Microgaming, one of the biggest online casino games software companies around, has released a new online slots game with a World Cup theme.  So what does the game look like?  Seeing that the every-four-years football tournament takes place in South Africa, there’s a nice looking theme of sports combined with African safari.  That makes perfect sense to me…whenever I think of online slots, the first thing that comes to my mind is elephants and lions.  The game is called Soccer Safari and has pretty good bonuses.  If you get three trophy symbols, the “go for goal” bonus is activated so that you can pick your favorite team and try to score for big bucks.  The symbol for the referee gives you free spins which can win you even more money.

Aside from the nice images, you can even hear the crowd cheering which is always a good motivator.  So there you have it, what’s surely only the first World Cup-related online casino game.  Let’s hope for more, online gambling fans.  Let the fun begin!

Seems that Ireland has made the decision to begin taxing online gambling transactions to raise money for the country.  How will it work?  They will tax all foreign online casino operators who provide their services to residents of the country.  Which means what exactly?  If an online casino desires to make money from local citizens, they’ll have to pay an advertising tax.  Any international online casino sites will have to get a license to advertise to the Irish.

This is a new development, as offshore companies have not had to pay any kind of tax or get a license until now.  So will it work?  Not clear.  One online casino operator claims that residents will just use alternative sites that don’t have a license.  While it’s a step in the right direction to begin taxing and regulating the online gambling industry, there doesn’t seem to be any way to keep people from just going around it and using offshore casino games providers.

Still, I tip my hat to Ireland who seems to be one step ahead of certain countries like the US who still haven’t figured out that online gambling isn’t going anywhere.

Ever since the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) was passed by the United States Congress a few years back, the online casino industry’s been in a bit of a funk with literally billions of potential dollars frozen like a strawberry margarita at the Luxor (do they serve strawberry margaritas?  I’m on a  roll, let’s keep going….)  However, led by Congressman Barney Frank and a group of forward-thinking online casino fans, the crusade to repeal this ban has been gaining steam, leading casino games junkies to feel something changing on the horizon.

Just last year, online gambling software giant Microgaming shook things up with the option to customize your online casino experience and other companies like Betboo are following suit.  With ipods, Hulu, and video on demand, this is the “gimme what I want when I want it” generation and online casinos are following suit.

With Halloween having just passed, we saw many online gambling sites offer special Halloween themes and bonuses and each passing year brings more unique casino themes for every niche and interest, be it movies, cities, or music.

If….WHEN….the UIGEA is repealed, it’s certain that new online gambling sites will come out of the woodwork from the American market, unleashing tons of new themes and motifs.  It’s something to be excited about.  Are you listening, Fergie?

This is an online gambling blog, people, what did you expect?  Candy corns and an online “Thriller” impression?  You can watch me moonwalk another time, I’m here to talk about the scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaariest holiday of the year and what’s happening online.

Even if you won’t be bobbing for apples while wearing a Bernie Madoff mask, there’s plenty of reasons to log in for some online poker.  Plenty of casinos out there are offering some scaaaaaaaaaaaaaary bonuses this week with anywhere between 50% and 200% bonuses on games like online blackjack, online slots, and more.

Other online casinos are offering tournaments with cash prizes in the neighborhood of $100,000. If that’s not enough to get you excited, then what is?  Perhaps, some classic costumes? Slutty nurse?  Slutty librarian?  Slutty pit boss?  Ok, maybe not.

Aaaaaaand, if you’re feeling really crazy and need to take a break from staring at your screen, Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans is celebrating its tenth anniversary on Halloween.  Only a few years after Hurricane Katrina brought destruction to the city, one of the most famous casinos in the world is thriving again and there’s no better reason that doesn’t rhyme with Shmardi Gras to head to the Big Easy.

But if you’re not feeling crazy, log in to your favorite online casino and have some scary fun.  But as they say in a classic horror film, “Whatever you do, DON’T GO TO SLEEP.”  (At least not until you hit “log out”.)

