Virgin Games Review - Not Recommended

While Virgin may be more closely associated with the internet, trains, and selling CD’s in the 80’s and 90’s; they also opened a UK only instant play casino in 2003. This global giant have their fingers in many pies, and they don’t tend to do things by halves. Well Virgin Games is no exception, bringing you titles from big name software providers, mouth-watering jackpots, and even daily free games.

The brand is licensed from Virgin Enterprises, was established by Virgin Group (but has nothing to do with Virgin Play or Virgin Interactive) and was acquired by Gamesys in 2013. Confused? Us too. Not that it really matters – the only thing that we need to know is that this is a casino with a lot to offer its customers.

Well known for their poker tournaments, this could well be the place for you if you fancy yourself a bit of a hustler, but equally, there are slots, bingo, and instant wins galore.

Oh, and if you’re wondering how much Gamesys paid to acquire the brand, we’re afraid that remains undisclosed. Although if you want our guess – it’s a lot.

Software, Platform, Games

When Gamesys took the reins at Virgin Games they made some big changes. It was out with Microgaming and Playtech slots, and the game selection was whittled down to a well selected 150 or so titles. Obviously then, there is less to choose from these days, but on the flip side it is easier to browse the catalogue, and NetEnt, IGT, WMS, and obviously Gamesys all still tout their wares on the site, making it a case of quality over quantity. You can demo them all too which seems only fair, although you will need an account to do this.

Slots – There might not be as many of them as at other sites, but there is no fat on the bone here. Golden Goddess, Tiki Island and Spartacus Gladiator of Rome all promise a good time.

Bingo – Bingo players are well looked after. Look for some mahoosive jackpots in The Suite, The Clubhouse or The Studio.

Live Casino – With strong back up from Evolution as well as some exclusive home-grown games from their new studio, the Live Casino is an exciting place to be. Live Signature Roulette seems to be their proudest achievement so far.

Table Games – Although Roulette and Blackjack predictably make up the majority here, there are more than 30 table games in all, with some specifically for higher stakes. Keno, Hi-Lo and Baccarat also feature.

Daily Free Games – Everyone loves a freebie, and you could win up to £1000 or 50 free spins on either Doubly Bubbly, Daily Paper, or Search of the Phoenix.

Tournaments – A daily tournament schedule offers games with a wide range of buy ins, as well as featured tournaments for higher rollers. The lobby awaits.

On the face of it the interface looks crisp and sharp and like it will be a breeze to use. It’s certainly very snappy as you flick from one colourful screen to another or hit a ‘More Info’ pop up to get a little more detail (this aspect actually works a treat). The whole thing is made up of different size tiles, but the issue is the way the home page is divided. The divisions are badly signposted so it isn’t immediately clear what you are looking at, just a mass of games – my eyes were darting all over the screen for clues. The selection bar solves this problem with a well curated number of options, thankfully, although the absence of a search bar was disappointing. This really should be a standard feature if you ask us, so we asked them, and they told us they are working on it. Hmm…

In many ways it feels like an overgrown mobile site, with most options being tucked away to leave only the basics on display. This may seem a little sparse and even come across as unwelcoming, but it has the benefit of keeping the site moving quickly, and there aren’t any adverts getting in the way. It might not be very imaginative, but it looks fine and it works.

Mobile

The interface on the homepage is actually clearer on the mobile site since everything has had to be re-organised to suit a smaller screen, and it is all just as snappy and vibrant. In terms of navigation and operation it works in exactly the same was as the desktop site, only without the navigation bar – which seems like an odd choice.

Most of the games are available via mobile although you might lose a handful, but demo play is still available as is the Live Casino and Live Chat. This is great as it means that taking your gaming with you on your travels doesn’t need to diminish your experience at all. You can access pretty much all of your favourites wherever you are.

There is also an app to download if you would prefer, although it is not necessary. The app is practically identical to the mobile site and all the games are instant play, so as long as you have wifi you are good to go.

Banking

Banking options at Virgin Games are minimal but sensible, and you may be pleased to hear that the ever popular Paypal is one of them. Don’t worry if you have a win bigger than the maximums you see here as there is a system in place to deal with huge windfalls, so you won’t have to spend the next 5 years withdrawing it all in bitesize chunks. Technically, they offer unlimited max withdrawals.

They aim to process all withdrawal requests within 4-24 hours, which is impressively quick, after which the time frames are displayed in the table below: