attack of the Green Goblin

I could easily populate this list with only slot entries, but I wanted to give you guys some variety and touch on as many different casino games types as I possibly could. Still, I definitely couldn’t neglect speaking about this gem! Considering the fact that Spider-Man is on literally everything these days (movies, videogames, toys, lunch boxes, underwear, you name it), it’s rather surprising that his slot hasn’t really received all that much attention, especially considering just how excellent it is. The graphics are great – unlike some other Playtech slots which look, frankly, dreadful (looking straight at you, “Daredevil”), the images here, be they hand-drawn or computer generated, look exactly like they’ve popped out of the panels of a comic book. It’s great stuff! And don’t even get me started on the bonus game, of which there are tons. You’ll be doing everything you’ve wanted to do as Spider-Man, such as swing around on webs, fight the Green Goblin and more. This is truly one of the finest slots out there, and you’d be a fool to ignore it just because “The Avengers” is more popular!

1. Deal or No Deal Roulette

And here we dive into straight up “I can’t believe more people aren’t playing this” territory. I mean, seriously! “Deal or No Deal Roulette” is probably the most fun version of roulette I’ve ever seen, and while it’s not available everywhere, it can be played in enough online casinos around the world for it to be able to reach a wider audience. And yet almost nobody’s talking about it! It’s so weird! This is your classic European roulette, but with a twist – every once in a while, when the stars align, you’ll be taken to play a round of good old Deal or No Deal for some extra winnings. Yes, it’s literally roulette, but with the added chance of free money. Why is this not the most popular version of roulette, again?

When online casinos first started to really gain traction among the mainstream public thanks to aggressive marketing campaigns back in the early 2000s, a common notion among the general population was that the majority of casinos are fake, and that they’re only aiming to steal the gamblers’ money. There’s actually a very good reason behind that idea, as many of the earliest online casinos actually WERE fraudulent and resulted in numerous cases of people being ripped off. That whole episode of our favourite hobby’s history is a bit of a double-edged sword, though. True, many were turned off of it forever because of the scams that were perpetuated, but at the same time it forced many governments to issue laws and create special bodies whose sole purpose for existing was to make sure that the customer was protected and that such incidents never, ever happened again.

These days, the majority of online casinos in the UK are legal, mostly because the ones that are illegal are very easy to spot and as such don’t survive for very long. The purpose of the article you’re reading right now is to teach you how to quickly and easily distinguish which online casinos are legitimate and which are not. Remember the government bodies I mentioned earlier? Well, whenever they certify a casino, that casino is allowed to place their logo (and, sometimes, the certificate itself) into its footer. The most popular organization is the UK Gambling Commission, which certifies the overwhelming majority of casinos, betting sites and other gambling venues set in the cyberspace. Be sure to look for their logo in the footer of any casino you visit! If it’s not there, then you can use the site I just linked to look up the casino in question and try to find their certificate. If you can’t find it within their database, then STAY AWAY! It means that the casino is either illegal or way too fresh to have been certified yet, and in either case, you’re better off as far away from there as possible. There are additional independent agencies which also issue certificates, like eCOGRA, so if you see their logos in the footer of a casino that’s always a great sign, but they’re by no means mandatory.

Another great way to see which casinos are safe for players is to see what experienced and professional gamblers have to say on the subject. Sites such as bestukonlinecasino.com provide excellent commentary on what makes a good online casino and where you should be looking. That is especially useful if you have no idea where to start and are in need of some recommendations. If you already have a few online casinos lined up, but aren’t quite sure about which one you should turn to, it’s always a good idea to take a look at the list of games, like those listed on this page. It’s much easier to find a game you like and THEN register to the online casino which has it rather than to look through each casino one by one until you find what you’re looking for. Of course, picking a popular game has another great side effect – only legitimate casinos are allowed to obtain the licenses for big games such as “Game of Thrones” or “South Park”, so if you see one on the site chances are you’re pretty safe. I hope these tips were useful to you, and I wish you happy hunting!

“Whoa, slow down, Louie!” I hear you yelling from behind your computer monitor. “What in the world is a high roller? I mean, I’ve seen the term tossed around, but I have no idea what it actually is!” Well, first of all, dear reader, you don’t need to shout, I can hear you just fine. How this pre-written article can hear you in real time and respond to your inquiries is anyone’s guess (can we go with magic? Let’s go with magic), but I can hear you just fine even if you speak normally. So, what is a high roller? Well, there’s several definitions, but the one that matters to us is “one who is often seen gambling for more than 50 dollars per hand or game depending on the situation”. A high roller, as the name would suggest, often doesn’t bother with the smaller bets that most gamblers usually make and just goes straight for the big hand, employing a “high risk high reward” strategy.

