Online Gaming Still Has Bugs
By Art Gallagher
My first hand was blackjack and my $5 bet paid $7.50. Not a bad start to my Internet Gambling experience. Within a few minutes the $20 I deposited with BorgataCasino.com was up to $37.50. I wanted to double my money and quit for the day.
Within about 10 minutes my balance was $5 dollars and I lowered my bet to $1.00. I was down to $1.00 and could feel the urge to deposit more money, despite my promise to myself to quit playing when I either won or lost $20. Then my luck changed again. I inched my balance back up to $15 when I increased my bet back to $5. Within another 15 minutes I met my goal of doubling my $20. With $40.01 in my account I stopped playing.
There was a small message on the screen. “Your $50 bonus is awaiting you.” Cool!
I claimed my $50 gift. You can’t withdraw the money, you have to wager it. My balance was now $90.01. I had to play the $50 by Wednesday or lose it. So I put $50 on the virtual table and started making $5 bets.
After a few hands, the $50 was down to $45 and I got booted. A message popped up on my screen that said I was outside the State of New Jersey, which I wasn’t, and that gaming regulations required my wagering be terminated.
No problem, but my $45 was still on the virtual table and wasn’t returned to my balance. The online customer support chat wasn’t working, so I called and left the phone on speaker for 10 minutes until Dobo answered.
I gave Dobo my login information, name and date of birth and told him my problem. He said I could continue playing with my $40.01 and that the techies would be working on recovering the $45 that was left on the virtual table when I got kicked off. I told him I would wait until money was put back in my balance. He couldn’t give me a ticket number but assured me the information was all noted in my account.
Two hours later, I signed back in to see if the $45 was back in my account. It wasn’t. But the system recognized that I was in New Jersey and allowed me to play. It wouldn’t let me check my balance unless I was signed into a game. I risked $10 of the $20 I won earlier in the day and lost it in about 10 minutes of $1.00 play.
Depositing money is a lot easier than withdrawing. I was planning to leave my remaining $30.01 in the account at least until I got the $45 back, which was a good thing, because the withdrawal message said to come to the casino with my ID and voucher to collect. I didn’t have a voucher.
Raj picked up a lot faster than Dobo did when I called again. He assured me my $45 would be returned to my balance and asked a bunch technical questions about my computer and Internet connection.
I was logged out of the site several times throughout the process, 12 times according to the emails I received telling me I logged in and inviting me to “play now.”
I’ll be impressed if all of the bugs are worked out by tomorrow when the beta period is supposed to end and online gambling is supposed to launch.
Even if there are still bugs, the system already seems to be working better than HealthCare.gov.
I wonder if ObamaCare will cover gambling addiction counseling.
UPDATE: BUGS GETTING FIXED FAST
Based on Dobo and Raj, is it accurate to believe that NJ Gambling requires players (money providers) to be in the State of NJ but the technical staff/support (money takers) are in India? I thought NJ recently built or is building some “High Tech Center” at Fort Monmouth, could have been a nice place for a few jobs in the state, funded by gamblers in the state. Ohh well, another lost job opportunity and more NJ income being sent out of state/country, figures.
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Yes, but can I still get my healthcare????? HAHAHA
[…] Since talking with Raj early this afternoon, the $45 that went missing in cyberspace when I got booted from a blackjack game at BorgataCasino.com because the system thought I had left New Jersey is back in my account. I played for another 20 minutes this afternoon and netted $5.00 […]
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[…] By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com […]
[…] By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com […]
[…] By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com […]
[…] By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com […]
[…] By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com […]
[…] By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com […]