JackpotCity Online Casino Blog

It comes as no surprise that Microgaming pioneered the introduction of big win progressives, but did you know that they also have one of the largest online slots progressive networks? Over the next few weeks I’m going to chat to you about all 12 of the individual games within this slots network and will offer a host of background info on each.  So without further ado, here’s…

Major Millions Progressive Video Slot

 Major Millions is a progressive video slot machine with a huge jackpot that regularly reaches well over €400,000. Major Millions was originally introduced as a 3 reel traditional slot machine (which incidentally is also still available) but has now been upgraded to a 5 reel 15 payline progressive video slot with a fixed coin size of 0.20. A maximum amount of 15 coins can be played at any one time.

Basic game Information for Major Millions Progressive Video Slot

Theme: Generic
Player Demographic: All player demographics
Sequel of: Major Millions Reel Slot
Jackpot Value: Progressive
2nd Highest Pay: 8,000 coins
Reels: 5
Paylines: 15
Coins per Payline: 1
Max Coins: 15
Coin Sizes: 0.20 credits
Progressive: Yes
Wild Symbol: Yes
Multiplier Symbol: Yes (x3)
Scatter Symbol: Yes
Feature: No
Gamble: No

Major Millions Progressive Video Slot In-game Screenshots
 

Reels Screen (above)

Payout Screen (below)
 
The Original Launch Press Release for Major Millions Progressive Video Slot

For immediate release (19 March 2004)

A NEW WAY TO WIN MILLIONS

JackpotCity.com Online Casino launches latest 15 payline progressive

If you’re a Major Millions big win progressive fan, the latest version of this hugely popular game will have you polishing your medals and reporting to JackpotCity.com Casino for some serious action!

The three reel format of the Microgaming powered progressive has been extensively upgraded to an exciting five reel video slot platform that offers players 15 paylines for a maximum bet of $3.

Instead of the original game’s three paylines, you’ll have fifteen chances to pull The Big One in Internet gambling that has already created three instant millionaires and hundreds of other significant winners.

The look, digital quality sounds and feel of Major Millions will be familiar, but there’s a bigger thrill factor that includes a x3 wild multiplier to add to the excitement, and players can deposit up to fifteen 20 cent coins for maximum returns when the main target is hit and those five grinning Major logos appear in the right place and change your life.

For those who prefer the original three reel Major Millions, this original version of the game will remain in service.  The new 5 Reel video slot Major Millions will play to the same Jackpot Madness progressive network, giving players the opportunity to choose which game they feel will best show them the way to the big money.

Top American Investment Bank – Goldman Sachs – has predicted that online gambling will eventually be legalised in the United States.

According to a note which was sent to investors the current online poker and online casino market could be worth up to $12 billion. This sum is far too large to be ignored and could have massive implications with regards to Tax Revenue.

The note went on to further state that “Were the market to be legalized, we believe that the size of the revenue opportunity could increase materially… Based on an assumption of 30% penetration of offline poker players and $300 gross gaming revenue (GGR) per player, we estimate that a legal poker market could be worth $3bn.”

This should be good news to US Congressman Barney Frank (D – MA) who has been fighting to overturn the laws imposed on internet gambling by the Bush Administration.

What is your view?

You’re the players and your opinion counts! Do you think the US should legalise online gambling? Please note that although American players are currently not allowed to access the JackpotCity.com online casino software we would very much like to hear your views!

Please leave your comments below:

Our new JackpotCity.com online casino ads have been running throughout Europe for a month or so now. Below is the Casino UK version:

What do you think?

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Vegas, but I can assure you that it is one town that is built on showmanship. Elvis worked his magic there for years and rumours that Michael Jackson was originally going to stage his comeback in Vegas have now tragically proven to be untrue. But what if it this had not been the case? What would a Michael Jackson extravaganza in Las Vegas have been like? Could it have saved the pop icons life?

Vegas is a town that was perfectly suited to the Michael Jackson legend – its glitzy, over-the-top, highly entertaining and not without a bit of controversy (not unlike the man himself)… It is a town that can take the excesses of stardom and make them seem to be the norm (well normal for a town that basks in the sensory experience that is). In short, it was a town perfect for a Michael Jackson comeback!

Las Vegas - a town made even more famous by the Rat Pack!

Established as a city on March 19, 1911 Las Vegas has grown from strength to strength as a tourist and entertainment Mecca. It has been the home of many music and showbiz legends including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin, Elvis, Cher and (although not in my opinion) Celine Dion. It has made, broken, launched and re-launched so many careers that the name Las Vegas has now become synonymous with more than just gambling and casinos – it is now the home of world entertainment! Or in other words a town made for Michael Jackson…

Michael Jackson was always as smooth as hell!

Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958 and made his debut as a performer in 1964 as a member of the Jackson Brothers (they were later renamed the Jackson 5). His successful solo career subsequently resulted in him becoming the King of Pop and arguably the most successful and controversial music figure in the Billboard Hot 100 era.  

Michael Jackson, as the world’s greatest entertainer, never had the chance to fully explore (and utilise) the one town that was made for him! Over the next few weeks we’ll look into the question “What if MJ had played in Vegas?” We’ll see if this change in venues could have saved the life of the reclusive star or even if it could have revived his ailing career…

Coming Soon: Why Michael Jackson chose London over Vegas!

I admit I have been decidedly lax over the past few months when it comes to posting, but there have been reasons for this… We’re improving our communications systems so as to make our casino brands (JackpotCity.com Online Casino, Gaming Club Online Casino, River Belle Online Casino and Lucky Nugget Online Casino) even better for you.

Keep a lookout for these changes, because they’re coming SOON!

Cheers for now…

Justin

Player strikes it lucky with a win of over €6.3 million at River Belle Online Casino!

Gibraltar, 11 March 2009 – River Belle Online Casino has given Europe its latest millionaire with a win of over €6.3 million by longtime River Belle player Georgios M. on the Mega Moolah Progressive Slot Machine!

With a “passion for slot machines” Georgios M. has most certainly insured that 2009 has been a year to remember! This 36 year old business owner, husband and father was playing the Mega Moolah Progressive Slot Machine in his River Belle Online Casino Software early on Saturday evening when he hit the big one - €6.3 million ($8,6 million) in CASH!

The Mega Moolah slot machine has long been a favourite with River Belle and Belle Rock Entertainment casino players, and had been amassing a huge progressive jackpot over the past few months. For Georgios, his date with destiny arrived when the progressive jackpot burst, making him the recipient of the largest ever Microgaming casino jackpot payout. On hearing about his win, Georgios phoned River Belle’s 24/7 Casino Support line for confirmation, as in his own words he “could not believe it”. River Belle’s efficient support staff quickly calmed his nerves and assured him that he had indeed won over €6.3 million in cash.

Belle Rock Entertainment’s Chairman Tim Johnson had this to say about Georgios M’s amazing win, “We at Belle Rock Entertainment take the utmost pleasure in seeing our players win life changing jackpots. It is an amazing accomplishment that for a single bet of €5 a valued long time River Belle player walked away with one of the largest online jackpots ever won. Well done and enjoy your winnings Georgios.”

Online casino players interested in playing and winning on any River Belle Progressive Slot Machine need to go to http://www.riverbelle.com, download the FREE online casino software, open a new real money account, make an initial deposit and start playing. It’s that easy!

Please note! River Belle Online Casino and JackpotCity.com Online Casino unfortunately cannot accept US based players.

Two articles did the rounds at the JackpotCity mothership this week.  Both Mediapost and Canada.com picked up on the story of Representative Barney Frank’s plan to introduce a bill that could legalise online gambling in the US.

This bill will challenge the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, Mr Franksaying the current law ” burdens the financial service industry at a time of economic crisis”.

He tried unsuccessfully in 2007 to introduce the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act which would control underage and compulsive gambling, money laundering and fraud.  While Mr Frank seems to agree their is need for control he clearly disagrees with the Republican’s somewhat draconian outright banning of online gambling.

This conincides with the European Commission’s investigation into whether the US is singling out EU based companies for different treatment to American online gambling businesses.  European gambling sites have petitioned the Commisssion to investigae and report their fidnings at the World Trade Organisation in a bid to reverse the laws that have cost them millions of dollars in revenue.

Will the change of leadership mean a change in online gambling regulations.  It has been widely reported that in his days as Senator of Illinois, President Obama was a keen poker player.  This, however, is in contrast to his concerns about the dangers of gambling in poorer communities.  His words in 2003, “I think the moral and social cost of gambling, particularly in low-income communities could be devastating.”

It seems that despite support from the European Union, Mr Frank is going to have his work cut out for him getting his bill passed.  Whatever the outcome, Online Casinos the world over will be paying close attention to the result.

Throughout time, the game of baccarat has been seen to be a card game reserved for very exclusive and wealthy gamblers. The more well known players tend to be players in land-based casinos rather than online baccarat players.

In terms of land-based baccarat as opposed to online baccarat, one mentionable name would be Akio Kashiwagi. He first rose to fame through a record breaking win in Atlantic City, USA. This win in Atlantic City was of $6 million which he achieved through betting up to an astonishing $200,000 per hand. His luck turned a few weeks later when he reportedly lost a record $10 million.

