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8 Fantastic Gambling Destinations Across Europe

casino cities

Gambling is not prohibited in most European countries. It is true that in recent years some governments and regulators have tightened control over the operators in an attempt to ensure the players’ safety. The rapid growth of the online casino and sports betting industry is another concern about the general well-being of people. But if you don’t mind following the rules and you’re a fan of the traditional gambling in brick-and-mortar establishments, plenty of cities offer fantastic conditions. In this article, we line up 8 of the locations that have impressed us most. Each of them is an intriguing megapolis, offering much more than gambling!

Paris (France)

The French capital is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities across Europe. It’s visited by millions of tourists every year, willing to climb the Eiffel Tower or take a tour of the Louvre. Many people come to Paris to enjoy the excellent food and wine or take a romantic walk on River Seine and in the Luxembourg Gardens. The city provides first-class accommodation and a lot of entertainment, including gambling. Visitors will find 8 land-based casinos, most of which are in the form of 24/7 Clubs. Perhaps the most popular one is the Aviation Club de France, offering 20 poker tables.

St Julian’s (Malta)

Malta is known as one of the biggest iGaming hubs worldwide but provides a superb environment for traditional gambling as well. The island is also very attractive for tourism being situated in the Mediterranean. It’s a perfect destination for water sports, scuba diving, or just for a beach holiday. St Julian’s is a small town on Malta’s coast, attracting gamblers’ attention. The biggest poker games take place in the Hilton Hotel located in the village. You’ll find plenty of other games as well, including slots, blackjack, and roulette. Malta as a whole is a casino-rich destination!

Monte Carlo (Monaco)

There is hardly a person who does not associate Monte Carlo with gambling. Of course, the independent Monaco state is much more than that, but it’s just the focus of this article. Four luxury casinos are located within the city – Casino de Monte Carlo, Sun Casino, Monte-Carlo Bay Casino, and Casino Cafe de Paris. Each one hosts various international and local tournaments, like the annual European Poker Tour Grand final. Monte Carlo is also known as a sports betting hub! Guests of the city will enjoy the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, PGA Tours, and many other sporting events.

Cannes (France)

Cannes is another famous French city mostly known for the Film Festival, dating back to 1946. It’s also ranked as one of the ultimate holiday destinations in France. There are plenty of beach villas and luxury hotels accommodating people from all over the world. Three casinos are also at their disposal – Casino 3.14, Casino Croisette, and Casino Les Princes. All of them offer hundreds of slot machines and all types of table games, including poker, baccarat, roulette, and blackjack. Cannes is also a popular destination for high-rollers seeking to play on poker tables with no limits.

Prague (Czech Republic)

Prague is a favorite spot for many travelers due to the various architectural styles that can be found (Renaissance, Rococo, Baroque, Gothic, Romanesque), the great quality of food and beer, and its gambling sights. The main focus is on poker (20+ live poker tables) as the city is regularly hosting matchups part of the World Series Of Poker. In addition, Prague is home to 25+ land-based casinos offering over 500 slots and 50+ table game spots. Some of the largest establishments frequently visited by famous high-rollers are Casino Admiral Kleopatra, Banco Casino, and Rebuy Stars Casino Savarin.

Vienna (Austria)

Gamblers know Vienna for being home to what was once the largest European poker room – Concord Card Club. Currently, the Austrian capital is capable of accommodating bettors by offering 12 operational brick-and-mortar casinos. The Casino Wien is maybe the most iconic one, offering excellent accommodation and a wide range of floor games and slot machines. Of course, the city has a lot more to offer during the moments you take a break from gambling. We would recommend visiting the State Opera House, the Schonbrunn Palace, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Gambling in Austria is only allowed in licensed land-based establishments.

Amsterdam (the Netherlands)

Amsterdam is known as one of the party capitals of Europe, so why not offer plenty of gambling opportunities. The Dutch city provides easy access to around 12 casinos, including Holland Casino Amsterdam West, Jack’s Casino, and Flash Casino Amsterdam Palacio. They boast more than 700 slot machines and almost 120 live tables by last information. Lots of people come to Amsterdam not because of the red-light district or the famous marijuana coffee shops but to play high-stake poker. Holland Casino often hosts matchups of international tournaments and organizes VIP-member exclusive games.

London (England)

London is a multi-cultural metropolis and the biggest city in Europe if we don’t count Istanbul. It offers numerous intriguing sights to tourists, including the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, and the Westminster Abbey. London is home to almost 9 million people and over 24 major casinos, including the extravagant Ritz Club Casino. However, the Hippodrome Casino is the largest and most visited establishment within the city limits. Players will find more than enough slots and games to play, including almost 100 live tables. London hosts the world’s biggest poker tournaments, including PokerStars, WSOP, and the UK Poker Tour!

