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Maple Casino Review
About |
Software
| Bonuses |
Games & Payouts |
Online Cashier
Gaming Policies |
Casino Customer Service |
Awards
About
MapleCasino.com, also known as
MapleCasino.ca, could be considered the Official
Online Casino of Canada if only Canadian law did not
regard online betting as a grey matter. Despite
the unofficial listing, Canada only prohibits the
operation of online casino servers within provincial
borders, and so is quite open to Maple Casino being the
country's only online casino named on its behalf, as
well as to Canadian players partaking in the betting
action. Regarding licensing, Maple Casino is
actually licensed within Canadian lands, but is done
through the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, which is
located within the Mohawk Territory of Canada.
Considering that Maple Casino is owned and operated by
the Vegas Partner Lounge, a great deal of trust and
credibility is brought upon this relatively young, but
thriving casino.
Seeing a need for more gaming sites offering Canadian
Dollars, Vegas Partner Lounge created a gaming site that
would be a welcoming environment to Canadian players, as
well as international players. As a
result, Maple Casino went online in September of 2004,
which drew a considerable amount of attention from
online gamers. Before going online, Vegas Partner
Lounge announced the unveiling of Canada's first online
casino, and that a contest was being held to find the
best name for the online gaming site. Thousands of
entrants submitted their ideas, and one lucky winner was
awarded a generous promotion for choosing the apt title
of "Maple".
Maple
Casino has been certified by the eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and
Assurance (eCOGRA) since April of 2005, continuously submitting itself to game
fairness inspections and eGAP regulations, which address every component of
operating an online casino, including FATF relevant money handling operations,
responsible and fair betting, and customer service procedures. eCOGRA has
a London-based staff where Fair Gaming Advocates can be reached in the unlikely
event that possible disputes cannot be settled with the online casino
management.
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Casino Software
VIPER by Microgaming is one of the most graphically advanced
casino software's on the market, and is what powers the games and turnkey
solutions at Maple Casino. Some of the features offered in the VIPER
package include a personally customized playing experience, intuitive casino
navigation, simplified game selection and download upgrades, faster loading
times, and programmable playing strategies designed by each individual player.
Microgaming also operates the Jackpot Madness network, which is the largest,
most frequented online jackpot network of casinos online. All players
logged into Maple Casino will see the totals delivered by Jackpot Factory for
all progressive games (see Games and Payouts section below for details on
progressive games). To get an idea how large
Microgaming
Progressive Jackpots get, several $1 million plus jackpots have been awarded
to date (at the time of this review), adding to a combined total of $204,000,000
in total payouts to over 5,875 players.
A download helper is available
when first clicking on the download icon. Players are advised to click
"Yes" when asked if they would like to install the download helper. The
reason being is that the download helper will continue to download the software
even if the online server experiences a timeout, and will help user's locate
retrievable files if a reboot is warranted. After the software download,
an installation is required. This is an automatic procedure that is
engaged by simply clicking "Yes" when asked if one is ready to install the
software (immediately following the download). Once installation is
complete, players can click on the "Connect" tab and only need to register for a
Practice or Real Money account to begin playing casino games. The minimum
requirements for PC compatibility are an IBM PC compatible computer, a Pentium
100 or higher processor, 16 MB of RAM with 8-bit color SVGA (640x480) - 256
colors, a Microsoft compatible mouse, and a standard Sound Blaster sound card
(although this is optional). The software graphics work best with a 2 Meg
SVGA screen card capable of processing 16 bit color (65535 color mode).
Downloadable software is not available for MAC users, however the Flash version
(which delivers the same quality and features, except for limited availability
to some progressive slot jackpots) is available.
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Bonuses & Promotions
Maple Casino consistently offers a generous
percentage bonus to new players, as well as a steady deposit bonus on all future
deposits. Maple's bonus does not give away the most in terms of overall
cash, but they do usually offer at least 100% on all first deposits. At
the time of this review Maple Casino is offering a 150% Bonus up to $60 Free.
All first time depositors taking advantage of this offer, only need to deposit
$40, and will have an additional $60 ($100 total) in their account in less than
eight hours from the time of requesting the bonus. Bonus terms and
conditions are quite fair, and can be viewed on the Maple Casino Website. The
automated Bonus System at Maple automatically keeps track of each players wager
requirements by creating a bonus account balance and a cash account balance.
After a player meets the wager requirement (30x), the bonus credits are
transferred over to the cash account balance, at which time the player can cash
out. Bonus money can be used to make bets, which can be very helpful if
one's cash account balance is used up. The Bonus System notifies players
of which games are contributing to the wager requirement (as well as the
percentage amount they are contributing to meeting the requirement), and will
tell a player when and how much they can cash out bonus funds. Online
slots, American Roulette and Parlor Games like Keno contribute to 100% of the
wager requirement for every bet, while table games can range anywhere from 2% to
25%.
