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Beginners Guide – Software |
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Please Note: This page was created back in
the noughties (2006-2010) when casinos were mostly single-software. Things have changed a LOT since
then – so this page is just for posterity! (I
may update it one day – but don’t hold your breath!) This is a
generalisation of casino's using these softwares in terms of what range of
games each offer and what I think of them and the operators of the sites - as
always, based on my own personal experience, opinion & research only! There
will be minor (or major) differences from place to place - please check the
T&C's of any site you're interested in before signing up. Sorry
this page is a bit out-of-date regarding some softwares – I will update it
ASAP. |
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Recommended: |
These
are casino’s I’ve either actually played at, or are ‘sisters’ of same. They should all give you a hassle free
gaming experience. |
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Not Rec.: |
Some
I’ve played, most I have not. If you
join these you are just asking for trouble & grief. You have been warned! |
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Others: |
I
will be adding more names ASAP, in the meantime if you want my opinion on any
site, just ask! kk@kasinoking.co.uk |
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MicroGaming
(MG) As from Nov-10th 2008, no new
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Links to the casinos websites |
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Overview |
The
market leader in terms of number of sites, with 200+ different casinos
available and 500+ different casino games to choose from. (Some groups
operate up to 6 or even more different casinos). By
far and without question, the most popular & reputable brand in the
history of online gaming. |
The BEST MG casinos: |
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Sign-up bonuses |
Great
variety and generally pretty good (100% or more with reasonable WR) Most
are now ‘flexible bonuses’ – all games count in WR at different %’s. Many
MG casinos now offer ‘free-play – keep your winnings’ where you can play with
their money & earn real bonus credits to use in the casino without
having to make a deposit first! You
can then turn these bonus chips into real cashable money by meeting the wagering
requirements. These deals are excellent ways to try the casino ‘for real’
before depositing. For a list of places with these offers click > Free Money! |
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Ongoing bonuses |
These
vary quite a bit in quality and quantity from casino to casino and can range
from Free Spins to regular Match Bonuses and from Comp Points to Cash-Back, Best
for ongoing deposit bonuses, extra-spins and other perks is Videoslots |
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Cash out |
Each
casino/group uses different methods and/or third party agents. Most are quite straight forward. I don't think I've ever been asked for ID
by an MG casino - but this might vary depending on where you live and size of
cash-out. Most
places have a 'Reverse Withdrawal Period' when your funds sit in 'Pending'
for 24-48hrs and remain available for you to cancel your withdrawal & put
the money back into the casino. DON'T DO IT! |
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Good |
Undoubtedly
some of the most games & best slots visually on the net! They
usually add 4 or more new games every month…. But maybe this should be in
‘Bad’ – too many already! Variable
play speed & autoplay better than most other softwares. Bigger
wager choice on slots that any other. |
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Bad |
Many
players hate the 'Reverse Withdrawal' feature (only at a some casinos) Can
not increase bets on some card games by 1 credit at a time - it jumps to 5,
10, etc… Roulette
minimum chip size = $1 or £1 or €1 - ridiculous! The
UK style fruit machines are NOT random in the normal way USA slots are - you
have been warned! |
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Ugly |
Can’t
think of anything terrible about MG! |
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Unique Games |
In
May 2008 MG introduced the world’s first 100
line slot! Cashapillar is so big
it needs 5 rows of symbols to get all those win lines in. All reels feature
stacked wilds (5-up) and you can win 15 free-spins with all wins x3. This makes enormous wins possible (though
pretty unlikely), so it is very high variance. Play with care. Later
I think they were the first to produce 243-ways slots – these don’t have
win-lines – all symbols count as scatters. The
have superb “themed slots” based on block-buster movies, like Batman, Hitman,
Jurassic Park & loads more! |
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Recommended |
See
our All Recommend
Casinos Page for a full listing, including 60+ great casinos with MG
games! |
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Not Recommended. |
Currently there are no rogue MG casinos to my knowledge.
(Mid-2014) |
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Rival
Gaming Some of the most popular Slot games anywhere on
the net! |
Links to the casinos websites |
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Overview |
A new software provider in 2006, they grew rapidly and now have
over 50 casinos. (See Ugly below) |
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Sign-up bonuses |
Normally quite high – e.g.; 100% to $350. Typical WR is something like 28xD with no
Roul, BJ, VP, Bacc, Craps. Or 30xD for Sicbo, Red-Dog, Keno, Paigow, War,
Three-Card, Let-It-Ride, and Stud.
