GameMaster Rating: 89 points (of 100)

General Comments: This Internet casino is relatively new in the market ( July, 1999) but, unfortunately, they will not accept accounts from the United States, Switzerland, or Nevis and St. Kitts. That's too bad, because they have a wonderful version of Jacks or Better Video Poker that is making my mouth water. (But see the revision.) However, we Yankees may sign up to play for 'fun' and I did, so all of my comments are based upon that mode of play. You are connected to their server for this type of play, so it should give you an idea of how things might proceed if you're able to play for 'real' $$$. Club Monte Carlo has an attractive interface and, once you log in, play proceeds fairly quickly. The software is by Radiate (www.radiate.com) and the web site of Club Monte Carlo bears the seal of approval from "The Internet Gaming Commission", whoever they are. (I'll look into it and let you know.)

Recommendations: C'mon guys, there's no law (yet) which says U.S. citizens can't play at your casino; just a few states are making a big deal about it. (Sadly, Missouri, where I live, is one of them).

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

Blackjack: Single-deck which is shuffled after every hand. Dealer stands on A-6, double on any first two cards, no double after split; split Aces receive only one card, dealer 'peeks', so only one bet is lost of he/she/it has a Blackjack, insurance is available. Pairs may be split only once. The casino's edge is about even. Limits are $.50-$25.00 or $2-$100, depending upon the table chosen. Only one spot may be played at a time.

Blackjack playing tips This is a pretty good game, and the player who uses correct basic strategy will be about even with the 'house'.

* 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: This is a 9/6/5 version of the traditional Jacks game, plus it has a progressive Royal. My payback figures are based upon the Royal being at 4000 coins for maximum coins played. If less than max. coins are played, the Royal pays only 200 for 1. One caveat: The game doesn't tell you if you've been dealt a 'made' hand like a flush or straight, etc. so be careful before you draw your cards. Update: The Ace is always a 'high' card and the Royal resets at 1000 coins, not 4000.

Slot Machines: The Grand Prix slot here has some cool sound effects and it's a 5-line pay machine when 5 coins are bet and it has a progressive jackpot, but it's still a slot. The "Slots Royal" machine is a single-line game which also has a progressive for 3-coin play. Both of these games are in quarter and dollar formats. I played the single-line game for 80 spins ($240 of 'play' money) and lost $21, which implies a return of 91.25% though that is, admittedly, a small sample.

Roulette: This is a 'European' wheel with a single zero, so the casino has a 2.70% edge. The 'en prison' rule does not apply. Limits are $0.25-$12.50 or $1 to $50. There are varying limits on some bets and all are clearly explained in the "Help" section for the game.

Keno: Club Monte Carlo's version of this game is called "Champagne Keno" and it's an attractive and fun-to-play twist on the game. The odds leave a lot to be desired, however, so stick to playing this one for 'fun'. The payout on a 4-spot ticket is 93.02% but you can easily find payouts of 95+% at many other Internet casinos.

Summary and Rating of the Club Monte Carlo Casino: This is a nice place and the Video Poker is to 'die for'. The Blackjack's also pretty good and the other games are well done, if not exceptional. Being a newcomer on the scene, only time will tell if their service, reliability and honesty are worthy of your consideration, but as it stands now, I'm happy to give Club Monte Carlo an above-average rating of 89 points.