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Ladbrokes is a name that should be very familiar to anyone who's ever had a passing interest in betting in the UK, and, as part of the mighty Hilton Group, it can rightfully claim to be the world's biggest bookmaker. A leading light in the global hospitality and gaming industry, Ladbrokes has a cast-iron reputation that can only inspire confidence in anyone considering playing its online casino. This is a company that has built its business over many years on principles of security, integrity and discretion - all essential attributes that you should demand of an online casino - that it is most unlikely to compromise in this competitive market. Basically, it's a safe bet to bet with Ladbrokes. However is it fun to bet with Ladbrokes at its online casino?
Ladbrokes' online casino was given an overhaul earlier this year (2005), which was very welcome, however we have to say its website is still not the most inspiring or comprehensive introduction to the company and its games. The website is functional but, frankly, a bit dull. The worse crime is that there's a paucity of useful published information to help answer newcomers' questions, and inadequate previews of the gaming experience with this online casino. There is a nominal 'Help' section that covers downloading, installing and registering an account to play the download casino but there's an awful lot of information that could (and should in our opinion) be made available here in some kind of FAQ. Minimum computer requirements anyone? Ladbrokes do offer a comprehensive, round-the-clock, set of support channels (including live chat, which is neat) which can be used to answer such 'newbie' queries, but we do think a more comprehensive user guide would be better. We also think Ladbrokes could learn a thing or two about initially 'selling' the gaming experience they offer from rival casinos' game previews.
click here to play at Ladbrokes now
Where Ladbrokes redeem themselves is when you get beyond the website pitch and actually get gaming. Big is clearly beautiful at Ladbrokes since this online casino boasts a whopping 160 games if you choose to play using its download software, or a marginally less staggering 100 games if you prefer to play the non-download option. The download casino is the one to go for if you're after a really authentic experience as the Microgaming Viper software used delivers stunningly rich graphics and sound with silky smooth gameplay that you'll find hard to beat anywhere on the web. The software download isn't particularly hefty either so even users on a 56K dial-up connection only need to wait ten minutes or so to get what they need, and installation and account registration presented no problems for us on our test PC running Windows XP.
Players looking for the ultimate in realism will also appreciate Ladbrokes' Live Dealer games too, which add that extra dimension to the Baccarat, Roulette, Sic Bo and Blackjack tables available with this option.
click here to play at Ladbrokes now
The non-download Flash casino games are also beautifully rendered, but we have to pick-up Ladbrokes on the principle claimed benefit of choosing these games, namely 'Play instantly from any computer'. Any computer? Have Ladbrokes tried using a (not uncommon) Mac? We tried to play this non-download casino using the three main Mac browsers (Safari, Internet Explorer and Firefox), and with the latest version of Flash installed on the test machine, but to no avail. What a let down. We cannot understand why an online casino as big as Ladbrokes implements a non-download casino in Flash - the beauty of which should be to open up its games to a wider Windows -free audience - then fall at the hurdle of making it work on a common non-Windows system. We hope this is something that Ladbrokes will be able to resolve in the future.
Gripes dealt with, if the computer you use doesn't stop you from playing here, Ladbrokes Casino does also offer its members solid promotions and a Players Club, which whilst not mind-blowing incentives, are welcome nonetheless. More exciting are the wealth of progressive jackpot slots available here and the wealth they can deliver to an individual player! Not surprisingly for a 'big' casino like Ladbrokes, the number of slot jockeys coming through their virtual lobby every day means the progressive jackpots can get very big, very quickly.
click here to play at Ladbrokes now
Ladbrokes is, without doubt, a good solid choice from a good solid brand. Players new to online casinos may find the lack of really comprehensive published user guides and game previews a little off-putting on first acquaintance, but there is adequate customer support to assist here, and the choice and quality of both the download and non-download casinos are well worth the effort. We do think the lack of real multi-platform support that the non-download casino promises is a disappointing omission, however, for the majority of users this won't be an issue. With the download and non-download version of this casino offering over 100 games apiece to try out, there's literally a ton of fun to be had if you go for 'Brokes.
click here to play at Ladbrokes now |
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