Note that bonuses can vary for different countries, but if you
download the casino you can always check the full terms in detail via the
‘cashier’ screen. |
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Ongoing bonuses |
Various very generous
monthly & even weekly bonuses up to100% to $100 at some places. Some repeat SUB’s. Important
Note: You may only have one active bonus of any type at any one time
across ALL Rival casinos. |
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Cash out |
Very quick to Web-Wallets like Neteller, ECOcard, UseMyWallet,
etc. (2-3 days max) Even American players have reported very quick pay-outs &
ACH bank transfers are available for >$100. Outside the USA, players can get near instant withdrawals at Tropica Casino! Note: Most
Rivals have a weekly/monthly maximum cash-out figure. High-rollers should
check before playing. |
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Good |
Very slick software, with easy to use menus. All the main bonus terms are in the cashier where you claim them
= MUCH better than other softwares! Started introducing lots of new games from mid-2007 onward...
including some really superb new slot machines! You only need to download the games you want to play. On their slots, if you hit a picking feature during free-spins
it is subject to the multiplier.
(Most other softwares aren’t) The older slots play too level (not enough variance) for some
players, not enough exciting big wins: However I really like them because
they are fun, the bonus features hit MUCH more easily than other softwares
and you usually get very good playing time for your money and still the
chance of some decent winnings. |
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Bad |
Some of new slots introduced since mid-2007 are much higher
variance and have the potential for very big wins – but also very big losses
– please play with care! Getting to the end of ‘Reel Crime’ & a few of the other
i-slots is a total anti-climax – no big win awaits. L If you don’t take any actions for a very short time (about
5-minutes), you get automatically logged out of the casino – this is very
annoying if the phone or doorbell rings, or even if you just go to make a cup
of tea! |
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Ugly |
As with most other softwares, the main thing which ruins
player’s enjoyment are the actions of rogue casinos, who not only rip-off
and jerk-around their players, but also tarnish the reputation of the whole
software brand. Some rogue Rival casinos are listed below, but the golden rule
is, if the casino is not listed on my Rival Casinos page,
then they are best avoided as trouble and grief are likely to lay ahead. |
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Unique Games |
i-Slots
– these follow a story line as they move from level to level,
with little animated scenes in between. Each new level (on some of them)
involves a new set of reels, symbols & bonus opportunities making them
more interesting. Scary
Rich; This new slot introduced late 2007 became an almost instant
“classic”: it has expanding wilds during free-spins which also act as
accumulative multipliers! Mega-wins
are possible, but the variance is very high. |
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Recommended: |
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Rogue casinos |
Rogue: Orange
Gamez, Royal Apollo, Planet 23, Planet Kings,
NogaBet, Winbig21. Dodgy
at best: Supreme Play, 21 Grand, Play2Win, Bet Phoenix, Riviera Royal,
Always Vegas, Fortune Reel, Club Vegas, Tradition Casino, Rockbet, Vegas
Days, Slots Jackpot, Casino Fiz. |
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WagerLogic
(also known as CryptoLogic) (WL)
Alas this software is no more L But
some of their games can be found at WGT casinos |
Links to the casinos websites |
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Overview |
Much
less popular than the other main softwares with only about 10 casinos using
it, but still my personal favorite. Innovative
ideas with new games being added regularly and superb easy to use software. |
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Sign-up bonuses |
Usually
100% up to £100/$100 max. at some sites.
Most have reasonable WR with most games allowed. |
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Ongoing bonuses |
Nearly
all Crypto's have 100% monthly match (or similar deal) with very reasonable
WR. |
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Cash out |
All
except Will Hill use E-cash banking. There is no ‘reverse withdrawal’
facility & cash-outs are very quick! |
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Good |
Many
Crypto's entry screen looks and feels like a real casino – you can even see
other players at the tables. Great
'3D' graphics on all the table games. The
best multi-player games I've seen - play cards or roulette with up to 4 other
players. Innovative
games - like Bejeweled & Marvel slots. You
only download the games you want to play, and can play in 'practice' mode
without registering an account, or even being connected to the internet. |
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Bad |
Although
their older slots pay out just as well, if not better, than MG or any other
ones, they are in desperate need of an upgrade. Most are slow & jerky, ridiculously
have symbols spinning past that are not even on that reel, and do not allow
enough different betting levels (i.e. low levels). |
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Ugly |
Fruit
Machines - worst un-random crap I've ever seen. (Just like Solitaire
- was already rubbish before they lowered the pay table & withdrew the 3-card
version - now it's dire! On
some of their slots; during autoplay each tiny win you get is highlighted one
at a time, very slowly, with no option to override this. (Drives me mad!) Roulette
minimum chip size = $1 or £1 or €1 = ridiculous! |
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Unique Games |
Bejeweled 'slot' that
doesn't look like a slot! Randomly
falling jewels line up to give you wins.
