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IWG Launches Jackpot-Enabled e-instant Game in Pennsylvania

The year just got better for fans of digital e-instant games and lotteries in the State of Pennsylvania as jackpot e-instants have been added to the state lottery. This announcement was made on Thursday, 18th February 2021 by Instant Win Gaming (IWG), a renowned casino game developer brand based in London. Three other state lotteries have launched the product in North America and Pennsylvania. Residents can finally benefit from it too.

IWG began operations back in 2005 but came into the limelight ten years later in 2015 when the company began to expand. One thing they are known for is the innovation of online lottery games and right now, they boast over 250 games. Because of their notable work in the world of lottery, they have struck partnerships with multiple US lotteries, including the Pennsylvania State Lottery.

Lottery lovers in the Keystone State are set to have a great time in the iLottery program with the addition of jackpot e-instants. Jungle Tumble Jackpot, the first in the series of this type of game has been well-received in the iLottery space and the same is expected in Pennsylvania.

According to a statement by Drew Svitko, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Lottery,

“IWG consistently delivers great games for our iLottery program, and the addition of Jungle Tumble Jackpots is no exception,” he said. “Our customers are sure to love the three different ways of winning jackpots within the gameplay.”

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Features of IWG’s Jackpot-enabled e-Instants

Jackpots are common in slot games but IWG put a twist to e-instants by introducing jackpot technology to the games. If you’re familiar with slot progressive jackpots, these e-instants are a must-try as they are a unique fusion of slots and lottery instants.

Jungle Tumble, the most popular game with this tech by IWG was designed with exciting features such as 

  • 3 in-game progressive jackpots – mini, mega, and jumbo
  • Bonus modes
  • Free games
  • Mobile play optimization
  • Impressive jungle-themed graphics.

How To Play Jungle Tumble Jackpot

Jungle Tumble is a game that you can learn to play in time if you’ve never played an e-instant game. Just like a slot, you can select a stake between $0.50 to $30 or leave it at the default $1 per play. Once that is done, click on ‘Play’ for each round or use the Autoplay feature for up to 20 automatic rounds.

Patterned blocks fall and randomly re-emerge in Jungle Tumble’s 5×3 grid. To win, at least three identical symbols must appear on consecutive columns. The winning symbols explode as they end up in a matching combo and are replaced with others that tumble into their positions. As you score more wins in a round, your overall prize will be multiplied by the number of wins gotten.

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Requirements to Play the Pennsylvania Lottery

Instant Win Gaming is just getting started with the supply of digital e-instants to NASPL/WLA-member lotteries, one of which is the Pennsylvania Lottery. Chief Executive of IWG, Rhydian Fisher, said,

“We’re looking forward to jackpot-enabling additional titles in the coming months. With the module fully housed within our InstantRGS, it’s a simple process to add these e-Instants to a lottery’s iLottery platform.”

This is one trend that every Pennsylvania online gaming enthusiast should jump on for the chance to experience amazing gameplay and win big. However, there are requirements that you must meet before you can explore digital e-instants and other iLottery games with the Pennsylvania Lottery.

You must be at least 18 years old to buy a ticket here or claim any prize from playing. Although residency within the state of Pennsylvania is not a criterion for playing or winning a lottery in the state, you must be physically present within the state’s borders at the time of play.

Begin To Play For Jackpots Today

If you qualify for the Pennsylvania lottery, now is the time to begin to explore the triple jackpot feature of IWG’s jackpot e-instants and more. Your winnings are waiting for you!

10 tips to increase your chances of winning at any online casino

Online casinos are more popular than ever these days. We expect this demand to continue to grow. The various games you can play provide a lot of fun and adventure. But many of us don’t just play to relax. Although in many of these games luck is a big factor, you also play to win.

Online casinos have a house edge. After all, it must be financially attractive for them to offer games. But you can significantly reduce this house edge if you play the games with smart strategies, of course. If you’ve read one of our game guides (e.g. Blackjack), you’ll know that you can use certain strategies to increase your chances of winning. But there are also more general tips you can apply to increase your odds. Want to know which ones? Then keep on reading!

Number 10 – Use reliable casinos

Online casinos have been around since the 1990s, but unfortunately, scammers have been around since well before that time. In certain casino games, for example, slot machines, you should have a certain chance of winning. Of course, it still comes down to luck, but it is possible to win. However, there were operators of online casinos that set the odds of winning to 0. As a result, you were actually throwing money away by participating in these games.

