just_Alice,

Let me know the username you used to sign up, and I will credit your account 0.0005 btc so you can make some bets and see what you think of how it works.

-PenguinDice

I have just made several changes to the site, as requested by users in this thread:

1. Withdrawal fee has been reduced from 0.00035 btc to 0.00020 btc.
2. Sign-up bonus has been increased from 0.00030 btc to 0.00050 btc.
3. There is now a "Bet History" link on the top navbar.
4. When you withdraw, the txid is now a link that you can click to see your transaction on blockchain.info.
5. Removed a stray character that was on the bottom on the Play page.

Players, please continue to give me suggestions on the site and I will keep making improvements.

-PenguinDice

piloder,

Thanks for the additional feedback.

1. I'm glad the withdrawal worked. I will take your suggestion and add a link to view transactions on the blockchain.
2. Yes, I see that extra little v now. I'll fix that.

-PenguinDice

DarkStar,

Thanks for your interest in the site, and your feedback thus far. I have added 0.001 btc (more than usual, since you've already given me good suggestions) to your account so that you can make some bets on the site. Let me know what you think of it after you do some betting.

You are the second person to mention the 0.00035 withdrawal fee being too high, so I am going to lower it to 0.0002 like you suggested. I'll do that later today. I may lose a few cents on withdrawals, but if this makes people likely to use the site then maybe it's worth it.

If you could give me more suggestions on how to improve the GUI that would be great (graphics are not my forte).

-PenguinDice

piloder,

Thank you for your testing and your comments! Responses to your comments:

1. Yes, the graphics need to be improved (another person mentioned that also). I am a coder by background and not very skilled with design, but I will try my best to improve things in that respect.

2. You can view your betting history by clicking on your balance at the top left. That is probably not obvious enough. I'll add a "betting history" link in the navbar to make this easier to find.

3. On what page did you see the little "v" at the bottom of the screen?

Thanks again!

-PenguinDice

kryptqnick,

Maybe you're right. People might trust a tor hidden service casino less because no one really knows who in the real world is running it. So if the site ends up being a scam, there is no one to pursue to get your money back.

There was a sports betting hidden service called GhostBet that ended up shutting down one day, and keeping everyone's money.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1596747.180

So people are wise to be cautious.

-PenguinDice

veleten,

Good suggestions. Thanks!

I do plan to raise the bankroll / maximum bets. I was hoping first to get more feedback on the site, though, so that I can a) determine if the site is even viable, given all the competition, b) improve the site based on suggestions of people who have used it. I have a few hidden service projects going on, so I have to decide how much funding makes sense to keep tied up in each one.

Your promo ideas are useful...thanks again.

-PenguinDice

piloder,

Thanks for that feedback. I am still getting familiar with the different gambling-related areas in bitcointalk and where I should post what.

I put 0.001 btc on your account. It would be great if you could try making a few bets before withdrawing! 

And please let me know your opinions after you use the site.

Thanks,

-PenguinDice

rollorspin,

When you use tor, you hide your actual IP address/location from whatever web site you are visiting. All the web site sees is the IP address of the exit node (the last server your connection goes through before you reach the site). You will need to download the tor browser if you want to access PenguinDice.

OR, you can use this link https://penguinsyuo2gtvz.onion.to but BE WARNED you will not be anonymous, because the people who run the .to clearnet portal will see your real IP address.

-PenguinDice

newinbtc,

I can increase the sign-up bonus if it would bring in more users (such as yourself). What number do you suggest?

-PenguinDice

Hello Bitcointalk Members,

I am announcing an open source dice betting tor hidden service called PenguinDice. The onion address is:

penguinsyuo2gtvz.onion

You'll need the tor browser to access the site. You can download that here:

https://www.torproject.org/

There are already a bunch of bitcoin dice gambling sites out there, so what's unique about this one? PenguinDice was designed with tor users in mind. It implements the following tor-friendly features:

1. Since it's a hidden service, tor users don't have to worry about MITM attacks from malicious exit nodes (which are common when accessing clearnet sites over tor).

2. The site uses a username and password login. Other dice betting sites try to make the player's life easier by automatically setting a browser cookie that will allow the user to access his/her account later without logging in. The tor browser clears cookies when closed. So a username/password login system is necessary for tor users.

3. The site functions without JavaScript, Flash, or any other insecure browser add-ons that tor users tend to keep disabled for security reasons.

A few important facts:

1. The house edge is 1%.

2. The site is open-source! Users may download the site's MySQL and PHP code.

3. Withdrawal transactions are sent immediately with adequate transaction fees, so you won't have to deal with long waits for withdrawals to complete.

