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Blackjack Ballroom
Casino Review
About |
Software
| Bonuses |
Games & Payouts |
Online Cashier
Gaming Policies |
Casino Customer Service |
Awards
About
Blackjack Ballroom is no stranger to the world of online
casino gambling. They have been in business for over six years, and have
not only given themselves a good name in the industry, but a good name for the
online gambling industry as a whole. Blackjack Ballroom is owned by ITS
Limited, which is located in South Wales. ITS Limited owns thirteen online
casinos total, including Captain Cooks,
Golden Tiger Casino, Casino Classic,
Yukon Gold, Phoenician Casino, Aztec Riches, Zodiac Casino, Lucky Emperor,
Virtual City, Casino Classic, Casino Kingdom and Strike It Lucky. They also own
an online poker room - Aztec Riches Poker. All of the online casinos in
the ITS network belong to the CasinoRewards program, which is undeniably one of
the most comprehensive and well-endowed player loyalty programs on the internet.
As a member of Blackjack Ballroom, players are adopted into ITS's entire family
of casinos, thus insuring the comp points players earn at Blackjack Ballroom (or
any other ITS site) are redeemable at the entire network of CasinoRewards
casinos.
Blackjack Ballroom holds their online gaming license through
the Kahnawakee Gaming Commission, which means they are held to a strict standard
of ethics and game fairness. World renowned accounting firm, Price
Waterhouse Coopers publishes their independent findings of game fairness each
month, which can be viewed directly on Blackjack Ballroom's website, dating back
to late 2000. Additionally, Blackjack Ballroom belongs to the Interactive
Gaming Council (IGC), which is a collective, non-profit organization committed
to establishing standards of respectful conduct and gaming by online casino
operators. To be a member of IGC, casinos must adhere to their Code of
Conduct, whose main intent is to boost player confidence in online gambling
technologies.
Blackjack Ballroom also abides by a Responsible Gaming Policy
(as set forth by IGC). All players are encouraged to take the gambling
Self Assessment Test directly available through Blackjack Ballroom's
website, where several tips are shared to help identify problem gambling,
including information on how to engage self-exclusion for either a minimum of
seven days or sixty days. Underage gambling is prevented and monitored
through various means, with special focus being given to Cyberpatrol, NetNanny,
Safekids SurfControl, Gamblock and Solidoak.
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Casino Software
MicroGaming powers the software and operating system at
Blackjack Ballroom. Staying true to their "New Games Rollout Program",
MicroGaming is committed to consistency developing and launching new casino
games, many of which come with large, progressive jackpots (viewable in
real-time on the website). Every feature of the software at Blackjack
Ballroom is branded to invoke the feel of a luxurious brick'n mortar casino -
complete in 16 bit, 3-D graphics. The Viper platform is truly a
super-realistic package of games, which all come with
Game Previews on
Blackjack Ballroom's website. All game rules and software functions are
explained in depth, which is not a luxury players will find at most other online
casinos. There are over 190 games to choose from - and or course - several
blackjack games to choose from. In addition to average payouts for all
games, Random Number Generator reports are issued specifically for online
blackjack games.
The software platform offers several helpful, user-friendly
features that include the PlayCheck and CashCheck System (explained in the
Online Cashier section further below in this review). As for the PlayCheck
system, this is a feature that lets players review every game result for every
live-money wager made (updated every four hours), including which cards were
dealt for every hand of blackjack, what number the roulette ball hit on the
wheel, and what symbol combo lined up on the slot machine reels. This is a
testament to Microgaming Software's commitment to game fairness and player
confidence.
As for the download itself, the minimum requirements are a
Pentium 100 Processor (Pentium 200MMX or better is recommended), 32 Megabytes of
Random Access Memory, Windows NT 4.0 Operating System or Windows 95/98 (works
with 2000), a Windows compatible screen card that enables 16-bit color graphics,
and a 16-bit sound card, and a 14400 baud modem (56K modem or LAN connection is
recommended). For those who are unsure about the download and installation
process, there is a tutorial offered on the website that explains the download
in five easy steps, and the installation is six steps. However, players
are advised to proceed with the download, which is a quick and self-explanatory
process. To open a Flash or play-money account all that is needed is a
valid email address for authentication purposes (not to be shared with third
parties).