Online gambling has changed the entertainment world forever. No longer must you drag your fat butt to Atlantic City on a bus of disgusting gambling addicts. No more must you fly to Las Vegas to watch some trailer trash not be able to afford another round of Pabst Blue Ribbons because they blew their last $7 on casino games.

Mobile casino games are where it’s at and that’s not changing any time soon. In fact, we’re still in the early stages of development. The ability to play online poker or online blackjack will only continue to get easier, there’s no question about it.

Two mobile communications giants, Motorola and Verizon, recently announced the development of their new mobile phone, rumored to be the first real threat to the iPhone. Everything it can’t do, the Droid WILL which includes offering even better online casino games than before.

How so? Better browsing ability. Much higher resolution graphics. Thin, easy-to-transport design. Actual keypad. Much faster than the iPhone. Hotter casino bartenders. Ok, so I made the last one up. Nevertheless, it’s 3.7 inch display makes it easier to play online casino games which apparently load much faster and look much better with its superrich HD color display.

So get excited, people, because it’s only going to get better. It’s Apple’s turn to respond. Let’s go, iPhone. Time to get Pabst Blue Ribbon online!

Long before the phrases “online casino” or “casino games” had even been conceived, Sega was a big player in the gaming world with their well-known mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog. As it works however in the fast-moving world of technology, things changed and they lost their market share to Nintendo. After shifting to software development, they’re back and could potentially be bigger if the popularity of online gambling is any indication.

So here’s the short of it: having partnered with Playtech, one of the top online gambling software companies, they’re positioned nicely to achieve big success with their Sega Casino and Sega Poker sites which in addition to online poker, will surely feature online blackjack, online slots, and a bevy of other games.

And if you miss Sonic, he’ll make an appearance as well in the various casino games with other famous characters like Virtual Fighter. I’m no Sega loyalist, I’m an Atari kid. Here are the top 3 video game characters I’m holding my breath for:

1) Pac-Man: Everybody’s favorite yelling near-circle runs around the casino as fast as possible, guzzling drinks before the pit bosses in pursuit kick his ass.

2) Pitfall: The safari dude runs through a casino, dodging passed-out college kids in order to reach the end of the casino to collect his winnings.

3) Missile command: The object of the game is to protect your pile of chips by shooting oncoming gangsters who are getting faster and faster while attempting to grab from your winnings.

A gamer can dream, can’t he? In the meantime, online casino games just got a little more fun.

According to people who know things, US online sports book Intertops.com is doing its annual iPhone giveaway. No joke-once the season ends, some lucky fan will walk away with arguably the most popular smart phone/toy/PDA/distraction on the planet. (Well, let’s be honest, if you like football enough to enter this contest, you’re probably not walking so much. Ok, so one lucky fan will move his fat ass off the couch to the bathroom during a commercial. In between the nachos and bean dip, one way or another, he’ll get his iPhone. Can we move on?)

Anyway, all you do is open an account and bet at least twenty bucks on a regular-season game. The winner will be announced within hours of the last game on January 2, 2010.

Pretty good deal. Give it up to the online casino people for knowing their audience. On game day, you may need to make a quick bet while away from your computer so you better be able to access your online sports book as quickly as possible. However….and I know that during these tough times, I know it’s not politically correct to complain but it’s 2009. If Intertops is going to be cutting edge, be even more cutting edge. Here’s my wish list:

1) Google Wave invite: One lucky winner gets the hottest thing around. I assume this will interface with online casinos, no? Don’t let me down, Google.

2) A date with Megan Fox. She’s hot.

3) A copy of “The Hangover” on DVD, complete with director’s cut and alternate ending where Zach Galifianakis plays online poker and throws up on the keyboard.

How about two out of three? How about just number two? Ok, fine, an iPhone works. See you on the internet, online gambling fans.

