Overview
Founded in 2007, Kerching is a UK online casino that puts a big emphasis on slots. Kerching was previously owned and operated by software developers IGT, but was recently bought out to be independently run by Kerching Gibraltar Limited. The significance of this is that Kerching no longer relies solely on IGT-affiliated casino games and can now offer slots from a broader spectrum of developers. While Kerching focuses on slots, there’s also a handful of live casino and table games. Moreover, Kerching now offers an eye-catching welcome bonus for new players. Read on for a complete breakdown of Kerching Casino.
Safety and Trustworthiness
Kerching is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for casino players in Britain. For overseas players, Kerching has a licence from the Gibraltar Gambling Commission (GGC). Both regulatory bodies are seen as reputable requiring operators to meet several criteria before being granted a license.
Kerching publishes information on its fair gaming policies on the site. You can find links to the certificates for RNG (Random Number Generator) used for Kerching’s (Nektan) software, as well as detailed payout reports published every three months. The fact that Kerching offers such accessible, transparent information to reassure players is definitely a big plus point. For example, players can see at a glance that the overall payout from July to September 2018 was: Instant Games (90.82%), Live Games (96.72%), Table Games (97.46%) and Slots (95.53). It should be noted that these payout reports are for sites, like Kerching, who operate on Nektan software platforms.
As mentioned, Kerching changed ownership in 2014 to operate independently under the name of Kerching Gibraltar Limited. The previous owner, IGT (International Gaming Technology), is one of the world’s foremost developers of casino games. However, there is certainly nothing lost in terms of trust now that Kerching is run independently. In fact, the opposite might be true, with many players on review forums signalling their approval that Kerching has expanded its games library. Indeed, Kerching gets good feedback from players on review sites like the Pogg, Casinomeister and AskGamblers, with all three reviewers keen to point out the game selection as payout speeds as particular highlights
Deposits & Withdrawals
Kerching has a large selections of payment methods including PayPal, Skrill, Neteller Pay by Mobile (Boku) and Paysafecard. One drawback, however, is that there is a 15% fee applied to Boku (Pay by Mobile) deposits.
Bonuses
At first glance, Kerching’s Welcome Bonus looks very generous. The total bonus package offers £500 in matched deposit bonuses plus 100 Free Spins on Cleopatra slot. It’s broken down in three stages:
- 1st deposit matched 100% up to £50 and 50 Free Spins on Cleopatra.
- 2nd deposit matched 100% up to £150 and 25 Free Spins on Cleopatra.
- 3rd deposit matched 50% up to £300 and 25 Free Spins on Cleopatra.
While we always appreciate when top online casinos give out both matched bonuses and free spins, it’s worth taking note of some of the terms and conditions attached to Kerching’s welcome offer. First of all, the matched bonus and initial deposit (combined) must be wagered 30 times. So, if you deposited £10 and received a £10 bonus, the total wagering would be £600. Winnings from free spins are also subject to 30 times wagering.
However, what might irk players even more is the fact that the bonus and free spins winnings can only be converted to a maximum of 5x the bonus value. So, for example, a £20 deposit bonus can be converted to a maximum of £100, whereas 50 free spins (valued at 20p each, making £10) can be converted to a maximum of £50.
A big welcome offer like the one offered by Kerching here is always going to have some tough terms attached to it. However, we would like to see the wagering requirements lowered quite a bit. Moreover, we would really like to see any capping of bonus winnings disappear entirely.
Game Selection
Games at Kerching are provided by top software developers like NextGen, NetEnt, Microgaming, WagerWorks and IGT. In total, you will find 245 slot games for instant play on the desktop site. To be fair, this is far from being a huge amount and there are plenty of other online casinos with perhaps double or triple that number.
However, the slot selection is big on quality, featuring some of the most popular online slots. Some of the most well-known titles include: Cleopatra, Cleoptatra Plus, Game of Thrones, Warlords, Rainbow Riches, Coins of Egypt, Davinci Diamonds, Jumanji, Family Guy and Starburst.
14 jackpot slots are available at Kerching. Alongside staples like Mega Moolah and the Mega Jackpots range (Cleopatra, Wolf Run, Isle of Plenty etc), you will find some less well-known jackpot games like Worms Reloaded and Divine Fortune.
While it’s good to see Kerching offering live casino options and some table games, it’s a limited selection You can find several varieties of roulette and blackjack (both live and virtual). But, apart from that, it’s slim pickings, with a couple of video pokers and an arcade-style bingo game. However, just a couple of years ago, Kerching virtually offered no tables games at all. So, let’s hope this is an evolving process and keep an eye on Kerching expanding its library even further over the coming years.
The site layout should also take a little bit of criticism. While the look and feel of the site is fine, a better list of tabs for organizing games is necessary. At the moment, games can be found under the following tabs: Player Games, New Games, Recommended and Jackpots. So, for example, if you want to play live casino roulette, you will have to search for it randomly. Even though Kerching is focused on slots, other casino operators have organised games under tabs like ‘Free Spins’, ‘Sticky Wilds’ and so on. Kerching’s layout means you can find a specific game quite easily, but it would be nice if players could discover a new game through search terms of individual tastes and game styles.
Mobile App
Kerching Casino has always been popular with mobile players, yet it is not available to download as an app for iPhones or Android devices. However, the Kerching mobile site is responsive and very little is lost without having an app. In fact, Kerching is one of the few online casinos that offers nearly every game found on the desktop on the mobile site. This includes all 245 slots, 14 progressive jackpot games and live dealer tables.
The mobile site is exactly the same as Kerching’s desktop site, so the same issues with navigation (listed above) are present. But there is also a smooth and sleek feel when searching for and loading mobile games. Like most online casinos nowadays, Kerching does not differentiate between mobile and desktop players, so there are no special mobile casino bonuses and promotions.
Promotions
A wide choice of casino promotions is arguably Kerching’s strongest point. Nearly every day, there is a bonus offer for existing players. For example, Monday Happy Hour gives a 50% matched deposit bonus up to £50 for anyone depositing £10 or more from 8pm-11pm. Similarly, Wednesday Wager will provide a £5 bonus for anyone who wagers £25 at Kerching, regardless if you win or lose. Arguably best of all is the Thursday Win Boost, where you can receive a 20% boost to any winnings in the casino up to a value of £50. Loyalty points are also accrued by playing slots, which can later be exchanged for cash.
Another plus point is that Kerching offers a multi-layered VIP loyalty scheme. Invitation is at the discretion of the management, but you can email them at contact@vip-kerching.co.uk if you think you should be considered. The benefits of joining that VIP scheme are considerable. The lowest level, Silver, will give you a dedicated account manager, priority customer service access, a weekly bonus, a VIP anniversary bonus and enhanced promotional terms. If you get up to the top level, VIP Elite, you will also receive invitations to special hospitality events, as well as other freebies like a Birthday Bonus.
Support
Email support and phone support from 8am to midnight.
Review Summary
Kerching has been operating for over a decade, yet it still seems like a work in progress. That’s not exactly a criticism, rather a pointed reminder that Kerching has a lot of wasted potential. The high points – a quality selection of slots, good regular bonuses and promos – are weighed down somewhat by the low points. A couple of quick fixes, including adding a few more table games and getting rid of capped limits on welcome bonus winnings, and we would be looking at an excellent online casino. We will give it a 6 out of 10 for the moment, but we will check back to see if Kerching continues to make some improvements in the near future.
New Customers Only. 18+. Wagering requirements and T&C’s Apply