What You Should Know About a Gambling Symposium Recently Held in the US

April 8, 2019 Esteban Blair

March is the month for problem gambling awareness. Last March 1^st, the state of Michigan organized its Problem Gambling Symposium. It was the 11^th edition of the annual event.

Even though our blog Tropfest is from New Zealand, our team is constantly committed to learning about gambling and addiction problems worldwide. We want to do as much as we can to help.

Our website is dedicated to promoting the best gambling movies in history. Most of them are set in the United States and are deeply rooted in the incomparable American gambling culture.

It is only natural that we study gambling patterns and rehab initiatives in the United States to better do our job.

And there is one final reason why Tropfest is so interested in this gambling symposium. The focus of the event was highly related to the work we do on this blog: gambling perception versus gambling reality.

Many unreasonably fantasized perceptions people have about gambling come from cinema productions. Gambling-centred movies often present the world of casinos as fun, exciting, charming, sensual and life-changing.

Even when a gambling movie realistically depicts addiction, it somehow ends on the main character turning their life around, going back on the stake tables and making a fortune.

On Tropfest, we will bring you our selection of the top 10 gambling movies of all time. Some are raw and honest, while others are pure action and entertainment. We just want to highlight that we will never advocate for unconscious gambling.

Head online and search about the latest problem gambling symposium in Michigan. The main topic was brilliantly covered and really caught the attention of our movie buffs.

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What Are the Best Casino Games to Play?

What Are the Best Casino Games to Play?

April 28, 2022CasinoThe first things that come to mind when you think of casino games are usually poker tables and roulette wheels. But there’s more to a casino than Texas Hold ‘Em and the croupier’s cry of “no more bets, no more bets.” There are numerous casino games available, each with its unique set of rules and techniques. From classics like blackjack and slots to new favourites like live poker, we’ve analysed the most popular casino games and highlighted the best strategies for winning big. Blackjack has a low house edge Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games because it has a low house edge and offers players a good chance of winning. The object of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, and the dealer must hit on 16 or less and stand on 17 or more. Blackjack also has insurance, which pays 2-1 if the dealer has blackjack. Like any other casino game, blackjack has rules. Every rule has an exception. To play the game correctly, you must know when the rules apply to you and when they don’t. In blackjack, a $25 minimum wager is also necessary. As you play more games, you’ll figure out how to make the most money. The betting options in blackjack are the same as in all other casino games: you can bet on one hand, or you can bet on the dealer. The best blackjack hand is a blackjack, which is 21 without an ace, so if you’re dealt a blackjack you should always hit because you’re probably safe to win. If the dealer has a blackjack and you hit, you’ll lose. Slots – many gamers’ favourite casino game The slot machine is one of the most popular casino games. On one side, this is a really basic game that is also quite unpredictable. As a result, each time you play, you can obtain a different outcome. However, if you want to win and make a lot of money, you should grasp the slot machine’s regulations and play with strategy. In this essay, we’ll go over the fundamental ideas that will help you win slots. When a player loses in a slot machine game, he must restart from the beginning. To win, the player must be the first to “wear it out,” or collect the most “flips” from the first slot, as it is known. There are several ways to wear down a slot machine, including: decreasing the slot’s value – This strategy involves setting the “lowest value” values to zero. For example, if a bar has 10 coins, the first slot can include either a 2 by 2 or a 1 by 1 x 20. These “lowest value” values are referred to as “dishes,” and they represent the number of slot games available at the time. Craps — master the fundamentals of this thrilling dice game. Craps is a fun and simple table game to learn. It’s a dice game that’s fun to play with your pals. In this article, we’ll go over the fundamentals of craps as well as some helpful hints. What exactly are hands? Individual numerical values returned by a dice-based game are referred to as hands. We’ll use five random numbers between 1 and 41 in the case of craps. Consider a six-player craps game with A, B, C, D, and E as the players. The dealer splits the six numbered cards into three groups of three. After that, the six cards are dealt face-up onto the table. The player with the lowest number will die immediately. The game is won by whoever throws the largest number. We simply need to flip two numbers if we use a die. The jack wins in this situation. What if you only get three cards? We put them all on the table together. Each of the three groups will produce nine results: 9 1/2, 9 2/3, and 9 3/4. Individual numbers will differ in each of the three groups. There are ten results for a group of three in this scenario. 9 1/2 (2 1/2 + 2 3/4 = 9) is the lowest number. Take a risk on where the ball will land in roulette! It’s critical to take risks in your life and profession; otherwise, you’ll never know what would have happened if you had chosen differently. “You can’t win if you don’t play,” as the saying goes. Take risks and welcome the unknown. There are various things to consider while deciding which sort of casino gambling you wish to explore. You should avoid the roulette tables if you’re new to casino games since you could lose thousands of dollars. Knowing what to expect can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the long run. You don’t want to grow too confident in a new game while you’re just getting started if you’ve played a variety of gambling games. It’s recommended to acquaint yourself with the game before playing. This will help you relax and ensure that you grasp the rules of the game. Conclusion: Finally, some people are apprehensive about playing a high-stakes casino game against another person. It’s crucial to remember that negotiating a bargain with another person requires a great degree of trust and personal responsibility. If an offer appears to be too good to be true, it most likely is—but only if you know what to look for and take the necessary safeguards. [...]

