bgo Casino Review:

Thanks to some eye-catching ad campaigns featuring the likes of Verne Troyer and Paris Hilton, bgo Casino has become one of the biggest iGaming brands in the UK and Europe since its launch in 2012. Indeed, if we were handing out awards for flashy interfaces, this site would definitely receive a rosette. Bgo has come a long way since its early days as an online bingo room, but what we really wanted to know is if there’s any substance behind the style. Well, as we found out, if you’re into big bonuses and classic games, bgo Casino has plenty of muscle to back-up its bold image.

Bgo Casino might have had its knuckles rapped by the UK Gambling Commission in 2017 for failing to comply with its advertising guidelines, but that doesn’t mean you can’t trust this operator. Although one of its promo adverts didn’t adequately explain the conditions attached to its free bets, the site has a good reputation and is compliant with all the necessary regulations.

Now, if we move beyond recent events and into the specifics of why bgo Casino is trustworthy, you’ll note that it has two gambling licences. As well as certification from the UKGC, this operator holds a licence with the highly-regarded Alderney Gambling Control Commission, which means it’s able to offer regulated gaming to players in Europe and beyond. In addition to gaming licenses and SSL-encrypted software, bgo Casino publishes Return to Player (RTP) figures for each game on the site.

Having random number generators and games that are tested for fairness by companies like eCOGRA is a necessary part of any online casino’s licensing conditions. However, some platforms choose not to make their RTP audits public. bgo Casino, on the other hand, has made its data public and, what’s more, it’s not hidden away in some dark corner of the site. If you want to know your expected win percentage for any game, you can go to the “Help” tab and click on “RTP”.

Making the effort to publish these figures when it’s not required to do so is a great sign that bgo Casino values player fairness. That’s backed up by player comments on community forums and advocacy sites like The POGG and Casinomeister, where the feedback is overwhelmingly positive.

Bgo Casino does little to let itself down in this department, with all the usual methods supported. We haven’t run a withdrawal test yet but players report processing times of within 24 hours.

To thrive in the UK online casino market you need to innovate and that’s what bgo Casino has done with its welcome casino bonus. With the UKGC wanting operators to be less ambiguous when it comes to terms and conditions, bgo has taken the initiative and revamped its entire promo system. Today, instead of the traditional match bonus or free spins offer attached with tricky hidden terms and conditions bgo has raised the bar with a welcome offer that is as simplistic as it is enticing.

BGO’s first deposit offer is 100 free spins with no  “no max win, no wagering requirements” –  these spins, are for all intents and purposes, free. To get the welcome offer you just need to register and deposit £10. The 100 free spins are available on Starburst, Aloha Cluster Pays, Finn and the Swirly Spin, and The Legend of Shangri-La Cluster Pays and you have 3 days from making the deposit to use them. Other than that the only other Ts and Cs to be aware of is that the offer isn’t available to customers who deposit via Skrill and Neteller and that for deposits below £500, BGO will make a charge of £2.50 of the deposit amount (across all payment methods)

As bonuses go its almost revolutionary in being truly free, with no wagering and maximum wins – win £20000 from the free spins and you get to keep it all. Whilst there’ll be a few high rollers and / or table game players for whom this offer may less than appealing, for 95% of new casino players this will be a very attractive offer and one which we give 10/10 to.

While the fact that the site is plastered with images of Vern “Mini-Me” Troyer’s mug is regrettable, aside from that it is modern and attractive. The uncluttered interface features a straightforward menu bar at the top of the page, which makes it easy to jump between the five portals on offer (Casino, Vegas, Games, Live, and Bingo).

It’s not all positive, though. As with some other sites (Sky and Virgin come to mind), the categorisation is confusing. The Casino, Vegas and Games portals each offer healthy selections of slots, but there’s some overlap between the categories, and little explanation given to the user as to what the differences are, if any.

We know such categorisation is influenced more by the casino’s relationship with its various software suppliers than anything else (in this case, games under the Casino category are exclusively from Playtech), but we just don’t see how it benefits the player.

Leaving that issue aside, bgo does have a strong selection of gambling options. Thanks to partnerships with big name developers such as NetEntertainment, IGT and Playtech you’ll be able to access upwards of 400 games.

Traditional casino and table games come from Playtech, and the selection is healthy enough to suit most. There are around 20 versions of roulette and a dozen editions of blackjack, with a decent selection of interesting offerings to keep things interesting, such as Age of the Gods Roulette, Progressive Blackjack and Multi-Card Pontoon.

The most interesting aspect of bgo Casino’s games menu is the live dealer suite. Powered by Playtech, this section of the site allows you to “choose your experience”. In simple terms, you can switch from standard games to Grand Royale games with the touch of a button. This basically gives you higher stakes betting options and more luxurious settings. The game selection is solid, if not spectacular, and encompasses less common live games like Live Hi-Lo and Live French Roulette.

But what will attract most players to bgo is the superlative selection of slots from a who’s who of top casino software developers. Under the Vegas and Games tabs you’ll find a variety of popular games from NetEnt, IGT, and Microgaming, including player favourites like Starburst from Netent as well as popular titles from smaller publisher’s like Bally Barcrest’s Rainbow Riches.

The Casino tab is home to Playtech’s catalogue of licensed slots, with an emphasis on progressive jackpot titles, including Age of the Gods, Jackpot Giant, the various new Batman titles. If that’s not enough, you can also play IGT’s range of Mega Jackpots titles. In short, you’ll always find a seven-figure prize to play for at bgo.

Overall, we have few gripes about the game selection put together by bgo. And as an added bonus, it’s all instant play, so no outdated downloadable casino clients here.

If you can do it on your desktop, you can do it via the bgo Casino app. Available for iOS and Android devices, this app features all the usual mobile options such as location tracking, push notifications and touch-to-play. These are all fairly useful, but the three features that really stood out for us were the following:

Shake-to-Spin – Although this is now fairly common, the ability to shake your device to spin the app’s slots is both fun and an efficient way to play.

Pre-Game Previews – Before you start playing a game, the app will give you a quick overview of its main premise and features. These pre-game previews are great for novices wanting to learn a little more before they place a bet.

Left/Right – Depending on which hand you use, the bgo Casino app can be tailored to suit your needs. The options menu inside each game will allow you to switch the interface for left-handed or right-handed use which is a subtle yet impressive feature.

The iOS app can be grabbed from the App and the Android app from Google play.

In line with its new welcome bonus, bgo Casino has also updated its loyalty promos. As you make real money bets, a progress bar will gradually fill up. Each time you complete a level, the “boss” will drop a boost into your vault. The more you wager, the more lucrative your boosts will be and, as you’d expect, the rewards come in the form of free spins. As per the welcome bonus, anything you win is yours to keep, but you will have to use your bonus within three days and pay the new withdrawal charges.

As well as unlocking fair spins via The Vault, bgo Casino runs a VIP scheme. Known as bVIP, this system allows you to earn diamonds which can be spent in the loyalty store. At the time of writing, it’s possible to exchange diamonds for fair spins or cash (real cash without any wagering conditions). However, as the scheme evolves, players will soon be able to get free access to casino tournaments or collect Golden Chips which can be used to play and win on live casino games for free. Overall, when you take these two promos and combine them with the welcome bonus, it’s fair to say that bgo Casino now offers one of the most innovative and lucrative systems for casual players.