High rollers are extremely important for casinos. Despite the fact that regular gamblers outnumber them ten to one, casinos still manage to make a good chunk of their profits precisely from them. As a result, both regular casinos and their online counterparts (such as the ones listed at highstakecasinos.co.uk) try to take veeeeeery good care of their high rollers and make sure they always come back. Most obviously, this takes the form of various features and bonuses that high rollers have access to which are off-limits to most gamblers. In physical locations, high rollers are often pampered with food and alcohol on the house and are given special attention and priority by the dealers. It’s not exactly fair, but it makes sense when you consider just what a huge part of casinos in general high rollers are. I’d say that it’s almost like being in a VIP club, except many casinos actually have VIP clubs for high rollers, so, you know…

These VIP clubs exist in both physical and online casinos and give their members access to special high-roller tables which are separate from the main casino. The atmosphere there is different, the air is more refined, so to speak. Gamblers are encouraged (often even required) to make higher bets than usual, but their rewards – both from the gambling and the gifts from the casino – are similarly higher. In online casinos, high rollers often receive gigantic bonuses to help them settle in better. When you’re browsing the offers for any online casino, try to find the high rollers deposit bonus and see for yourself! Chances are it’ll be at least 4 or 5 times higher than the regular deposit bonus, and under some circumstances I’ve even found bonuses which are ten times as high. If you can afford it, I’d say that there’s definitely plenty of bonuses, both literally and figuratively, to being a high roller!

With the Easter break behind and the weekend approaching, I have that lingering nostalgic feeling that I thought would be best expressed with some historical post. And since we all here are united by our love for casinos, what’s better than a short travel in time looking at how the game came about and developed through the years in good old Europe. Let’s have a look.

To know the exact date of casinos appearing first on the continent is pretty much impossible – the origins of gambling in general are lost somewhere between the third and fourth millennium BC. What we know for sure though, is that Europe is the pioneer in the casino business with Il Ridoto – founded back in 1638. You may find that interesting and I certainly found it quite fascinating that this Venetian “private room” (that’s the direct translation of the name) was government-owned. It also is the first official gambling house, with very strict rules applying not only to the games – dress code was very high-end and only the aristocracy at the time had access to that pleasure. The so-called Casini house at the time was the best place for business meetings as well with very…let’s call it “specific” atmosphere – girls, luxury drinks, you get the point.

In the early 19th century, French Emperor Napoleon (who was quite a gambler himself) issued a decree permitting gambling and opening gambling houses. Casinos started gaining popularity in France, promoted by people like the infamous Cardinal Mazarin. It is a little known fact that he introduced and pushed for the legalisation of casinos in order to compensate for the spending of King Louis XIV. The country’s treasury was empty and everything was spent on war. The plan worked and brought the economy back from bankruptcy by attracting upper-class players. The very term “roulette” literally means “wheel” in French. The inventor of the game is considered Pascal and it got widely popularised by another two frog-lovers – the brothers Francois and Louis Blanc. They introduced the single zero to the game. By the end of the eighteenth century roulette was present in every gambling house.

By the mid-nineteenth century, casinos were opening in Germany and England. It wasn’t all so easy though, as there were bans for any forms of hazardous games all over the place. In fact, by as far as 1873, the only legal and untouched safe haven for bookies and players alike was Monte Carlo and it became a sort of a capital for Europe’s gamblers.

In America, the first casino opened only in the early nineteenth century. Instead of luxurious appearance and guests, as we saw in the European example, there the venues were mostly conventional saloons (or pubs if you like, as we call them on this side of the pond). Their happiness didn’t last long either and soon with bans (which lasted until the mid-twentieth century) a lot of them moved over to Cuba. 1978 was marked by the beginning of the construction of the legendary Atlantic City. Some states allowed to conduct gambling only for indigenous people and many casinos began to appear on Indian lands.

Most recently, due to the active development of the Internet, online casinos are the top of the game, traveling across borders and making it much easier for players to gain access to more and better options. Most of the games are a complete imitation of the real live experience and even offer the ability for players to have live dealers and play real-time. The advantages of the online over land-based gambling are undeniable – you can play for free and practice without losing a penny and you can enjoy the games anytime, anywhere (no dress code, girls and luxury drinks, but hey, can’t have it all!).

