Where to Begin: The most played casino gambling games in Canada
If you’re new to casino gambling, you may be wondering where to begin. Don’t feel bad – every gambler has a “first time” experience. We all had to start somewhere. Most people are far too intimidated to sit at a live dealer table right off the bat, leading us to the slots or video poker machines, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Building up a little confidence first can be a good thing.
For he most part, I believe casino gambling is an experience best enjoyed for entertainment value. To get the most entertainment out of it, you need to try a little bit of everything. Not all at once, mind you, but to get a good grasp of what’s out there, and what you enjoy most, you’ll need to spread your wings.
For beginners, I generally recommend starting out with the most popular types of games. That way, you’re most likely to find something genuinely exciting, without limiting yourself too much.
The Most Played Casino Gambling Games in Canada
You can’t go wrong playing the most popular casino games in the country. They may not all be your cup of tea, but there’s surely something fun for every Canadian on this list. After all, they are the most played games for a reason. So, without further ado, here they are…
#1 Slot Machines
Don’t look so surprised! Yes, these games draw the intimidated newbies like moths to a flame, but it’s not just their solitary nature that makes them so approachable. Slot machines are just plain fun. Manufacturers endow with them with incredibly attractive themes – everything from tropical destinations and unimaginable wealth, to hit TV shows and Hollywood films.
If there’s anything out there you genuinely love, you can bet there’s a slot machine themed around it. With crystalline graphics, enthralling animations, and exciting features, it really is hard to deny the entertainment value in a good old fashioned (or digitally modernized) slot machine.
#2 Poker
It’s true – Texas Hold’em (and other variants) draws a vast crowd of Canadian players to the felt; or the virtual felt, as the case may often be. There’s something about competing against other players like yourself that makes poker so intriguing.
Sure, the games are fun on their own, but when you know you have this much control over your destiny – when you know that your level of skill, the decisions you make, and your ability to convince someone that you have the best hand (whether you really do or not) is far more impact on your odds of winning than pure luck – it’s easy to see the appeal for live and online poker in Canada.
#3 Roulette
None can deny the exponential thrill that takes hold when that wheel starts spinning. Your bets are on the table, and their fate is entirely up to the speed, weight, and trajectory of that little ball, bouncing and bobbling around the wheel’s many numbered columns. The adrenaline pumps ever faster as it finally makes its descent into that fateful pocket. Then, with wide-eyed wonder or the inevitable pangs of disappointment, we place more bets only to see the process repeated.
The thrill of anticipation is by far the main attraction of roulette. However, there are some things you should know before you choose this game. First and foremost, pay attention to the number of zeroes on the table and wheel. If there is a zero (0) and double zero (00), it’s the American version. It has the worst house edge of them all, 5.26%. If there’s just a single zero (0), it’s the European version, featuring a house edge of 2.7%. Better still, if it has a single zero (0) and features the La Partage rule, it is French Roulette, which features the lowest possible 1.35% house edge on all even-money bets, and 2.7% on all others.
#4 Blackjack
Just as roulette is loved for its simplicity, lacking any real strategy (aside from gamer selection) to increase your odds, blackjack is loved for the opposite reasons. In blackjack, players do have some control over their fate. A player’s decisions can make or break their experience. That doesn’t mean the smartest players will gain an edge over the house. The rules make that virtually impossible (without some fancy card counting techniques). But a smart player can easily achieve a house edge of around 0.25%.
It’s this knowledge that makes blackjack such a popular casino game in Canada. Not necessarily the strategic knowledge itself, but the knowledge that such strategy exists. Even knowing it’s available, you’d be surprised how many players don’t employ even basic strategy. The majority play on gut instinct. While professional may scoff at such behavior, there’s something to be said for the increased entertainment value of playing off the cuff, so to speak.
#5 Baccarat
I’m convinced that the popularity of baccarat (pronounced bah-kuh-rah, not back-a-rat) has everything to do with its depiction in Hollywood films. There’s nothing more dramatically suspenseful than watching James Bond play baccarat (aka Chemin de Fer) in so many of Ian Fleming’s iconic 007 films. – Casino Royale (1953), Dr. No (1962), Thunderball (1965), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), For Your Eyes Only (1981), and Golden Eye (1995).
The game itself is somewhat complicated to learn, and yet extremely simple to play. The way the cards are dealt, and the hands are built, is based on a complex system of rules. But you – the player – do not need to understand the rules to partake. All you need to know is how to place a bet. Drop your chips on the Banker, or the Player, or if you’re feeling particularly lucky, the Tie bet. That’s all you have to do. The dealer will take care of the rest.
As for strategy, the best thing you can do is bet on the Banker – always. There’s a 5% commission on all winning Banker bets, but the rules of the game still give the Bank hand a slight advantage, reducing the house edge to 1.6%. The Player hand carries a 1.24% edge. Don’t bother with those Tie bets either. They come in at a dastardly 9.5%.
Evolution Live Roulette Canada: The fast and the felicitous!
When it comes to
any form of live dealer online gambling, Evolution Gaming has one
thing none of its rival studios can claim – the absolute best live
casino experience, bar none. A stickler for grammar might argue that
this statement is merely an opinion, but there are 10 straight years
worth of Best Live Casino Supplier awards in Evolution’s
trophy case to prove otherwise. To me, that’s more than enough
evidence to prove it a fact.
That being said,
Canadians looking to experience the best live roulette games the
boundless realm of cyberspace has to offer, would do well to look
within Evolution-powered online casinos. There, you will find more
than enough options to satiate your desire.
Live Roulette Canada – Evolution’s Way
One thing that
sets Evolution apart from the rest of the industry is the company’s
employment of the most sophisticated, state of the art hardware and
software. It’s a commitment they’ve upheld since Evolution first
launched in 2006. Similarly, what sets their live croupier roulette
tables apart from their rivals, is the immense variety of classic and
innovative games players can choose from.
All games offer
player / croupier interaction and universal desktop / mobile OS
compatibility.
Evolution Gaming
provides its live casino licensees with the following types of live
dealer roulette tables, ranging from the most basic, to the most
diverse:
Live European Roulette
This is the most
popular version of roulette played round the world; a basic
single-zero game with a standard house edge of 2.7% on all potential
wagers. Evolution presents these games in standard and VIP table
formats. The interface is both user-friendly and intuitive, featuring
a Favorite Bets menu that can hold up to 15 of an individual player’s
most commonly placed wagers.
Live American Roulette
American
roulette is the double-zero version popularized throughout North
American casinos. Anyone who knows the difference is likely to avoid
this game. That double-zero effectively doubles the house edge to
5.26%. But alas, not everyone knows the difference, and therefore it
remains a classic favorite among more players than you might think.
To encourage more players to choose this lower-odds- version, many
online casinos will offer lower table stakes at American Roulette.
Live French Roulette
French Roulette
is the game the most educated roulette enthusiasts turn to for
maximum RTP. It features the same layout and pay table as European
Roulette, but features the La Partage rule, in which all even-money
bets are returned at 50% if the winning number is 0. This reduced the
house edge from 2.7% to 1.35% on all even-money bets.
Live Speed Roulette
One of the most
popular editions in the live roulette line-up, Speed Roulette is a
quicker version of the classic European-rules game. It’s so fast
that there is an average of just 25 seconds per round. That means the
wheel comes to a halt quicker, and there far less time is allotted to
get your bets on the table This one is obviously best suited for
serious players only.
Immersive Roulette
Evolution’s
award-winning Immersive Roulette tables are live croupier games of
European rules with a lot more cameras in place. As the wheel spins,
the view continuously shifts from one camera angle to another,
zooming in, zooming out, following the ball around the wheel and
creating a more cinematic experience. It’s quite thrilling, to be
honest!
Auto Roulette
I’m not a huge
fan of this one. Auto Roulette is a live game, but it doesn’t
feature a live croupier. Instead, the tables are equipped with
precision “slingshot” mechanisms that put the ball into play. It
speeds up the games, but at the same time, takes away from the
interactive, communal experience. To encourage more people to play it
(since it’s cheaper to run), you can expect to find the lowest live
roulette stakes of $0.50 at these tables.
Dual Play Roulette
This is one of
the most popular forms of live roulette. Canada players can take a
virtual trip to the genuine roulette tables one of many luxury casino
resorts on the other side of the globe. Evolution hosts Dual Play
Roulette tables from various locations, including Grand Casino
Bucharest, the Dragonara Casino in Malta, Grosvenor’s Victoria
Casino in London, and others.