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Bonuses & Promotions
As part of the CasinoRewards
program, in addition to a comprehensive player points system that awards comp
points for every wager made, there are many free offerings at Blackjack
Ballroom. Their most popular welcome bonus is a
No-Deposit Bonus that entitles players to
1 Free Hour of playing blackjack with a $500 bankroll. All winnings are the
players to keep (a minimum of $20 in winnings and $100 in bets must be made). If
there are no winnings at the end of the allotted time frame, each player is
still eligible for a 100% Match Bonus up to $50 Free.
The two most
preferred methods of making and receiving payments is
through NETeller and Click2Pay. As such, players
will receive $20 for using one of these two accounting
methods to make their first deposit. There is also
a Refer-a-Friend bonus that awards $25 for referrals, up
to $100 total in players points. The terms and
conditions of the free cash bonus include a 30x
play-through. Depending on the casino game played,
different percentages contribute to the wager
requirement. Online slot machines, parlor games
and American Roulette contribute 100%, SicBo, table
poker, Casino War, and all other forms of Roulette
contribute 50%, craps, video poker machines, baccarat
and all forms of blackjack contribute 10% (except
Classic Blackjack, which contributes 2%). A bonus
account and cash account are created for each player,
and as the wager requirement is met, accrued winnings
are transferred to the cash account. All bets are
taken from the bonus account so long as there are still
funds in it. If there are no funds in the bonus account,
betting funds will be taken from the cash account.
When the wager requirement is met, all funds will have
been transferred to the cash account, at which time the
player may withdraw.
As for the CasinoRewards program,
every one-hundred points is worth a dollar in chips.
Withdrawals of 1,000 points ($10) at a time are
permitted directly through the online cashier.
Players have full access to their rewards standings,
which are tallied and recorded on a real-time basis.
As mentioned earlier, these Reward Points can be earned,
redeemed and transferred at any of the thirteen
CasinoRewards online casinos listed on the CasinoRewards
website. Players should definitely visit this site once
they have opened a real-money account to take full
advantage of all the offerings the program has.
Blackjack Ballroom also has a consistent offering of
ongoing giveaways and promotions. At the time of
this review, they were giving away $55,000 in cash
(drawing announced on December 31, 2006) which only
requires a registration of name and address - no
purchase necessary.
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Games & Payouts
At the time of this review, Blackjack Ballroom was offering
190 casino games from the MicroGaming Viper Package. This number will
undoubtedly change, for as was mentioned earlier, Blackjack Ballroom offers all
of the latest games released through MicroGaming's "New Games Rollout Program".
Players have the option of downloading new games as they become available, as
well as selectively excluding certain games from the initial download.
Included in the current lineup of games are fourteen progressive jackpot games,
including LotsaLoot, Major Millions, SupaJax, CashSplash, Fruit Fiesta, King
Cashalot, Treasure Nile, Wow Pot, Tunsamunni, Roulette Royal, Poker Ride,
Jackpot Deuces and Progressive Cyberstud.
Payout Reports are generated on a monthly basis by
Price Waterhouse Coopers, dating back to late 2000. Players have full
access to the report findings, which will unanimously show all game averages and
table game averages steadily coming in over 97%. Poker games consistently
hit above 98%, while slot machines are in the mid to upper 90's percentile.
