TrueMoneyGames

PLEASE NOTE:

TRUE MONEY GAMES HAS CEASED ITS OPERATIONS DUE TO A LICENSING SUSPENSION. PLEASE READ THIS FOR MORE INFO

TrueMoneyGames does not just specialize in Backgammon. From a gaming perspective, they offer the best of both worlds providing players the opportunity not only to play Backgammon online, but Poker as well. It gives variety, and it’s easy to switch between the two sections offered on the software.

It’s got a simple software package, and does offer players incentives for making their first deposit as well as additional incentives for remaining on as a regular player and spreading the news about the site. It’s professional, put together, and overall, offers players just about anything they could look for out of a Backgammon site – though none is perfect, of course, so there are just a couple of minor exceptions to this rule.

Games and Tournaments

The games at TrueMoneyGames are separated into the Backgammon section and the Poker section.  Under the Backgammon area, which is of course what we’re all most interested in, the software does clearly create a division into single games, matches, and then there’s also a separate tournament section.

Players at True Money Games have the option of playing for fun or real money, though all gaming options are available in the same area. Games are clearly listed whether they’re for fun or for real money under all three sections on the software. It does seem that at True Money Games, as their name says, the playing for real money options do seem to be substantially more popular than those playing for fun. At the time I logged on, I found a few stray tables with players only looking to play for a little bit of fun and many with players looking to place some bets in hopes of making a little bit of cash in the process.

Tournaments are always taking place a TrueMoneyGames. There are Sit & Go, events and so on, but they are all under the same section of the Backgammon Tournaments and not really well sorted to allow players to just browse through and choose the type of tournament they’re looking to participate in. Again, the bulk of the tournaments are for players who have made a deposit and are playing for real money, though there are a few here and there that cater to those players just looking to have a little bit of fun!

Software and Registration

In some areas, the software and registration is where TrueMoneyGames really excels, though they could use a little bit of improvement with others. Registering is simple and straight-forward. Just like most sites, players need to create a username, password, and provide an email. For this site, they’re also asked the country where they live. Unlike a lot of other sites, TrueMoneyGames helps with safety by verifying the email address; requiring players to login with an activation code sent to their email address before they’re able to start playing. This is all that’s involved in registering for players in play money mode only. Additional contact information is of course required for players who make a deposit for the sake of their safety and protection.

And then there is the gaming board. There sure is quite some room for improvement in the quality of the board graphics. Sadly, the backgammon board looks quite basic and has a vector graphic feel to it rather than a realistic backgammon board. The checkers and even the board itself show pixelated borders which in my opinion is quite sub-standard compared to other backgammon software such as BG Room´s.

TrueMoneyGames is also available in a number of languages. While this is more common with Casino sites, and only in some cases, the software allows players to choose a language as soon as they go through the installation process so all information is in the language of their choice. There are a number of options to choose from, so players from around the world do not find that their experience is compromised. Some Backgammon software packages do allow players to select a language, but sometimes it is not until they’ve already gone through the installation process which has information that’s typically in English. This makes sure all players are comfortable right from the get-go! In my books, catering to a diverse audience through the language features is a major plus with this software.

As for the game lobby and setup, there’s some good and some bad with TrueMoneyGames. The Poker and Backgammon sections are clearly divided, which is great. But it’s within the Backgammon section that I took a closer look at that I wasn’t as impressed with. Personally, I prefer it when the play money games and real money games are more clearly divided so players can easily find exactly what they’re looking for. With this software, games are divided into single, match and tournament and free and real money are all combined together. I guess this allows all players to see exactly what is going on, but it would be nice to see a clearer division than just a written indictor next to the table description.

As for the tournaments, those too could be better divided. Sit and Go tournaments are separate, so those players looking to play immediately can do so provided there is room at a table they’d like to join. There’s no issue with the Sit and Go section, it’s well laid-out. My issue is with the section labelled “Tournaments” which is for the scheduled events. They feature a host of different types of tournaments, with different speed games, stakes and more, but they are all lumped together. They could have a better separation to give players a hand when they know what they’re looking for. I will admit, there is a filter option that works like a search to help players weed through, but it would be nice to see this done directly, in a neat way, in the game lobby itself.

Customer Support and Tutorials

Tutorials don’t exist at True Money Games for Backgammon, and this is not uncommon for sites that also feature other games like this one. Players who aren’t familiar with how to play the game of Backgammon in general, or have never played online will not get the lessons that other sites to provide to help get them started. For players willing to dive right in, or who already have a Background in the game, the support options available are sufficient.

On the True Money Games website there is an FAQ page with answers to more technical questions about the download and registration process, and basic issues that might be encountered when playing or making a deposit. There is also Customer Support offered right from the software by Live Chat, and this is available around the clock.

Conclusion

Overall, TrueMoneyGames offers players a great Backgammon experience. There are a few minor things lacking, but they’re based on software layout and these are more based on personal preference so some players may not have the same problems that I encountered based on how I like to see things organized. They’re not exclusively a Backgammon site, and you can see this as good or bad, really. Only the sub-standard graphics made me think about giving them a 4-star rating. TMG is somehow still worth 5 stars.