Lightning Roulette
Last, but most
definitely not least, is the crème de la crème of the live croupier
roulette market – Lightning Roulette. It’s not called lightning
for its speed, but rather the fact that lightning can and will strike
various numbers on the digital roulette wheel as the game is played.
Lightning strikes attach random multipliers to all numbers they hit.
Any player who has bet on one of these lucky numbers will receive a
payout boosted by the corresponding multiplier.
KamaGames’ new video poker app for Android and iOS extends the brand’s wildly successful social casino games portfolio.
KamaGames is among the worlds leading
mobile poker operators; responsible for the social gaming phenomenon
that is Pokerist. After launching what would become the
wildly successful Pokerist Texas Poker app for iOS and Android
in 2011, KamaGames has since grown into the largest social poker
operator in all of Europe, averaging well over half a million active
players daily. In 2018, it was the top grossing app in more than 100
countries on the Google Play Store.
As the company’s social poker success
skyrocketed, KamaGames decided it was time to expand into the realm
of social casino gaming. Basing their future of brand recognition,
they built off the original theme with a series “-ist” games –
Rouletteist, Blackjackist and Baccaratist, launched in 2013, 2016 and
2017 respectively.
KamaGames has been scaling upward and outward
ever since. But it wasn’t until this week that the company finally
spread its wings into what seems a natural expansion of their
existing market dominance – video poker.
KamaGames Launches New Video Poker App
On Wednesday, KamaGames issued a press release
announcing the official launch of the digital gaming lab’s first
foray into social video poker games. Again keeping with the
simplicity of their celebrated “-ist” branding, they call it
Video Poker by Pokerist.
As of now, the app includes just three classic
video poker titles; Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, and Bonus Poker.
The creator guarantees fair play via their certified random number
generator (RNG). Video Poker by Pokerist is free to download and
play, with free daily chip allowances and daily achievements to top
off a player’s stack. Anyone who wants to purchase additional chips
can do so, spending anywhere from $0.99 to $99. However, being a 100%
social casino gaming app, chips can never be exchanged for real
money.
As Real As It Gets (Minus the Money)
The stand-alone app was built with the
intention of mimicking the exact same experience as the most popular
video poker machines in Vegas. According to the reviews by some of
the app’s earliest adopters, KamaGames succeeded in that goal
entirely.
One review on the Apple Store calls Video Poker
by Pokerist a “classic experience”, thanking KamaGames for
creating “exactly the same video poker machines which I usually
play in traditional casinos.”
It’s only been out for a few days, but it’s
worth noting that Video Poker by Pokerist currently has a perfect 5.0
rating from both Android and iOS users.
Aim to Draw New and Existing Customers Alike
KamaGames CEO Andrey Kuznetsov is extremely
proud of the versatility they’ve achieved in their ever-growing
social casino apps. “We are placing a strong focus on
differentiating our portfolio of social casino games in many
directions this year,” he said. “As an iconic element of the Las
Vegas casino, video poker is very familiar to our audience and
in-line with the products they want from KamaGames.”
Kuznetsov sees this latest addition to the
company’s portfolio as the perfect means to attract new players to
the brand, as well as draw existing users from the Pokerist app.
“With this exciting new addition, we hope to both satisfy both our
existing players whilst also attracting a fresh, new audience.”
He goes on to assure users that KamaGames will
be working to install additional games on the new video poker app
throughout the remainder of 2019.
If
I had to divide the world’s sea of gamblers into just two categories,
I’d have to classify them as those who like a good mental challenge,
and those who do not. If mental fortitude is one of your strong
points, odds are you’ll enjoy thought-provoking games that give you a
better shot of winning for applying a proper strategy. If not, then
you’re probably just in it for stress-free relaxation and
entertainment value. And if that’s the case, you’ve come to the right
place.
Earlier
this week, we talked about casino
games that require skill
to maximize odds of winning. As promised, today’s topic will cover
the opposing regimen of games. These titles present absolutely no
mental challenge to play. There is no strategy to apply that will
increase the theoretical return to player (RTP). Winning these games
requires nothing more than dumb luck.
Simple
Casino Games that Require No Skill
The following is a collection of easy casino games, best suited for players who enjoy them for their simplicity. If your the type who plays to shed the stress of a long day or work week, these are the games for you. I’ve listed them in order of ascending RTP; theoretically highest paying to lowest.
