--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "nita.royal" <mcuddington@...> wrote:
>
> The beginning of the end, I think, was UIGEA. Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act.....bureaucracy that was aimed at the banking portion, with the intent of preventing online gaming. It was an indirect route, since it didn't actually declare online play illegal - but it restricted banks from processing transactions. For a long time, there were secondary methods, such as purchasing a gift card, which could then be redeemed for credits.
>
> These methods probably still exist, but the "reputable" online casinos eventually cut off US players. There is probably much more about this that I don't know, so perhaps others can fill in the gaps.
>
Even before that dark day in 2006, things were getting much tougher than when I first came on board. When I first started, there were many casinos that offered generous match bonuses that could be played off with minimal play on good blackjack games. As time went on, they got smarter. They started raising the play-thru requirements, but you could still play blackjack. Then some of them got even smarter, and banned blackjack as a vehicle with which to play off the terms. Also, some casinos started using what they called "sticky" bonuses and "phantom" bonuses, instead of hard cash. They were still exploitable, but it required some imagination. At about this time I was inspired to learn video poker. Many good games existed and could be used to play off the match-plays with a low house edge. And as time went on even more, they continued to increase the playing requirements and some even banned video poker. Nowadays many casinos will only allow play on their slots to qualify. Others have assigned various weight to the different games, where slot play gets 100% and blackjack or video poker gets a very low credit. Just like the real world, things change constantly and you need to adjust. It's a constant cat and mouse game. Ahh, the good old days, I miss 'em.
In my opinion, a lot of online casino software companies have missed the boat with PROGRESSIVE video poker. They could offer enticing games with decent meter rates, and smart players wouldn't need to bonus-whore to get an edge. A win-win situation for both the casinos and the players. But like in b&m casinos, I think a lot of management doesn't know a lot about what they are doing. For instance, Boss Media is an excellent company. They offer a 7-5 JoB progressive video poker game that gets very little play because its pay table sucks. HELLO! Anyone at home upstairs?
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