Playtech is one online casino software provider that has taken several steps in the last year to increase its potential in the online gaming industry. Regulation of online gaming appears to be imminent in both Europe and the United States. Playtech has ensured that it is in a position to exploit that situation when it arises.

Playtech was founded in 1999 by a group of entrepreneurs. In 2006 it was listed in the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. However that year Playtech received its worst setback when theUIGEA was passed in the United States and Playtech had to withdraw from the American online casino market. Since then Playtech has fought its way back with a number of well-timed and the lucrative licensing arrangements and is now producing some of the most innovative online casino games.

One of the first agreements was with Paramount Digital Entertainment. This agreement allowed Playtech to develop online slot games based on two of Paramount Pictures most popular film releases. One of these slot games, Gladiator, was released earlier this year. The slot game was path breaking in the sense it featured the images of the actors who played the various roles in the movie. It also featured video clips from the movie. The other major agreement was with Marvel Entertainment Inc. This agreement was for developing online slot games based on superheroes featuring in Marvel movies. Of these, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man have just been released. Both these online slot games feature exciting bonus rounds and expanding wild symbols.

The improvement in online casino games is not restricted to the slot games alone. The recent pack of games released has scratch cards, roulette and fixed odds games that promise to take online casino gaming to a new level. The scratch cards have exciting themes such as romance and football. The quality of graphics has been much enhanced from earlier scratch cards and the payouts are fantastic. Playtech is also introduced the first ever 3-D fixed odds game called Knockout. So good is the animation and the audio that players can actually feel the thrill of being inside the ring. However, the best of the latest games is the 3-D roulette. Players are transported into a 3-D animated Casino. This game is not only visually superior to its competition but also has innovative game features.

Playtech’s closest competitors in the online casino software industry are Microgaming and Cryptologic. In terms of number of online games being offered and addition to the portfolio each year Microgaming is far ahead. It crossed the 400 games mark earlier this year. The quality of Microgaming online casino games both in terms of audiovisual appeal and games features is excellent. However Microgaming is staying away from branded games, even though it was the first online casino software provider to introduce such games with Tomb Raider and Hitman. Cryptologic is less innovative but it has an excellent portfolio of branded games. Most of these are based on Marvel Comics superheroes. Playtech has now directly positioned itself against Cryptologic with its Marvel Movies superheroes. Cryptologic has chosen the route of expansion by licensing its games to operators that are functioning on other platforms and has signed a large number of deals using this business model.

Playtech was always counted in the top three of online casino software providers, but placed at number three. Very clearly Playtech is intending to change this and is fast narrowing the gap between the leaders and itself and would soon even overtake them.

Online casino software providers by and large offer similar games at their casinos. However each software provider has a slightly different way of classifying their games and has some unique and special offerings within each classification. Hence it makes sense for online casino players to understand the portfolio of each software provider so that he can make an appropriate choice. This understanding also helps the player in selecting appropriate games after he has narrowed down on a particular online casino software provider. This article discusses the classifications and some of the unique games in the Vegas Technology software.

Vegas Technology classifies its online casino games in four main categories. These are Table Games, Slots Games, Video Poker Games and Specialty Games. Table Games are further classified into blackjack, roulette and progressives. In addition there are a number of individual games like craps and many card games. Blackjack has the two most common variants, which are European Rules and Vegas Strip. In addition there is a blackjack game called Perfect Pairs. It has a side bet that pays off at 5 to 1 if the first two cards dealt to the player are of the same rank. If the cards happen to be of the same color as well the pay off is 10 to 1 and if the cards are of identical suits apart from being of the same rank then the pay off is 30 to 1. Vegas Technology software offers American and European roulette, but French roulette is not available. The other Table Games are the usual ones found in the other casino software as well, except for Mulligan Poker. In Mulligan Poker the player is dealt a five card hand after he places the ante bet. He can choose to keep the hand or he can “take Mulligan”. In the second option a raise bet is automatically placed and all five cards are replaced. The player’s hand is compared with the dealer’s. If the player has replaced his hand then the dealer is also given an opportunity to replace his hand if so required. The win or loss is decided by comparing the two hands and the payout is decided based on a payout table.