Baccarat
Isn’t
baccarat the cosmopolitan of gambling games? Is it not the prime
choice of James Bond and every other cultivated high-roller in the
casino? You would assume it requires erudite skill to master. In
reality, it’s the simplest game of all, requiring no thought or
awareness beyond placing a bet. As for where to place that bet, the
Banker has the best odds of winning with a 98.94% RTP, even with the
5% commission applied to all wins. The Player hand pays 1 to 1, but
its RTP comes in slightly lower at 98.76%.
Roulette
Everyone
knows this game. Pick a number or selection of numbers and cross your
fingers! It really is that easy. Getting the best RTP is a matter of
finding the right rules. The best are found in French Roulette, where
all even-money bets (red, black, high, low, odd, even) have a 98.65%
RTP. All other bets come in at 97.3%, matching the full spectrum of
wagers in European Roulette. Just stay away from the double-zero
American Roulette tables, where you’ll only get a 94.74% RTP at best,
92.11% at worst.
Craps
Craps
is probably the most misconceived game in the casino. Everyone
believes the rules are so complex, they never bother to learn them. I
won’t argue that point – there are some convoluted bets in the mix.
However, the simplest bets are the ones with the best odds of
winning, and if you stick to these, you will naturally learn the rest
of the game as you go. Betting against the shooter on the Don’t Pass
Line comes with the highest RTP of 98.64%. It also comes with very
nasty looks, so don’t do it unless you’re playing at an online
casino. In a physical casino, bet with the shooter on the Pass Line;
RTP 98.59%. If you enjoy the game, take the time to learn about
placing odds to bring the edge down even lower. It’s not a strategy –
just a smart bet.
Casino War
If
you played card games as a child, you surely remember playing War
with your friends or siblings. This is the exact same game. Each
player flips a card, and the higher card wins. In this version, the
casino gains the advantage when there’s a tie. Players must wager a
second bet to “go to war”, or forfeit half of the original bet to
surrender. But going to war means the original bet will push. Thus
the casino gains its edge, resulting in an RTP of 97.72%.
Slot Machines
You
knew these were going to pop up on here at some point, right? Those
dastardly (but oh so entertaining!) one-armed bandits are still among
the easiest games to play. Depending on where you enjoy them, the RTP
could be decent, or really bad. Most of today’s online slots come
with a standard RTP of about 95-97%. Play at a land-based casino, and
you could be facing an RTP as low as 88-92%.
Big Six Wheel
This
game gains its name from the fact that there are 6 different numbers
on the wheel to wager on. The higher the number, the less it appears
on the wheel, but the more it pays for a correct pick. Unfortunately,
the odds increase faster than the payouts. The best you’ll get is an
11.11% RTP betting on the $1.
Keno
Like Big Six, Keno is one of the easiest casino games to play, but even more terrible on the pocket book. It’s the worst game most casinos have to offer. Selecting a single number that only pays 2 to 1 for a win comes with a 75% RTP (house edge 25%), and it only gets worse from there.
Switch
Studios installs new online European Blackjack and American Roulette
at Microgaming casinos.
One
of Microgaming‘s
most talented exclusive content partners, Switch
Studios,
is expanding the Quickfire platform once again. This latest
installment is bringing the casino software brand’s countless players
access to the culturally diverse games of European
Blackjack and
American
Roulette.
Switch
Studios is the supplier responsible for revamping the platform’s
online table games selection. Microgaming announced their partnership
with the software lab in November of 2018, right about the time their
first table game, known simply as Roulette,
went live. As that first installment clearly showed, the development
team at Switch Studios has a knack for creating beautifully rendered,
3D-quality games with an immersive realism that’s hard to beat in the
digital realm.
New
Online European Blackjack Game
There’s
not much you can do to make a blackjack game more classical than it
already is – or at least, that’s what I thought prior to this
release. Microgaming’s newest electronic dealer addition plays out on
a brilliant felt of cerulean blue. The graphics are extremely crisp,
giving it a realistic feel that’s bolstered by the tranquil sound of
classical piano music reverberating in the background. The cherry on
top is the sophisticated voice of a female dealer, commentating the
game with an elegant European accent.
The
game offers all of the usual elements of a European Blackjack table.
Dealer stands on soft 17, player’s can split any two matching cards
except 4s, 5s and 10s, which are strategically taboo anyway. Doubling
down is permitted on hand totals of 9, 10 or 11 only, and can be
placed following a split. The payout for a natural blackjack is a
respectable 3:2.