In addition to
Frequent
Ongoing Promotions, like an all-expenses paid trip to the Atlantis Resort in
the Bahamas (at the time of this review), and a NETeller promotion giving away
over 1,000 prizes, including trips to Monte Carlo or Las Vegas, and two year
leases on a BMW Z4 (another good reason to use NETeller), Maple Casino awards
percentage bonuses on all deposits. For minimum deposits of $20 using
money transfers, wire transfers or UseMyBank, players will receive a 15% bonus.
For minimum deposits of $100 using NETeller or NETeller's InstaCash, players
will receive 12.5% extra. For minimum deposits of $20 using FirePay,
Click2Pay, MoneyBookers, PaySpark and PaySafeCard, players will get a 10% bonus.
And for minimum deposits of $20 using Debit Card and Visa/MasterCard Deposits,
players will receive an addition 5% on top of their deposit. 250 Loyalty
points start off every player in the Vegas Partner Lounge Rewards Program which
awards 1 point for every $10 wagered. Points can be redeemed later for
cash at a progressive ratio according to how much a player wagers each month.
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Games & Payouts
There are over 200 online casino games to play at
Maple Casino. The VIPER platform provides a selection of games that any
Las Vegas casino would offer on a daily basis. Over thirty different video
pokers are available, including several Power Pokers. Blackjack is one of
the most popular games at Maple, and is available in many varieties, including
Multi-hand, Double Exposure, Vegas Strip, Atlantic City Blackjack, Vegas
Downtown Blackjack, Super Fun 21, Triple 7's Progressive Blackjack and Spanish
Blackjack. Games can be played with a game analysis strategy component
that informs players of their odds of winning, not to mention an Expert Mode
that allows players to play games in multiple screens at once. Game speed
adjustments can also be made with the Quick Spin feature, which allows players
to increase the speed of the spinning slot machine reels or the roulette wheel.
As mentioned before the progressive jackpots grow very large at Maple Casino.
At any given time, jackpot totals will be in the hundreds of thousands of
dollars, usually totaling over $1 million. At the time of this review, the
progressives were as follows: Poker Ride - $69,676; King Cashalot - $316,110;
TunzaMunni - $307,355; Roulette Royale - $296,627; Cyberstud - $67,415; Cash
Splash - $7,889; Treasure Nile - $40,463; Supa Jax - $11,240; Lots-a-Loot -
$8,023; Fruit Fiesta - $12,237; Triple Sevens - $42,8789; WowPot - $15,254;
Jackpot Deuces - $23,411.
Payouts are consistently high at
Maple Casino (better than Vegas), especially for online video poker games and
table games. All reports are made and verified by Price Waterhouse
Coopers, who has been auditing online casinos and land-based casinos since the
start of both industries. PWC has an excellent relationship with
Microgaming Software, thus offering their services to all Microgaming casino
licensees. Payout reports dating as far back as September of 2004 (when
Maple first went online) can be viewed via their website. In 2005, five
months returned a total game average over 96%, six months over 97% and 1 month
over 98%. The average monthly payout percentage for 2005 was 97.14%, which
simply is one of the highest to be found. As for the poker games, they
consistently reach
Over a 100%
Payout Percentage. May of 2006 returned 101.29%, February of 2006
returned 99.27%, January 2006 hit 99.62%, and in 2005 October returned 101.19%
and November saw a poker game payout percentage of a smart 100.51%. The
payouts for table games are right up there as well - hitting 99.59% in May 2006
and 100.48% in December 2005.
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Online Cashier
There are several methods available for making financial transactions
at Maple Casino besides using a credit card. In terms of security, there
is no better standard than that employed by Borth Holdings and Proc-Cyber
Services, who handles and processes all commercial transactions with 128-bit
encryption security. The online cashier supports both French and English
languages, as well as Canadian Dollars, U.S. Dollars, Euros and Pounds.
Complete transparency is enabled through the CashCheck system, which allows
players to login to view their individual transaction histories dating back to
one's very first deposit in the casino.
Available deposit
methods include InstaDebit (instant deposit for U.S. players), Wire Transfers
(deposits and withdrawals process in 3-5 days; Internationally available),
NETeller (instant deposits; withdrawals process in 1-5 days; Internationally
available), Click2Pay (instant deposits; withdrawals process in 1-5 days;
available in U.S., U.K and Germany), MoneyBookers (instant deposits; withdrawals
process in 1-5 days; Internationally available), PaySpark (instant deposits;
withdrawals process in 1-5 days; Internationally available), UseMyBank (instant
deposits; available for Canadian players), Switch/Solo/Delta Cards (instant
deposits; Internationally available), Visa and MasterCard (instant deposits;
Internationally available), FirePay (instant deposits; withdrawals process in
1-5 days; available in U.S. and Canada), Citadel (instant deposit for U.S.
players), UKash (instant deposit for U.K. players), PaySafeCard (instant deposit
for European players), and Money Transfers (instant deposits; withdrawals
process in 1-5 days; Internationally available)
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Gaming Policies
The following Maple Casino gaming policies are
summarized from the original
Maple Casino
Gaming Terms and Conditions and Vegas Partner Lounge Gaming Policies
obtained by our editors. As such, these hold no credence and should be
read over by the player on the Maple Casino website for terms and conditions in
their entirety, which are binding on the player when opening an account and
using the casino software:
1) Players must
meet the age restrictions as deemed in the gambling jurisdiction of which they
reside.
