I usually enjoy playing at casinos with Boss Media software, and Pharaoh’s Casino is no exception. As you might expect from the name, Pharaoh’s uses an Egyptian motif complete with gold burial mask and hieroglyph-ics. That theme carries over to the games tables.
Pharaoh’s was smart enough to know that not everyone has a high-speed Internet connection and created a suite of play-for-fun Shockwave games to keep people busy while they’re waiting for the download to finish.
European roulette and single-deck Blackjack are nice touches at Pharaoh’s and you won’t see Killer Whale slots, which combine Video Poker and a five-reel slot, at every casino.
Progressive jackpot games are becoming increasingly popular and Pharaoh’s has three of its own: Gold Pirate Slots, Jack in the Box Slots, and Caribbean Stud poker. The Caribbean jackpot was at almost $110,000 when this review was written, and the other two were over $25,000.
Pharaoh’s offers a $30 bonus on deposits of $30 or more and a 10 percent bonus on local bank transfers. FirePay, credit card, and wire transfer are all deposit options, and Visa users will like the option of crediting their withdrawals directly to their cards — especially since there’s no limit on the amount you can withdraw.
It was nice to hear the dealer calling winning Pai Gow hands, and the new Jack In The Box three-line slot is much more entertaining than most slots. High rollers will also appreciate betting limits up to $1000. The bottom line? Pharaoh’s is a quality casino with several user-friendly features and a stable gaming platform that’s ideal for people who are more interested in substance than bells and whistles.
This story was first published in the October – November 2002 issue of Gambling Times Magazine.
In the Spotlight – Casino Fortune
Sunny Group’s Casino Fortune has been online since 1996, but it underwent some rather drastic changes in March 2002 after Sunny switched its casinos to new software from Playtech. According to Nicole Green, Public & Media Relations Manger for Sunny Group, Playtech software was the natural choice because “it has a lot more player-friendly features such as multi-table, multi-player, a chat feature, and the ability to view Game and Transaction history without leaving the table. It really is state-of-the-art, 21st-century gaming.”
The revamped casino offers players the choice of download or no-download Flash versions, and a selection of 48 games that includes single-zero roulette and everything else you’d expect. But the quality of the games and casino features are what really deserve the attention. The graphics are superb, and everything from the cards to the tables and chips looks crisp. Card and dice movements are fluid, and card speed can be adjusted to suit your personal preference.
Features such as large or small cards, zoom on the slot Slot Gacor machines, 10-cent bets, and a ‘double up’ option in Video Poker make Casino Fortune stand out. Links on the casino interface to the promotions page and customer service are unique, as are private group play and a chat forum hosted by the casino. Four-line Video Poker is another pleasant surprise that you won’t find at many casinos.
The other major change at Casino Fortune has been the addition of seven progressive games. There are five slots, one Video Poker game, and the new $500,000 Sunny Slots progressive, which is the second largest progressive jackpot on the Net. Not surprisingly, the progressives are quite popular and Casino Fortune players have won a massive amount to date.
Sunny Group plans to carry the momentum from the new launch into the future by adding more slots and continuing its 20% weekend bonus. Casino Fortune is definitely worth a visit if you want a top-notch gaming experience — or a chance to win more than half-a-million dollars playing the Sunny Slots progressive.
This story was first published in the October – November 2002 issue of Gambling Times Magazine.
