Microgaming Changes Software for US PLayers
US Players were shocked to receive emails last week from Red Flush, Casinoshare and some other Microgaming Casinos stating that US players would no longer have access to their casinos. Instead, US players would now have to play in
"modified" software, with a limited number of games.
The changes for these two casinos have already gone into effect. US PLayers still have time to play in other Microgaming Casinos where they changes have not yet gone into effect.
Of course, non-US players are not affected in any way by these changes.
Microgaming has not stated why they have decided to take this step, but the new regulations governing the UIGEA go into effect on June 1. It would seem that Microgaming is "spinning off" a separate software, designed to "comply" with the UIGEA.
Since the games in the new software are the same, although limited, this is a thin smokescreen, to appease US regulators.
So, how does this software differ from the "other" Microgaming casinos? For one thing, there won't be any Tournaments.
For another, the games list is very limited.
Most of the most popular 9-line slots have been removed.
If you love, Thunderstruck, Tally Ho, Spring Break, or International Casino Games, you're going to be very disappointed. Gone also, are both Tomb Raider versions, Pure Platinum and Sterling Silver. There are only 82 of the
video slots, and 101 of the classic slots, with no announcement of whether any new games will be added in the future.
For Video Poker Players, the news is a little better, unless your favorite is the one removed, of course. Fifty (50) of 56 video poker games were retained.
Blackjack has 37 games, and Roulette has 3 games.
Only US players who already have an account will be allowed to play. Since Microgaming has not allowed new US players to make real accounts, this means for the forseeable future, no new US players can access any Microgaming Casinos.
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It's not a subject anyone wants to acknowledge, much less discuss, but players need to be aware of this issue. Some casinos have payout limits -
that is, some casinos have a limit on how much they will pay a player per week, or month, when paying off a big win.
It is hard for players to know before they play and win, which casinos have these limits, since the information is almost always buried deep within the Terms and Conditions,
in small print. It's not something any casino advertises, which is understandable. One would think that for progressive jackpots, payout limits would not apply.
Since a portion of each bet on a progressive is set aside, the funds to pay the jackpot is already in hand, and should not present a problem, regardless of which casino actually has the winner.
Players should make sure to look for this information, or contact customer service to ask for this information. Be aware that customer service will not always have the correct information!!
This past week, I played and won at SupremePlay Casino. I played and won more than their stated limit of $2000 per week for a withdrawal. Two things here:
(1) Customer Service told me that their payout limit was $2000 for every TWO WEEKS.
(2) Not only is the limit $2000 per week, but the player must wait, week-by-week to withdraw their winnings $2000 at a time. So, if you won $5000, you would withdraw your $2K, wait a week, withdraw another $2K, then
wait another week, and finally withdraw the final $1K. Yes, that's right! So, is the casino hoping that the player will play it back?
Some casinos will allow players to make their withdrawal for the total winnings, but only pay the weeily maximum in increments. It differs from one casino to another. The point is:
Be sure to look on the sire until you find out for yourself what the Terms are for withdrawals, so you won't be taken by surprise when you finally hit that big win. And, it's a good idea to take a screenshotof the page when you
find it.
For players who enjoy online gaming, the tide is turning in favor ot operators who walk a fine line in how they treat their players. With the passage of the UIGEA, US players are especially vulnerable.
Before spending your cash on that "unbelievable" promotion, do a search on that casino to be sure it pays its winners, then search the site to be sure how they pay them. Like any other consumer,
players must take the time to shop and compare to get the best deal in bonuses, fair games, customer service, payout terms, and honesty in operations.
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