GameMaster Rating: 93 points (of 100)

General Comments: This casino is the cyber-version of a brick-and-mortar casino which is located in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia and has been on the Internet since April, 1999. Lasseters Casino is under the supervision of the Australian government and as a consequence, I personally have no concerns regarding the integrity of this operation. Please understand that all my play here was for 'fun'; so no real $$$ were wagered at any time by me, but a friend of mine has played here extensively for 'big' stakes and he, too, is satisfied that they are honest. Lasseters Internet casino is small, not all that attractive and pretty slow to play. So, why the high score? Read on.

Recommendations: The game selection here is limited so it would be nice if they'd expand a bit. Also, they do not accept accounts from residents of Missouri, Nevada, Minnesota and Indiana. Naturally, as a resident of Missouri, I think they should, but they should also tell you that on the web site and they don't.

Games Analysis (All this information was correct on the date listed above)

Blackjack: This game is dealt from a multi-deck shoe in what they call an 'infinite' style. This basically means that any one card has the same opportunity to appear as any other and that's roughly the mathematical equivalent of an 8-deck game where the dealer shuffles after every hand. Their rules are: Double on any first two cards, double after split; dealer stands on A-6. The dealer does not "peek", so all doubled bets or bets on splits against a 10 or Ace are lost if he (she, it?) gets a Blackjack. Pairs may be split up to 3 hands and insurance is available. The casino's edge is about 0.67%. Limits are 2 cents (yes, really) to $50.

Blackjack playing tips: If you decide to play here, you need to remember that both bets are lost if you double or split pairs against a dealer's 10 or Ace and he gets a 'natural'. This requires a change in basic strategy. Never take insurance.

General Comments: Being based in St. Louis, I naturally had to review this casino. There are some good games here, but much like its namesake city, things move pretty sloooowww. This is a Java-based casino which has been on the 'Net since June, 1998. No download is required, but it doesn't have the rich graphics that a regular software-based casino usually offers. It should be noted that I played here only in the 'fun' mode, but the casino does hook you up to their server for that, so you can get a good idea of how things would work, should you choose to play for 'real' $$$. The bad news is that they allow only one withdrawal on your account without charge per month; any others have ridiculous fees attached. There is also a sportsbook, but that's outside the scope of this review, so I won't be commenting on that.

Recommendations: Find a way to speed things up, guys! And get rid of those withdrawal fees.

Games Analysis (All this information was correct on the date listed above)

Blackjack: The information on the site doesn't state how many decks are used, but it's certainly multi-deck because I had hands with matching cards in them. I'll assume six decks for my calculations until I hear differently. The rules are: Dealer stands on A-6, double on any first two cards, double after split, split Aces receive only 1 card, insurance is available, late surrender is allowed and the dealer does not 'peek', so both bets are lost if one doubles against a 10 or Ace and it later turns out that the dealer has a Blackjack. If this is a six-deck game, the casino has a 0.53% house edge. The limits are $1-10 or $10-50 or $25-100 or $100-250, depending upon the table one chooses.

Blackjack playing tips: There's no reason to play here.

* The theoretical return is the long-term payback a player who is using the correct strategy may expect. The return is lower for 1-coin play because the Royal Flush pays less when fewer than 5 coins are played.

Video Poker playing tips: What they call "Bonus Poker" here is actually 9/7/5 Double Bonus. The Deuces Wild game is the obvious appeal, but that's a pretty nice Double Joker game for all of you who play in Atlantic City to use for practice. Because this is Java-based, you are logged into their server, even in 'play money' mode.

Keno: The game is called "QuicKeno" here, and it isn't. But, it's still a nice game and the odds against the player aren't outrageous. A 4-spot bet has an expected return of 94.54%. Limits are $.25-$1.25. Being a somewhat slower game, at least you get to spend more time with your $$$.

Roulette: This is a standard double-zero wheel and the 'partager' or 'en prison' rule is not in effect. Thus, the casino's edge is 5.26% on all bets. Limits are $1-$10.

Baccarat: This is an excellent game, not because of the casinos' edge; that's standard, (1.17% on a Bank bet and 1.36% on a Player bet ), but how the game is played. It's like the 'table'-style game where you deal each card as needed, therefore, you control the flow of the game. It doesn't really make any difference, but it's fun.

Craps: This is one of the better games on the 'Net, at least in the way it's presented. 2X free odds are available and one may round up on the 6 and 8. But what I like about it is that they show your payoff by placing chips next to your winning bets. Most online casinos just put the $$$ back into your account and you're never really sure if you were paid correctly. I like how they do it here.

Slot Machines: There are four in both quarter and dollar denominations; one has a progressive.

Summary and Rating of Casino St. Louis: It's slow, it sure isn't pretty and their fees for cashing out are a joke. But, they have some darn good Video Poker, the Baccarat's fun and the Craps game is good, so all-in-all, I'm giving Casino St. Louis a rating of 85 points.