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Sydney. The Star, Sydney, Australia; In pictures and video 
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Hulk
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Monte
Carlo, Monaco: Perched above the Mediterranean, Monaco provides a spectacular
setting. Home to the Monaco Grand Prix and the Casino de Monte Carlo, it is not
the place for those on a tight budget. Paradise
Island, Bahamas: Paradise Island is best known for its sprawling resort, Atlantis,
which spans 2.8ha along a lagoon. Guests can choose from a variety of outdoor
gaming areas. Away from the tables, there is a private beach and 20 pools. Melbourne,
Australia: Crown Casino, on the banks of the Yarra River, is one of the largest
casino complexes in the southern hemisphere. The main gambling floor stretches
for more than half a kilometre. Macau,
China: The gambling capital of Asia, Macau has 33 casinos, plus horse and greyhound
racing venues. The Wynn Macau casino has a 24-carat gold Tree of Prosperity at
the entrance. Baden-Baden,
Germany: On the western foothills of the Black Forest and on the banks of the
Oos River, Baden-Baden is not your typical casino town. However, in addition to
its hot springs and picturesque countryside, the town is also known for its 200-year-old
Spielbank casino. Las
Vegas, United States: With over 1700 licensed casinos in operation, Las Vegas
offers the ultimate package for travellers who fancy a flutter. A visit to the
famous Strip is a must for any player. Manila,
The Philippines: Manila offers a range of shopping and entertainment options,
along with a world-class casino at the Hyatt Hotel, t a short distance from Manila's
tourist hub. Sun
City, South Africa: This luxury resort and casino complex, just two hours from
Johannesburg, boasts two large casinos, two 18-hole golf courses and a wildlife
reserve. Sun City Casino is the entertainment Mecca of the resort, featuring an
indoor jungle of native foliage and water fountains. Atlantic
City, United States: Atlantic City in New Jersey is renowned for its gambling,
shopping and fine dining. The Trump Taj Mahal casino has an on-site shopping district
and an abundance of restaurants and bars.
Genting
Highlands, Malaysia: Nestled on the Titiwangsa mountain
range, just an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur and
6000 feet above sea level, the Resorts World Genting
offers 360deg views of the surrounding countryside.
The on-site casino, which covers 200,000 square feet,
is Malaysia's sole gaming venue.
Online
Casinos: A Gonzo Journalism Explanation
Online
casinos, aka as virtual casinos or Internet casinos,
are online versions of traditional "brick and
mortar" casinos. Online casinos enable punters
to play and test their luck on casino games via the
WWW. You might say it is a rather prolific form of
online gambling, popular with Yankees, Aussies, Kiwis,
The Japs, Islanders and Europeans. Yep, basically
all four corners of the world.
Online
casinos generally offer odds and payback percentages
that are a modest bit higher than land-based casinos.
Some
online casinos pitch higher payback percentages for
slots, and some publish payout percentage audits on
their websites. Let us assume that the online casino
is using an appropriately programmed random number
generator, table games like blackjack have an established
house edge. The payout percentage for these games
are established by the rules of the game. We don't
want any dodgy accounting systems do we.
The
majority of online casinos rent or buy their software
from companies like CryptoLogic Inc (now Amaya), International
Game Technology, Microgaming, Playtech, Golden Race
and Realtime Gaming. There's always other brands that
come and go, but these are the main ones at present,
as far as we know. Mind you, things move very quickly
on the web - you know its been also named 'The Matrix',
in reference to the Wal Brothers.
Web-based
online casinos
Web-based
online casinos are websites where users may play casino
games without downloading software to their local
computer. Games are primarily represented in the browser
plugins Adobe Flash, Adobe Shockwave (or equivalent),
or Java and require browser support for these plugins.
In addition, bandwidth is needed since all graphics,
sounds and animations are loaded through the web via
the plugin. Some online casinos also allow gameplay
through a HTML interface. Apple devices such as iPod,
iPad and iPhone cannot play Flash games as the technology
is not supported. Again, subject to change, with all
the bells and whistles on Apple smartphones. Hello
to our friends at Apple Headquarters!
