The world of advertising has reached a new low in London. In the U.K. the gaming marketing is as aggressive as it was in the U.S. before the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. 888.com has revved up the casino campaign by putting ads on 375 London taxis. If that’s not curious enough, they’ve chosen 10 cars where the driver will engage passengers on the topic of gaming. Passengers who join up will be given playing coupons.

The taxi company calls the drivers ambassadors and plans to expand the word-of-mouth cabs in the future. They plan on having over 300 cars in operation this year, and they already have a contract for 20 cars to promote a new bingo website.

The U.S. spends over a billion dollars a year on word-of-mouth advertising and the rate is rising by over 35% per year, so we’ll have to get used to it.

Online blackjack is a tough game to beat. You can’t count cards or see dealer leaks. The cards are shuffled after every hand and the dealer is programming code. All you can do is play optimum strategy and hope for some good cards. Here are a few basics that you should never do:

– Don’t split a pair of face cards or two tens. You’re better off with one hand of 20 than two hands of 15, which you could get if you split them.

– Don’t drink in excess at the blackjack table. It makes you take too many chances and you won’t be playing optimum strategy. You will lose at a faster rate.

– Don’t split fours or fives. 10 or eight are both better than two 14s or 15s.

– Don’t waste your money on insurance. All you do is increase the house edge by making this wager.

The fallout from the Mitchell Report has yet to be determined. Fans may turn away from Major League Baseball over steroids, or they may not. But there is certainly an undercurrent of unhappiness about athletes cheating.

It may seem like cheating is on the rise, but then again, breaking the rules is a sports tradition. We just happen to be living in an age where people are getting caught more often. We have video on every play from several angles. We have 24-hour media coverage. And we have an insatiable appetite for stories about the seamier side of sports.

This can be a good thing. The more a sport is forced to become transparent, the more difficult it will be to cheat. Meanwhile, the rules themselves fall under increasing scrutiny. Are they too draconian? Too lenient? Impossible to enforce? It may be up to market forces – or Congress – to decide.

Well the first benefit on free online gaming is a bit redundant and obviously obvious. It’s free!!

One of the great things about free gaming is that it gives you a chance to train you in your favorite games before you start to spend real money. Understanding any game you play is crucial to success. Free games help you learn the skills and strategies to become a great player and will help you to soon become an expert.

Free online games are also a great way to get yourself familiar with the casino’s software. Most sites all have their own software supplied by different providers. This can also be a good idea to find out what online casino you would eventually like to join by testing out the ease of use before you start spending money.

Most often online casino games are offered in 2 versions, downloadable or direct play at your browser. Its up to you choose one that best fits your comfort. Direct play enables you to play anywhere as long as you’re connected to the internet. The downloadable version allows you to play either on or offline.

No matter what your gaming goal are be it for fun or to train and make real money free games are a great way to start out.Here are a few of my favorite places to play online games. Test them out and experience for yourself.

bodoglife.net

clubworldcasinos.com

thefreeonlinecasino.com

The identity of the most popular online casino will change from time to time. The chart-toppers’ list right now for most popular sites starts with BodogLife.com. This casino is popular in the U.K. and the States, and has a great sportsbook and poker program.

Golden Casino uses Vegas Technology software for its games and it’s been licensed in the Netherland Antilles. Grand Casino is another very popular online site. This site uses Globo Tecnologies software and is licensed in the Russian Federation. It’s owned by Grand Bet Global and is very popular with players.

Millionaire’s Club is a favorite spot for progressive slot machine players. They use Cryptologic to run their software. Progressives get big on this site. Some jackpots get into the millions, and is currently sitting at a cool $4M.

Golden Palace Casino is famous for its marketing antics, but it’s also a steady casino with lots of regular players and games.