Microgaming’s
New American Roulette
I
won’t spend too much time glorifying this new online table games
selection. As any moderately experienced gambler knows, the American
version of roulette is the worst option for fans of this famous wheel
game – among the worst of all games in the casino. Due to the
presence of the double zero (00), American roulette offers a house
edge of 5.26%; nearly twice that of European roulette’s 2.7%, and
almost four-times that of the even-money bets in French Roulette with
the La
Partage
rule (1.35%).
With
that being said, I can’t fault Switch Studios for its astoundingly
pristine visual effects. The roulette wheel is stunningly realistic,
endowed with a 3D quality rarely seen in today’s digital casino
world. My only suggestion would be to skip the new American Roulette
game and play the developer’s original release of (single-zero)
Roulette.
They are the exact same games, but with better odds in the original
version.
Microgaming
and Switch Studio Exchange Compliments
In a press release announcing the new additions last week, the games were referred to as providing the “ultimate online casino experience” on any device – desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Here’s what the heads of each company’s gaming department had to say about them.
Switch
Studios Tom David went first. “We’re delighted to release not
one, but two new games under the Switch Studios brand, exclusively to
Microgaming,” he said. “Both European Blackjack and American
Roulette demonstrate our ambition to refresh the table-game market
with exciting, modern and mobile-friendly gaming experiences.”
Next
up was Microgaming’s Head of Games, Jagoda Barber. “Switch Studios
has done it again, taking a fresh look at traditional table games and
reigniting them for a new era of players,” commends Barber. “With
immersive gameplay and customisable features complemented by stunning
visuals, new and seasoned players can enjoy the thrill of European
Blackjack and American Roulette both at home and on the go.”
Learn how to master roulette like a casino wizard!
To become a
master of any casino game takes a great deal of knowledge, patient
and of course, money. Becoming a master doesn’t just mean learning
the rules inside and out. It doesn’t mean making all the right moves
at in all the right places. It’s more than perfect timing and proper
bet sizing. To become a master of any game is to learn to employ of
all these, and more, without letting that power go to your head.
For centuries,
Roulette has been considered the ‘Game of Kings‘. It
didn’t earn this nickname because Kings are so wise, or powerful, or
arrogant. It gained the name because only rich people could afford to
play. Roulette is a game of negative expectations, no matter how well
you play it. Unless you’re psychic or cheating, you cannot turn the
tides in your favor. Only Lady Luck can do that, and she is a
capricious bitch!
How to Master Roulette
Roulette is a
very simple, straight-forward game. There are no convoluted rules to
trip you up. Players bet on a color, number, or group of numbers. If
the outcome matches the player’s selected wager, he wins. If not, he
loses. It really is that simple.
Mastering the
game requires having special knowledge in three basic areas –
choice of game, choice of venue, and choice of bet. Let’s examine…
Choice of Roulette Game
The house edge
for each type of roulette game is of utmost importance. Each
variation and their respective house edge are as follows:
American
Roulette = 5.26%
European
Roulette = 2.7%
French
Roulette = 1.35%
The house edge
is the casino’s odds of beating the player. So, knowing that and
observing the list above, which game should you be playing?
If you chose
French Roulette, you’re one step closer to becoming a roulette
wizard! Let’s move on…
Choice of Roulette Venue
Where you play
roulette is almost as important as the variation of the game you
play. No, it’s not because the casinos cheat or alter the edge of the
games. As I said, the regional rules direct the odds – nothing
more. It’s because French Roulette is extremely hard to find! Having
such a low house edge, most casinos would rather supply American
Roulette, or at least European Roulette, to protect their own bottom
line.
So, where do you
think you’re most likely to find French Roulette games? If you said
France, you’re a genius! (That was sarcasm, by the way.) The truth
is, very few land-based casinos – in France or otherwise –
actually offer this game.
The correct
answer is online. Some internet-based casinos, especially those
powered by Microgaming software, offer French Roulette.
Choice of Roulette Bets
Now, for the
final step in mastering the game of kings, you need to be placing the
right bets. Don’t worry, you’re not going to be forced to bet in one
spot and one spot only, like baccarat. You will have a few options,
but they must be even-money bets. Here’s why…
French Roulette
maintains its 1.35% house edge only on bets that pay 1 to 1. The
better odds come from a rule known as La Partage, which
states that all even-money wagers are returned at 50% if the winning
number is zero (0).
Eligible wagers
include:
Odd or
Even
Red or
Black
High or
Low
Thus, these are
the only wagers that will grant you the best 1.35% house edge.
Play French Roulette Like a Wizard!
Put all that
information together, and you can master roulette by restricting your
game play to even-money wagers on French Roulette. It doesn’t mean
you’re going to win. It simply means you’ll get the best possible
chance of winning (barring the adulteress tendencies of Lady Luck,
of course).
Quickfire casino games portfolio getting plumper in 2018.
As the industry’s oldest and most dedicated developer of online casino gaming content, Microgaming‘s portfolio is expected to offer the largest variety in the business. More than 900 games in total—500+ within the Quickfire platform, optimized for all desktop and mobile OS—make up their vast collection.
Microgaming’s agenda has for years been to deliver no less than two new digital gambling amusements each month. Following this protocol for over two decades put them in the leading position they’re in now. But for the last few years, that ‘no less than two‘ protocol became a very standard policy.
Month after month, year after year, the design team churned out exactly two new games per turn of the calendar. It became monotonous, as did the repetitive themes and cookie-cutter features. But now, they’ve undertaken a new business model. It’s not only increasing the output for the Microgaming online casino suite, it’s giving players a much more versatile range of themes and features to enjoy.
The Pressure’s Off for Microgaming Team
All Microgaming casino content was once developed in-house from the company’s headquarters in Douglas, Isle of Man. A limited number of developers were forced to deliver a minimum number of new games each month. I can only imagine the pressure this put on their overall team.
A few years ago, Microgaming opened Pandora’s suggestion box, and the company’s vision took on a whole new prospective. They began signing exclusivity contracts with smaller digital games companies—companies more likely to put out closer to two games per year, than per month. But the great thing about these companies was their fresh vision. They had different ideals and concepts, original features that players could truly appreciate.
Now, Microgaming has so many independent studios working for them—Triple Edge, Sling Shot, Big Time Gaming, JFTW (just to name a few)—the home crew can finally relax, taking their time developing innovative games with unique features and themes that live up to the long-standing Microgaming reputation for quality.
3+ Per Month for Quickfire Casino Games Portfolio
For the last three months straight, the Microgaming online casino platform has increased by 3 games per month. In September, players were introduced to Side Winder, Wicked Tales: Dark Red, and a new European Roulette wheel. In October, the long-awaited Cash of Kingdoms Slot finally arrived, along with Romanov Riches and Lucha Legends.
Now in November, another trio of online and mobile slot machines are set for release on the Quickfire casino games platform. The first, Reel Talent, is a 5×3, 20-line game from Just For The Win (JFTW). The developer lauds this title as offering the “highest frequency of big wins” in their portfolio to date.
Next on the menu is the Bonanza Slot by Big Time Gaming (BGT). This one might ring a bell, because it’s not exactly a new title. However, it is new to Microgaming online casinos. BGT took one of its most popular MegaWays feature slots of all time, released in 2016, and installed it on the Quickfire platform this week.
Last but not least, BGT will also be installing its highly anticipated new slot machine, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, on the Microgaming suite later this month.
Games where online casino odds are better than land-based RTPs.
It’s been said time and again; the odds at online casinos are better than those presented by land-based gambling establishments. This is a true statement. However, it doesn’t apply to all games. In fact, it only applies to a select few.
Today we’ll show you which casino games offer better odds online, and which ones don’t. We’ll also explain some other areas in which online casinos are better for players, and their bankrolls, despite having the exact same odds of actually winning (and losing).
Games where Online Casino Odds are Better
This category is surprisingly small. In fact, it only includes two types of games; slot machines and roulette tables.
Since the majority of casino goers play slot machines, this one is a big deal. Online slots really do pay out at a higher average RTP than their terrestrial counterparts.
In a land-based casino, you can expect the theoretical return to player, or RTP, to be set anywhere from 85% to 92%. In Nevada, the law only requires slot machines to pay a minimum 75%. However, with Las Vegas being such a competitive market, most casinos will install slots with at least an 85% payout rate. It’s rare to see anything higher than 92%, although it does happen on occasion.
Online casinos, on the other hand, can afford to pay a lot more in winnings. They don’t have massive utility bills and payrolls to cover. The extra savings is passed on to customers by way of higher slots RTPs, averaging 96%-97%. However, progressive online slots—just like land-based progressives—are usually set with a lower RTP, for obvious reasons.
Roulette also falls into this category, simply because players have access to a wider variety of roulette variations. If your local casino only offers American roulette, you’re getting the worst odds available.
American roulette’s double zero (00) results in the highest possible RTP of 94.7% on even-money wagers. European roulette, featuring only a single zero (0), has a max RTP of 97.3% on the same bets. Players who dig deep enough to find an online roulette game featuring the La Partage rule can get the best online roulette odds of 98.65%.
All other common casino games present the exact same odds as their land-based twins. This goes for video poker, blackjack, baccarat, craps, and other table games.
Other Reasons Casino Games offer Better Odds Online
Sometimes it’s not just about how much you win or lose, but how much you spend in the process. It’s nearly impossible to visit a land-based casino without doling out additional expenses. You’ll have to fuel up your car to get there, if not pay for an expensive airline ticket. The food isn’t cheap, and even if you don’t pay travel expenses or get hungry/thirsty, you’ll still be subject to paying tips.
Online casinos have no added expenses. There’s no tipping the dealers, waitresses or valet attendants. Every dollar you have set aside for your gambling venture can go straight into your bankroll, ensuring a longer session with more chances to hit that lucky win, whether the online casino odds are higher for your favorite games or not.
New study predicts future of VR online gambling 2018-2022.
Virtual reality, or VR for short, is one of the latest technologies to emerge in the realm of digital experiences. Despite being around for several years now, it’s still considered a burgeoning market with a niche audience. But like many of its predecessors—the computer, the internet, online gambling—it’s one that is expected to take off in the coming years.
VR gambling, in particular, is a market that many believe will become incredibly lucrative over time. Mobile casino games were once a niche market, too, yet now they outrank player access via desktop and laptop computers.
We’ve had access to virtual reality gambling for longer than most people realize. Microgaming debuted the industry’s first title in February 2016 at ICE Totally Gaming, wowing the crowd with its immersive VR Roulette game (pictured left). Soon after, NetEnt began upgrading its most popular 3D slots, like Jack in the Beanstalk, Dracula and Starbusrt, for VR compatibility. Like VR Roulette, VR Blackjack games allow players to reach out, grab chips and place them on the table’s betting diagram, just like a real game.
Predicting the Future of VR Online Gambling 2018-2022
This week, a new research report emerged from HTF Market Intelligence. The study, entitled ‘Global VR Gambling Market 2018-2022‘, utilizes in-depth analyses of this and relative online gambling insights to project the future of this potentially multi-billion dollar industry.
Geared towards “business strategists, industry executives, marketing, sales and product managers”, the study focuses primarily on macro-economic issues in the market. HTF MI details, “influencing factors and key market trends and drivers that are changing the dynamics of Global VR Gambling market.”
What will Drive the VR Gambling Industry?
The report indicates E-Sports betting as the most dominant factor in the market’s impending progress. E-Sports is linked directly to another multi-billion dollar industry—competitive game play of Mass Multi-Player Online (MMO) video games; League of Legends, DOTA 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), etc.
Countless players compete in tournaments around the world every year, with massive prize pools up for grabs. How massive? The League of Legends 2017 Season World Championship paid a grand total of $4,596,591 in prizes.
As the participants in these games compete for that cash, countless more followers are betting on the outcome, just as they would any traditional sporting event like football, hockey or tennis. HTF MI believes the scope of VR gambling will get a major boost from this arena; more so than any other gaming venue from now through 2022.
Biggest Challenge facing Virtual Reality Gambling
In the meantime, the study details the high pricing of VR headsets as the biggest challenge for growth in VR gambling. There are cheaper models on the market, but they don’t share the qualitative capabilities of their more expensive rivals.
The latest Oculus Rift bundle, including headset and controllers, runs about US-$400. Its more modestly priced Oculus Go, a stand-alone headset, goes for about $200. Comparatively, the HTC Vive headset+controller bundle runs about $500, the ASUS Windows version $400, and the Sony PlayStation VR, with headset and camera, $200 (half its original cost). If you think those prices are moderate to high, how about the HTC Vive PRO HMD Starter Kit for $1400, or the headset alone for about $800?
