I want to thank all of you for your inputs. They were much appreciated and will be taken into account.
To conclude:
- Would you mind if the casino only has a Web-based version without the option to download the software?
- Which jurisdiction do you trust the most?
- Which progressive Jackpot network do you like and/or trust the most?
- Do you prefer a stand-alone casino or a brand which consists of a casino, poker, bingo, etc with the option to use your balance on all of them?
- What is your favourite poker software?
- Don't you think that they are too many MicroGaming casinos already while the graphics seem a little bit out of date, compared to PlayTech or Boss Media?
- Is the reverse pending withdrawal really that anoying?
- Which two payment methods do you use the most?
- Do you prefer a casino with bigger bonuses but complex terms, or simple bonus terms but not that generous offers?
- Which software offers the most transparent bonus systems?
I apologize for the long list...
- Would you mind if the casino only has a Web-based version without the option to download the software?
Personally, I prefer download. Web only casinos tend to have horrible problems down to the much larger transfer of data. An example it the recently departed Lasseters casino, which used Orbis software for some of the slots. What REALLY put me off from playing much was the totally ridiculous length of time it took to simply load a slot, which was repeated every time I wanted to switch games. Often, it would take many minutes to load a new game, and this was repeated every time I wanted to try another. Dowloaded software is only held up by the PC, and with a decent PC the loading is acceptable. The problem with Microgaming not loading is NOT down to the PC, but is because a checking process puts a hold on the execution of the start-up, and access problems to the main Microgaming update server is what causes MG powered casinos to sit for ages on 0% casino 0% menu before loading up.
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Which jurisdiction do you trust the most?
UK, but sadly Gordon made this a somewhat unworkable proposition by having an over the top tax rate of 15%. ANY UK whitelisted jurisdiction enables full access to the UK and European market (except perhaps for a few countries currently being hauled through the EU courts for restricting competition in the industry to favour protectionism).
Do not rely on the US. It is a HUGE player base, worth a potential fortune, however, the screw is tightening, and the UIGEA can trip up even the best. Accepting US players will also create problems when it comes to "The City". NO company wants to be seen to be acting "illegally", and listed companies were the first to pull out of the US. Neteller were forced out, and came out with their reputation in tatters. MG is now in the process of being forced out through the actions in Kentucky courts.
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Which progressive Jackpot network do you like and/or trust the most?
I am not overly concerned, I associate "trust" as being with player and casino, and if I trust a casino, I trust I will be paid from a progressive they offer as part of a network.
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Do you prefer a stand-alone casino or a brand which consists of a casino, poker, bingo, etc with the option to use your balance on all of them?
I prefer a stand alone casino, since the extra work involved with having a central purse and internal transfers can be a little annoying, and presents another potential point of failure in the process.
However, I do not play poker (currently), nor engage in sports betting. IF much of your customer base preferred to play poker, bingo, and even sports betting, as well as a casino, then you would still be better off having the model with a central purse and the ability to use it in any product.
One of the biggest problems with this approach is when bonuses are brought in. Bonuses tend to add layers of rules that restrict players from transferring between the different sections of a multi-product site, and more rules means more confusion, and ultimately causes for complaint.
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What is your favourite poker software?
I have only ever played ONE game online, and it was a one off tournament, It was on Microgaming poker software, but this does not qualify me to offer an opinion as to which is best.
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Don't you think that they are too many MicroGaming casinos already while the graphics seem a little bit out of date, compared to PlayTech or Boss Media?
Recently, YES. There seems to have been a flood of new MG casinos coming out of the woodwork. It may well be my favourite software, but there are so many to choose from. The ONLY thing that makes them different are their promotional offers, and there is not actually much difference between them.
The Microgaming Tournament software is a complete Dog's Breakfast, despite the fact the faults have been around for YEARS (well, 2 at least). Far better multiplayer tournament software is to be had with the other brands, such as Cryptologic.
Microgaming have a reputation for churing out new games, but at the expense of fixing long standing issues with the software, which are just allowed to accumulate and create annoyance to players. Mostly this is minor, but long standing problems with the tournaments is a MAJOR issue, and one which MG have steadfastly ignored so far this year (in fact, things have worsened, not improved).
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Is the reverse pending withdrawal really that anoying?
You bet it is
The problem is simple, when I cash out, I have STOPPED PLAYING, and I want my cash NOW!!!
Most likely, I want liquidity, I do NOT want my funds tied up in lengthly pending periods. Where withdrawals are made to the eWallets, there is no excuse whatsoever for any kind of pending period other than for the once off verification procedures for a new player's first withdrawal.
Liquidity means I can take up other offers at other casinos, but equally, liquidity means I can withdraw from those other casinos, and play at YOUR casino. Overall, the industry sees more in the way of deposits, and since there is play on these deposits, the opportunity to make profit from the hold.
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Which two payment methods do you use the most?
Neteller is my primary choice, as it is fast, and if YOU pay ME through Neteller, I get it AT ONCE.
My second method is VISA - not so fast, but works in the UK.
Personally, I feel the industry should wean itself off CREDIT cards as a deposit method, except for the prepaid variety. This has more to do with responsible gambling rather than technical issues.
It is harder to end up with problem players if they have only been able to use money they already have.
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Do you prefer a casino with bigger bonuses but complex terms, or simple bonus terms but not that generous offers?
I don't mind promotions with "complex" terms, but what I DON'T like is the following
"If in the view of management, you have used abusive strategies to win from any promotion, the casino may, at their discresion, void all winnings and return the deposit"
This is simply a woolly term that rogue casinos use to avoid paying players. While terms may be complex, they MUST be precice, and if adhered to, the player MUST BE PAID. IF you didn't like "the way they played", pay them, and then show them the door. It is helpful to tell them WHY, at least in broad terms, otherwise you face accusations of unreasonable discrimination.
If games are deemed DO NOT PLAY, then say so, do NOT say "does not count towards requirements" and then VOID WINNINGS because a player played such a game. Software does not usually allow for games to be disabled during promotions, so players need to be told CLEARLY whether their favourite game simply "does not count" or "must not be played" during the course of a promotion.
A simple system of claiming promotions is better than automatically awarding them. This means a player has chosen a particular offer, and has presumably elected to take part having first decided the rules are to his liking. Many "simple systems" however, are beset with "technical problems", which makes them anything but simple.
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Which software offers the most transparent bonus systems?
Cryptologic - under cashier you can get an instant pop-up of both total requirements, those met so far, and amount to go. When you click on the coded promotion next to this, it opens a screen which lists each and every game (or game class) that is allowed for said promotion.
This easily beats Microgaming into second place (for me anyway), where the instant "bonus bubble" showing the amount still left in the bonus balance is offset by numerous technical lapses within the tracking software itself.
One advantage of the MG system is that there is no such thing as an "excluded game", although operators can set different weighting for different games, including a zero weighting for games they do not want to count, perhaps because of past experience with "advantage players".
RTG has a similar tracking feature to MG, and this is shown under cashier as an amount left to be wagered on the appropriate games as listed in the promotional rules.
Boss media has always had a bonus tracking feature, but many other softwares have taken time to realise this is what players need so they do not have to keep worrying about having met requirements, or rely on making calculations from a proxy counter, such as accumulated loyalty points.
Playtech seems to have lacked a proper bonus requirement tracker, but I hear rumour that things might have improved since I last used a Playtech powered casino.
I am not familiar with others quoted, such as Rival, Wizard Gaming, NetEnt, Wagerworks etc.
) that one might question whether a new one would be worth the effort of signing up, whereas with Wagerworks and Crypto, the choice is smaller.
But they seem to have completely lost the plot and their slots are mostly garbage.
