Issue #99
weekly
Dear Readers,
I'm looking at the calendar, and it's hard to believe that winter is nearly over. Here the snow has washed away, and we now have cold windy days. Sometimes rain, sometimes not. But whatever the case, Spring is five weeks away (the official Spring of course). And of course this only applies to us in the Northern Hemisphere; the Australians and everyone else down there are in the summer mode. Go figure.
Nevertheless, Spring is looming at the edge of the horizon, and this makes me happy. 
Happily yours,
Bryan
In this issue:
1. What's New at Casinomeister
2. This Week's Humor
3. Forum Highlights
4. Gone Gambling's casino account giveaway
5. RTG FLYING RIGHT? So far, so good say the players
1. So what's new at Casinomeister:
Jackpot Willi!!
Finally, as promised Jackpot Willi is here! He's our newest staff member at Casinomeister and he'll be bringing you the latest on the Progressive Slots.
Some tips, a little trivia, and progressive updates; check him out here!
A New Casino at Casinomeister! CrazyVegas!!
That's right! Another new casino has joined the ranks of our reputable casino section
Crazy Vegas, a fine Microgaming casino. Here's what they're offering:
- 32 games - Progressive Jackpots - including Cash Splash & Treasure Nile. Play for free, or real money
- Support: 24 hr toll free
- Bonuses: New players $10 Free - No Purchase required.PLUS 15% bonus with every Firepay, PayPal, ACH or Wire Deposit (up to $1,500 per month). 10% with every Visa/Mastercard purchase. Bonus will be credited automatically to your account within 3 hours.
- Guaranteed Security. CashCheck to view all transactions & Playcheck to review your last 72 hours of play
So "Who Wants to be a Casinomeister?
Who wants to win $200 bucks?? Casino-on-net is sponsoring this month's contest
with a $200 grand prize! The game is just like the Millionaire show but no
million $$ (sorry) but it's a lot of fun. Test your gaming knowledge and use
your jokers wisely (there are a few drinking questions, so be careful!) You
can play once a day once the stats are reset. (I reset the stats daily early
in the morning Central European time) . Every time you play, there are
different questions, and of course different answers. So WHAT ARE YOU
WAITING FOR? It's fun! It's free! With this many exclamation points,
it's gotta be good! You can play here!!!
My Radio Show at Casinogazette
Hey, last week's show is still up, and if you haven't heard it, ya gotta listen to it now since my new show will be going up soon (thus replacing this show). I talk about:
- My experiences in London
- The New Online Players Association
- And lots more!
The Online Players Association
And While your checking out my radio show, take a look around Casinogazette and realize the the Online Players Association is taking shape there. Join up today! (membership is free) And become a member of one of the most important online gaming communities in existance!! The OPA
Like the new look?
Casinomeister's newsletter is now available in three flavors: HTML, text, or AOL, (you are reading the HTML version). If you would like to update your settings, please scroll down to the bottom and you'll find a link to do so. Any problems, please let me know!
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2. And now for the humor...... The following are true stories sent to me by the venerable Julie Sidwell of Gambling Grumbles:
A true story out of San Francisco:
A man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of America, walked into the branch and wrote "this iz a stikkup. Put all your muny in this bag." While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller's window. So he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to Wells Fargo. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it and, surmising from his spelling errors that he wasn't the brightest light in the harbor, told him that she could not accept his stickup note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip and that he would either have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America. Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, "OK" and left. He was arrested a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at Bank of America.
A motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that measured his speed using radar and photographed his car. He later received in the mail a ticket for $40 and a photo of his car. Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $40. Several days later, he received a letter from the police that contained another picture, this time of handcuffs. He immediately mailed in his $40.
ha ha ha
thanks Julie!
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3. Forum Highlights
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Casinomeister's Forum: Questions: Inter-Casino Progressive
Jackpot Games
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By dave_r (dave_r) on Tuesday, February 12, 2002 - 06:36 pm:
Bryan, you are one of the good guys, and I have no bone to pick with you. Casinomeister has always been my favorite forum, and I have considered this place my "home away from home" since its inception 3-4 yrs ago. We may not always agree on everything, but you've been very truthful with myself and other forum members, and in an industry this corrupt, the truth counts for a lot.
We will have to agree to disagree on this issue. I have emailed the senior staff at Microgaming (Lisa W, Kurt S, Dean S, Clitnon T, Avron M. etc.)on numerous occasions regarding progressive jackpots. Everything has been a huge secret with them. All I ever get is stonewalling and delaying tactics. They are very careful as to what they disclose to the general public. Perhaps this policy has recently changed, so I will give things another chance.
