Phoenicia Has Fallen...But Does This Casino Still Stand Up?

Ancient Phoenicia is among the most unusual themes for a casino I’ve come across. For those not too hot on their history, Phoenicia was an ancient civilisation until its fall in 539 BC. Incorporating the legendary city-state of Carthage, it has been depicted in books and films virtually every since, holding an appeal way beyond the Mediterranean region it covered.

If you ever wondered what this whole concept would look like in a casino (which you probably haven’t…), look no further than Phoenician Casino.

So I’m at a loss as to how this theme came up. It probably sounded like a good idea back in 2004 when they decided to set this up. But for all it’s a bit unusual, the theme does work, and provides an intriguing facade for a Microgaming casino that packs in a lot of the good stuff.

It’s obviously a legal and trustworthy place to play, with gaming licenses from several authorities including the Kahnawake jurisdiction. As per the terms of that license, they are unable to accept US based gamblers (check out Bovada instead). Same applies to Australia, plus a number of European countries – ironically including some Mediterranean countries who share a history with Phoenicia.

There are over 500 of the best games on the Internet, available for your playing pleasure in this casino. But while others claim good games but fall short on the customer side, I’ve found Phoenician Casino does both sides of the coin equally as well. Don’t just take my word for it – other players regularly praise the withdrawal process and the customer support function as much as they do the games, so it should be clear they’ve got a good thing going on at this casino.

User Experience

Phoenician Casino has a predictably Mediterranean theme, and it looks the part – if not slightly dated in its graphics, this is a more than suitable wrapper for the high quality user experience that lies inside.

I’ve played here enough to have had regular dealings with customer support over the years, usually through live chat, but also a couple of times over the phone and by email. Every time I’ve had an issue or something to resolve, they’ve been incredible – I mean, regular responses in seconds, with friendly advice and a helpful approach that really makes the difference.

Contrast this with some other casinos I’ve played at – their service just hasn’t been up to scratch, or they’ve been more interested in taking money than paying it out. That couldn’t be further from the truth with Phoenician Casino, and I respect them for that.

In terms of banking on both the deposit and the withdrawal side, it’s a similar story. There are plenty of methods you can use to both send and receive funds from your account, and I usually stick to these when I can to make it as easy as possible to deal with them.

They include Bank Transfers, eCheck, ecoPayz, EntroPay, InstaDebit, Kalibra Card, Maestro, MasterCard, NETELLER, PayPal, Postepay, Visa, and Visa Electron, a similar lineup to the payment methods available across most Casino Rewards Group casinos.

If none of these suit, you can still choose to deposit (but not withdraw) through some other methods, like Citadel Instant Banking, eps, Euteller, GiroPay, iDeal, iDebit, MB Multibanco, Neosurf, paysafecard, Poli, Przelewy24, Qiwi Wallet, Sofortuberweisung, Trustly, and Zimpler. For withdrawal only, you can choose Bank Wire Transfer, Check by Mail and Courier Check as alternatives.

The hallmark of playing at Phoenician Casino is this easy approach to customer support, and it’s one of the main reasons I’ve played here so much over the years. Other players agree – it’s just a refreshing approach you don’t get from every casino.

Game Types & Selection

Thunderstruck II, Tomb Raider, Immortal Romance, Mega Moolah – these names should be familiar to anyone who plays a lot of slots, or who has played at other top tier casinos. They are just some of the video and progressive slots on offer at Phoenician Casino. This is a Microgaming casino, so it’s packed with over 500 games from the world’s leading developer. You can play for free in the free play mode to test out different strategies or discover new games, before switching it up to play for real money. I like this feature – it gives me the chance to try out new things without taking any additional risk.

Slots are a big part of the games offering here, but they are by no means all this casino has to offer. In addition to video slots, progressive slots and AWP-style games, there is also a huge selection of table games, card games, dice games, poker, video poker, and even some specialist games you wouldn’t expect to come across every day.

There are so many games here, it would be impossible to list them all, let alone play them all. I recommend to anyone to check out the full selection of games, even if you’re doing it in free play mode first. There are a lot of hidden gems here, and you won’t know until you try them – you might just discover your new favourite game.

Deposit Bonuses

Deposit bonuses are always important, and it’s no exception with Phoenician Casino. I always recommend that you don’t put too much value on bonuses over other factors, for example the games, or the customer service side. But I understand – everyone wants to get their share of the best bonuses going.

Here, you’ll find a welcome package worth up to $1,200 across five deposits, plus the loyalty programme and ongoing tournaments and promos that can keep you earning more and more the longer you stick around. These are pretty decent, and split across each deposit in varying degrees of percentage matches. However – there is always a but.

The playthrough requirement on the first deposit is a whopping 60x, much higher than I would usually recommend. The only reason I think this is OK is the 30x playthrough attached to all subsequent bonuses – I like to think of it as payback for the tighter terms on the first deposit. I suppose they just want to make sure players are loyal before rewarding them too generously, and given the size of the bonus they are offering, it maybe makes sense. It’s just one thing to be aware of before you get too dazzled by the size of the bonus, even if it does level out over time.

It should come as some comfort that this is a casino renowned for its smooth, easy withdrawal processes. Many casinos try to make withdrawal as difficult as possible for obvious reasons – they want to hold onto your money. But with Phoenician Casino, the process for withdrawal is much more straightforward. While there is a 2 working day processing time frame, standard across casinos in this group, that’s about as tough as it gets – otherwise, getting access to your winnings is pretty straightforward.

Supported Devices

When you’re playing on a desktop or laptop computer, you can choose to download the casino software, or just play in browser if you prefer. The Flash games are fast to load, and the gaming experience is pretty smooth on both platforms – if not a little slower on the download lobby. When it comes to mobile, there’s no need to download an Android app, or an iOS app – heck, even Windows Phones can play here without an app.

It’s all handled through your browser for mobile play, and the mobile version of the website is served as standard whenever you’re logging on from a smartphone or a tablet. This makes compatibility a non-issue, so it’s incredibly easy to get your account set up and to start playing from any device.

Our Verdict

While the ancient Phoenicians might be dead and gone, this casino is very much alive and kicking. It’s customer service, particularly when it comes to withdrawals is really second to none, and it’s even an impressive performer against other casinos in the same group. The games are excellent and varied, and the whole package is one that encourages you to have fun while you’re playing. In my view, that’s probably the most important thing, and by making sure every process is smooth and hassle-free, Phoenician Casino have gone a long way to make this a possibility.

If you’re a new player looking for your first casino, or even if you’re a Casino Rewards Group regular looking for somewhere new to try out, I definitely recommend giving Phoenician Casino the time of day. It’s probably in my top 3 favourite casinos at the moment, and in my opinion, it more than justifies its place.