Is Live Blackjack Becoming Obsolete?

Blackjack CardsI’ve been wanting to write an article about live casino (live blackjack in particular) for quite a while now, but I haven’t really been able to find an interesting topic that I could discuss with you, guys. I didn’t just want to do your standard “What is live casino” or “Tips & strategies for live casino”, since literally everyone and their mother is doing that (literally – call your mom right now and ask her what she’s doing, pretty sure the answer will be something along the lines of “I’m writing an article about live casino, by the way, when are you making me grandchildren?”), I wanted to create something different, something that could spark interesting discussion, something unique. And I think I finally discovered a topic that is actually worth exploring!

First, let’s take a moment to talk a little bit about just what live casino is, as well as its history. While the very first online casinos began popping up in the late 90s, it wasn’t until about ten years later when the gap between physical and online casino was finally bridged with the use of a live dealer that would be broadcast over the Internet with the use of a webcam… A single dealer. For blackjack only. For a few hours a day. Broadcast in glorious 240p. Yes, live casino, in its infancy, was nothing more than a cheap gimmick, something to advertise on TV and attract people to try out this relatively new “online casino” thing they may or may not have heard of. This isn’t the first time online casinos experimented with gimmicks – just a few years ago, the push towards mobile casinos was yet another gimmick designed solely to make new gamblers deposit for the very first time. But while mobile casino crashed and burned, people were actually quite interested in live blackjack. Despite its limitations, people actually cared about interacting with a real life human being during their casino gaming! Imagine that!

This prompted online casinos to continue developing and improving, leading to the creation of numerous sites for live blackjack from the UK which feature 1080p video, numerous rooms (some of which are specialized, like, say, with dealers speaking French or German) and other extras that just weren’t feasible 10 years ago. And then the development simply… Stopped. Live casino peaked, and while its quality never exactly dropped significantly, interest in it certainly did. Revenues for live games, and for card games like blackjack and baccarat in general, began to drop, while revenues for luck-based games like roulette and slots shot through the roof. As we entered a new decade, the interests of the gambling public shifted away, and with VR and skill-based slots about to enter the casino world, it appears that even more gimmicks are going to be occupying the public consciousness very, very soon.

So the question remains… Is live blackjack becoming obsolete? Are we actually facing the risk of live casinos closing down? After all, if a regular game (say, a particular online slot) is unsuccessful, there’s literally nothing keeping the online casino from just leaving it there for the occasional fan to enjoy, but live casino requires a constant sunk cost in terms of dealer salaries, equipment maintenance and streaming charges. If it’s unsuccessful and the costs outweigh the profits, then it will certainly be taken down sooner or later. There’s no point in keeping it up if it costs money instead of earning it – that’s, like, business 101. So we have to ask ourselves if this push towards single-player, luck-based games is an early sign that some casinos are planning on decreasing their live casino presence. I personally hope it’s not going to happen, but who knows what the future holds…

What Is Boku and How Can I Use It at Online Casinos?

 Pay by Mobile Casino - Boku Mobile BillingYou’ve probably noticed that more and more online casinos and gambling sites in general add seals to their sites saying that they accept Pay by Mobile or Boku payments. This is actually the latest, most innovative payment method that online casinos support which is getting very popular among players as they don’t need a credit card or a bank account in order to use it. Paying by Mobile actually allows you to make payments online which are later billed on your phone bill and are carried out by the service provider Boku. This is the perfect option for unbanked customers and also for the players that want to keep all their personal and banking details as far away from the Internet as possible. On top of all that, depositing via Boku is fast, easy and safe. Let’s check out how it goes.

How Can I Make a Deposit Using My Phone?

You can make a deposit via phone bill at an online casino by following a few simple steps. First, you have to log into your casino account and go to the casino cashier where you can select mobile billing as you preferred payment method. Then, you’ll be asked to choose the amount you want to deposit and enter your phone number. When you confirm the deposit you will receive an SMS to which you have to reply to finalise the transaction. And that’s it! Your casino account will be immediately topped up.

On top of the ease and swiftness, paying by phone bill has another great advantages – this method is extremely secure. All the communications between the casino server and your computer are encrypted, plus, in order for someone to make a deposit in your name, they will have to know both the password to your casino account and how to unlock your phone. In fact, the only security measures needed for you to keep your account safe is making sure only you know your login password and putting a PIN or a pattern lock on your mobile device.

Are There Any Disadvantages to Using Boku?