Fortunately, you can easily recognize when an online casino is reliable or not. First of all, these online casinos should have obtained a license by the Malta Gaming Authority. You don’t just receive a license from this authority. The conditions are strict:

  • Games have to be fair. The odds of winning should not be manipulated in a way that they are too low. Participants may not receive preferential treatment.
  • In addition to this, security must be in order. Online casinos without HTTPS should not be used.
  • Withdrawing and depositing is completely safe.

If a casino does not play according to the rules, the chances of winning could go all the way down to 0. That’s why our first recommendation is to always use safe online casinos. Also, always read the terms and conditions of an online casino carefully.

Number 9 – Work on money management

Profit is not only about increasing your chances of winning, but also about minimizing your losses. One night it’s just a little bit more difficult to win than the other. Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em: that’s the motto. But you can also minimize your losses by managing your money. Especially on bad days, this is highly recommended. It’s quite simple: set a limit on how much you allow yourself to lose. By doing so, you avoid losing too much money.

A good example: you have decided for yourself that your maximum loss could go up to 150 euros in one evening. This does not mean that you will continue to play until you lose 150 euros. For example, if you first win 200 euros and then lose 150 euros, now is the time to stop. This way, you still make a profit of 50 euros and lose nothing more.

Number 8 – Play casino games with a low house edge

The “house edge” means that with every casino game ‘the house’ (i.e. the casino) has a greater chance of winning than you as a player. Online casinos are companies that want to make a profit. If the odds of you winning are too high, it wouldn’t be very attractive to start a casino.

For some players, this house edge is not one of their concerns. They play what they like and if they make a profit then that is a nice little extra. But if you want to increase your odds of winning, it is advisable to always find out what the house edge is of the casino where you want to play. Online casinos should indicate this somewhere on their website. Sometimes this is clearly stated, other times you should look for it a little bit further. If you see the term “RTP” (Return to Player), this indicates the payout percentage. If you take 100% minus the payout percentage, you end up with the house edge.

A few more tips regarding the house edge:

  • Blackjack is the best paying game with the lowest house edge.
  • Poker and Punto Banco are also doing well. However, always check the payout percentage in advance.
  • Roulette also has an interesting house edge. However, the specific variant does affect the house edge. In the European variant, the house edge is around 2.7%, in the American variant around 5.3%. This is because the American variant has an extra 00 square.
  • Progressive Jackpot slots are, in terms of the house edge, a bad choice if you’re looking for a profit.

Number 7 – Know the games

Ask any person what Blackjack’s goal is, and chances are they’ll tell you to score 21. As we explained in our Online Blackjack play guide, a score of 21 is only a guarantee that you won’t lose. The dealer can also achieve a score of 21, which creates a tie. Even with a low score of 17, you can win if the dealer busts. The goal is to finish as close to 21 as possible. But by playing purely focussed on a score of 21, you can make tactically wrong choices because you misunderstood the goal of the game. And that’s also reflected in other casino games. Therefore, carefully read all the information about the games, know the rules from the inside out and understand the purpose of the game.

Number 6 – Bonus terms and conditions

Online casinos try to attract customers in multiple ways. They do this by offering you a pleasant bonus. One bonus is more attractive than the other, but it’s also true that one bonus is more profitable than the other. Usually, the bonuses only apply to newly registered players, but at some online casinos, it is also possible that you will receive a bonus if you have been a member for a long time. Want to know which online casinos have the best bonuses? Discover them in our Best Online Casino Bonus 2020 list. This list has been compiled by experienced players, so you can be sure you are on the right track.

Number 5 – Note the payouts

In order to place bets in an online casino, you will need to deposit money. You can then use this money to play. The winnings you make at a casino game are also included in this. It is tempting to use this money in other online casino games. Online casinos know this, which is why some platforms may take a while to cash out your winnings.

By the time it’s possible, some players already started placing new bets in various games, which might result in a loss. If you actually want to make a profit and don’t want to lose your money again at the next game, it’s advisable to keep an eye on this. Keep track of your winnings per day. Another recommendation is to look for an online casino that pays out quickly.

Number 4 – No-deposit bonus

You have already read that at many online casinos there is a welcome bonus that you can receive. Usually, this manifests itself as an x number of spins that you get for free, or a bonus that you can play for free in a certain way. However, there are also online casinos where you can take advantage of no-deposit bonuses. This is free credit. However, there are also conditions attached to this, which are more advantageous at one online casino than another. Always read the conditions carefully. This way you can avoid nasty surprises.

Number 3 – Never make use of insurance

Some casino games allow you to take insurance during a certain point in the game. Especially with Blackjack, this is a familiar concept. If you’ve read our Online Blackjack play guide, you’ll know that at Blackjack, the dealer lays a card face up and a card face down. If the open card is an Ace, the dealer offers you the option of taking insurance. This can earn you money if the second card has a value of 10 (i.e. a card with a picture or a 10). However, the chance that this will occur is very small, so you actually lose money in an unnecessary way. That’s why you should never use it.

Number 2 – Do not bet compulsively

Gambling is fun, but it’s also addictive. Sometimes you get very involved in the game. For example, you’re working on a winning streak, but you lose once. But because you were so busy, you still want to continue. However, the streak is over and you keep losing more and more. And so, you still want to win again, and so you continue until your losses are growing big. That’s why you should always try to stay cool, no matter what casino game you’re playing. Keep an open mind, think carefully, and distance yourself when the going gets tough.

Number 1 – Make use of our game guides

There are a lot of general tips you can use to increase your chances of winning at online casinos. But you can also increase your odds within the games themselves. Of course, some games make you more dependent on luck compared to others. But even with online bingo, you can increase your odds using our handy strategies. Our game guides of the various online casino games are designed to give you a helping hand. Not only do you understand the setup and purpose of the game, but also what strategies you can use to increase your winnings. For example, we have game guides for online casino games such as:

Are online slots rigged?

A deeper look at slot machine odds, the benefit of the house and the chance of a winning combination

If you’ve ever considered spinning one or more reels of a slot machine, you’ve probably asked yourself a few questions. Can slots be set up to deceive you, the player? What are the odds of winning on a slot machine? Are the devices fair? And do online casinos manipulate slots at the expense of the players?

Since we know that you’d like to know the answers to these questions, this article will shed some light on the matter. So sit back and read all the facts about the odds of slots, house edge, and the fairness of online casinos and their games.

Slots rigged

Are online casinos able to influence slot machines?

A question as old as modern gambling itself is whether casinos manipulate slot machines and whether casinos can control the payouts of slot machines.

Online casino operators have no control over slot machines and their payouts – unless the conditions they are trying to implement meet the strict requirements of the gaming authorities. Each country has such an authority, which determines laws that set a lower and upper limit for the payout pattern of online slots.

Online casinos must comply with legal gaming requirements to stay out of trouble with gambling control authorities and avoid the possibility of losing their license. This alone makes it virtually impossible for the online casino to withdraw your money. 

  • What if you win a lot? Does the chance of winning change when you’re suddenly hitting it big?

Online casinos need to keep track of how much you win and lose because of potential scams that the players try to work, but that doesn’t mean they can use that information for anything else. Each time the wheel turns, the outcome will be completely random. Think of it as a coin toss. The chance of head or tails is 50%. Even if the coin lands on heads 20 times in a row, the next time you toss it, the probability of it landing on heads or tails is still 50/50. Players often fall for the gambler’s fallacy or Monte Carlo fallacy.

This misconception leads players to believe that if the coin lands on heads several times in a row, the next toss is more likely to result in tails. We’ll explain why slot machines really don’t work that way below.

Are slot machines fair or not?

The slot machines on reputable online casino sites are not unfair. Slot machines’ random number generators (RNG) ensure that there is no “machine memory” of previous spins, as they are programmed to work on individual spins. Each new spin is an isolated event, where only casino managers and slot machine designers know the exact settings for that RNG.

Nowadays, almost every slot machine includes the percentage of what you can expect to get back in the long run, but the exact settings are not yet clear. Slot machines are designed to have a mathematical advantage over the player, to enable their manufacturers to make a healthy profit without cheating. However, this is all mathematical – there isn’t any scam at play.

What is the house edge with online slots?

You’ve likely seen the term RTP (return to player) a few times. This percentage determines how much a player will get back, on average, over a longer period of betting. If you subtract the RTP percentage from 100%, the remaining number indicates the house advantage.