While those prices might work for some, they clearly detract from what could be a much larger clientele. Just like computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets, VR headsets must become more affordable before the market can expand to mainstream.
Most Notable Trend in Gambling with VR
Oddly enough, the biggest trend in the VR online gambling market isn’t really gambling at all, but rather the opposite. VR has become a significant tool in the treatment of gambling addiction.
Preventative research has shown that simulated environments can be helpful in teaching addicts to recognize triggers and avoid temptation. According to researchers at the Cyberpsychology Lab at Universite du Quebec en Outaouais, VR provides a safe and realistic environment for patients to test themselves.
Are live casino games rigged? How do I know for sure?
The question of online casinos being rigged has circulated for more than two decades. For the last fifteen years or so, it’s been proven that reputable gambling websites do not cheat their players. Software audits and certification bares evidence that computerized, RNG-based games are just as fair as those managed by professional dealers and croupiers.
But RNG-based games and live casino games are quite different. Just like the tables at bricks-and-mortar casinos, they are operated by real, professionally trained dealers. They use real cards and roulette wheels. Every bit of the action mimics that of a land-based casino, minus the physical presence of the players.
Unfortunately, humans are much more likely to err than computer software. Worse, it’s not always an accident. Just as dealers at land-based casinos have been caught cheating in the past, live dealers at online casinos have the same opportunity. So the question is…
Do Live Dealers Cheat at Online Casinos?
As much as I would like to give a flat, 100% ‘No!‘ to that question, I cannot. Live dealers have actually been caught cheating. In February of 2017, a live casino player caught it on video, and it went viral on YouTube within hours. You can see it for yourself here: Online Live Blackjack Dealer Caught Cheating
It was a sad day when this video released, rocking the live casino industry to its core. The gambling website, BetOnline, was caught up in massive a scandal, because one of the dealers of its chosen live casino provider, Global Gaming Labs (GGL), was caught cheating. For the record, BetOnline immediately dropped GGL from its providers, and GGL subsequently went out of business.
On the bright side, this tragic incident renewed the efforts of upright studios to prove their worthiness to the iGaming masses. Which brings us to…
Are Live Casino Games Rigged, and How do I Know?
The largest live casino studio producers absolutely do not rig their table games. Their dealer’s are professionally trained to play a legitimate game. After all, casinos already have a house edge—they don’t need to cheat to make money.
To prove their upright stature, casinos willingly undergo regular audits to certify their fairness. The results of their live games are monitored and calculated to determine if the actual RTP (return to player) meets the expected RTP. Slight deviations are permitted for proper and lax player decisions, but overall, when the RTPs line up, it’s clear that the live games are kosher.
To know you’re getting a fair deal, all you have to do is play live casino games from studios with a solid reputation. These include companies like Evolution Gaming, Microgaming, NetEnt and PlayTech. They take immense pride in their products, and are subject to the regulation of the strictest gaming authorities in the world.
Suffice to say, if caught cheating, these companies would suffer tremendous penalties, the least of which would be including compensation of victimized players. And as the video above clearly shows, thanks to today’s modern technology and the vigilance of players, cheating is easy to uncover.
There are countless online gamblers who record and/or live stream their game play on video services like YouTube and Twitch. Many of them have thousands of viewers who watch. If any form of cheating were to occur, you can rest assured the player, or one of their many viewers, would catch it. And like the cheating scandal of GGL, it would go viral within hours.
So in answer to the question—Are live casino games rigged?—the dominant answer is no. It is possible, but any smart player can avoid being cheated by choosing their gambling websites wisely. For Canadians like myself, a good rule of thumb here is to avoid online casinos that accept US players.
Now in November, another trio of online and mobile slot machines are set for release on the Quickfire casino games platform. The first, Reel Talent, is a 5×3, 20-line game from Just For The Win (JFTW). The developer lauds this title as offering the “highest frequency of big wins” in their portfolio to date.
It’s been said time and again; the odds at online casinos are better than those presented by land-based gambling establishments. This is a true statement. However, it doesn’t apply to all games. In fact, it only applies to a select few.
Online casinos, on the other hand, can afford to pay a lot more in winnings. They don’t have massive utility bills and payrolls to cover. The extra savings is passed on to customers by way of higher slots RTPs, averaging 96%-97%. However, progressive online slots—just like land-based progressives—are usually set with a lower RTP, for obvious reasons.