So there, our trip is over, hope you enjoyed it, feel free to get in touch or just hang around for more of the same.

Now, I know we could’ve started with this, but hey, who likes to be told how to play at the outset? After all this is a big part of the game – learning how to do it and getting better with every other bet. But let’s put the beauty and romanticism of chance and trial-error and be honest – you do need some basics.

So we’ve put this short little guide with very basic advice that will be beneficial to everyone – new players and the ones amongst you who know it all, but can certainly do with some reminders. Sit yourself comfortably in front of your screen and let’s roll.

1. Watch your fellow players – yes, that’s right. You can even take notes. You can never do too much in that direction, regardless of where and how you are playing. And this doesn’t have to be necessarily related to physical appearance – a manner of playing is just as (if not more) important (especially online).
2. Play when you have rested – yes, it sounds a bit like the sort of thing your mother would say but it’s true. Try it and you will see you will make much better choices and therefore – enjoy much better results.
3. Play for pleasure – I know you will say you do anyway, but think again. If you have a money issue, if you’re in any sort of distress or let’s just say it – you’re plain greedy – that’s no good. Nothing will ever be enough and you will always end up not satisfied. Play for fun, when you feel in a good mood and with what you can afford to lose. And enjoy it – that’s what the game is for.
4. Don’t make your opponents personal enemies – be it a RNG or a real player – losing is part of life, so unless you can handle it like an adult, gambling is not for you. Sort your issues outside and come back when you’re ready.
5. Discipline, discipline, discipline – I know, I know I am starting to sound like your granny but it’s true! Learn to let go (oh that sounds so existential…right…). The truth is, you are going to win and you are going to lose. Simple as that. The trick is to lose a little when you do and to win a lot. So learn to let go of bad hands, even if you think the player against you is bluffing. Curiosity is a fine thing but it did kill the cat, didn’t it?

And to sum it all up – as with everything, nothing can fully apply to everything and everyone – we are all different so we play different. Try to learn yourself – without risking too much to begin with, test the water, see how you, yourself react to different situations, see what works and what doesn’t work for you and take notes. Improve on that the next time. Yes, it is about luck, but you know the old saying “The harder I work, the luckier I get”. It’s true, in poker as well. If you have the time to dig in, you can learn from some top players too, just to top your own experience – it helps and as an extra, most of their stories are quite fascinating.

That’s it from me for now folks, stay well, stay lucky and come see me again soon!

Hello everyone, how have you been? Hope it’s all good wherever you are, now let’s just get to business as I am sure you have heard the news! So it is official – Amaya will merge liquidity between PokerStars and Full Tilt this spring. What was just rumors a few days ago has been confirmed with an official press release. The main reasoning is that the merger will allow Amaya’s team to put all their efforts into improving one online platform as opposed to two, thus saving on cost and giving users a better experience as a result.

The past few years haven’t exactly been kind to Full Tilt. Even though the operator has been still in profit, it has been rapidly dropping down the top positions in the poker world, so much so that it fell out of the top 10 on the most respected in the industry tracking sites.

You may remember Amaya’s bold move from 2014 acquiring PokerStars. Well they have been doing alright ever since with only 888 being a close competitor when it comes to online poker across the board. The main concern we all have of course is how will the news affect players? Well let’s have a look.

The officials from PokerStars stated in the news release that there will be „elimination of a number of roles” in the Full Tilt’s Dublin office. Bad news for employees, but for end users of the platform – not really an issue. The two giants have promised to stick to a dual brand strategy, keeping both names and sites, which I am sure will be of comfort to some loyal members of each platform. For convenience, the user accounts will be merged across, so if you had one with either of the operators, you will be able to login to the other one with the same credentials.

Another plus for players is the fact that they will automatically be granted access to a wider variety of games and tournaments. As you can imagine, prize pools will be joined too, meaning even bigger jackpots for all! Full Tilt players will be able to join the PokerStars VIP scheme. Oh and to top it all – Full Tilt members who have never deposited on PokerStars will be able to take qualify for the PokerStars first deposit bonus, worth up to $600 per player! How groovy is that, hm?