Download-based
online casinos
Download-based
online casinos require the download of the software
client in order to play and bet on the casino games
offered. The online casino software says G'day to
the casino service provider and handles contact without
browser support. Download-based online casinos generally
run fast like a rabbit.. than web-based online casinos
since the graphics and sound programs are cached by
the software client, rather than having to be loaded
from the Internet. On the other hand, the initial
download and installation of a download-based online
casino client does take time. You won't be a turtle,
but you won't be a rabbit either. As is the case with
any download from the web et 'Matrix', the risk of
the program containing malware exists. You must be
'The One' or Neo, and not get blocked by the station
guard or caught by a virus spreader - the type in
neo arty Arnie films - watch out for the Ex Machina
wantabees!
Virtual
casino games
In
a virtual casino game, the outcome of each game is
dependent on the data produced by a pseudorandom number
generator aka (PRNG). This determines the order of
the cards in card games, the outcome of a dice throw,
or the results produced by the spinning of a slot
or roulette wheel. PRNGs use a set of mathematical
instructions known as an algorithm (you heard that
word in relation to Google friends), to generate a
long stream of numbers that give the impression of
true randomness. While this is not the same as true
random number generation (computers are incapable
of this without an external input source), it provides
results that satisfy all but the most stringent requirements
for true randomness.
When
implemented correctly, a PRNG algorithm such as the
Mersenne Twister will ensure that the games are both
fair and unpredictable. However, usually the player
has to trust that the software has not been rigged
up to the hilt - to increase the house edge, as its
inner workings are invisible to the user. Australian
and New Zealand newspapers have covered this type
of sandal over the years, so hopefully all is fine
with that aspect now. Properly regulated online casinos
are audited externally by independent regulators to
ensure that their win percentages are in line with
the stated odds, and this can provide a degree of
assurance to the player that the games are fair, assuming
the player trusts the regulator. Yep, all we want
is a fair shake. Like a fair days pay for a fair days
work... enough of the We Economy aka 'Gig Economy'
already Mr Matrix,
Live
dealer casino games for guys and gals
In
a live casino game, a real life human dealer runs
the game in real time from a casino gaming table,
which can be seen via a live streaming video link.
Players can make betting decisions via a console on
their computer screen, and can communicate with the
dealer using a text chat function. No bots or Ex Machina's
here... they are real life people!
The
results of the physical transactions by the dealer,
such as the outcome of the roulette wheel spin or
the dealing of cards, are translated into data that
can be utilized by the software by means of optical
character recognition (OCR) technology. This enables
the player to interact with the game in much the same
way as they would with a virtual casino game, except
for the fact that the results are determined by real-life
actions rather than automated processes. You like
the sound of Real, Yes?
These
games are a lot more expensive for websites to host
than virtual games, as they involve a heavier investment
in tech and staffing. A live casino studio typically
employs one or more camerapersons, several croupiers
running the various games, an information technology
manager to ensure that any technical hitches are dealt
with swiftly, and a pit boss that acts as an adjudicator
in case of disputes between players and croupiers.
In
the majority of cases this requires at least a three-room
setup, comprising a live studio, a server/software
room, and an analyst’s room. The configuration
of these rooms varies from casino to casino, with
some having several gaming tables in one room, and
some having a single table in each room. There's eyes
everywhere.. so nothing untoward should happen to
players. Might even be safer than a real casino -
probably is, if you believe the news media reports
punters.
The
high running costs involved with operating live dealer
games is the reason why online casinos only tend to
offer a handful of the most popular games in this
format, such as roulette, blackjack, sic bo, and baccarat
(the fav of the late, great, Kerry Packer... and also
the James Bond character). In comparison, the running
costs associated with virtual games are very low,
and it is not uncommon for online casinos to offer
hundreds of different virtual casino games to players
on their site.
Online
casinos vary in their approach to the hosting of live
games, with some providing live games via their own
television channel, and others offering the games
exclusively via their website. In the case of televised
games, players can often use their mobile phone or
television remote controls to place bets instead of
doing so via a computer connected to the web. The
most common live dealer games offered at online casinos
are baccarat, blackjack and roulette. Just pick your
poison, throw back a drink to suit, and give her Guernsey,
not matter what part of the world you are testing
your luck in.
Monte
Carlo, Monaco 
Crown
Melbourne, Australia 
Las
Vegas, United States 
Atlantic
City (vintage photo) 
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