We’ve already mentioned all the perks of depositing via Boku, but you might wonder if there are any downsides. To be completely honest, there are a couple of those. First of all, the deposits made using mobile billing are quite small – you can choose an amount between £10 and £30. This might be perfect for the low rollers but not so much for the high stakes players. Then there’s the fact that not many online casinos accept it yet, as it is a relatively new payment option on the British gambling market. Still, if you pick a mobile billing casino that is also licensed by the Gambling Commission and has great reputation among players and experts, you will guarantee yourself a smooth, fun and safe experience while playing your favourite real money games.

Foreign Casino Games We’d Like to Play in Europe

playBeing a European gambler is both a blessing and a curse, I assure you! It’s a blessing because gambling is completely legal in most EU countries – you can go to UK, Spain, France, Germany, wherever you want, and then you can walk into a casino and spend a good couple of hours enjoying yourself. You can’t really do that in America or Asia, where gambling is only legal in certain places, which, trust me, are very few and far in between. But it’s also a curse because European gambling kind of lacks individuality. Sure, we’ve got the standard games – roulette, slots, blackjack and all that jazz, but we don’t really have anything that’s distinct and unique, that makes European gambling different from its foreign counterparts. I propose that we make gambling more uniform by bringing some foreign games to Europe! At first you may not agree with my ideas, but just wait until you know exactly what we’re missing!

3. Pai Gow

Pai Gow is basically the Asian equivalent of poker, except you play against a dealer, so it’s a lot more accurate to call it poker in blackjack’s clothing. It’s immensely popular in regions of Asia where gambling is legal, and with good reason – the game is fun! Basically, both you and the dealer get seven cards, and it’s your job to use your cards to form two poker hands out of them. The dealer will do the same. If both of your hands beat the dealer’s, you win and get to double your bet. If both of them lose, so do you, and if one wins, but one loses, it’s a push. As you can imagine, pushes are more common than wins or losses, so playing Pai Gow allows you to extend your gambling experience without spending too much money.

2. War

Come on, you must have played war when you were little! The basic rules are that each player draws a random card and plays it face-up on the table. The higher card wins, and if the two cards are identical you declare war and get to play more cards until the conflict is resolved. Obviously, this children’s game relies entirely on chance, which is why it’s perfect for a casino, and as a matter of fact has been adopted by several venues in Vegas! Pretty cool, huh?

1. Pachinko

Oh, what wouldn’t I give to play pachinko! For those of you unfamiliar with the term, Pachinko is basically Japanese slots. Since gambling (or any gaming that relies purely on chance) is illegal in Japan, the Japanese had to get creative in order to have their own slot. The rules of pachinko are that you get to drop a ball from the top of the screen and then watch it hit obstacles on the way down until it enters a pocket. The harder the pocket is to reach, the more tickets it brings you, which you can use to exchange for a toy or some other object that you can later resell for money. If we remove the roundabout way of getting prizes, Pachinko can be a fantastic addition to European casinos!

All You Need to Know About Bingo Bonuses

A quick overview of bingo bonuses – variations and details for each.Well we all have our thrills, itches and scratches so to speak. If you are here, then one thing is for sure – you are into gambling (and so am I!) so thanks for stopping by and nice to see you! Now, I’ve covered some guides on casinos and slots and just recently realised I have completely missed out the good old bingo! What a shame. From simply enjoying the game to digging deep into probability theories (yeah, I know, you thought it’s all so simple!) – whatever makes you tick but one thing you can’t deny is that the game is ultimately popular and well-loved in the UK and worldwide and it surely deserves a place on this blog.

So, as they say – better late than never. Let me take a step back and start from the very beginning. Something that you will be immediately confronted to when you step into the bingo world – the abundance of bonus offers.

The game is rather simple, which is very much the charm of it. There are not that many heart wrenching moments as you would experience with a roulette and you are not playing against other site members as you would in poker. So it is all nice and relaxed, just perfect for a pleasant evening on your sofa. Pretty much the only thing that could ruin it is picking the wrong bingo operator. With the hundreds of sites offering you the world and more, it is a real struggle deciding who to trust. I have been through quite a few resources on the net, educating myself on how to best go about this. There are some really good sites out there that can teach you what to consider when picking a bingo bonus and I highly recommend choosing and using one of those as it will save you ages in time and hundreds in money. That said, I will still give you a quick 101 on what sort of bonuses there are to make your life even easier. Let’s go.

1. No Deposit Bonuses
You receive those straight after registration. Sometimes you may be asked to submit your banking details but those will not be used and no money will be taken off your account. This gives you the chance to familiarise yourself with the site and make a choice after you have had some time to look around. According to recent statistics, nearly 80% of users end up staying on the sites and becoming regular members, so you can see how that makes it worth it for bingo operators to give free cash. Of course, those funds are not withdrawable, but let’s be fair – you’re not exactly a charity case, are you now.

