By Samantha Williams

Although legislation and regulation are still pending with regards casinos for USA players, this does not prevent players in this country from accessing offshore web-based casinos and playing online. No matter how legal or illegal an activity this might be for gamers from this country – it is still not entirely clear – despite a DoJ opinion regarding the legality of online casinos and other forms of online gaming. The only thing the opinion has truly made clear is the fact that online sports betting is not allowed.

 Basically the publicly traded companies such as 888.com and Party Gaming excited the US marketplace after taking legal advice, and following the promulgation of the Unlawful Internet  Gambling enforcement Act back in 2006. This Act is linked to an obscure Wire Act dating back to 1960, and has left both gamers and operators alike, stuck in a no-man’s-land of grey areas.

However, some independent brands have ignored both UIGEA, the Wire Act and the US DoJ, and have continued to ply their trade. Players have continued to frequent these websites, although some casino websites are still exiting this marketplace, most are doing this to better position themselves for when the issuance of legal licensing is written into law – if this ever takes place?! If you are a player from the USA and wish to play these games online, then the risk is available there for you to take.

It is still a bit of a risky business as these website are not governed by US law, so player protection is basically non-existent. Although fortunately, some of the software brands that offer these games in the US of A are reliable brands; operating from reliable licensing jurisdiction; these are few and far between.

Recommended lists of casinos for USA players can be found online, and as the legal status of this industry is currently undergoing change, some sites are available in some states. Whereas websites on IGT and Microgaming software do not operate in the USA under any circumstances at this point in time;  Real Time Gaming has sites operating to a USA – facing marketplace, as do a few other software brands. You will find websites such as; Club USA, Lucky Red, Aladdin’s Gold, Manhattan Slots, Sloto’Cash, Royal Ace Casino, and quite a few more.

Online poker legislation is yet again on the cards in the USA, this gives hope for online casinos to piggy-back on the coattails of a game which is as American as apple pie. The pending casinos for USA player legislation supposedly will repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, so it has to take place at Federal level and currently the only laws repealing this Act are at State level. Federal level always takes precedence over the ‘State’, so, still a great deal has to change.

By Samantha Williams

There are a ton of fabulous software providers that design games for both the online and land- based casino industry. So, for example an online casino game from Microgaming will be available in certain live casinos that subscribe to this software, as well as at casinos online. In the majority of cases a game is sooner available online than it is in a land casino, so online gamers get the pick of the crop first.

While we are talking about the pick of the crop, we must again mention the Net Entertainment online casino game. This gaming brand is absolutely the cream of the crop in my opinion, but that is only my opinion, you would have to try these games out for yourself. They are absolutely top-notch, and I have always been biased that their game brands are much better than Microgaming.

Net Entertainment is a premium supplier of digitally distributed gaming systems, based in Gibraltar and Sweden, and like all Scandinavian industry, these games are pure perfection.

Find games such as Gonzo’s Quest which was their first Platinum video slot, and has become a mark of their success. More recently we find Robin Hood Switching Riches, with its host of brand new features, and the truly dynamic Jack and the Beanstalk. These are games that any online slots lover would be out of their mind not to play. Pure product perfection is the words that spring to mind.

The success of a casino operation is dependent on various factors, but one of the most important is the quality of the online casino game. It is the tenet of this software provider to only deliver the best. While Microgaming has an aggressive rollout of very well developed games; Net Entertainment is not in a huge hurry to get their games out to the public, and therefore take the time necessary to make sure they are something special.

Even their PJP networked games are works of art, as are the prizes they offer. In the past less than six months, over €18 million has been paid out to two extremely lucky progressive jackpot prize winners. One prize was over €11 million!!

It has been their quest since the very beginning to provide the best and most exciting games in the biz, and significant investments are continuously made in research and development to make sure that this takes place. They ensure that they deliver the latest in finely tuned online casino game technology and adhere to a strict release schedule.

Watch out for this software developer, I have been watching them carefully for a couple of years and have not been let down once yet. I still think there will be huge things to come for Net Entertainment. They understand that games development is a science – it requires skill, insight based on assay and extensive experience.  This brand has more than 45 years experience in the live casino industry, and 15 years more of online operations behind them, so, you just keep watching this space.