The Most Popular Casino Games in New Zealand

The Most Popular Casino Games in New Zealand

August 30, 2021GamblingThe Five Most Popular Casino Games and Some Helpful Facts To Get You Through Online casino options are abundant in New Zealand. That is why New Zealanders want to know which online game options are a “sure thing”. To be clear, there is no such thing as a “sure thing”. There are, however, some very popular choices that New Zealander’s gravitate more towards than any other selections. Roulette We have several fun and interesting facts about Roulette players should know about. 1) The original wheel had 2 zeros. European Roulette(by today’s standards) has only one zero. The two zero ideas had been adopted through a German owner. You can also read about it in the book, La Roulette ou le Jour. It is a 1796 book, so I do not know if it was still available. The book gives you an idea of what originally happened. The German owner wanted to give players a better shot at winning. He adopted the two zero ideas and it traveled from Paris to Las Vegas. You will probably recognize the concept in American Roulette, as well as European Roulette. 2) You can change the house edge. Most of the time, the house edge stays the same. However, there are bets that you can make to tweak the odds in your favor. The two bets that can change the course(of the game) are La Partage and En Prison. 2) Did you know that Roukette is sometimes called, “The Devil’s Game”? The reason is that the numbers display 3 6’s. 3) You need to know about the betting systems. A lot of players try to outsmart the system. They believe that there are proven results that reinforce hr idea. To be clear, there is no proven way to outsmart the system. There is something called, “Roulette For Fun”. It is a free source to use online. You can download and start playing. It will show you proof that there is no proven way to outsmart the system or the house edge. Slots Do you want to play some slots in New Zealand? Here are some fun and interesting facts you should know. 1) We speak a lot about strategies and tricks to win at the slots. Yes, some of the tips and tricks do work to your advantage. However, there is no such thing as a “sure thing” in slots. There is no proven way to beat the system and win big. The reason is due to the Random House Generator. The generator works as a random tool. One minute you will win a lot of money. The next minute you will lose some of it. The only way you can win(successfully) is through luck and good money-managing skills. Managing your bankroll is a crucial part of the so-called “winning” process. 2) Did you know that even if you are not using one of the online slot machines, the machines are still in use? The reason is due to the Random House Generator tool. The generator works to keep things fair and real. The only way to do that is to keep generating codes every second. That means the machines do not shut down when you are not playing. This is another protocol that the slot machine system uses to make sure players do not cheat. 3) You will(for the most part) always walk away as a winner. You may not win a lot of money, but you can win something. All you have to do is play safe and use secure actions. You also have to use a strategy that works for you. Bingo 1) Play Bingo when there are not as many players online. Here is the deal, the prize money is not going to go up or down(any time soon). It will be the same amount for whoever wins the cash prize. The goal is to play when your competition is low. 2) You should know what prizes are up for grabs before you start. You might be missing out on something without knowing it. You should also know what cash prizes are at stake. That way you can strategize based on what you want to win. 3) Bingo is one of the few games where being a social creature is encouraged. You can still win big and strike up a new friendship with the girl sitting next to you. Poker 1) Strategize before you hit the Poker table. Figure out how high you want your stakes to be. The last thing you want is to play a high stakes game when your soul is geared more toward a low-stakes atmosphere. 2) Play within your money limit. I know it tends to get exciting, but you have to calm down and play wisely. 3) Practice patience. It can get pretty intense, but you cannot get reactive. You need to pay attention to what is going on around you. Payless attention to the small distractions coming in every direction. Bacarrat 1) Keeping looking at the banker until it closes down. 2) Bacarrat is a game set in chance and skill(so they say). This is apparently wrong, according to some experts. Bacarrat is purely a game of luck and chance. There is no skill involved with it. That can make it dangerous for some players. The reason is the house has a very thin edge(we are talking very thin). Players can also win a lot of money(we are talking a lot of cash depending on the game). You also have to be prepared to lose as much as you might win. That is why we encourage you to play safe and plan. Do not walk into Bacarrat blindly. [...]

Five More Great Movie-Themed Slots

Five More Great Movie-Themed Slots

May 17, 2021GamblingVideo slots are a popular draw for virtual casinos. They are fun, engaging, and are the closest comparison to video games. Video slots also have the benefit of using recognizable themes. Plough through the catalogue of any online gaming house and you will find many slots attached to popular movies. These movies can range from blockbuster titles like the Avengers to popular rom-com like Pretty Woman. The slots are developed by top-line companies and suit players of all types. They are colourful and engaging enough to merit a visit from recreational players but contain the necessary whiz-bangs to attract the discerning gambler. Here is a look at a few that are currently available. Jumanji Harkening back to the classic Robin Williams adventure film, Jumanji is a lovely little jaunt through a mystical board game. Instead of dice, however, players get to use five reels and 36 pay lines. The backdrop of the grid is set in the living room of the Parrish house. The floor has been replaced with the Jumanji game board with the reels filling up the middle of that board. The game is distinct because it combines the elements of a board game with the fast pace of slots. It also has 10 different movie-themed features to help players. Jumanji has a terrific soundtrack paired with lively visuals. It captures all the magic from the movie and successfully adds a slot machine spin. The game also has an RTP of 96.3% The first bonus is Sticky Vines. The winning symbols of a match, as well as contributing wilds, become stuck in place as the rest of the reels spin. Monsoon Wilds cover entire reels in wild symbols. Monkey Mayhem gives the board over to the troublesome apes from the film. They will rearrange the symbols to form winning patterns. Triggering the Board Game feature takes you to an actual board game. You roll dice and move tokens to gain access to four different kinds of free spins. Finally, there is the Mystery Feature. When triggered it will activate Jumanji’s mysterious circle. Just as in the move whatever the circle says will happen. In this case, we are talking free spins and multipliers, not life-threatening jungle shenanigans. Planet of the Apes Once again NetEnt takes the screen with a film-adaptation of Planet of the Apes. This one is worth mentioning because it features two movies: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. It can do this by featuring 10 reels and 40 pay lines. The slotter has an opening video which is very enticing. Combined with its lush graphics the machine boasts an eye-catching quality. It backs up the visuals with addictive gameplay. The two-reel sets sit on an apocalyptic backdrop. Each has its own set of special symbols referencing the two films. Players can win payouts on either one or both of the grids. If combos are made on both the payout goes up. Standard suit symbols to fill the rest of the space with the apes serving as scatter symbols. Features include stacked wilds, free spin feature, multipliers, extra wilds, and the rise bonus. Landing bonus features in different grids bear different payouts. So if you activate free spins in Rise it pays 10 free spins, but landing the same feature in Dawn pays 15. Terminator 2 T2 is one of the best sequels ever made and it turns out it also makes a great slot machine. Microgaming’s rendition allows players to see through the eyes of a T800 as it tracks down its targets Termination here means a nice payout. The grid is 5×3 and features standard suit characters intermixed with character symbols from the film. Microgaming tricks the machine out with a whopping total of 243 pay lines. The game has wilds, scatters, free spins, and an expanding row. Microgaming does not stop there. T2 has three unique features: cutscenes, expanding reels, and T-800 vision. Whenever a player triggers a Big Win or Mega Win a small movie scene will play out. The game contains different scenes. The one you see is dependent on what character symbols gave you the win. Expanding reels happen when a special trigger places an additional row on top of the grid. Paylines expand to 1024 and the T-800 wild symbol gains the ability to morph into other character symbols. Finally, there is a T-800 vision. When this is triggered the whole screen turns neon red. It is easily triggered and pays out cash prizes. It also looks cool as you gain the ability to see through the eyes of the Terminator. The Hangover IGT invites you to party hard and not remember a thing with their slot version of the popular comedy the Hangover. The 5×4 grid features traditional suit symbols and featured character symbols. This slot machine has tons to do. It is loaded with special features but the most unique thing is its progressive system. The Hangover has four progressives that tie to the four central characters of the film. So pursuing each character will eventually lead players to a variety of jackpots. This slotter has playback value. The Hangover spikes its base game with a tone of special feature drugs. It has wilds, scatters, and multipliers but the bonuses are what is worth talking about. Each bonus takes the player to a fun little mini-game. There are almost too many to name. So here they are in list format. -Wedding Chapel Bonus – Open wrapped boxes to find two matching items. -Stun Gun Bonus – Gain credits by holding the stun gun button. -Mr. Chow’s Freaky Free Games – Use free spins and sticky wilds to collect seven poker chips. -Deal in the Desert – Collect the seven chips and choose from a line-up of bag hooded men to find the real Doug. -Pick a Photo – Find matches amidst 18 Polaroid pictures. -Villa Bonus – Find hidden prizes in your hotel room. -Alan’s Progressive – Choose one of six satchels to get the jackpot. -Stu’s Progressive – Pick teeth to find the jackpot. -Phil’s Progressive – Choose a hospital bracelet to find the jackpot. -Doug’s Progressive – Select a casino chip to find the jackpot. Rocky Jump into the ring with Playtech’s take on the Rocky franchise. The slotter has players don gloves to duke it out with the Italian Stallion’s many opponents. It is a five-reel slotter with 25 pay lines. It also has wilds, scatters, free spins, bonus rounds, and multipliers. The game looks fantastic with a robust soundtrack. The idea is to work up to activating the bonus game and taking on one of Rocky’s rivals. Beat Drago, Creed, Clubber Lang, or that kid from Rocky 5 no one remembers to win cash prizes. Every defeat brings a nice player a nice purse. Free spins are a given out for stacking wilds. Rocky, of course, is the wild symbol. What players want to do is land the bonus symbols on reels one and five. Then the bonus round begins and you can select your opponent. [...]

Top Tips And Tricks To Playing Roulette

Top Tips And Tricks To Playing Roulette

March 3, 2021GamblingPlaying Roulette takes about maybe an hour and learning how to win takes lots of practice and using strategies. Practice makes perfect, using the right tips will get you winning like a pro. Knowing what to do and what not to do will help a lot. Top tips to playing Roulette include; carefully pick your variant, knowing the worst and best bets, practice a lot, in the long run, the house always wins and lastly, knowing when to be done at the table. These can help beginners and anyone who has been playing for a while and just needs some help getting better. Remember you do not always have to win, just make sure you have fun and enjoy playing. Picking the right casino and casino games online will make a big difference. You want to know you and your money will be safe and not taken from you and that they have everything they need like papers. We want you to know everything you need to know, so you can play and have fun without the stress of what you should know. Top tips for playing Roulette there are so many but here are 3 for you to help you know more before you start playing. Carefully picking your variant, because there are two different ones. The two different variants are American and European, they both have different RTP ratings. The American rating is 94.74% and European rating is 97.30%. So, that makes European the best, which means the winning rate is best. Knowing the worst and best bets to place. Winning is what you want to do so make sure you bet for the better ones. Staying away from Roulette inside bets are important because they are not the best. Practising a lot, practising you will get better and better. Trying free games online will help you get better without wasting your money. Everyone jumps into things too fast and then they waste a bunch of money, so with practising and making sure you know the tips and tricks, you should be able to make money. The last 2 top tips for playing roulette include; in the long run, the house always wins and knowing when to be done at the table. The house always wins, which means if you are winning a lot remember it will stop sooner or later. Winning rates are not 100%, that means you can lose and they can also win. Casinos will get people thinking that they will keep winning and that they are on a winning streak, but people just win for a few, then they could start losing. Lastly, knowing when to be done at the table, because you don’t want to lose your money. The whole point in wanting to gamble is winning and you need to know when to walk away. When you are not winning, you should take a break and give it time. There are so many other things to know and things that can help you out when playing Roulette. Watching movies can help you learn, but also do not believe everything you see. Some things will be right, but other things will not be true, just always remember that’s and keep them in mind. There are so many movies out there that can help and show you what to do and what not to do. 5 popular movies are; Casino Royale, Vegas Vacation, The Hangover, Ocean’s 11 and Ocean’s Eleven. IMDb ratings for movies here are 5 of the top ones; The Sting, Casino, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Cool Hand Luke and Casino Royale. The list order of the 5 top is; Casino, Rounders, The Sting, Ocean’s Eleven and High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story. They are all great movies and would not hurt to watch them. Gambling and casino movies are a great way to watch someone play and learn. All the movies are different and play different casino games, so they are great options. So there are many other things and movies to help you get better with playing Roulette. Watching and researching movies and videos can make it easy to learn and see what you need to do. Everyone’s wants to be the best and win, so these tips and movies will help you become a pro. Remember to have fun and try the free ones so you are not spending money without making any. For beginners read the rules and study things and take notes. Staying in control will help you stay on track and know what to do. Watch your money, maybe go in knowing how much to spend and that will give you a good stopping point. I hope this helps and gets you where you want to be in gambling and winning. [...]

