Play for fun Casinos

Play for fun online casino launches! In the United States!

Too many exclamation points? Maybe. I guess I was overwhelmed by the example of Maryland Live! casino’s brand name, punctuation included.

It is a development worthy of exclamation though, as Maryland Live! casino’s site is the first Internet casino with its player management system linked directly to a US land-based casino. The virtual casino, open for a month now, is strictly a play-for-fun model but it appears to be only a flip of the switch away from the capability of real money wagering if and when true online gambling is approved in Maryland.

The developers are touting their ability to integrate player experiences between the virtual casino and the physical casino in Hanover MD. That new $500 million development is set for a grand opening on June 6th, a week and a half from now.

Sign up for a free account, and get 2500 online credits to play.

At the virtual casino, the setup is powered by technology from the Australian company Aristocrat. Players can sign up for a free account at the site and receive $2500 in online credits to play the games. Another 0 is added to a player’s balance on each day that they log on to the site, so you don’t have to worry about losing your entire stake.

While the launch of this site is a hallmark event in the march toward US online gambling, I am not overly impressed with the appearance and functionality of the casino. Outside the US, other competitors have had years to hone their presentation and implementation of online gambling games, and the Maryland online casino doesn’t compare favorably to the state of the art in real money casinos powered by Microgaming or Playtech software.

Of course, when legal online gambling finally launches in the US, I am sure that we will see all sorts of oneupmanship from the different brands fighting for market share. Even before then, I expect to see more polished play-for-fun brands launching soon. The massive casino company MGM Resorts is said to be preparing a June launch of a casino-themed game online. While details about the game have been scarce, I look forward to seeing what a company with the resources of MGM can produce.

In the meantime, it is well worth checking out the site to give the games a try.

What Games Are Available?

The play-for-fun site features slots, table games, poker, and skill games.

As you would expect from a platform powered by Aristocrat, you will find many of the company’s popular slot machine titles. Here are a few of the games that you may recognize:

Sun and Moon, a 5 reel 20 payline game with an Aztec theme. The wild Sun and Moon symbols trigger a bonus round of free spins.