The Video Poker Games has nothing unusual to offer. Seven of the common variants of video poker are offered in the single-hand format and the 2-4 hand format. Deuces Wild is offered in the Mega Multi-Hand format as well, which plays ten hands at a time. The Slots Games are also standard fare. There are three reel and five reel slot games, with and without bonus rounds in separate categories. There is a category called Traditional Slots which has three reel slots but with themes other than the conventional fruit machine symbols. There are two points of departure in the slot games category in the Vegas Technology software. Vegas Technology offers to slot games with seven reels. These are Farming Futures and Lucky 7s. No other online gaming software provider offers seven reel slot games. The second unusual aspect is that all the progressive jackpot online slots in the Vegas Technology software are of three reels.

The Specialty Games category offers keno and some other unusual games. Poker Slots has cards dealt in a 5 x 5 matrix and calculates paylines vertically, horizontally and diagonally. Payouts are made when poker hands appear in enabled paylines. Poker Dice is played by rolling five dice with playing card symbols from nine to ace on the faces. Poker hands starting from two pairs payout according to a pay table. The other two games in this category Bingo Bucks and Dazzling Dice.

WagerWorks is one of the leading online gaming software developers. It has a fantastic range of branded online slot games. These slot games have exciting bonus rounds and unique features that make them among the most wanted slot games in the industry.

One of the unique features is the jackpot accumulator that is present in a number of WagerWorks slot games. Actually there are three different jackpot accumulators, usually identified by different colors. Each jackpot is set to an initial amount. Three of the symbols on the reels are the jackpot symbols. The symbols look alike but correspond to the colors of the jackpot accumulators. Whenever a jackpot symbol appears on the reels its accumulator amount increases as specified in the game rules. The amount of increase is linked to the amount wagered in the spin. The larger the wager the greater will be the increase in the jackpot amount. In this manner the three jackpot accumulators keep increasing during the normal spins. The amounts can reach dizzying heights.

The opportunity for cashing the jackpots comes in the bonus rounds. The bonus round is triggered as allowed in the game rules. Certain outcomes are specified in the bonus round. If the player manages to achieve the outcome then the amount standing in the jackpot accumulator is won by him. This jackpot accumulator is then reset to its original value, whereas the jackpots in the remaining accumulators are carried forward. It is not essential that the specified condition is met. Players can complete the bonus round without achieving the jackpot condition. Then no jackpot is cashed and all accumulators are carried forward.

Monopoly Here and Now is one of the most popular WagerWorks slot game. It is based on theMonopoly board game. In this game the jackpot accumulators are known as Free Parking Bonus Meters. This has reference to the Free Parking cell on the Monopoly board. The yellow Free Parking accumulator starts at 100 credits and the corresponding symbol appears only on reel 3. The orange Free Parking accumulator starts at 200 credits and the corresponding symbol appears only on reel 4. The red Free Parking accumulator starts at 500 credits and the corresponding symbol appears only on reel 5. When the yellow Free Parking appears on reel 3 its jackpot increases by 1x the total wager. When the orange Free Parking appears on reel 4 its jackpot increases by 2x the total wager. When the red Free Parking appears on reel 5 its jackpot increases by 3x the total wager. In Monopoly Here and Now the bonus game is triggered by three Board Bonus dice symbols. In this bonus round players get a number of rolls of the dice and move along the Monopoly board as in the actual game. If the player lands on the Free Parking cell then he is sure to win one of the three jackpots. Which jackpot he wins is decided by spinning a wheel.