~B, you are about to introduce Jackpot Willie to your website. I will wait until this introduction is complete, and then I will go on a mission to gather evidence about these "winners". In the past, everything has been kept "confidential" except a players first and (sometimes) last name, and what state they are from.
Now how do you propose I go about finding out if these players are indeed REAL players, or if they were invented out of thin air? As I said, perhaps they are shills who are relatives of the software developers. Where's the EVIDENCE that any money has changed hands from CASINO/SOFTWARE SUPPLIER AND PLAYER. Has any reliable accounting firm verified that these payouts were for real?
In most cases there is NO EVIDENCE. Why? Because there's no regulation. Cheating is rampant, and the mob is tied to Got2bet just as it was in Las Vegas in the days before true regulation. Right now its the Wild Wild West days of online casino gambling. Anything goes. If a consumer is ripped off because the software is rigged, its his or her loss.
I'm sorry to be such a naysayer, but I am also a realist. It is not my nature to be pessimistic. In fact, in most endeavors in my life, I consider myself an eternal optimist. Not when it comes to gambling online. I've seen to many crooks. Too many scams. Too many fake, phony, frauds. As I've said many times, almost everyone is "bought and paid for".
Just because a so called "winner" has been photographed and interviewed doesn't mean it real. Scams such as this are carefully orchestrated. When a company is able to keep several hundred thousand dollars in additional profit, this is huge incentive to cheat.
Since you want to compare me to those people that believe moon landings were orchestrated; all I can do is laugh. Once again, I am not paranoid, but just a realist. Even the author of "Beat The Dealer", Edward Thorp believes he was cheated by land based casinos, on numerous occasions, in the days prior to regulation. Thorp is the authority on blackjack (even Spearmaster has this book, ahem). Just read chapter 7. Also buy Frank Scoblete's book, "Victory at Video Poker" and read his chapter on cheating. Back in the 1980's certain land based casinos bought video blackjack games programmed by Sega. These machines were not in Vegas, but in other regulated area (handled by Indian Gaming Commissions). These games were set to a percentage payout, and were NOT random. In most cases the machines were set to 83% payout. But there was nothing informing the player s/he was playing a non-random game, since most gaming commissions consider video poker and video bj to be a SLOT machine, AND NOT A GAME OF SKILL. In fact, according to Scoblete himself, even in Atlantic City, the CCC still considers video poker a slot machine. (And therefore even though it must pay above 83%, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE RANDOM). The Nevada Gaming Commission did rule that video poker is a game is skill, so in Vegas, the game DOES have to be random. If you play in Atlantic City, and play an IGT machine, the likeyhood is that the game is random. But my point is that the gaming commission still hasn't mandated that -- SO THERE'S NO GUARANTEE.
Mr. Racetrack - Consider yourself one of only a very small percentage of real players that have won a progressive online. You don't realize how lucky you truly are.
Find out what a few of us had to say here
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4. Gone Gambling's Casino Account Giveaway! Enter for Free for the chance to win a $50 Online Casino Account.
Winners will be drawn every day, so lodge your entry now. There's no questions to answer and no personal details are required. Just type in your email address and click on the competition entry button and you're in the draw. Couldn't you use a $50 Casino Account? Lodge your entry by clicking on the following link: GoneGambling.com
RTG FLYING RIGHT?
So far, so good say the players
We've been following this story, so we'll start with a brief recap on the Real Time Gaming situation. For months far too many RTG-powered casinos have been doing the slow-or-no pay dance with players. Matters came to a head when three casinos shut down leaving players unpaid, and RTG's Michael Staw went on the WOL message board to reassure everyone as business was waning.
An RTG site to handle complaints was opened and Staw gave his word that RTG would do the right thing. Since then players have been registering complaints with the inevitable skepticism that nothing would be done, but this week ex-Casino Merlin players started receiving payments. Players with beefs about The Casino Online and World Play Casino - two other casualties - have not yet received any payments so the jury's still out on this.
Meanwhile players are still unhappy with the slow-or-no pay situation at other RTG casinos and Staw will have to get that under control. But for now it's looking good and is a step in the right direction if RTG wishes to recover the gamblers' respect and trust.
Return to TopComplaints? Kudos? Please let me know.
Peace
Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister