International Casino Games

0 Comments   Email   Print

Online casinos offer mega promotions running over months. Some of these promotions become popular and are repeated. With every repetition their popularity increases and soon they are installed as a regular feature. The process is very similar to reality shows like American Idol or Celebrity Apprentice. Perhaps the longest running of such promotions is International Casino Games, which is in its fifth season at the Fortune Lounge group of online casinos. This article reviews the evolution of this popular mega promotion.

International Casino Games was first launched in 2005. It has broadly stuck to the same format over the years. Competitions are held running across all Fortune Lounge online casinos for several months. Among other prizes like casino credits and loyalty points, these competitions award a set number of double tickets for a luxury cruise. After the preliminary competitions are over all the cruise winners with their partners are treated to a luxury cruise by Fortune Lounge. Everyone is assured of a gala time. But more than that there are cash prizes to be won on the cruise and the prize pools are pretty exorbitant. In the first four seasons of International casino games Fortune Lounge has given away 400 double tickets for the cruises and cash prizes on the cruises amounting to nearly €1 million.

The preliminary rounds of the first International Casino Games were held over 2005 and 2006. 95 lucky players and their partners set sail for a week long island cruise on the stunning Caribbean Princess liner in 2006. On the stopovers there were private cabanas for the Fortune Lounge group with drinking, tanning, snorkeling and other activities. On the liner the gaming held sway. Ultimately Debbie H walked away with the first prize of $250,000. There were smaller consolation prizes of $5,000 and $1,000. In the second edition of International Casino Games promotion the number of tickets was upped to 100. The cruise took place in 2007 and the destination was the Mediterranean. Jacqueline P won the top cash prize of $250,000 and the consolation prizes were increased to $10,000 and $2,500. The third International Casino Games cruise was also held in the Mediterranean. A material change was made in the third year. The prize pool was distributed more evenly. Four players got €50,000 each and a further €40,000 was shared by six other players.

The fifth season of International Casino Games was actually due to be held across 2009 and 2010. But last year Microgaming, the software provider that powers all the Fortune Lounge online casinos, held the Grand Slam of Slots. All Microgaming online casinos participated in this mega online tournament that had a first prize of $1,000,000. Therefore the Fortune Lounge group did not hold International Casino Games that year. The fifth season has now begun from October 1, 2010. The preliminary rounds will run till February 8, 2011 and award 50 double tickets for the cruise in the Caribbean. The winner of the final event will receive €50,000 and the three runners-up will receive €25,000 each.

7Sultans, Royal Vegas, Platinum Play, Vegas Towers and Vegas Palms are the online casinos of the Fortune Lounge group participating in International Casino Games. All are powered by Microgaming and are licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta.

Article Tools

 Email     Print     Digg     Del.icio.us    StumbleUpon

Comments

 Add Comment

Add Comment

More Articles