Wheel of Fortune is another WagerWorks online slot with jackpot accumulators. The yellow, orange and red accumulators are initially set at 50, 75 and 100 credits respectively. The corresponding symbols can appear on any of the reels. The yellow and orange accumulators increase by the total bet amount and the red jackpot increases by twice the total bet. In the bonus round players spin the Wheel of Fortune and have an opportunity of winning one of the three jackpots.

When leading online gaming software providers offer their software to casino operators the package includes more than the software required to run the casino games. It includes the administrative functions required to conduct real money wagering at the online casino.

The first action performed by a player at an online casino is registering and opening an account. The software comes into play from that action. The software maintains a separate account for each player and till the player closes the account the software records each and every move made by the player. This includes every wager placed on every game and also the outcome of that wager. The software provides for the player to access this information so that the player can refresh his memory or analyze his game play at leisure.

Carrying out financial transactions is an important function of the software. The software contains the required protocols and safety measures to ensure a secure environment for sending and receiving funds. The software also provides an interface with the various financial services providers, be they credit card companies or electronic wallet companies. The player’s account is automatically linked to any game the player may choose to wager on. The amounts won or lost playing that game reflect in the player’s account. The software allows the player to access his financial transactions history in the same manner as his gaming transactions history.

In order to remain competitive online casinos have to offer a number of bonuses. A number of conditions are attached to the bonuses. The software keeps track of whether these conditions are being met in the case of all the players. An important factor here is the wagering requirements. The wagering requirements are not the same for all players. Players from certain countries have to meet higher wagering requirements. Therefore the software maintains the link between the player, his country and the wagering requirements for that country. The software keeps track of whether the wagering requirements have been met and if a player requests a withdrawal before meeting the wagering requirements then the software has to be able to block that withdrawal request. The situation can become more complex in the refer a friend bonus in which the software has to keep track of the link between the player and the referred friends and also keep track of when the referred friends complete their obligations so that the bonus can be awarded to the player.

Many online casinos offer tournaments on a regular basis and this requires an independent and different set up in the software. Usually a player is allowed to participate only once in an online tournament and the software incorporates a check to ensure that the same player does not enter the tournament twice. The scores of the different players have to be stored and compiled on the leader board. As fresh players participate in the tournament the leader board has to be continuously updated. All these capabilities are built into the software.

Players will realize that the software has to perform an enormously complex functions and it is natural for them to wonder if the software is really competent to do so. In order to ensure that there is no flaw in the software, the online gaming software providers arrange to have the software evaluated by independent expert agencies so that they, their licensee casino operators and the players are satisfied beyond doubt of the capabilities of the software.

Video poker is one of the most popular online casino games for the simple reason that it offers a very low house edge and therefore players have a better chance of winning. The video poker section in Microgaming online casinos currently offers almost 60 variants. The basic variants in terms of the different games offered are only 17. However Microgaming offers separate games for single hand, 4-hand, 10-hand, 50-hand, 100-hand and Level up variants and this increases the number of games on offer. This is one disadvantage of Microgaming video poker games. Other online gaming software providers allow the players to choose the number of hands within the same game.

The maximum basic variants are offered in the single hand games. These are listed under Standard in the Games Menu. There are 17 different standard video poker games on offer. These are Aces and Eights, Aces and Faces, All Aces, All American, Bonus Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker, Bonus Poker Deluxe, Deuces and Joker, Deuces Wild, Double Bonus Poker, Double Double Bonus Poker, Double Joker, Jackpot Deuces, Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, SupaJax and Tens or Better. Many of these video poker variants have wild cards that substitute for other cards in order to make up winning combinations. In Bonus Deuces Wild, Deuces Wild and Jackpot Deuces the deuce is the wild card. In Double Joker and Joker Poker there are extra cards in the deck, which are jokers and which are wild cards. In Deuces and Jokers both deuces and jokers are wild cards.