2. First Deposit Bonus
This is the most popular variant. You put a small deposit and get usually between 100-300% matching bonus for it. Those are also capped at typically around 100-300 pound and wagering requirements also apply before you can cash in your winnings. So in any case, as tempting as any offer may sound, do check the terms and conditions before jumping in.

3. Subsequent Deposit Bonuses
Many sites will reward you not just for the first but often for the second, third and some even every following deposits. Usually those are smaller – around 50% on average and similar to the above wagering requirements apply.

4. Other Bonuses
On top of all of the above, many operators get creative in their marketing strategies. You will come across chat games that can reward you with freebies, facebook or/and other social media perks, loyalty schemes and VIP programs and many more. Whichever destination you chose for playing your favourite game, there will likely be a page dedicated to all the ongoing and newbies bonuses, so make sure you check those out for sure before subscribing. I would also advise you to make sure you’ve input your email correctly as often the promos and freebies change and so you don’t want to miss out on some chances to win.

A Decade-Long Bet Pays off on Valentine’s Day

Happy Couple Wins on Decade Old Wager at William HillAir hostess Melissa Curry and flight attendant Matt Dockray made a bet with their life and their love and it paid off in full. Melissa had been seeing Matt for only a couple of months, when she decided to place a bet on him putting a ring on it, so to speak. Her desire was to give her new boyfriend a special Valentine’s gift, back in 2006 so she went on to ask bookmaker William Hill for odds on their future wedding.
Melissa said: “I was trying to think of something original to get Matt for a Valentine’s Day present – let’s be honest, a guy doesn’t really want flowers and chocolates. Matt’s really into betting so I approached the bookmakers and asked them what odds they would give me on us getting married.”
While the initial odds that she got were 25 to 1, the bookmaker felt uneasy with her chances of winning, so William Hill went on to double the odds to 50 to 1, if the couple were still married in ten years’ time. Now, exactly 10 years later, the couple is still happily married and very-much in love, so Melissa cashed in on her wager with the faded betting slip which they had framed and claimed her winnings – £1,500.
“With no discernible form to go by we had no way of knowing whether Melissa and Matt would last the distance. They clearly have, and given that marriage these days is not necessarily for life, we will certainly not begrudge paying out., William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly was cited in saying.
Melissa and Matt tied the knot back in 2008 Mandalay Bay resort and are now the happy parents of a beautiful four-year old girl. With the money from the wager, the couple plans on taking a family trip to Barcelona.

The Reason Why the Roulette Martingale Strategy Does Not Work

marketingMartingale is hand-down the most commonly used roulette strategy both at land-based and at online casinos. Funny thing about it is that in theory it’s infallible while in practice it’s disastrous for the player. Let’s find out why.

What’s the Martingale System?

Martingale’s system is a roulette strategy which can be used for even money bets such as red/black or odd/even. It states that after a loss you have to double your bet and start over with the initial bet amount after a win. This way, in theory, you would always after each win, you end up with a win of one unit. For example, if your initial bet is £1 and you lose 4 consecutive times then you would have lost £1+£2+£4+£8, i.e. £15. Then, according to the strategy, in the next round you should bet 16 and if you win you’ll end up with £1 of a total win (as you would’ve lost £15 and then won £16). Another important part of the strategy is that you should always place the same bet, for example, only black or only even.

Similar Strategies

Martingale’s system is one of the so called progressive betting strategies, i.e. strategies that involve increasing of the bet size in certain situation. Another very famous progressive betting strategy is Fibonacci’s. In that strategy, instead of doubling your bet after each loss, you use Fibonacci’s progression: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and so on. In this progression, every number is equal to the sum of the two numbers that precede it. After each loss you move one number to the right in the progression, while after each win you move to numbers to the left. There are, of course, many other progressive betting systems such as the reversed Martingale’s, the Paroli System, The Labouchere system and so on.

Why Progressive Betting Does Not Work?

