Real Vegas Online Casino Review

Las Vegas has a pull that seems to attract nearly all gamblers. No matter what local gaming hubs might be nearby, every would-be professional poker player, blackjack expert, or slots fan dreams of going to the Vegas Strip in order to fulfill their dreams.

It’s a fantasy that many online gambling sites have gone out of their way to incorporate into their own designs. Such is the case with Real Vegas Online, an American-facing Internet casino that tries to offer its players the authentic Sin City experience. On the bright side, when it comes to games and promotions, the site may give users even more than they’d get from any land-based resort. But issues with cash outs and player trust make it all but certain this casino will never be spoken of alongside the likes of Caesars Palace or the Bellagio.

Slots

Real Vegas Online is powered by software provided by Realtime Gaming (RTG), one of the most popular Internet casino developers that still services the USA market. RTG may not have the most modern or eye-catching games on the market, but they definitely deliver a stable experience with plenty of game variety, making it an excellent base for dozens of casino sites across the Internet.

When it comes to slots, RTG is best known for their highly-regarded Real Series games. These titles are getting rather old now, but they’ve remained an important part of the online gambling landscape even as most competitors have launched newer and better looking slots. This is because these games offer straight slots action, the kind of gameplay that will appeal to users who aren’t looking for frills and just want to find a fun theme and spin the reels over and over again. With dozens of games that are all based on this same basic framework, it’s a sure bet that if you like the general concept of these machines, you’ll find endless hours of fun with this collection.

That said, RTG has taken steps to modernize their selection of slots over the past few years, and there are many newer games that are provided alongside the Real Series. Here’s a quick look at some of the best games in the Realtime Gaming collection:

• Achilles

• Aztec’s Millions

• Cleopatra’s Gold

• Crystal Waters

• Fruit Frenzy

• Jackpot Pinatas

• Shopping Spree

• The Three Stooges

• T-Rex

• IRIS 3000

Other Games

Another area in which RTG has shined over the years is in its diverse and broad range of gaming options. Whether you like table games, video poker, or scratch cards, there is something offered that should provide exactly what you’re looking for.

Let’s start with what you’ll find if you hit the tables. As you might expect, the classics like blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat are all well-represented here. But there are a number of other choices as well, such as a variety of Caribbean-style poker games and a few proprietary titles. The following are just a few of the more interesting options you’ll see here:

• Blackjack

• Caribbean Hold’em Poker

• Pontoon

• Face Up 21

• Vegas Three Card Rummy

• Craps

• European Roulette

• American Roulette

• Tri Card Poker

• Let ‘em Ride

Moving to video poker, you’ll find more than 15 different titles that range from old-school classics to RTG exclusives. The former category is made up of games like Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild, while the latter includes some very unusual games like Mystery Bonus Poker and Pick’em Poker. Other titles you can find here include:

• 7 Stud Poker

• Aces and Eights

• All American Poker

• Bonus Poker

• Double Jackpot Poker

• Joker Poker

• Loose Deuces

• Sevens Wild

Finaly, there is a specialty games section that includes a few additional titles. Strangely enough, a few choices that are normally included with table games can be found here, such as the roulette tables and Sic Bo. However, other specialty titles are located under this tab as well, including a selection of scratch off games, keno, and bingo.

Promotions

The main welcome promotion for new players at Real Vegas is a three-part bonus offer which provides players with plenty of extra bonus funds to use in the casino off of some very small initial deposits. The offers start with your very first transaction: deposit $20, and you can receive an additional $980 in bonus funds.

Similar offers exist on your next two deposits as well. Put $25 in your account on your second transaction, and you’ll receive $425 in bonus money. Finally, make a third deposit of $30 and you’ll see another $270 added to your account.

This may sound like one of the greatest bonus offers of all time, but there are some important caveats that you should understand before jumping in. First, the offers come with some pretty hefty wagering requirements: the first one has a 120x playthrough on both your deposit and bonus amount, while the second has a 60x requirement and the third has a 30x wagering rollover before you can make any withdrawals. You’ll also need to stick to slots play (and nothing else) for clearing these promotions. Finally, you might be disappointed to learn that you can only withdraw a maximum of $200 off of each of these bonuses, so even a run of good luck won’t allow you to break the bank.

If you want to try the site without depositing, there is also a bonus code (RICHES100) that allows you to take advantage of a no deposit bonus of $100, as well as 100 free spins on select slot machines. This promotion comes with similar wagering requirements as the ones above, and only allows a maximum withdrawal of $100.

Banking

The variety of banking options available is certainly not one of the strengths at Real Vegas Online. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find ways to move money around while playing here, but your options are a bit limited – especially if you’re playing from the United States.

When it comes to deposits, Americans are more or less restricted to only using credit cards. A couple of e-wallet solutions are also offered, but these methods cannot be accessed in the United States, so they will work for international players only. The complete menu of options includes the following:

• Neteller

• Click2Pay

• MasterCard

• Visa

Those who can make deposits through those e-wallets can also withdraw their money that way. Since Americans won’t have those options available to them, however, they’ll have to rely on receiving their money by check. In addition, wire transfers were once available and may become possible again in the future; however, at the time of this writing, this method has been temporarily halted. That means withdrawals can only be processed in three ways:

• Neteller

• Click2Pay

• Check

Withdrawal times at this site are notoriously slow. According to their own policies, cash outs are only processed on weekdays (with Saturdays also possible for VIP players), and approval times range from 48 to 72 hours – not including the time it actually takes for money to hit your account or a check to be mailed to you. More concerning still, many players have reported going months without ever receiving information on deposits, something we’ll talk about more in the conclusion of this review.

Software

There are two software packages being offered at Real Vegas. The first is a downloadable client that has been designed for Windows users. This client will allow you to have the entire casino installed on your computer, allowing you to get started playing anytime you want with just a couple clicks – provided you are connected to the Internet, of course.

While Mac and Linux users may be able to find ways to work around the fact that this installed software is designed for Windows only, there’s an easier solution that should appeal to a wide range of players. An instant play, browser-based platform can be accessed from any web browser you enjoy using, no matter what operating system your machine runs. Best of all, no installations or downloads are required, meaning you’ll be able to play even if you’re on a computer where you’re really not comfortable installing gambling software.

Finally, we’ll note that it is perfectly possible to visit this casino on your mobile phone or tablet device. The site doesn’t actively speak of mobile support, but many of the instant play games work just find on many smartphones or tablets, so it’s worth a try if you want to play here while on the go.

Persistent Problems Plague Site

Based simply on what it offers to players, Real Vegas Online is a fairly good US-facing casino. The gaming package is about as diverse as it gets in this segment of the market, and while aspects of the promotional offers are disappointing (we wish that low withdrawal limits had never been invented), the amount of money they give away is still likely to leave many customers feeling satisfied.

The problems come with the ability – or rather, the inability – of players to actually get their money when they book a win. There are countless stories of players reporting long delays before receiving some or all of their winnings, and others have even claimed that they were never able to collect on money owed to them even after repeated attempts to work with the operators.

Of course, almost every site has at least some of these complaints from time to time, but it is the frequency of the issues and the lack of a response from the casino itself that takes this from run-of-the-mill complaining to a truly concerning pattern of behavior. With many other sites out there that have a much better track record of providing fair and trustworthy service, there’s little reason for any player to put their money into an account here.