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Ladbrokes casino sent me a mailer yesterday indicating that the new Lord Of The Rings slot from Microgaming is imminent. By imminent, I think it’s due a September 2010 release and we have a few details trickling through. What we know so far (see the screenshot, below) is that it’s a 243 line slot (wht IGT dub “Multiway” as a comparison), it has a free spins bonus triggered by 3 bonus scatters anywhere in view and it has Stacked Wilds along with an extra expanding wild symbol on Reel 3. It will also have a 96%-97% expected return (Microgaming…finally publsihing RTP’s?? wow!) and it will be “medium volatility” - medium variance in true slots parlance. Finally, it’s dubbed “The Fellowship of the Ring” which is a good indicator it will be the first in a trilogy of slots.

To the left is the first screenshot we have of the new Lord Of The Rings - Fellowhip of the Ring. Other than what I describe above, this doesn’t really tell us anything more apart from the fact that the model being used is clearly similar to the excellent Thunderstruck 2 slot they recently launched.

Actually, back in November 2009, WMS (the land-based slot game manufacturer) launched a version destined for B&M casinos in Vegas called Lord Of The Rings and also based on the film. I’m guessing New Line Media who are the LOTR rights-holders have done seperate online and offline licensing deals and the Microgaming version will I’m sure be a very different game.

You can actually see a promo video for the WMS version of LOTR on the Lord Of The Rings page at OnlineCasinosVegas for a flavour of that one. It’s based on their Star Trek slots concept with the chair and surround sound audio. Obviously a far cry from the online version. For more indepth information on both versions, with screenshots and videos, check out my LOTR-dedicated Lord Of The Rings Slots microsite which I will be keeping up-to-date with all the latest info.

I will update this site with details of Microgaming’s version when more becomes available.

Ever wondered what the highest paying online slots are? The issue of transparency has long been debated by slots players and it’s been an uphill battle for many years trying to get the slot machine manufacturers to publish the RTP of their slot games. The general concensus is that it’s the casinos who may or may not want to tell people just what they are set to, especially in land-based casinos where the returns are generally a fair bit lower than when you are playing online. But some help might be at hand.

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Not sure about you, but when I look for entertaining online slots, free spins are the key, but this is closely backed up by the concept of the “Stacked Wild” symbol. Or, in fact, Expanding Wild symbols. Briefly for those who don’t know what this means, it is a Wild symbol that can potentially cover all the symbols on a reel. A Stacked Wild is a Wild symbol that comes in blocks - the number depending on the number of positions in view on a reel (3 or 4 is the norm) while an expanding wild is a single Wild that, when it lands, expands to cover the whole reel. More…»

With many of the online gambling software providers now focusing on licensing games out on an open platform, it’s no surprise perhaps that many of the top online casinos are increasingly looking to bring in popular online slot machines from other providers to supplement their main provider’s offering.

The one operator that seems to be most aggressive right now is Bet365 Games who have really embraced online slot machines like no other. Bet365 has a download and a Flash casino which use Playtech software. In itself, this has a huge range of slot games including the excellent Gladiator slot, Great Blue, and the new Marvel Range. Some of these, like The Hulk and Iron man are also available in the Flash casino.  More…»

I have added a neat new feature to the Online Casinos & Slot Machines [.co.uk] site - a Slot Winners Slideshow! This is a slideshow (surprise, surprise!) of a stack of screenshots I have taken down the years of some big wins on online slot machines.

You can either manually move slide by slide through the show, or  let the slideshow take you on a tour, showing a new winning screenshot every 30 seconds or so complete with a commentary from me.

Check it out: Winners: Slideshow

The slideshow includes big wins from games on the Microgaming, Playtech, Wagerworks, Cryptologic and RTG casino software platforms, including classic online slots like “Thunderstruck“, “Gladiator“, “Hellboy”, “Cleopatra“, “Wolf Run” and (as they say in adverts for rubbish CD compilations) many more! Check out the 5 Scatter screenshots on the Gladiator, Thunderstruck and Spring Break slots along with a 5 Wilds hit on the classic Tombraider slot!

Got a winning screenshot you would like to see included? If you have any winning slots screenshots (from real play and over 100x payout please), email them to me at webmaster [@] onlinecasinoslotmachines.co.uk and tell me your name/nickname and I’ll add them with a credit to you.

On a recent trip to Las Vegas, I came across a number of slot games on the floor at Encore and Wynn that can now also be found online. I knew that there was a crossover because of IGT’s link to Wagerworks, the online casino software provider whom IGT (UK) bought a while back, but it was interesting to see which online slots crossed the divide from land-based - and which probably should!

Pretty much all of the online slots mentioned in this article can be played online although in the majority of instances, not by players living in North America. However the Slot Junkies video site has video demos of all of these slots which not only show the games in action, but also feature the bonus rounds.

The obvious online slots that have their roots in land-based are the very popular “Cleopatra” and “Wolf Run” games, both made by IGT. You can play a free version of both games at Online Casinos Vegas and they are available at several online casinos. It was no surprise to also find “Cleopatra II” in both locations also, a game that I now marginally prefer to the originial, helped by a very decent win I had in the Encore I might add! You are probably already aware that each of these slots has a free spins bonus so I’ll avoid going into detail, but these are three very popular slot games. Cleo and Wolf Run are also common in UK casinos as it happens - i have played them in Rendezvous (Brighton), the recently closed-down Paddington Casino (Ladbrokes, London) and The Empire in Leicester Square. More…»

Following on from my initial Gladiator slot review, this video is a better way to see this game in action. It is part of a suite of slot videos from Slot Junkies and shows both bonus rounds in action. The Gladiator bonus is pretty standard stuff, but the Colisseum free spins are excellent. If you want more information on this slot then check out the Gladiator Slots site which is a website dedicated to Playtech’s Gladiator and has information on the game, where to play it and a winners screenshot gallery demonstrating some big wins.

Available Now at Bet365 Casino

Deciding where to play online slots will have a lot to do with where you live. Most online casinos use one of a handful of software providers, and some of these will not allow players from certain countries. Most notably, players from the USA are very limited on choice.

What I have tried to do below is break down each software provider, pointing out which casinos are available on that platform and which countries can play there. I’ve also included a brief commentary on the online slots that each casino platfrom provides to try and help you decide which slot games are best for you. More…»

VERY IMPORTANT!

Microgaming have announced that from 10th November 2008, none of their casino licencees will be able to accept new registrations from the USA. Any US residents that have accounts registered by Sunday 9th November will be able to play on.

As Microgaming casinos account for about 90% of the safe casinos in the USA, I would recommend going to this list of Microgaming casinos where you can sign up to a few before it’s too late! But make sure you do it before Sunday night! If you are too late, then check out my recommendations for Safe US Online Casinos from those that are left.

Heads-up! I’ve written up an article designed to explain all the essential information you will need if you are new to playing online casinos, or if there are any questions that you may have before you take the plunge. There is quite a bit of info, but I’d seriously recommend reading it if you are a first-timer.

It explains:

• How to detect a good casino
• How to install and play
• All about depositing and cashing out
• What you should ensure you do when signing up
• Games that are available
• What a signup bonus really means
• Payout percentages and how they are determined

The full article is here…