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Sarah Secter go-to expert for all art-related matters
By MYRON LOVE When Dov Secter proposed to Sarah Allentuck 16 years ago at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, he couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate venue. That is because Sarah Secter’s life and career have been immersed in the world of art.
And although the Secters are partners in both life and business – Sarah manages the business side of Secter Architecture + Design, including marketing and financial matters – over the past 12 years, she has quietly established her own Secter Art Consulting as the go-to address in Winnipeg for all matters art-related.
“There is no other art consultant in Winnipeg that offers the range of services that I can provide,” she points out.
The professionally trained appraiser and member of the International Society of Appraisers – the largest professional appraisal association in North America – works with a growing number of domestic and corporate clients. She appraises art for insurance purposes, for example, charitable donations and estates. The main focus of her practice however, is sourcing and brokering art for her varied clients.
Among her larger recent assignments was sourcing the artwork for the walls of the law firm Taylor McCaffrey’s new suite of offices – a project that involved over 80 pieces of art.
Another challenging project was the major renovations to the old Norwood Hotel in St. Boniface in 2019. “I worked closely with the design and rebranding team to ensure that the art pieces fit their budget and brand identity – with a strong focus on Manitoba artists,” she reports. “It was a great collection that we put together and we received positive feedback from a lot of people who have seen it.”
That positive feedback includes a testimonial from Norwood Hotel CEO Ben Sparrow stating that the family’s “partnership with Sarah was a huge success. “She helped repurpose old mural and carvings – as well as select new and old art and commissioned pieces,” he continued. “She managed the install of all of our art throughout our 10,000 square foot space.”
Secter notes that she is currently working on an appraisal of a 400-year-old painting from the court of the British King Charles II. “As part of that assignment,” she says, “I researched its provenance and the biography of the subject in the portrait. I also worked with a conservator to view the painting under an ultraviolet light to determine the extent of restoration the painting has had over the past few centuries.”
While Secter notes that she has had an interest in art from a young age – she does have a BA from the University of Winnipeg in Art History, pursuing a career as an art consultant was not on her radar early on. She did work for a short time for the Mayberry Gallery in Winnipeg as well as an art gallery in Toronto. She also had a career as a teacher for seven years prior to devoting herself full time to the art business
“Initially, I didn’t think it was possible to earn a living in Winnipeg as an art consultant,” she recalls. “I started by advising family and friends and business grew from there entirely by word of mouth.”
With each client, she notes, she has to determine their needs, their budget, their taste in art and what their purpose is in collecting whether for decoration or amassing a collection – after which she will propose the different options.
For smaller assignments, she notes, she can work alone. For more complex installations, she says, she has a crew she can call on for help.
As to what clients are looking for these days, she reports that – not only in Winnipeg but across the country collectors are asking for more artwork by BIPOC, Indigenous, women and minority artists that represent the growingly diverse population that is today’s Canada.
In her work and life, Secter points out, she has conflicting demands on her time. In addition to her Secter Art Consulting there are her Secter Architecture responsibilities and two daughters whose needs have to be attended to.
“It is a challenge,” she says. “I try to set reasonable expectations for my clients.”
And, despite the demands of family and work, Secter finds time for volunteer activities. Her zaida, the late Ben Raber, her mother, Sharon Allentuck, and her aunts, Elaine Goldstine (who is soon retiring as Jewish Federation CEO) and Marilyn Raber, have been positive role models for her. She recalls that, from a young age, she was helping with the annual CJA campaign and, for a time, she was involved with the International Council of Jewish Women – an organization in which her mother and aunts had leadership roles.
Currently, Secter is a board member of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada. As well, she is co-chair of the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue’s Housing and Building Committee as our community’s largest and oldest congregation is in the process of a major expansion.
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Volatility, Hit Frequency, and RTP: Why the Number Casinos Advertise Is the Least Useful One
The return to player percentage looks clean as a casino data point. It gives players a neat number, usually around 94% to 97% for many online slots, and that number feels easy to compare. A 96.5% game appears better than a 95.2% game. The problem starts when players treat RTP as a forecast for their next 50 spins or one evening.
You may find the RTP listed on slot pages on a leading online casino in Ontario, but the number only tells part of the story. Two games can share the same RTP and create different sessions: one may return small wins often, while the other may drain a balance before one bonus round changes everything.
The RTP Trap
Return to player (RTP) measures the theoretical share of total wagers a game returns across a very large number of rounds. In plain terms, a 96% RTP slot returns about $96 for every $100 wagered in the long run. That does not mean one player who deposits $100 should expect $96 back.
The trap sits in the word “theoretical.” RTP comes from the game’s math model. It works across huge samples, not personal sessions. A player can finish far above that percentage, far below it, or with nothing left after a short run of poor results.
Is it useless then? No, RTP can still help. It gives a baseline cost of play. Lower-RTP games cost more on average than higher-RTP games. Still, once a game passes a reasonable threshold, the next question matters more: how does it distribute that return?
Hit Frequency: The Number That Shapes Session Feel
Hit frequency tells you how often a game produces a winning outcome. This often misleads players because any win can count. A spin that returns $0.10 on a $1 bet may still count as a hit, even though the player lost $0.90 in real terms.
A game can feel active because symbols connect often, sounds play, and the screen keeps celebrating small returns. The balance may still fall. In many modern slots, “win” does not always mean profit on the spin.
Hit frequency answers one practical question: how much silence can you tolerate? Some players dislike long dry spells. Others accept quieter sessions because they chase bonus rounds or larger payouts.
The educational site Get Gambling Facts gives a useful distinction: RTP concerns the percentage of money returned over time, while hit frequency concerns how often a machine stops on a winning combination.
Volatility: The Risk Label Players Need More Often
Volatility, also called variance, describes how unevenly a game pays. Low-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often. High-volatility games hold more value in rare events: bonus rounds, premium symbols, multipliers, or jackpots.
Here is where RTP becomes less useful on its own:
- A 96% low-volatility slot may give modest returns and longer play from the same balance.
- A 96% high-volatility slot may burn through funds quickly unless the player hits a strong feature.
- A progressive jackpot game may look exciting, but it often places more value on rare top prizes.
The same RTP can hide very different risk profiles. Players who ignore volatility often blame the casino or the game when the session follows its math design.
Why the Same RTP Can Feel So Different
Picture two slots with 96% RTP. Slot A pays small wins on many spins, has a modest top prize, and rarely creates dramatic balance swings. Slot B pays less often but offers a large max win and volatile bonus rounds. The advertised return matches, but the experience does not.
Slot A may suit a player who wants a slower bankroll drop and more regular feedback. Slot B suits someone who accepts sharper losses in exchange for a shot at a heavier payout.
A Better Way to Read a Slot Page
Most slot pages give players more clues than they notice. The trick is to read the details together rather than chase the highest percentage.
Start with RTP. If two games look similar, the higher number has better long-term value. Then check volatility. If the game uses terms such as high, very high, or extreme variance, lower your bet size or expect shorter sessions. Next, look at the paytable. A huge max win usually means the game saves a lot of its value for rare outcomes.
A sensible pre-play check looks like this:
- RTP: What is the average long-term return?
- Volatility: How rough can the session become?
- Hit frequency: How often will the game show any wins?
- Paytable: Where does most value sit?
To Conclude
Casinos advertise RTP because it looks objective, tidy, and easy to rank. Players should read it, but they should not give it more authority than it deserves. For long sessions, volatility may matter more than a small RTP difference. For comfort, hit frequency may explain the feel better than the payback rate.
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The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
