Don’t Miss The Gold Rush at Golden Reef Casino...

Golden Reef Casino is something of an anomaly. It brands itself along the lines of some of the more gimmicky casinos, with the whole gold-rush thing apparent from the first time you clock their logo. This runs throughout the design elements of the website, but it’s not much more than a marketing veneer. Under the surface, this is a much more serious place to spend your gaming time, with some knock-out quality games and fantastic supporting customer service functions.

This is a Casino Rewards Group casino, part of an established family of online gaming sites that has been operational online since 1999 – practically the stone age, in online gambling terms. Once you look beyond the theme and the slightly dated graphics, you get straight into the good stuff – including over 500 Microgaming titles across a huge range of different game types.

For peace of mind, Golden Reef casino is regulated in Kahnawake. Unfortunately, this means it can’t extend a warm welcome to American players, or to those from Australia. A number of other European countries are also excluded, including Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. If you’re unsure, you can check the restricted countries list before you start playing to avoid problems later down the line.

I’ve played at Golden Reef a few times, but I’ve held accounts with multiple different Casino Rewards Group sites – enough to know the score when it comes to this casino provider. While there is the usual diversity of opinion over things like welcome bonuses and the playthrough requirements, this is a casino most players agree is worth the recommendation.

User Experience

The user experience is part of the reason I keep playing at Casino Rewards Group sites. They’re not all the same of course, but there’s a common link between the good stuff that makes them all worth re-visiting.

When it comes to customer support, Golden Reef do it incredibly well. There’s the option to reach out via live chat for a quick turnaround time on any issues that need attention, and you’ll find support agents on hand throughout the day and night if you need help. Alternatively, there are freephone numbers available if you prefer picking up the phone, or you can email the support team at the addresses provided. Players often remark on the smooth withdrawals – I’ve found this myself on three occasions withdrawing from this casino. Support feels more friendly than some others, and a lot less like they’re trying to find an excuse not to pay.

In terms of deposits and withdrawals, Golden Reef have clearly gone to lengths to make it as easy and convenient as possible. You can transact in both directions through major payment methods like Bank Transfers, eCheck, ecoPayz, EntroPay, InstaDebit, Kalibra Card, Maestro, MasterCard, NETELLER, PayPal, Postepay, Visa, and Visa Electron. Withdrawals are processed promptly, subject to a 2 working days hold.

If you need to deposit through an alternative, there are also a number of deposit-only payment methods supported – Citadel Instant Banking, eps, Euteller, GiroPay, iDeal, iDebit, MB Multibanco, Neosurf, paysafecard, Poli, Przelewy24, Qiwi Wallet, Sofortuberweisung, Trustly, and Zimpler. Similarly, you can withdraw (but not deposit) through Bank Wire Transfer, Check by Mail, and Courier Check – perfect for handling larger transactions.

Game Types & Selection

A casino could have the best support and most convenient banking in the world and still fall short. If you’re anything like me, it’s all about the games. At Golden Reef, you’re spoiled for choice. This is a Microgaming casino, carrying the latest and greatest game titles from this industry-leading developer. There are over 500 games to choose from, including favourites like Tomb Raider and Thunderstruck II, not to mention a whole host of classic and table games.

If you’re more of a roulette or blackjack fan than slots, they’ve also got that covered. I was impressed by the number of different game variations, each with their own unique elements to keep the action flowing. Having a wide selection of these games to hand is helpful if you’re a beginner trying to find your niche, but also if you’re a more experienced player looking to try out new games, or to keep your gaming fresh. You can even take these games for a test drive with the free play mode available, before deciding to put any money on the line.

Deposit Bonuses

The welcome bonus is staggered, structured over 5 separate deposit amounts beginning with a $100 bonus on the first deposit. These are expressed as match bonuses, based on the size of your deposit up to a maximum limit with each of the first five times you deposit through your account. However, arguably the only real gripe I’ve heard about this casino is the playthrough requirements on the first deposit bonus. This is set at 60x, so if you deposit $100, you’re going to need to hit $6,000 before you can withdraw from this bonus.

That is a lot, and much higher than at other casinos I recommend. However, this isn’t uniform for every deposit, and once you’ve deposited for the first time, your bonuses clock in at a much more palatable 30x playthrough requirement – somewhere to the lower end of average. If you balance this effect out over five deposits, it’s still one of the lowest playthrough requirements you’ll find. And when you consider this is a Microgaming casino with incredible games and some eye-watering jackpots, that sounds like good value to me.

Supported Devices

When you visit Golden Reef on any mobile device, the casino presents a mobile version of their site for ease of use. The same is true even if you’re accessing from your desktop. While there is a desktop download option, or the ability to play Flash games in-browser, this casino has joined others in the group in putting the mobile experience at the front and centre of what they do. That means you don’t need to hunt for an app or install anything – it’s just a straightforward case of heading over to the website, signing up for your account, making that first deposit and getting the action underway.

The same applies whether you’re on a mobile or a tablet, and regardless of the operating system you’re using.

Our Verdict

When recommending different casinos, I put enjoyment as the most important factor. Part of that is having access to great games, but with the banking flexibility and the convenient support function to back it up. From the welcome bonuses through to cash out, the whole process at Golden Reef has been straightforward whenever I’ve played there, and this is reflected in the experience of most players.

There are some who have fallen foul of the terms and conditions, but generally speaking, this is a solid casino site with good payment terms and plenty of low-hanging fruit in terms of jackpots. Golden Reef, as with all of the casinos in the Casino Rewards Group, comes with my highest recommendation.