2010 Microgaming Progressive Slots Jackpot Hits for $38k

If there’s one thing Microgaming casinos are famous for it’s the size and diversity of its many progressive jackpot slot machines. It seems like every time we turn around, there’s another massive Microgaming progressive at one of their online casinos. Once more, we’re happy to announce one lucky $38k winner from a Microgaming casino.

The player who struck the jackpot last Sunday is remaining anonymous, but we can tell you that it was Microgaming’s popular “Lotsa Loot” slot machine that awarded the impressive jackpot of $38,510.

The Lotsa Loot online slot has been incredibly lucrative for players on the Microgaming network of online casinos. In just the last two months, thirteen lucky players have released the progressive jackpot on this munificent virtual machine. Four of those jackpot hits came in the last two weeks.

While this is awesome news for online slots fans in most regions of the world, US online casino fans have little to celebrate as of yet. Microgaming pulled out of the US market in late 2008, claiming to be in compliance with the problematic Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This means US players are no longer able to take advantage of the multitude of progressive slots at Microgaming casinos.

In fact, there have been no reports of any US online casinos having paid out a progressive jackpot slot thus far in 2010. Then again, we’re less than a week into the new year, so perhaps some lucky Us online casino fans will soon have plenty of reasons, and dollar signs, to cheer about.

Vegas Hotels See Boost in 2010

Las Vegas likely got a boost this New Year’s Eve and over the weekend, thanks partly to the improving economy and partly due to the holiday falling on a Thursday instead of a Wednesday as it did last year.

According to the Casino City Times and Las Vegas Journal, occupancy of hotel rooms was expected to be up as much as 4 percent over last year, even with higher room rates.

Caesar’s Palace President Gary Selesner told Casino City Times that he believes the increase is due to the perception people have that the economy is improving.

As proof that people are more interested in spending some money this New Year’s, Selesner said, Caesar’s Palace was sold out for the New Year’s weekend, even thought the room rates are a bit higher than they were last year.

Selesner said that Harrah’s Entertainment – which owns Caesars and another seven hotels in Las Vegas – expected to have all rooms at the hotels sold out for the weekend.

Other strip hotels are reporting similar trends. The president of MGM Grand reported that nearly all the hotel’s rooms were booked and at rates slightly higher than last year. Planet Hollywood Resort is charging about 20 percent more for rooms than it did in 2008, said Bill Feather, PH’s Hotels & Resorts Worldwide president.

“We are seeing much more pressure for New Year’s Eve this year than we saw last year,” Feather said. “Knock on wood, everything’s great.”