Our Top Slot Games of 2020

Our Top Slot Games of 2020

January 1, 2021Gambling / UncategorizedThe numbers are estimates but according to at least one industry source, there are roughly 3600 casinos in the world and based upon an average of around 250 slot machines per casino, that means that at any one time there are roughly 900,000 slot machines at any one time, whether at traditional brick and mortar casinos or online casinos. And while the figures are rough, it is estimated that there are roughly 15,0000 different casino games out there, with roughly 300 to 500 new games coming into existence each year. Quite naturally, not all slot machines are equally popular. While with 15,000 games there are games to suit everyone, year in and year out there are some perennial favourites. So this article concentrates on the top slot games of 2020. Keep in mind that this is opinion only, so the games are in no particular order. 1. Cleopatra Cleopatra is a slot machine created by popular gaming manufacturer IGT and has been in existence for several years now. The game centers on a trip through the Nile. Cleopatra is considered a high volatility slot machine which means that there are fewer overall payouts, but they tend to be larger. According to IGT, the average Return to Player is 95.7 percent, which gives the game better overall odds than playing roulette. Cleopatra has 5 reels and 20 pay lines. Some reviewers think if Cleopatra is an “old school game,” as the most exciting thing that happens is you kick off a bonus and get 15 free spins. However, the payoffs are high, with the top prize being able to collect 10,000 coins for getting 5 Cleopatras on a line. Cleopatra is proof that gee-whiz graphics and features do not necessarily sell a slot, as it is one of the most popular slots in a casino. 2. Starburst A very old standard and still a casino favourite is Starburst, produced by NetEnt in 2012. Starburst is so popular is Starburst that many casinos offer free spins on a Starburst machine ad part of their welcoming bonus. Starburst offers only up to 3 respins as well as some wild symbols but it is never the less one of the most popular slots ever. Most industry insiders say the popularity of the game is due to the fact that it imitates the free games CandyCrush and Bejeweled, and it’s hard not to notice the similarity. The game itself is a 5 reel, 10 pay line machine, which owning to its both ways capability stretches the game to 20 ways to win. The top prize in Starburst is 50,000 coins which is obtained by betting all 10 lines and getting 5 Bars to show up. While it’s possible (though unlikely), Starburst tends to be a low volatility game which means your money will tend to stretch out further playing starburst, The Return to Player rate overall is 96.1 percent which is above average. 3. Gonzo’s Quest Gono’s Quest follows the exploits of famed explorer Gonzo Pissarro. Created by NetEnt in 2010, Gonzo’s Quest became an instant hit when it came out because of its tremendous graphic features. Gonzo’s Quest features both 3D animation and avalanche reels, features that have been copied ever since. Gono’s quest is a medium volatility game that returns an average of 96 percent to players. Just keep in mind that RTP is a large average, so one player can get a return of 75 percent, while another player ca get significantly more. The maximum payout is 225,0000 coins, so while not a progressive machine, Gonzo’s Quest has a whoppingly large payout which is balanced by medium volatility. Gonzo’s Quest is a 5 reel, 20 pay line slot machine. The description of the fabulous graphics does not do the game justice. At the very least try Gonzo’s Quest in demo mode to see what all the excitement is about. 4. Mega Moolah It seems logical that at least one progressive slot would land on our list of top slots, and we chose Mega Moolah and for our list, we chose Microgaming’s Mega Moolah. A progressive slot, for those new to slot machines, is a single type of slot machine connected in an electronic circuit to the same type of machine throughout the casino and to many different casinos. With every click of the mouse to activate the machine, the jackpot goes up a little bit at a time. Supposedly the highest jackpot on Mega Moohla was around $18 million dollars but every year it seems that there are a number of instant millionaires created by the mahine. There are actually 4 jackpots that can be won playing Mega Moolah, a mini, a minor, and a major jackpot, but even the mini win never falls below $1 million dollars. Mega Moolah is a 5 reel, 3 row African Safari game, and with the basic game you can win up to 15,000 coins. The Jackpot reels are triggered separately from the basic machine payoff, so even if you are losing your shirt on the basic machine, you still have a chance at becoming an instant millionair. Mega Moolah is a high risk, low reward game, and your chance of winning is under 50 percent. Never the less, who doesn’t want to be a millionaire, so it’s worth a dozen spins or so. 5. Desert Treasure Desert Treasure is a 5 reel, 20 pay line slot created by Playtech. Desert Treasure has a desert theme/Arabian nights type of atmosphere. What we love about Desert Treasure is that it is a fairly low volatility game meaning that you can play on a budget or a long time. Sure, the maximum win is only 8,000 coins, but you have more than a reasonable chance of coming out ahead playing Desert Treasure. [...]