The main disadvantage to this site right now is that the betting maximums are low (0.0002 to 0.001 btc per roll, depending on what number you want to bet on). So you're not going to win (or lose) huge amounts at once like on the big sites. I hope, however, to raise the betting maximums as the site gets more users.

As far as I know, this is the only dice betting hidden service out there (though please do tell me if you know of others).

This is a brand-new site and thus feedback is much appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

-Penguiner

PS: For those of you curious about tor: Tor (or The Onion Router) is an anonymity network that you access with the tor browser. Why use tor? When you use tor, your ISP doesn't know which sites you're accessing and can't block what you view. And web sites you visit don't know your true IP address, and thus can't restrict your access based on where you live. The tor browser also comes with security features (like NoScript and HTTPS-Everywhere) to keep you safer from malware and phishing sites.

FLoving,

Try this link and see if it works better for you. You should not need tor to access it this way:

https://penguinsyuo2gtvz.onion.to

Let me know if that works for you.

-PenguinDice

Pamoldar,

Thanks for mentioning ghostbook. I had never heard of it. I just looked at its thread on bitcointalk:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1596747.180

It looks like the owners shut down the site unexpectedly, and everyone who had money deposited had no way to withdraw?

That definitely sets a bad precedent for tor gambling sites.

-PenguinDice

FLoving,

Onion sites don't show up correctly in some of the clearnet portals. I tried adding .cab to the onion name and indeed the site looked messed up.

You'll need to actually use the tor browser if you want the site to appear correctly. Let me know if you do get the tor browser working and are able to get to the site.

-PenguinDice

m0gliE,

To avoid getting tracked based on your bitcoin purchases there are two main options. One option, as amacar2 pointed out, is to use a bitcoin mixer/tumbler (I noticed that several are advertised on here). Another option is to create an anonymous account on a P2P exchange site like LocalBitCoins or PaxFul and then find someone who is selling bitcoins for cash (either you meet with them in person, or do a cash deposit at their bank, or send them cash in the mail). It definitely takes some extra steps to keep your bitcoin purchases anonymous, but it is doable if you're motivated.

-PenguinDice

piloder,

Thanks for the feedback. I understand it is plain/primitive at this point. I have the basic functionality of betting working, but don't have the extra features that other sites have (like animations, chat, etc.).

The bankroll right now is only 2.0 btc (hence the low betting maximums).

You also mentioned that it's confusing. What do you find confusing about it?

I am hoping to improve it based of feedback from people like you. I put 0.00030 btc on your account. Would you mind making a few bets and letting me know what you think of how that works? If you get your balance up over the withdrawal fee you can withdraw your winnings.

Thanks,

-PenguinDice

Thanks for explaining that.

I just joined this forum. I have a question. I notice that there are advertisements below many people's posts, even though those posters are obviously not representatives of those businesses. Where do those ads come from?

Hello Bitcointalk Members,

I am announcing an open source dice betting tor hidden service called PenguinDice. The onion address is:

penguinsyuo2gtvz.onion

You'll need the tor browser to access the site. You can download that here:

https://www.torproject.org/

There are already a bunch of bitcoin dice gambling sites out there, so what's unique about this one? PenguinDice was designed with tor users in mind. It implements the following tor-friendly features:

1. Since it's a hidden service, tor users don't have to worry about MITM attacks from malicious exit nodes (which are common when accessing clearnet sites over tor).

2. The site uses a username and password login. Other dice betting sites try to make the player's life easier by automatically setting a browser cookie that will allow the user to access his/her account later without logging in. The tor browser clears cookies when closed. So a username/password login system is necessary for tor users.

3. The site functions without JavaScript, Flash, or any other insecure browser add-ons that tor users tend to keep disabled for security reasons.

A few important facts:

1. The house edge is 1%.

2. The site is open-source! Users may download the site's MySQL and PHP code.

3. Withdrawal transactions are sent immediately with adequate transaction fees, so you won't have to deal with long waits for withdrawals to complete.

The main disadvantage to this site right now is that the betting maximums are low (0.0005 to 0.003 btc per roll, depending on what number you want to bet on). So you're not going to win (or lose) huge amounts at once like on the big sites. I hope, however, to raise the betting maximums as the site gets more users.

As far as I know, this is the only dice betting hidden service out there (though please do tell me if you know of others).

This is a brand-new site and thus feedback is much appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

-Penguiner

PS: For those of you curious about tor: Tor (or The Onion Router) is an anonymity network that you access with the tor browser. Why use tor? When you use tor, your ISP doesn't know which sites you're accessing and can't block what you view. And web sites you visit don't know your true IP address, and thus can't restrict your access based on where you live. The tor browser also comes with security features (like NoScript and HTTPS-Everywhere) to keep you safer from malware and phishing sites.