The multi hand games in Microgaming online casinos are known as Power Poker games. There are 11 basic variants offered in Power Poker games. However the total number of games in this section is 36. Aces and Faces, Deuces and Joker, Deuces Wild, Double Double Bonus Poker, Double Joker, Jacks or Better and Joker Poker are available in 4-hand, 10-hand, 50-hand and 100-hand versions. Bonus Poker is available in 10-hand, 50-hand and 100-hand versions. All Aces is available in 10-hand and 50-hand versions. Bonus Deuces wild is available in 4-hand and 10-hand versions. Tens or Better is available only in the 4-hands version.

Level Up Poker is the latest format of video poker. It is available only in Microgaming online casinos. The variants offered in this format are Aces and Faces, Deuces Wild, Double Joker, Jacks or Better and Joker Poker.

Microgaming video poker games can be classified according to the jackpots offered. The jackpots are the highest payouts usually offered for a natural royal flush with maximum coins wagered. Jackpot Deuces and SupaJax are progressive jackpot games. In Jackpot Deuces the progressive jackpot is hit with a diamond royal flush only. In SupaJax the progressive jackpot is hit with four jacks and the SupaJax card. The Deuces and Joker video poker games offer a fixed jackpot of 10,000 coins. All other games offer a fixed jackpot of 4,000 or 5,000 coins.

Microgaming video poker games offer a number of customization options. There are four speed settings to choose from. Players playing the 50-hand or 100-hand option must opt for Fastest setting. There are three different sounds – game sounds, win sounds and background sounds. Each of them can be enabled or disabled independently. Players can also enable or disable the Double and Auto Hold features. Auto Play is available in the Expert Mode.

The auto play feature in online casino games allows players to automatically repeat the wager a number of times under identical conditions. The leading online gaming software provider Microgaming offers the auto play feature in more online casino games than other software providers. This article discusses the auto play feature in slots, roulette, video poker and blackjack games and the different implications that the feature has in each of these games categories.

Online slots are ideal for auto play. The only decision that players make is the amount wagered. Since most players will play online slots with all the lines enabled the decision rests on selecting the line bet. This is often dictated by the players bankroll and players usually play the entire session without changing the line bet. Hence it is very convenient to put online slots on auto play. In Microgaming online slots auto play is available in the Expert Mode. 5x and 10x auto play can be directly activated without going into the auto play menu. The menu enables players to set the auto play up to 9999 spins. The auto play can be set to stop only after all spins are completed or if a win exceeds a specified amount. The auto play will automatically stop if any feature is activated in the slot game.

In roulette the player also does not make any strategic decisions. He decides on the quantum of the bet. But in roulette there are a large number of bets to choose from. If the player wants to keep changing the type of bet or the numbers selected then he cannot use the auto play. However if the player is willing to keep fixed all betting parameters he can activate the auto play in the Expert Mode in the Microgaming roulette games. The player can select up to 9999 spins and also select the time between spins. He can set the auto play to stop on one of the three following conditions: when all spins are complete; when a win exceeds a preset amount and on any win. The player can enable two other conditions for the auto play to stop. These are if the credits increase or decrease by a preset amount.

In video poker the players have to make a strategic decision of which cards to hold once the initial hand is dealt. On first evaluation this would appear to provide an impediment to the auto play feature. However, the video poker games in Microgaming have the optimal strategy built into them. Hence the software automatically chooses the best cards to hold and this allows for the auto play feature. The auto play feature in Microgaming video poker games is very complex. It contains all the features of the slots and roulette auto play and some more. The auto play can be set to stop when a jackpot is hit. Also Microgaming video poker games allow players to double the payout by playing a gamble game. The auto play can be programmed to activate the double all the time, never or under specified conditions.

Some versions of Microgaming blackjack have the auto play feature. Blackjack involves even more complex decisions than video poker. Blackjack games that offer auto play have a built in strategy card that dictates the moves to be made by the player. This strategy card is not only available to the player but the player can alter the strategy according to his liking and the play blackjack on auto play with his chosen strategy. Functionally the auto play in Microgaming blackjack is identical to the auto play in Microgaming roulette games.