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Gambling is a mug's game. Everyone things there's a fortune to be made, but why do the casinos have crystal chandeliers and marble floors? Gambling isn't 'luck', it's an almost exact science.

In the scheme of things, casinos take more of your money. With Caesar's Palace, these problems are eliminated. After a £50 outlay, no-one will tap you for a single penny. The trouble is, it's just a pretend video game casino. Remember, don't win - it's just for fun.

There are eleven different games to choose from, accessed by walking around the casino and approaching a likely looking area. They are as follows...

1. Keno
   A simple bingo variant. Pick a number and wait for the card to be called.
2. Horse Racing
   Quirky. Bet by computer on various race meets. The results are paged to you.
3. Black Jack
   What we call Pontoon. Play with the dealer to get closest to 21.
4. Slot Machines
   Various banks of bandits, each taking different stakes between $1 and $100.
5. Video Poker
   An electronic poker player, where the aim is to deal hands like 'flushes', '3 of a kind' and 'full houses'.
6. Scratch Card
   Three different varieties of 'instant win' cards, based around sudden death scenarios. Every card a potential winner.
7. Craps
   A complex betting game based on the combination of dice. As featured in Indecent Proposal.
8. 8. Roulette
   Bet on where the ball lands on the wheel. There are loads of potential win combinations.

You can 'bank' chips by getting a password from the ATMs every so often. Lose all your money and you may as well leave. Coo, it's just like the real thing in that respect!

They say gambling games can never work on computer - no real money; no real tension. But Caesar's Palace could have been ten times better if it allowed the game to be a social experience. As a one-player game it's pretty lonely. The range of games is commendable, and the implementation is Ok, it a little scruffy on the visual side.

If you really have a gambling problem you may like this, but I'm immune.

I'm a bit of a gambling freak - fruit machines, cards... you can't beat the thrill of the win.

The first problem with this is there's no money to be won - there's nothing Virgin can do about that, but they could have added a two-player game and a more user-friendly access system. As it stands, I wouldn't touch this with a barge-pole.

Graphics 48%
Functional but pretty horrible in places.

Sound 51%
One of the game's least important aspect.

Playability 46%
As unpredictable, annoying and utterly fruitless as real gambling is.

Lastability 40%
The password allows you to play an ongoing game of self-ruin.

Value For Money 39%
You're spending £50 you can never recoup in winnings.

Overall 42%
Not an indecent proposal for a game - just not a very clever one.