The reason why progressive betting systems including Martingale’s don’t work is because they entail that the player has an infinite bankroll and that there are no table limits, both of which are conditions that are impossible to fulfill. While to a certain point these systems might be very successful, especially if the allowed bet range at the table is wider and your bankroll is bigger, they pay out very slowly and bring a very high risk of busting. Even the highest table limits cannot guarantee that you’ll have a successful playing session, as if you have several consecutive losses, you’ll most likely bust, especially if you’re using the Martingale system. This is due to the fact that when you’re playing using Martingale’s, the bet amount is rapidly increasing with every single round. Just consider the fact that if you start from £1, after 8 consecutive losses (a case that sounds unlikely with even-money bets, but actually happens more often than anticipated), you’ll have to bet £254 in order to cover the past losses and all of that to end up with an overall win of only £1.
Nevertheless, if you would still like to try a progressive betting system, then I would advise you to give Fibonacci‘s a try. This system is slower to pay out compared to the Martingale one, but is much less risky as the bet amount increases at smaller steps. For comparison, as we already mentioned, after 8 consecutive losses, using Martingale’s system you’ll have to bet £254 while with Fibonacci’s you’ll have to bet only £34. That’s definitely way more affordable and this is why using Fibonacci’s strategy you are way less likely to bust.

Types of Casino Games

cards blackjackWhen you sign up in an online casino, no matter which country you’re from, chances are you’re going to be bombarded with suggestions for games you could play. Most online casinos have between 50 and 300 games ready to go, and a good chunk of them are presented to you right there on the front page with no context at all, you’re just left to fend for yourself and figure things out on your own. And in an environment where literally every single time you play you have to pay real money, there’s really not a whole lot of room for testing stuff out and figuring everything all on your own. Sure, some online casinos offer a free play option where you can test the games without paying, but it’s not available everywhere and, when it is, it’s often limited to only certain games. So if you can’t figure things out on your own, what are you supposed to do?

Fear not, for I’m here to give you some very basic and brief directions on where you should focus your efforts! The question you need to ask yourself is how much you know about gambling in general, and how much experience you’ve got. In my limited experience as a player, I’d say that blackjack is definitely the place where you can earn the highest rewards, but it’s also where the highest risk is. Online blackjack works the same as real blackjack, in that there’s a set of cards which are randomly predetermined after a “shuffle” prior to the game. Contrary to popular belief, the order of the cards is NOT determined on the go, it’s preloaded in the system. So regardless of whether you choose Hit or Stop, you’ve got the exact same card waiting for you face-down. As such, various blackjack strategies, such as the ones described in the appropriately named “The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book” will still work.

If you’ve got some gambling experience, but not too much, then roulette is your game. It offers enough choice to allow players to make basic decisions (such as whether you want to bet on a color, or an odd/even number or a particular number), but for the most part is still very much a luck-based game. That way you can make certain decisions that you know for a fact (or from experience) have a higher probability of success, and if that doesn’t work you can always just rely on pure, blind luck to make you rich, which would be next to impossible in blackjack. If you’re a complete amateur at gambling and know literally nothing about it, then slots or lotto is your cup of tea. Those require little to no input – you literally just press a button and see if you win, and at the same time they allow you to win millions of pounds on even a smaller bet… And if you don’t, there’s always the chance that you can still win a pretty good sum.

I hope that was helpful for you! Now that you know a good place to start, it’s time for you to get some gambling done!

Picardie: Online Casinos In Europe

game casinoOh, how the tide changes! Regarded as nothing but a fad that would be completely gone before the end of the last decade, online casinos have gown tremendously over the years to the point where they made a mind-blowing $41 billion this year alone, making it one of the most successful online-only markets… ever, really. Definitely not bad for something that a lot of people seemed to write off as obsolete, huh? While not really all that popular in the US, online gambling (and online casino in general) has made a tremendous impact in Europe. While UK, Spain and Germany are the biggest online casino markets by a huge margin, almost every EU country where gambling is legal has its own online casinos, including, but not limited to, the Netherlands, Greece, Bulgaria, Portugal and many, many, many more!

Hello, my name is Aaliyah Nash (yes, I am a lady – Aaliyah isn’t a very common name, so some people can get confused), and while I currently reside in the UK I’ve lived literally all over Europe, including in each of the countries I specified above due to my job, which is… Hmm, should I tell you? Heh, alright, but keep it between us! I wear many hats, but in general, I work as a consultant for online gambling. I’ve studied game design back in the UK and I’ve been helping various online casinos across Europe to “gamify” their websites and thus attract a younger demographic. Now, keep in mind that I don’t really specialize in casinos – I have knowledge of them, sure, but nothing too in-depth. My speciality is something else, namely game development, game design theory and game psychology. My job is to make people feel less like they’re gambling and more like they’re having fun, and not just on a small scale individual game level, but on the site as a whole.

I’ve gained a lot of experience and knowledge about how online casinos function over the years, which is why I decided to create Picardie – a blog where I’ll be able to share my knowledge about them with whoever wants to learn it! So join me, dear reader, as we embark on a quest of epic proportions! Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president learn more about online casinos?