I've been away from the Casino Beat for a while working on our Poker and Craps Resource Pages. Check 'em out if you've got a minute. Now it's back to the real world and GoCasino is today's port of call.

GoCasino uses the MicroGaming Systems software, so the software may look familiar if you're a regular online casino patron. It's one of the more common download-then-play systems out there and is notable for its stability and ease of use. Another key feature is the package's expandability. You get the most popular games in the basic download -- Blackjack, Craps, Slots, etc -- and can add other games at your discretion. This process works and is a pretty painless way to get a fully customized suite of your favorites up and running.

What the MGS system isn't is cutting edge. The games you get and the interface used are fully functional and capable, but they're not going to blow your socks off. I'd even go so far as to say it won't even give your socks a serious tug. We're talking stable and reliable here, not sexy and "wow!" At first I thought this might be because GoCasino had failed to update their package. I went to the source, MicroGaming Systems itself, and looked at their demo-ware and their show casino, supposedly the places they'd have the latest and greatest. The result? Same stuff as at GoCasino.

What I'm saying is that the vanilla nature of the GoCasino games package is not really GoCasino's fault. For the techno-minded in the crowd, the MGS package is a 16-bit app. What that means to the rest of us is that the package will probably run on just about any (PC-based) computer that can connect itself to the Web. So you won't need a $3000 computer to go spend your quarters at the slots.

Speaking of the slots, I did something I almost never do: I played every slot game in the house. They're simple, but they're fun and there's quite a variety to choose from. My regular games, like Blackjack, Poker and Craps, are perfectly acceptable too.

Okay, let's wrap this up. Support at GoCasino is pretty decent. I had trouble registering over the Web -- it appears you have to do it at their website -- so I emailed them, then called their toll-free number. Helpful folks who solved my problem before I had time to get pissed off. That's a good thing.

Finally, let's talk money. Getting your pesos into and out of GoCasino is nothing out of the ordinary, except maybe the withdrawal fees they ding you for. They'll kick your dough back to your credit card, up to the amount that you've deposited (that's the norm). But getting your profits will cost you if you're in a rush: $60 for a wire transfer, $30 per $1000 if you want a bank draft or money order. It's free if you're willing to wait for a check and are withdrawing over $300, otherwise it's $10.