'Marvel Jackpot' slots combine
exciting bonus rounds with 3 separate
random jackpots on every spin. Daily Horoscope,
Around the World and Reel Renovations are still the only online slots I have EVER
seen with bonus round winnings dependant
on true skill, not just
luck! NEW! (Nov-06) Cubis –
a 3D version of Bejeweled! Adult themed slots – naughty but nice! |
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Recommended |
See
our All Recommend
Casinos Page and look for casinos with WGT software (There’s only 4) |
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Not Rec. |
None
- they are all OK as far as I know. |
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WagerWorks
(WW) - 'Flash' browser based software.
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Links to the casinos websites |
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Overview |
A
small |
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Sign-up bonuses |
Usually
100% up to £50 or £100. Most have very
reasonable WR with most games allowed.
Note that bonuses are usually only added to your account after you complete the WR with
your own funds. (Post wager). |
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Ongoing bonuses |
Most
have very good monthlies... |
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Cash out |
Quick,
easy & fast - paid straight back to your Visa card (for the Bonus
credits are usually segregated; you can view via banking screens. Don’t think any take e-wallet payments. |
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Good |
No
need to download - runs directly in your browser. This means you can log in and play on any
PC that's connected to the internet. A
pop-up tells you how long you've been playing (each hour). A
simple bonus log tells you exactly how much more WR you need to do. Good
selection of games, with low minimum bets on most (e.g. 20p on Roulette &
most card games). A
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Bad |
Even
on Broadband, connection can sometimes be a little slow, and disconnects
occur a little too often for my liking.
Not
enough different wager/line options on some of the slot machines. |
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Ugly |
I
can't think of anything ugly about WagerWorks sites. |
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Unique Games |
Double Bonus Spin
Roulette
- this great variation gives you the chance of a 1200x bet win! Wan-Doy Pairs Poker - like a mix of
Stud & PaiGow - but forget Straights & Flushes, this game is only
about pairs, trips & quads, with a bonus side bet paying a maximum of 5000x bet for the top
combination in your or the dealers hand!! Hot
Streak Bonus Roulette; Win up to 25,000x
your bet!! NEW! 50,000 Pyramid and Cleopatra
slots – excellent! |
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Recommended |
More
coming… |
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Not Rec. |
None
- they are all OK as far as I know. |
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PlayTech
(PT)
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Links to the casinos websites |
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Overview |
The
second biggest provider, with 65+ casinos to chose from. As with MG, many groups consisting of 5 or
more sites. Unfortunately Playtech
have quite a few rogue operators with only a handful being good enough to be
recommended by the top casino watchdogs. |
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Sign-up bonuses |
Variety
of different deals. You need to check
the T&C's carefully because many places offer Phantom bonuses where the
bonus money is deducted from your account on 1st withdrawal. With
ALL Playtech bonuses, make sure you don't play prohibited games! |
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Ongoing bonuses |
Not
many offer decent cashable bonuses.