2) Player will not allow third parties to operate or log into one's casino
account for any purposes whatsoever.
3) Player will be held responsible according to the gambling laws in the
jurisdiction which one resides.
4) Affiliated companies, employees and immediate family members of those
employed by Maple Casino will not open player accounts.
5) Betting via the software platform is for entertainment purposes only and does
not require a purchase of any kind to play casino games.
6) Real money gambling is done so at a players own option and risk.
7) Maple Casino has the right to close a player's account and seize remaining
balances if the player provides misleading registration and financial
information, if the player is caught abusing bonuses and promotions, if the
player is found to be underage, if the player allows other individuals to login
to the software under their name, if the player is found to be participating in
an organized scheme to win money and/or if the player makes charge backs on
deposits made with a credit card. Other restrictions apply.
8) Play must meet all identity verification protocols when when requesting
withdrawals.
9) Players name and likeness can be used to advertise large jackpot wins and
prizes if won by player.
10) There is a fourteen day window for submitting disputes with Maple Online
Casino to Vegas Partner Lounge.
11) The casino does not take out taxes on winnings.
12) Maple Casino may add or remove Microgaming casino games on the software
platform as allowed by Microgaming.
13) 190 days of account inactivity warrants an account suspension and closing.
14) Players are individually responsible for monetary losses accrued on their
real money accounts.
15) It is the players responsibility to safeguard their username and password
and insure it is not given to third parties.
16) Players assume full responsibility for software malfunction when using the
software for purposes which it is not intended for.
17) Maple Casino and Vegas Partner Lounge keep all players registration
information strictly confidential and highly secure, and will not divulge any
personal information whatsoever unless required by Law.
18) Maple Online Casino, Vegas Partner Lounge and all affiliates cannot be held
responsible for personal loss incurred by the player.
19) Players do not have permission to use the Maple Casino logo or name for
personal and/or advertising purposes.
20) All casino games shall not be altered by player in any manner, including
unauthorized software adjustments.
21) Maple Casino is not responsible for returning any property mailed by
players, nor are they responsible for damaged goods received by mail.
22) Maple Casino has the right to change and amend all terms and conditions in
the interest of player security and protection.
23) The gaming policies posted on the Maple Casino website are final and
binding, which the player must agree to before opening an account.
24) Illegal betting activity will be reported to the appropriate authorities.
25) Player must gamble with the currency that is used in the jurisdiction they
reside.
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Casino Customer Service
Maple Casino has a fully manned and functioning
customer service department that is available twenty-four hours a day, seven
days a week. Live Chat is available through their website (click the Live
Help logo), or, players can contact them via email or toll-free telephone.
Should players have a question they think they can answer for themselves, visit
the Vegas Partner Lounge Frequently Asked Questions section on Maple Casino's
website. This is one of the most comprehensive and informative FAQ's of
any online gaming site, and should be read over by all players interested in
opening an account.
Support can be reached at
maplecasino @ vegaspartnerlounge.com; Accounting questions can be sent to
banking @ vegaspartnerlounge.com. Toll free telephone support is also available.
Telephone support for Canadian
players can be reached at 1-800-567-2361
Telephone support for French players can be reached at 0800-901-419
Telephone support for U.K. players can be reached at +44 800-731-4295
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Awards
Maple Online Casino was given the "Best New
Casino" Award in 2005 from notable gambling watchdog reviewers. Maple's
online customer service department was also recognized in player pools that
voted the Vegas Partner Lounge network of online casinos as the Best Customer
Service providers over the course of several years. If there was an award
for Best Canadian Online Casino, there is no doubt Maple Casino would be the
recipient.
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Visit
Maple Casino
for more information regarding all the above-mentioned details.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
Online Casino Project.com is an independent,
non-affiliated reviewer of online casinos and poker
rooms, which are to be used for entertainment
purposes only. As such, onlinecasinoproject.com
shall be indemnified by anyone accessing this site
and who has incurred damages and/or losses, whether
financially or criminally, as a result of
participating in online gambling activities. Since
the internet is a global activity and online gambling is deemed illegal
in certain jurisdictions around the globe, it is
each player's responsibility to determine the legal
status of internet betting in the jurisdiction which
he or she resides. It is the responsibility of those
who reside in illegal jurisdictions to not access
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