Before online baccarat came about, Tommy Renzoni was a casino executive in Havana, Cuba in the 1950s. Renzoni is the man that took baccarat to Las Vegas.  The game quickly became a huge success and he is widely regarded as the father of baccarat in the United States.

And last but not least, there is one man who’s name has been synonymous with the game of baccarat for some time. That is of course James Bond. Baccarat is the secret agent’s favourite casino card game although the novels were written before the introduction of online baccarat.

These, of course, are famous people that play baccarat at land-based casinos. There are not as many well known online baccarat players. This could be due to the fact that any large wins in terms of online baccarat can  of course be kept relatively confidential. The introduction of online baccarat to casino sites means that you no longer need to be a member of the gambling elite to play. Online baccarat has succeeded in increasing the variety of different people playing the game of baccarat. Online baccarat has also become very popular as a standard game offered by online casinos.

 When playing slots games, whether land based or online slots, there are some terms that are helpful to know. While you don’t have to know these terms in order to play, it’s a good idea to know what everyone else is talking about. Following you’ll find some often used terms.

• Bonus Feature – There’s a special feature added to some newer slots that when activated automatically gives you free spins or a bonus round that allows you to win extra coins.
• Coins Size – This describes the amount of each bet. Most online slots allow more than one coin to be played. Typical coin sizes go from 1 cent to 5 dollars.
• Hit Frequency – This means how often winning spins happen. Obviously, larger hit frequencies are better than lower ones. However, you need to also consider the pay cycle.
• Multiline – Online slots as well as land based ones that have more than two pay lines to make winning combinations.
• Free Spins – Spins awarded for free occur when a specific combination, typically three or more, scatter symbols appear.
• Pay Line – Typically, this means the line in the center of the slot window. It can also be three – five lines. You can only win from symbols on a pay line.
• Reels – These are where the symbols of a machine are shown. A machine usually has three reels but can also be two, four, or more. The more reels, the harder it is to hit a jackpot.
• Scatter – A combination of two or more symbols that win regardless of where they appear.
• Symbols – The icons appearing on the reels.
• Pay Cycle – It’s believed that slots, either online slots or land based ones, go through cycles. This means once a certain amount of coins are played, the machine must pay out to keep up with the payout percentage programmed into that machine’s software.
• Wild Symbol – A symbol appearing on the reel that is substituted for other symbols to make a winning combination.

By studying this list, you can be as slots savvy as the next player.

See you in the software

Justin

I had the misfortune of watching Rush Hour 3 on Sunday night.  It was offensive on so many levels and Chris Tucker’s voice makes Fran Drescher sound sultry and seductive.  But what did get my attention was the scene in the Parisian casino.  Tucker’s character tries to get the attention of a beautiful woman with all the subtlety of a rhinoceros on viagra, at one of the casino tables where she is playing a card game.  Tucker gets 3 Kings in his first hand and thinks he has won.  The ever so snooty croupier says to him ” Messeur, this is Baccarat, that is the worst possible hand”.  I realised I had no idea how Baccarat works and thought others like me may want to know a little bit about the history of the game and how it works.

The game arrived in France from Italy in the 15th century and is similar to Faro and Basset.  It was first played by Italian Felix Falguierein with a pack of Tarot cards in the middle ages before it moved across the Alps to France where it became the game of the French aristocracy.  There are 3 versions of the game.  Punto Banco or North American Baccarat, Baccarat Chemin de Fer, and Baccarat Banque.

The rules are basically this.

• Cards 2 to 9 are worth their face value.
• Aces are worth 1,
• 10 and the face cards are worth zero.
• Unlike in blackjack where you aim to total 21, in Baccarat the aim is to total 9.
• The name Baccarat, meaning zero, is the name for the worst possible hand which is zero.
• To make it slightly more conmplicated, if for example, you have a 6 and a 7, totalling 13, the 10 is dropped meaning the total of your hand is 3.
• There are only 3 possible results.  Player, Bank or Tie.  The idea is to bet on whether the Player or Banker will win or whether there will be a tie.
• Player and Banker dont represent the gambler or the casino, they are simply the names for each hand.

Each versions has different rules but I think you get the gist.  In the 2nd to last James Bond, the remake of Casino Royale, Bond plays Texas Holdem against Le Chiffre due to the popularity of that game at present.  However, in Fleming’s novel and the original version of the movie, the game was Baccarat.  This game is popular with high rollers with players winning and losing tens of thousands of dollars per hand.  Another reason the game is probably not as well known is that the tables are usually tucked away in the more exclusive parts of casinos.

However with the growing popularity of online casinos you and I are able to step into the shoes of the French nobility and give it a go.  Just remember what happened to them though and that your card playing experience from those all night poker sessions counts for nought…or baccarat.