The ones with attractive % are probably phantom. Tote Sport offer
a 100% on £25 every month with very reasonable WR and which is cashable! |
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Cash out |
Again,
varies a lot from place to place. The
reputable sites pay quickly with no fuss, and few ask for ID. The less reputable may ask you to jump
though multiple hoops and have a bad reputation for very long cash-out times. |
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Good |
Nice
graphics on all games. Pop-up
window tells you the moment a bonus you've qualified for hits your account. |
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Bad |
The
game logs only record your last 30 hands/spins. So if you're going for a bonus
you need to keep tabs on what you've wagered. Most
Playtechs have Phantom bonuses – these are really bad news for players if the
WR is high (above Bx12). |
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Ugly |
Undoubtedly
the worst thing about PlayTechs is the bad ethics of some of their operators. Delayed payments are common, as is the
practice of letting punters who have accidentally (or on purpose!) broken
T&C's to play on if they’re losing, but confiscate winnings if they win. In
fact, Playtech casinos in general probably have more bad operators than any
other software (except Top Game). But
there are also some VERY good ones
– and these are the only ones I list on this site. |
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Unique Games |
In
BlackJack Switch you play two hands
against the dealer, with the option to switch your top cards between the
hands before starting the round. Chinese Kitchen & Vacation Station 8-line slots are
different & fun! Pachinko (Dolphin |
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Recommended |
Others
coming soon….. |
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Not Recommended and ROGUE. |
Any not
listed above should be approached with great caution (or not at all), in
particular:- Mapau,
Goldengate, Miami Beach, Fortune, Grand Online, Bet Royal, BetCasino, Grand
Banks, Black Widow, Sterling House, Joyland, Royal Dice, Giant Vegas, Vegas
Red, Casino Las Vegas, Tropez, Europa, Monaco Gold. For
a FULL LIST of rogue Playtech Casinos, please see
my Blacklist
Page |
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RealTime
Gaming (RTG)
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Links to the casinos websites |
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Overview |
Certainly
one of the 'big players' with 42+ casinos to chose from. Very
similar to Playtech format in terms of groups of sites & unfortunately,
also an equal number of rogues. |
Very fast cash-outs:
$60 FREE, no deposit: |
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Sign-up bonuses |
Variety
of different deals. Most of the
cashable ones are frankly quite poor (high WR). You need to check the T&C's carefully because
many places offer Phantom bonuses where the bonus money is deducted from your
account on 1st withdrawal. With ALL
RTG bonuses, make sure you don't play prohibited games! Note: When claiming any
bonus make sure you redeem your coupon before making your deposit! |
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Ongoing bonuses |
Not
many offer decent cashable bonuses.
The ones with attractive % are probably phantom. |
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Cash out |
I
think I'm right in saying all RTG casinos will ask you to fax or scan & e-mail
at least some photo ID, and possibly other ID too (eg. Copy of household bill / bank
statement). This practice will
undoubtedly delay your first payment. Further payouts (from reputable sits)
should normally be quick & easy.
Some rogue sites will leave your withdrawal in 'pending' for up to a
week or more, or use other stalling tactics. I’ve heard stories of some
rogues taking months to pay out – my personal worst on record was 6-weeks. Some
RTG’s have a low max amount you can withdraw per week – totally outrageous! |
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Good |
Good
variety of games to choose from, with good new slots added monthly. Variable
game speed from snails-pace to lightening!
You
only need download the games you want to play. You
can 'manually override' the autoplay on slots to speed them up. |
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Bad |
Many
RTGs have Phantom bonuses for play on Slots only = totally ridiculous! Make
sure you check for this before you play. To see which recommended RTGs have
Phantom and Cashable bonuses, see this page:- RTG casinos Games
take too long to load / check for updates even when you’ve only recently
played them. No
Game logs (that I know of), but bank screen tell you how much WR you have left
to qualify for your bonus. Minimum
bets too high at most places (e.g. BJ $5 min). Many
have ludicrous maximum withdrawal amounts per week/month (Mainly the rogues,
but some reputable ones too); always check the T&C’s for this before you
deposit. |
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Ugly |
Undoubtedly
the worst thing is bad operators, as with Playtech above. Many
of these have overcomplicated T&C's which seem designed to confuse &
trick the players. At
some sites Casino Hold'em Poker has a $25 minimum bet... (WTF is that about???) |
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Unique Games |
Poker Slot (I've played &
even won the jackpot on this - but still confused how it works!) Casino Hold'em
Poker is
a great new casino card game! |
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Recommended |
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Not
Recommended and outright ROGUES! |
Any
RTGs not listed above should be approached with great caution, in
particular:- American
Circus, American Grand, Americas Online, Bet Royal, Captain Jack, Casino
Peru, Cats Eye, Cirrus, Cleopatra’s, Club Mardi Gras, Club Pharma, Club
Player, Club Regal, Cool Cat, Crystal Palace, Dreams, Lady lucks, Gold
Stream, Golden Nile, High Rollers Lounge, High Rollers Lounge, Jackpot Cash,
Jackpot Kings, Lucky aces, Lucky Coin, Lucky Palm, Lucky Pyramid, Palace of
Chance, Pharaohs Gold, Planet7, Powerbet, Prism,
Ringmaster, Royal Ace, Royal Circus, Silver Oak, Silver Sands, Slots of
Vegas, Vegas Frontier, Vegas Riches, Vegas Riches, VIP Lounge, Virtual
Casino, Wild Vegas. Most of these casinos belong to just 2 or 3 groups, are ALL rogue and WILL
rip you off! L |
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Go back to the TOP of this page
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Other
Main Pages on this Site: |
Beginners
Guides To: |
Special
Feature Pages: |
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BlackList (Evil casinos) |
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Page created: March-2006. Last full review: Pending. Last update 03/05/19