As the biggest provider of online gambling software in the world, Micrograming is known for leading the way in new casino games. So what do they have in store for us this fall? Let’s check it out:

1) Kung Fu Monkey Video Slot

“Get your hands off of me, you damn dirty ape.” Ever since Charlton Heston muttered those words so famously, monkeys have held a special place in our hell. And in this newest video slots game, things are no different. With a martial arts motif in the background, the path to payout is blocked by some pissed-off monkeys with a five reel, fifteen payline game. There’s a big bonus waiting if you can get passed monkey ninjas and other obstacles. Nothing says online slots like monkeys. And I’m not just pulling your banana.

2) Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker

If you aren’t familiar with Texas Hold’em, you’ve been living under a large rock. Or in a monkey cage. What’s special about this online poker game is that there’s no bet after the river. The graphics are great and gives a more realistic game. From everything from the movement of the chips to the background music, this is a great game.

3) Pure Platinum Video Slot

The newest online video slot game is a good one. The graphics are extravagant and make you feel like you’re in a real upscale casino. The free spin rewards are big and the five reel, forty payline gives you ample opportunities to win with scatters, free spins, wilds, multipliers, and more. With no threat of ass-kicking monkeys.

4) Wooly World Video Slot

Think global climate change is just a bunch of crap? Here’s an inconvenient truth: the ice age is back and the wooly mammoths and cavement in this slot game are here to prove it. Like the Pure Platinum game, there are plenty of rewards with the added possibility to double or quadruple wins. As long as you don’t freeze your ass off.

So there you have it, the newest online games from Microgaming. So much fun, who needs tigers?

And this wasn’t the first raid on the online gambling world either. Raids like this happened nine times…NINE TIMES (intentional Ferris Bueller reference)…over the summer alone. Sources at Wachovia claim that they’re not the only target; apparently accounts have also been frozen at other banks including Bank of America, First Premier, and Interstate Net Bank.

What’s all the fuss about? Once again, it’s the online casino/online gambling ban in the US, thanks to the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA), otherwise known as the act that is a big waste of time and takes away $59.9 bajillion of potential tax monies from the country. I was hoping that under a new administration, the government might loosen up a little bit but it looks like my hopes will not be realized any time soon.

Still, it’s not stopping people like Barney Frank, US congressman from Massachusetts, from drumming up supporters for his online gambling legislation. With the Democrats now in power in Congress, perhaps Mr. Frank can finally make some change, giving all of us online casino buffs a bit of a break.

5. Swingers

Mikey and Double Down Trent are two swinging singles in need of some fun. When Mikey doesn’t get a call back from his girlfriend who he met chatting at Casino Tropez, the two decide they’re in need of some action. Vegas, baby, Vegas! They log onto Vegas Red Casino and play a few hands of online blackjack hoping to meet some beautiful babies. In the end, Trent gets the girl while Mikey loses for being too timid.

4. Rounders

Matt Damon stars as law student Mike McDermott who loses thirty thousand dollars playing online poker against Teddy KGB, a Russian mobster who made his money running an illegal online casino. With the help of his friend Worm, Mike McD starts hitting every online poker game he can find to win back his lost money. In the end, they two return to the scene of the crime, taking on KGB and figuring out his tell from the way he types in the chat room. Mike wins back his money and goes on to become an online gambling champion, taking 1^st place in the World Series of Poker.

3. The Sting

Johnny Hooker and Henry Gondorf try to exact revenge on a big-time con man Doyle Lonnegan through an online gambling sting. After Gondorf engages Lonnegan in online poker, Hooker hacks into his payment processor and takes his money. Once Lonnegan finds Hooker, he uses him to bring down Gondorf, only to lose millions of dollars at the end in a horse racing sting. Gondorf and Hooker cash in through their offshore payment processor.

2. Rain Man

Dustin Hoffman stars as a man with autism. Tom Cruise, after befriending his long-lost brother, realizes the potential and decides to set up an account at Europa Casino. The two play online blackjack all night long as Hoffman figures out the Playtech software behind the game. They win lots of money and go shopping on Ebay with their newfound money.

1. Oceans 11

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and other good looking people come up with the ultimate con complete with disguises. Once they realize that their disguises are meaningless without webcams, they decide to go offline and go to Atlantic City. They then make two sequels and give up online gambling forever.