Chanz Casino Review

Chanz Casino is an online casino with a twist. Realising that many of us like to communicate as we game – the abiding image of a Call of Duty player is an individual festooned with a headset, bickering with rivals from around the globe – Chanz bills itself as a “social online casino”. Essentially the site is optimised for users to share their victories and engage in discussions about games the portal has to offer.

Comparatively few casinos have cottoned on to the fact that gamers like the option of speaking to their fellow players. Chanz Casino has sewn this social capability function into its very fabric. Thus, gamers can register and communicate via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Many online casino operators tend to be licensed in Malta, Curacao or the Isle of Man, but Chanz is regulated by the government of Estonia. This shouldn’t really be a concern – it’s an Estonian-owned company after all, one largely dedicated to the Scandinavian market. Chanz is a subsidiary of Dreambox Games, which is owned by the New Casinos Limited group, an organisation specialising in casino reviews. It might sound like a Byzantine power structure, but since launching in 2015, Chanz has garnered largely positive reviews from gamblers. Let Chanz focus on its holdings, while we – and eCOGRA, who provide monthly public audits – scrutinise its performance.

Speaking and Slotting

An instant-play casino compatible across desktop computers, smartphones and tablets, Chanz Casino is certainly going about their business the right way. And by marketing themselves as a social casino, they aim to woo the kind of players who can’t go an hour without tweeting or instagramming.

Chanz players are encouraged to post their winnings, add friends just like they would on social media and create their own gaming communities to trade betting information. Users can also challenge other players. This seems like a masterstroke, with Chanz tapping into the inherent competitiveness we all seem to suffer from when gaming online. Throwing down the gauntlet to an unknown entity is almost de rigueur.

Since communication is at the heart of Chanz Casino, it comes as no surprise that there is a 24/7 Live Chat interface – though there’s a lack of phone support.

Powered by both the Microgaming software developer and the Swedish Thunderkick platform, Chanz focuses primarily on slots. The casino offers players a fairly modest selection of over 50 game titles, including high-quality slots like Jurassic Park and Terminator 2, both of which are available in free-play and live money formats. The Estonian casino cannot hope to compete with the whales of the market where its library is concerned, but it can drive users to the site in other ways – and there are enough games to keep most punters occupied. Game of Thrones is another popular choice with new gamers. The 243-way Microgaming video slot features emblems representing the various Westeros Houses, and this five-reel slot is also available to play in both free and real money modes.

Some casinos offer no progressives, but Chanz has two: Mega Moolah, responsible for the biggest pay-out in the history of progressives, and The Dark Knight. Players searching for other ways to win money are treated to a less generous selection. At present, there are only a couple of table games: two variants of blackjack, two of roulette and a couple of options for video poker.

Its selection of games might not set the world alight, but Chanz makes up for it by offering games to players on all platforms. The instant-play web portal is compatible with pretty much all HTML5 compliant handsets, including iOS, Windows Phone and Android. There’s no downloadable app, but the games are rendered clearly via web browser.

Everybody Loves a Bonus

Casinos know full well that we are attracted by welcome offers, and so Chanz entices new players with a welcome bonus of €300 plus 50 free spins. On your first deposit, you are given a 100% bonus up to €200 and 20 spins on the five-reel Immortal Romance slot. Immortal Romance, as well as featuring supreme graphics, offers a top pay-out of 3,645,000 coins.

When it comes to your second deposit, you receive a 100% bonus up to €200 and 20 more spins on Immortal Romance. The bonus has to be wagered to a factor of 60 – quite a bit above the industry average – and there’s a maximum bet ceiling of €7.50 while wagering the bonus. Could be better.

Any social casino worth its salt must offer a refer-a-friend bonus, and Chanz do just that. For every referred player you bring into the game, you’ll be given a €5 no-deposit bonus. Your buddy will also be palmed €5. Again, it’s not a huge incentive – you’d have to refer 20 players just to get a €100 bonus – but any refer-a-friend bonus is better than no refer-a-friend bonus. Surely?

A Social Website

The Chanz Casino website is unlike any other online casino website we’ve come across. There are large graphics of human beings having fun together – taking laughing selfies, playing tug-of-war on a windswept beach. Most casino portals feature lurid, cartoonised symbols and flashing banners – the Chanz Casino website looks more like a social media homepage. This is ultimately to its credit. The site gives you the chance to “Share Your Emotions” or “Play Together”; there are handy menus, making it easy to find your favourite games.

Languages and Restrictions

This online casino might market itself to a Scandinavian audience, but it’s also available in English, as well as in Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish. It is, however, restricted to players from some of the planet’s biggest gaming markets. Players from the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Denmark and France are strictly prohibited from taking part. So much for social! For a full list of territory restrictions, visit the Chanz Casino website.

Transacting with Chanz Casino

Currently, Chanz Casino is focusing on offering the local methods of payment needed for its main Scandinavian market, though it is pondering adding other methods such as e-wallets. MasterCard will also soon be available.

Withdrawals can only be made by bank transfer, while currencies offered include euros, Norwegian kroner, Swedish kronor and Canadian dollars.

Here is all the information you need to know:

Worth Taking a Chanz?

There’s no denying that Chanz is a Europe-focused casino with a limited number of games. Old-school card sharks aren’t too likely to be impressed, but the portal is hoping to make back its money by enticing younger social gamers. The company has recently launched a new affiliate programme with Income Access, a marketing and software company that it hopes will connect it with more players. The white-label link-up looks set to optimise Chanz’s online campaigns through geo-targeting. All told, the future looks bright for Chanz Casino.