Gambling Guru is an internet casino portal providing internet gambling advice and news to the online gambler. http://www.gamblingguru.com/ http://www.gamblingguru.com http://www.gamblingguru.com/rss/logo.gif It's good to see a casino that doesn't look like a zillion others now and then, and though it might be hard to believe if you've ever seen one of the cheesy PartyGaming tv commercials, Starluck Casino actually manages to distinguish itself from the crowd in a positive way. The interface uses a fresh and very intuitive design, and all the info you need is right there at your fingertips. Some features really set the casino apart. For instance, though like in most casino's you can't keep track of your wager requirements within the software, real money players do have access to game logs for up to 100 past games. Players can choose to play individually, or to participate in a stackload of tournaments, and this is where Starluck really shines.There are tournaments for practically every type of game, and apart from the fact that it's a lot of fun to be king or queen of the casino, there are also some handsome rewards for the winners. There's the Win a Cruise tournament, for instance, in which blackjack and slots players can win a gaming cruise to the Caribbean with automatic entrance into the onboard $50.000 Blackjack Championship, and the $250.000 Slots Championship. The choice of games is not over-extensive at Starluck Casino, but more than enough to keep you happy for a good while. The only minor point I could find was that one day when I was playing I frequently got disconnected because of "internet congestion." However, other days were congestion-free, and the casino functioned pretty smoothly otherwise. Definitely worth a visit. http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_40.html 2006-02-03 Sometimes you just want a quick fix, and that's when you go to Captain Cook's Flash Casino. No hassles downloading, no extensive registration formalities, just good straightforward gaming. Though you won't find any big bells and whistles here in the graphics department, the visuals are still fun and diverse, and the range of games is truly outstanding. I counted 74 slots, among which 12 progressives, 15 video poker games, and 22 table games; there is also Keno and a scratch card game for lottery fans. The platform is Microgaming, so you can be assured of a smooth ride. http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_39.html 2006-01-20 Looking out of the window at this time of the year can be pretty gloomy – early evenings and dreary weather, it makes you crave a nice hot place with white beaches, waving palms and cocktails aplenty. Well, let me present you Casino Lima Rio, which gave me exactly the fix I was craving. There’s some pretty hot gaming here, with fun and innovative graphics, a nice theme, and more importantly, an extensive selection of games, generous bonuses and frequent prize giveaways. Casino Lima Rio is based on the sophisticated G-FED Games platform, and presents their full suite of games and features. Players are offered more than 90 games, and the option to play them in an astounding 15 (!) different languages and four currencies: US$, €, ¥, and £. Customer support is also available in 15 different languages, and the reps I dealt with were courteous and efficient – a rarity among online casinos. Apart from the truly amazing language-options, there are a few other cool features that set this casino apart for me. For one, you can load your own music into the casino and finally say goodbye to cheesy background tunes. Such a relief! I also really appreciated that you don’t have to constantly go back to the lobby to enter another game – in the G FED software you can just switch games right from within the game you’re playing. To sum up: this is a visually pleasing casino, with great customer service, and all the gaming and extra features you could wish for. Take a trip to this tropical paradise, you won’t regret it! http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_38.html 2005-12-12 “The Good Life. Good Living,” is how Damian Aspinall’s online baby bills itself. Aspinalls Online is an offspring of the swanky Aspinall’s Casino in London’s Mayfair district, founded by the late John Aspinall, raffish gambler, zookeeper, and the father of modern gambling in the UK. It is quite a heritage to bear, and Aspinalls Online doesn’t entirely pull it off. Yes, the Aspinalls website has a sophisticated design, and offers abundant information. There is even a blog with cheery postings about the late John Aspinall’s two zoos amongst other things. In keeping with the blue blood spirit, players can be assured that part of their money goes towards the zoos’ conservational efforts (for all you gamblers with a golden heart). However, and more to the point, since Aspinalls Online is based on the same Playtech platform of GoldenPalace, there’s the typical Playtech flatness in the graphics - especially visible in the slot machines - and some of the games require a separate download, which can be tedious. Nonetheless, the casino looks and feels pretty sophisticated and it offers a full load of gaming atop abundant special features. Expect one of the most extensive suites of games around, single- and multiplayer environments, the possibility of playing at private tables, live webcam gaming, a separate poker room, and even a mobile phone casino. So although Mayfair it is not, Aspinalls Online brings you a topnotch gaming experience right there in your living room. http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_37.html 2005-12-02 Of course Grundy Television and Neighbours have nothing whatsoever to do with Lasseters Casino, apart perhaps from providing it with a familiar ring. Aussie smarts, for sure. Lasseters Casino is licenced by the government of the Northern Territory of Australia, and prides itself on providing a fair and secure, as well as an enjoyable gaming experience. Apart from the industry standard 128-bit key encryption, Lasseters encourages parents to download Child Protection Software to prevent minors accessing the site, and ensures that cookies can only be read by the Casino. The Casino is independently evaluated and audited by the