Ridiculous odds

News on 8 Jul 2009

This appears to be a winning week (see previous reports on Unibet, Casino Action and Platinum Play casinos). The Playtech-powered Europa Casino has reported a Euro 3 million progressive win by one player hitting two jackpots on the Beach Life progressive.
A press release from the casino claims that the two major online casino wins occurred three months apart and raked in almost Euro 3 000 000 in prize money for the lucky slots enthusiast.
A company spokesman said that winning two progressive jackpots is statistically not far short of impossible. For the sake of comparison, the probability of being struck by lighting is 576 000 to 1; and that of dating a supermodel 88 000 to 1. Hitting a progressive jackpot is apparently not much easier than either.
Renee Pascal, the casino’s manager, says: “This is the first and most likely the last time that Europa Casino will twice produce the same winner on a single progressive slots game. We’re quite literally as astounded as the player who won the jackpot – it’s incredible.”
The payment of these large amounts will be watched with interest by the industry following recent scandals in which certain Playtech-powered online casinos have been accused of slow-paying major progressive jackpot wins in instalments instead of in one large tranche as is the case with veteran companies such as Microgaming and Cryptologic.
Among the casinos that have been listed as having predatory T&Cs permitting payment of progressives by instalments are:
32Vegas
Better Casino
Cameo Casino
Carnaval Casino
Casino Del Rio
Casino Europa
Casino Tropez
EuroGrand
Golden Palace Casino
Grand Play Casino
Majestic Comet
Playgate Casino
William Hill Casino
Player advocates are of the view that anything short of full payment in one tranche is unfair when it comes to progressives. This is because jackpots are paid from a pool fed by players at a number of networked casinos, and the casino where the jackpot is won receives access to those monies immediately and completely upon the jackpot being hit.
Europa Casino has been asked to confirm their payment policy, although to date no response has been received.

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