Of course, there is the other side of the coin as always – there are a growing number of comments online against the merge, saying it won’t be beneficial to players as it is a move monopolizing the market. My personal opinion is that this does actually seem like a smart and logical move for Amaya. The company has been consistently doing well and not only for investors and shareholders – players have been well taken care of with technological improvements, huge and continual promotions across platforms and great industry events. I think it is only fair to give them the benefit of a doubt and believe that this move is actually for the better and we, players and gambling fans will in fact benefit from this latest development. But let’s wait and see – only time will tell! That’s all from me, thank you all again for reading us and be back soon for more!

Hello everyone, hope you’re getting ready for the weekend and have some exciting stuff to do ahead. But before you do, stay around for a few minutes and let me take you through my quick little guide on how to spot a good casino online. Since this is going to be my space to share all things casino, the logical first step is to make sure you have made a good choice picking yours. It can make all the difference, especially if you are new to the game.

So let’s see. After a careful consideration, I have picked a few key elements that I believe are of paramount importance and so not to be missed or overlooked. Check them out below.

Ratings & Comments

I put that first as it is the most logical and common thing to do – you would be googling people’s opinions of a given operator. Thing is, even though it is a good thing to do, it can be misleading. You can have employees of a given operator (or even the business owner themselves – if it is a small company) posting things around praising their services. So don’t rely on one or two sources, check thoroughly.

Certificates, Software and Payments

Certification, registration and license are important indicators. There are a few names in the idnustry that you will learn to recognise – The Gambling Commission, eCGORA and some reputable software providers. They are a sign the operator is checked and reliable. Look for license numbers, address, governing bodies. Payment methods are of course something that you should be checking – does the operator offer a wide range of them? Are they all familiar and popular names? Again – you need to be very careful as anyone can put a bunch of logos on their site and claim they have been verified.

Game Range

Well established gaming software providers like Playtech or Microgaming are a good sign. They are a warranty you will have a good variety of games to pick from. Be extra careful with downloading games – on your pc or other devices – as they can be viruses. Again – just a familiar logo is never enough to trust a website.

Welcome bonus and other freebies

This is something everyone is on the lookout for – we all want it all and preferably for free. Well, not wanting to disappoint you but I’m gonna be blunt – nothing is free in life, that applies even more to business. So let’s be fair – running an online casino is sure cheaper than one in a physical venue, but it’s not a charity. Yes, they can offer you bonuses, no deposit games, free games even – but if it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

In Conclusion

So as you can see above – there are a few boxes you need to tick, some things you need to make sure are double and triple checked before you get into putting your personal and financial data out there or/and downloading software to your device. I personally opted out after some searching for what I think is the best solution – trust some experts in the field and let them do the legwork for me. You can see a full list of the best uk online casinos @goodcasino.co.uk or do your own research for a similar site. I found this the optimum for me as I don’t have to (and to be honest – cannot) spend my time researching in detail tens of casino operators. It also gives you a nice snapshot of the games offered, some info on the bonuses, all the legalities – basically everything you need to know to make a safe choice. And all you have to do is sit back comfortably in your sofa and flick through. Can’t really ask for more!
I hope this post has been (or will be) of use to you guys, enjoy your weekend, play responsibly, have fun and come back to see me next week! Good luck!

Hi, this is Louie and this is my new casino blog. Here I will write about all things casino, starting from fresh news and interesting articles, and all the way to facts and offers from the most renowned gambling operators and their products. If there is something I love almost as much as gambling, it’s reading, writing and analysing the software platform, games and special features.

For example, if you want to play slots, there is a huge difference in graphics, sound effects and even payouts, so it is always better to be well informed and stay up to date with all the recent developments in the industry. And I wouldn’t want you wasting valuable time searching high and low for such information, instead of using that time to play, so I decided to put this blog together. This way, you will have all which interests you in one place. So, this is basically the purpose of this blog, to keep you informed on what is hot and what is not, what is new and what simply doesn’t work anymore.

So, my commitment to you is to bring you fresh-out-of-the-oven information from the iGaming industry and give you a few tips and tricks, to make your gambling experience as pleasant, hustle-free and fruitful as possible. In case you are wondering what makes me such an expert in the matter, let me tell you right off the bat that I have been playing on and offline all casino games that you can think of and I have seen the best and was able to compare it with the worst – trust me, you don’t want to go there! This is why I will share my knowledge with you and keep you from making my mistakes. That being said, I wish you good luck at the tables and see you soon.