Also known as the casino advantage, the house advantage is something that applies to any slot machine, table game, lotto or other game in an online casino or a land-based casino. House advantage tells you the average amount that each game pays out over its lifetime. It’s important to note that, unlike some other casino games, in slot games skill, experience and expertise do not change the home edge. The reason why these normally valuable qualities don’t increase a gambler’s chances of winning a slot machine is because, with slots, every player is exactly the same and every game is random.

The optimal home advantage

In the casino world, most casino games have a house edge of somewhere between 0% and 5%. The only games with a higher house edge are slots, which normally come in with a house edge around 10%. We prefer to see RTPs from 90% – the higher the better – as that will be more profitable for you!

Most gaming authorities allow online casinos to bet their slots on an RTP of 75%, but silent agreements usually see it set higher. However, there is a limit to this as online casinos don’t want to establish a reputation for offering slot machines with a moderate payout formula.

The best slots to take full advantage of

With this explanation of home advantage in mind, you can easily distinguish between a profitable slot machine and a less profitable one. You’ll soon see a distinction in terms of style. Jackpot slots are generally more unstable than non-jackpot slots. The percentages aren’t much lower, but you have to be a long shot to keep playing for those jackpots. It can often take a very long time before this happens and players understandably get tired of losing. non-jackpot slots see a much more stable return, but large prizes aren’t expected.

Is there anything you can do to influence the outcome?

In table games, it’s essential to have a strategy in order to take maximum advantage of the opportunities the game offers. You can choose your own variant or use the advanced tactics of experienced players. While it might seem that slot machines do not have such an advantage at first glance, some players swear by certain tactics that help them to win. We’ll look at two of these in detail now.

Time

There probably isn’t a single gambler – veteran or beginner – who hasn’t wondered at least once in his gambling career if there is a specific time of day, month or year when there is a better chance of winning on slot machines and if there is a way to always win on slots.

Unfortunately, such details have never been revealed to the public and it seems impossible for the authorities to allow this in any way. The best we can advise here is that you play in a way that doesn’t disturb your health or daily routine.

Switch or stay

Choosing to change slot machines or stay with one is rationally an easy choice. Emotionally, on the other hand, this can be a lot more difficult. Suppose there is already quite a bit of your budget in a slot machine. This might be reason to stay for some, while it could be a reason to leave as soon as possible for others. 

Just joining a slot machine gives you as much chance of winning a bonus or jackpot as if you’ve been playing it for an hour, so don’t worry about when to switch or stay.

The choice is yours

Spinning the reels on your favorite online slot machine is always one of the best ways to make your day that little bit more exciting. Rather than waste time with theories, calculating your odds and wondering if online casinos tighten up slots on the weekends, choose your favorite slot machine, sit back and enjoy every second.

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The Most Fun Megaways Slot Machines

In 2016, the first Megaways slot machine was launched by Australian game developer Big Time Gaming, Dragon Born Megaways. It was a new concept that didn’t run very well at the time, so it stayed under the radar for a while. Nowadays, four years later, Megaways slot machines have become an integral part of the online casino industry, and for good reason!

Megaways slot machine, what exactly does that mean?

If you’re talking about a traditional slot machine, you’re often talking about 5 reels and 3 symbols per reel, with a fixed number of winning lines. The Megaways slot machine is much less standard. It often has six reels and the number of symbols per reel varies between two and eight symbols per reel. Because there is so much variation in these slot machines, there are a lot of ways to win.

Most Megaways slot machines have between 45,000 and 120,000 different ways to win. Some machines go even further, like Holy Driver Megaways with as many as 586,971 ways to win. That’s what I’m saying, bizarre. Where did they get this number from? Take, for example, a Megaways slot machine with six reels and up to seven symbols per reel. This gives you 7 times 7 times 7 times 7 = 117,649 ways to win. Megaways often use this number in their slot machines.

How do I win on a Megaways slot machine?

Even though a Megaways slot machine could appear quite confusing at first sight, it’s pretty straightforward if you understand how to win. You are supposed to spin identical symbols on adjacent reels. In which position on the reel this symbol is placed, and how big this symbol is, doesn’t (often) matter. For example, if you have the same symbol on the first reel at the top, on the second reel at the bottom, and on the third reel in the middle, you win. If you have the same symbol on the first, second, and fourth reel at the same height, but on reel three this symbol is missing, you don’t win.

