Blacktype Casino Review:

Established in 2016, Black Type began life as an online sportsbook, setup by two former horse racing traders who thought they could do a better job than the competition. Fast forward to 2018, and the team have built on their success by launching a casino. Packed with slots, table games and a live casino powered by Evolution Gaming, Black Type aim to bring their distinctive customer-first ethos to the casino gaming world. While still a relatively new online casino, Black Type is already off to a flyer, with some great games, jackpots and some decent bonuses along the way. But is Black Type the finished article, or is there still some work to be done to make this a top tier online casino?

The first question should always be one of trust, and fortunately with Black Type, there can be no concerns. Their sportsbook has been up and running successfully for a few years, so it’s fair to say you can trust they’re a legitimate setup. There’s also the fact that the company was set up by two well-respected individuals, with a verifiable industry track record at sports betting experience company Kambi. As betting brands go, this is as good a pedigree as any, and sufficient comfort for most players to trust the platform.

Black Type is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, under UK gaming laws. Regarded as one of the most sophisticated gambling regulators in the world, the Gambling Commission has powers of enforcement to keep their licensees honest and above board, including the ability to revoke licenses for those who fail to comply with the letter of the law. A wholly independent body, Black Type is subject to regulation and inspection by the Gambling Commission across both their sportsbook and casino platforms, so you can have faith that you’re being treated fairly and honestly, with a fair chance at every game you play.

Black Type goes further still, through its association with IBAS, the Independent Betting Adjudication Service. By submitting to independent arbitration through IBAS, Black Type is voluntarily opening themselves up to yet another independent party, with the power to rule against them in the event of gambling disputes with players. This is all part of a concerted effort to confirm that Black Type is legitimate and honest – good signs when you’re looking for a trustworthy place to play.

Black Type may still be relatively new to the market, but there is already some positive feedback from players. Reading reviews from players, it seems to be a somewhat polarising experience – a lot of players absolutely love what they see, while some are obviously disgruntled at their experience.

This is reflective of virtually all online casinos, and there’s nothing in the negatives that would give cause for concern. In reality, most negative reviews come from losing players, who are never likely to report a 5-star experience. While it’s always worth taking note of negative experiences, we’re satisfied that there’s nothing here that would suggest Black Type is anything other than a fair, trustworthy platform trying to do their best by players.

From a security point of view, the action at Black Type is rock solid. SSL encryption means you’d be hard pressed to hack the site, even with the help of a supercomputer, while payments are facilitated through some of the most secure independent payment processors in the world.

Deposits and withdrawals are still slightly restrictive at Black Type, with support for debit and credit cards only. It’s also possible to deposit by bank transfer through Trustly, although common e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller and PayPal are conspicuous by their absence. This will be a problem for a number of players, and if Black Type wants to compete with more established casinos, they should investigate adding new payment methods as soon as possible.

Both deposits and withdrawals are subject to a £10 minimum, with a maximum deposit of £5,000. Withdrawals tend to take up to 2 days processing, which is slightly quicker than average for card withdrawals, even if the range of payment methods on offer is limited.

Black Type are in full swing on the lookout for new players. Black Type Casino’s welcome bonus pitches up as an attractive deposit match – 100% of your first deposit up to a maximum of £250. This is a decent enough headline amount, and the kind of bonus offer that’s likely to make new players sit up and take notice. As ever, terms and conditions apply, and it’s worth digging into them a little deeper to find out whether this is the bonus for you.

The bonus is available to new customers only, and it goes without saying you need to be 18+ to participate. The deposit bonus is a 100% match on deposits from a minimum of £10, up to a maximum of £250. The bonus is subject to wagering requirements of 25x – that’s deposit plus bonus – before you are eligible for withdrawal. The wagering requirements must be met within 30 days of opening your account, and the maximum you can win through the bonus offer is £2,000.

Contribution to the wager is listed by game in the bonus terms and conditions, though only slots (excluding progressives) and scratch cards count 100% towards wagering. Table games like roulette and blackjack contribute at 10%. There are also terms excluding minimum risk wagering in clause 14, designed to protect the casino against bonus abuse.

Every bonus has its restrictions. But in the case of Black Type, these restrictions are quite significant – in particular, the wagering requirements. 25x seems fair, until you see it’s 25x deposit plus bonus. That’s equivalent to a 50x wagering requirement if you’re on a 100% deposit match, which is definitely higher than it needs to be. Most players will find this tight to wager and withdraw profitably from the bonus, and in any event, within that 30 day window.

This doesn’t render the bonus useless, and it can still be a nice extra, especially if you can push towards the £2,000 maximum win. It’s just more restrictive than most in the wagering department, which definitely detracts from the appealing headline offer.

Black Type offers a wide range of games, with 419 slots to choose from. These are provided by some of the biggest names in casino software, including the likes of Microgaming, NetEnt Gaming, NextGen Gaming, Big Time Gaming and Evolution Gaming.

The games all load quickly through both the website and mobile app, while the software is stable and doesn’t lag or cut out. Slots like Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest are among long-standing favourites, while players might also like to check out the progressive jackpots on offer through games like Mega Moolah.

While the slots offer is comprehensive, there’s perhaps some room for development with table games. There are only a handful of blackjack and roulette variations available – enough for most players to find what they’re looking for, but not as many as with some other, more established casinos.

The same is true with video poker, where there are just 5 titles. That said, game selection is clearly something Black Type will be looking to expand in the future.

The live casino section is provided by Evolution Gaming, offering a range of blackjack, roulette and baccarat, as well as casino hold’em, three card poker, Carribbean stud poker and a couple of different types of Texas hold’em.

Black Type have a good setup as far as mobile is concerned, with a decent app available for iOS. iPhone users can download and install the app for free, which gives access to both sports betting and casino platforms (including live casino) from your mobile device. The app is styled in a familiar way, presenting game and options through an easy-to-use interface for a seamless mobile experience.

There’s no equivalent casino app for Android which is one downside, so if you’re on an Android device, you’ll be left wanting. This is definitely an area of improvement for the future for Black Type, and something they should be looking more closely at as they continue to grow.

Android players can still make do with playing in browser, which is available on any connected device thanks to the responsive mobile site. While not quite as easy to use as the fully-immersive app, it’s a worthwhile substitute in the meantime, giving you access to your account through a mobile version of the Black Type site.

Black Type offers a range of promotions throughout the year, detailed on the ‘Promotions’ page, linked from the top right of the home page. You’ll find full details of each promotion and their terms and conditions. Note that the promotions page covers promos for casino as well as sports betting, so make sure you’re clear about the promo you’re after before getting your hopes up.

The Game of the Week promotion is one highlight, where players can pick up 10 free spins when they stake £20 on the ‘game of the week’. There are also regular bonuses, giveaways and competitions you can take part in, which crop up on the promotions page from time to time. You can also keep an eye on Twitter for first notice of upcoming promotions, though most of the activity on their feed relates to sports betting.