Northern Territory Government of Australia, so you can be sure that games are fair, and payments accurate. Moreover, the Lasseters website provides clear and easy access to government contact info should you feel you have been wronged. That being said, the actual gaming environment is every bit as impressive as the security features. The platform is developed in-house by Lasseters Corporation, a company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange which also owns AUSVegas Casino and a Euro sister casino called Lasseters Euro. The array of games is impressive, they run fast and smooth, and the graphics are crisp. Moreover, Lasseters has some very nice bonusses on offer, and if that doesn’t key you up, the Casino boasts the best return to player odds on the net. The latter remains to be seen, of course, but taking into account its smooth and sophisticated gaming environment with 24/7 live support, the generous bonusses and the emphasis on security, Lasseters Casino is no doubt an excellent choice for newcomers to online gambling, while providing enough features and diversity to keep even the most experienced and demanding gamer happy for hours. http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_36.html 2005-11-21 The past year has seen the launch in the UK of a number of mobile phone casinos, but none of them are as wow as Wild Jack Mobile Casino, launched last week by Jackpot Factory and based on their Wild Jack online casino. The casino is powered by the second generation Spin3 GameWire wireless casino system, and Microgaming’s Casino Management Systems. It features six games, and 24/hr customer support. Basically the only thing you need to play is a WAP-enabled mobile phone with a colour screen, and you’re off. You can even register your account directly from your phone, but rest assured it’ll be hard to put down once you have. The only thing I want to add is: when will this finally cross the Atlantic?! http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_35.html 2005-10-21 All right, I’ll stop the pirate speak now and get down to business. Graphically, Capt. Morgan’s is a bit of a throwback to the days of yore – think late-nineties Zelda – it is download only, and the selection of games is not super extensive. That being said, the pirate theme is a lot of fun, and the designers took care to employ it consistently throughout the casino. All table and card games have their own customized pirate-themed table, and the slots also have a good helping of aargh! to them. The games run smoothly, and the Capt. deals out a fair bonus. Overall, I had a blast playing at Capt. Morgan’s Casino, though I must admit I have a weak spot for pirates. Capt. Morgan’s might not become my regular haunt, but as a now-and-then-er, it sure provides some welcome relief from standardized gaming environments and all the busy design gizmos and bells and whistles that only distract from actual gaming. There is a thing to be said for paring it down to basics once in a while. Go and see the Capt! http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_34.html 2005-10-07 Move over all ye puny casinos of lesser design, and say hello to all the gambling you could ever want right at your fingertips. The Bogart's Casino website is graphically strong, boasting an eye-catching design that makes the most of the retro feel they borrow from their namesake, and it is packed with features. Actually, there are almost too much goodies at Bogart’s. Not only can you choose between three totally different casino environments, you can also put in sports bets through Intra-Game, and bet on the ponies through Bet-Jockey. Oh, and did I mention they have a separate site just for poker, and one opening up soon only for you bingo-philes out there? The three online casinos each offer a distinct gaming experience. The CWC Casino is a webcam-based environment, that lets you interact over real time streaming media with live dealers (and pretty ones at that). You can actually see the outcome of the games as they happen, so it feels a little like having your own private casino right there in your living room. The IQL Casino is based on a Java platform, with both a download and instant Java version, offering spiffy visuals and sounds and a wonderfully smooth gaming experience. The last of the three, the DGS Casino, offers instant flash so you can just click and play without download. The visuals are a bit less sophisticated than those in the other two casinos, but instant gratification should make up for that for all of you speed-junks. Just to drive the point home they also offer a “Fast Play” option which eliminates animation for an even faster game. http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_33.html 2005-09-29 As the market keeps expanding, expect companies to start developing more tailor-made casinos to distinguish themselves from the crowd. When you think of it, it’s actually surprising online casinos haven’t drawn more heavily on the pop culture grab bag up to now. Enter Gaming Corporation and the James Bond International Fan Club - it seemed like a match made in heaven. No man dead or alive deserves his own casino more than the International Man of Mystery. Remember Commander Bond started his career gambling. Casino Royale, the first Bond novel, is set in a lush casino on the French Riviera and most of the action centers around a game of cards – extreme baccarat you could say. The film version of Casino Royale is slated for next year, by the way. So what about the JBIFC Casino? Well, let’s say it left me stirred, not shaken. Behind the JBIFC Casino startpage, there's “just” the gaming environment of Casino.co.uk. No Bond themes, no Bond gizmos, no hot Bond babes and, shame of shames, no Sir Sean. What you do get is a pretty amazing multi-player gaming experience, and decidedly cheesy background music. http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_32.html 2005-09-22 Overall good casino. It offers a nice variety of table games and slot machines as well as an innovative mix of single of multi player games. While the bonuses might be better managed, the software and design are the strengths of this casino. http://www.gamblingguru.com/casino_review_out_en_31.html 2005-08-23