The features of a Megaways slot machine

  • Megaway slots don’t have a jackpot in general.
  • They are high-risk slots due to their high variance.
  • High variance also means that you have a chance of winning very large amounts of money.

The brief history of Megaways slots

As I said, Big Time Gaming started this new concept in 2016, but Dragon Born Megaways wasn’t really a success right away. When you see a Megaways slot machine for the first time, you can become a little overwhelmed by the chaos of reels and symbols, and you quickly lose track of the goal of the game. It didn’t really become popular for this reason, so that’s why Big Time Gaming created another slot machine. But again, they had no success. Both Starquest Megaways and Queen of Riches Megaways didn’t win many hearts. But they kept their hopes up, and with Bonanza Megaways they created an amazing game. 

Bonanza Megaways turned out to be a huge success. Big Time Gaming brought a concept to the market that is now an integral part of the online casino industry. They filed a trademark for Big Time Gaming, in order to prevent other game developers from copying this Megaways concept. They shared their license In 2018, of course in return for a nice fee, with developers such as Blueprint Gaming, and WMS. They then also started to enjoy great success with new Megaways slot machines.

The Best Megaways Slot Machines

I deliberately don’t rank the Megaways slot machines, because the experience of each slot machine depends a lot on personal preference. However, I do want to talk about a number of slot machines that stand out because of certain features or statistics. Let me start with the slot machine from Megaways.

Bonanza Megaways

Bonanza Megaways takes place in an abandoned gold mine and has nice graphics like a waterwheel. The slot machine has a very appealing design, with banjo music playing in the background. With a unique system of double reels, a small win can result in very large amounts of money. In addition to this, it uses the waterfall principle, where winning symbols disappear and make room for even more symbols to increase your profits even further. Bonanza Megaways has six reels and has up to seven symbols per reel, thus offering 117,649 ways to win. It has an average RTP percentage of 96%.

Medusa Megaways

Medusa Megaways is an online slot machine developed by NextGen Gaming. In terms of design, it is very similar to Bonanza and therefore also has 117,649 ways to win with its six reels and up to seven symbols per reel. The variance is high, with a maximum win of 50,000 times your bet. But what makes Medusa Megaways stand out is the RTP percentage. The basic game has an RTP percentage of 96.28%, but you can choose to use the extra feature called ‘Buy Pass’. The costs are higher, but this makes the RTP percentage go through the roof with a great 97.63%.

Holy Driver Megaways

I mentioned Holy Driver Megaways briefly at the beginning of this blog, so that’s probably why you already know that this slot machine stands out because of its bizarrely high number of winning lines. With Holy Driver Megaways you can win in over half a million different ways. It’s another slot machine developed by Big Time Gaming and this slot machine takes place in the Middle Ages and has a matching soundtrack. The basic game offers 117,649 ways to win, but when you achieve the bonus you get free spins, which leads to a total of 586,971 ways to win.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire Megaways

Again, this is an online slot machine from Big Time Gaming, in which elements from the eponymous game show are incorporated into a Megaways slot machine. The basic game is all about small prizes, but it’s the bonus round that makes this slot machine so great. You start with eight free spins and you get to try to make your way up to a total of 50 free spins. You can do this by betting on A, B, C, or D. Just as in the game show, you can also use lifelines. Basically, there is no limit to the maximum winnings on this slot machine, which means that you can actually become a millionaire by playing this game.

Extra Chilli Megaways

With Extra Chilli Megaways, Big Time Gaming has once again developed a very interesting online slot machine. It is a Megaways slot machine with some extra spirit in it. Increasing multipliers can boost your winnings to extreme heights. There are also extra gambling opportunities in the game, with of course a higher level of risk but also possibly better winnings. The RTP percentage is also quite nice with 96.82%. All this takes place on a slot machine that has won my heart, especially in terms of design.

Our verdict of megaways slots

Megaway’s slot machines have only been on the market for about four years, but have gained tremendous popularity over the years thanks to the perseverance of Big Time Gaming. If you look for videos about Megaway’s slots on youtube, you see a lot of players win extreme amounts of money. Megaways slots are slots with high variance, so this means they are high-risk and high pay.

There are over 50 different Megaways slots available, and more are added every month. In this blog, I’ve discussed some interesting ones, which you should definitely check out. But don’t stick to playing on only these slot machines, because the rest is not bad either. This was it for me, thanks for reading my blog and have fun!