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Online Cashier
Several highly secure deposit and withdrawal methods using 128-bit encryption
security are available at Blackjack Ballroom, including the most preferred -
NETeller, Click2Pay, and FirePay. These are commonly called digital
wallets, and are a widely accepted way to make secure transactions without
directly using a credit card. Other digital wallets accepted here are
UseMyBank, PaySpark, MoneyBookers, Citadel and ECO Card. Players can also
make E-Checks, credit and debit payments, and wire transfers. Blackjack
Ballroom offers a very helpful "Deposit Helper" on their website, which
provides a link to every method just mentioned, as well as an in-depth
explanation on how to set up and incorporate each method with a player's online
casino account. Withdrawals are processed by simply clicking on the Bank
button in the software platform, clicking the withdraw button and entering the
amount of money desired. Funds are initially held for 48 hours, after
which time they are received in due time according to the digital wallet used.
NETeller, Click2Pay and MoneyBookers take as little as two days, while mailed
checks take up to ten business days. For security reasons, a players first
withdrawal may take between five and eight business days. Depending on the
digital wallet, charges for withdrawals may vary. However, as far as
charges arising directly from the casino, FirePay and mailed checks are issued
free of charge. Wire transfers (instant) will cost $30 to process.
As for the CashCheck System, which is a highly secure platform developed by
MicroGaming that let's players check their entire financial transaction history
with the online cashier, players are automatically registered into it when they
open a real-money account. Everything from the date, time and amount of
the transaction are recorded for the players reference only. A secure
username and password is needed to log into the CashCheck System.
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Gaming Policies
As mentioned earlier, Blackjack
Ballroom abides by a strict ethics policy that includes
prevention and monitoring of underage and problem
gambling. No player under the age of eighteen is
permitted to open an account, which the casino has the
right to validate at any time. Due to security
reasons, players residing in several countries in South
Asia and Eastern Europe may be banned from entering the
casino, which include China, Netherlands, Poland,
Russia, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Croatia,
Belarus and Albania. The General Gaming Policies
of Blackjack Ballroom are as follows:
1) Player agrees to all rules, terms
and conditions when using the software platform.
2) Player agrees to cease from
opening an account, collecting a prize, benefiting from
a promotion or participate in casino activities if they
do not agree with any of the terms and conditions.
3) Due to the nature of the terms
and conditions and their subject to change, the player
agrees to review all rules at least once a month to stay
abreast of any potential changes.
4) The player accepts full
responsibility for gambling in their jurisdiction of
residence.
5) For players using Gross British
Pounds, an account must be registered with a valid
address in Great Britain. If a player is caught
using GBP and does not have a valid UK address, the
casino reserves the right to withhold any winnings or
bonus credits. The same holds true for players
using Euros and residing in the EuroZone.
6) All players must be of legal age
to gamble as determined by the jurisdiction in which
they reside.
7) Player agrees they will not
permit any third party to use their account in any way
to access the gambling software, claim prizes,
especially those under legal age and deemed to be
minors.
8) Player is aware that no monetary
deposit is required in order to access the software and
gamble play-money casino games.
9) Player agrees to indemnify the
online casino, its staff and affiliates against any
costs resulting from financial transactions made through
the casino.
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Casino Customer Service
Support is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a
week at Blackjack Ballroom Online Casino. Both email and telephone
support are available, including a free service that permits players to email
their telephone number (in non toll-free areas), after which time, a casino
employee will call call them back directly. All emails can be sent to
support @ blackjackballroom.com, while toll free telephone calls can be made at
the following numbers, depending on residence.
In addition to the live support, Blackjack Ballroom has one
of the most comprehensive FAQ's of any online casino. Players can choose
from a variety of topics that go into great detail, including how to get started
with the software, logging in and registering, using the online casino cashier,
joining the VIP Club, adding new casino games, deciphering error messages, as
well as accessing customer support to the fullest.
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Awards
Being a MicroGaming Software
licensee, Blackjack Ballroom has right to stake claim to
numerous Best Software awards. They also have
acquired a great deal of clout by being a long-standing
member of the Interactive Gaming Council. Thousands of
players have and continue to hold memberships at
Blackjack Ballroom, as well as all of the the ITS
Limited online casino sites.
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Visit Blackjack Ballroom for more information
