BGO Casino Review
BGO is an online casino that started as a humble Bingo provider. After moderate success, BGO Entertainment Limited decided to begin providing a fully-fledged online casino experience. Since its launch in 2012, the BGO online casino has maintained a solid reputation. Today, it is one of the favourite online game houses available to British punters.
The casino operates under the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission gambling licenses. Both regulators are among the most reputable in the online gambling industry. This instils trust in their players who can always raise their issues with these regulatory bodies during any conflicting situation with the casino.
However, that’s a rarity when BGO is concerned. This casino displays a player-friendly attitude and seems genuinely concerned with providing an enjoyable online gambling experience. We couldn’t find any unresolved player complaints or reports of misconduct.
Admittedly, BGO is a decent option, especially for players from the UK. However, as you can imagine, not everything is peachy about this casino. We’ll walk you through all the vital aspects of the casino, so you can decide for yourself whether to play at the BGO.
First Impression
Once you load up the casino’s website, you’ll quickly notice that you’re not actually in the online casino. Instead, what you’ll see is a typical sales page. These web pages are typically used by online marketers, companies, and brands to introduce you to a product and get you to click the “Buy Now” button.
In BGO’s case, it’s “join” instead of “buy,” but the principle is the same. The company relies on the art of copywriting to embellish the casino by highlighting the benefits and pushing the drawbacks under the rug. The idea is to get you to commit to creating an account before even getting a vague idea of what the casino is like.
In our opinion, it’s absurd for an online casino to take this approach. We understand how marketing gimmicks such as this one work, but still… Is it really smart to condition people to create an account before they can even see the available games? We’re of the opinion it’s not.
What’s more, to create an account, you must provide your phone number. We weren’t exactly keen on doing so, and for a good reason. Several players state in their reviews of the casino that BGO spammed them with automated voice mails, text messages, and e-mails.
Regardless of how good the casino might be, we simply cannot condone aggressive marketing strategies they employ.
Terms & Conditions
Another oddity regarding BGO online casino is that they feature their bonus Terms on every single page of the website. Apparently, they really want you to read them.
What’s funny is that the casino does have a separate general T&Cs page. However, the only way to navigate to it is to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to read the Terms, check out the “Promotions,” or contact the support.
A minor inconvenience, but an inconvenience nonetheless. It’s as if someone deliberately designed the website to be as complicated to navigate as humanly possible.
When it comes to the Terms themselves, there are a couple of things to pay attention to.
Deposit & Withdrawal Fees
First, you must be aware of the fact that BGO applies fees on both deposits and withdrawals. Maybe that’s why the casino is so insistent on including the bonus terms everywhere. They don’t want you to be unpleasantly surprised when the amount in your account doesn’t match the sum you deposited.
For all deposits below £500, BGO applies a tax-offset fee of 2.5% for all depositing methods. So if you choose to gamble with a hundred pounds, BGO will charge you £102.5. Why the casino chose to apply fees on deposits is beyond our comprehension.
Furthermore, there is a £2.5 fee for every withdrawal. Additionally, if you request a withdrawal via an International Bank Wire Transfer, the casino will charge you an additional fee of £15.
This is more reasonable, but between the two fees, the casino will practically confiscate £5 of your money, give or take. Some people are fine with this, while others will immediately start looking for a new place to play at. Regardless of which way you lean, now you know what you can expect.
Commendable Self-Exclusion Policy
There are a few clauses in the BGO’s terms for which we must commend the casino. One such clause is the casino’s self-exclusion policy.
The BGO online casino takes responsible gambling seriously and understands that some players may require certain limitations, as a means of combating gambling addiction. That’s why this casino has implemented the self-exclusion and time-out features.
Rather than having to contact the support and wait for their response, you can put self-imposed limitations using the tools available on the site. Both options go into effect immediately. Furthermore, you can even request for the casino to impose specific deposit limitations. This is a surefire way to prevent yourself from wagering more than you should or can afford.
Progressive Jackpots
There are a handful of progressive games available at BGO online casino. All of these games are exempt from maximum withdrawal rules. Moreover, the casino will endeavour to pay out the full sum of the jackpot to the lucky players within 31 days.
This is an excellent incentive to play at this casino. It’s always good to know that, if you win big, you won’t have trouble claiming your winnings.
Games and Providers
The BGO online casino brings together multiple reputable software providers to provide a wide range of high-quality casino games. The casino’s comprehensive library numbers nearly a thousand games from household names such as Net Entertainment, IGT, BetSoft, Playtech, and several others.
The diversity of both games and providers means that every punter will undoubtedly find a decent selection of games that are to their liking. There are over 720 slot titles to choose from, covering everything from classic 3-reels to contemporary 6-reel video slots. BGO also continuously enriches their library with the newest games by various providers to keep things fresh and interesting.
Aside from slots, the casino offers a decent number of table and card games as well. These include everything from Craps, Baccarat, and Blackjack to Premium European Roulette and Premium American Roulette. There are also 18 video poker variants, as well as a few speciality games available at this casino.
The problem, however, is that all of these games are all jumbled together under the “Casino” tab. So it might take a while to find the specific games you want to play. At the very least, the casino does implement a search function. However, the small spyglass icon at the very top-right corner of the screen can be easy to miss.
It’s worth noting that this casino has a separate Bingo room. It features 9 different Bingo games, as well as 4 Bingo Progressives. Still, this shouldn’t be a surprise given the fact that the brand started exclusively as a Bingo provider. So if you were wondering where the name BGO came from, there’s your answer.
Live Casino Experience
If you’re looking for that authentic casino experience while playing for the comfort of your home, you’ll love the Live Casino at BGO. You can join a variety of different tables and enjoy live versions of Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack, Hi-Lo, and Hold’em.
Apart from the classics, the live portion of the casino spices things up with Spin a Win Live. Moreover, you’ll find Royal Blackjack, Prestige Roulette, and two roulette tables that put a twist on the classic gameplay.
First, there’s the Football Roulette table. Why miss important football updates while playing roulette when you don’t have to? This football-themed roulette table will keep you up to speed while playing.
The second game is the Age of Gods roulette, where you have a chance to win a jackpot at the popular slot series. Namely, the roulette table features an ‘Age of the Gods Bonus’ bet position. If you successfully predict that the ball will land there, you’ll not only win the wager but also get free spins on the 3-reel slot.
And if you trigger a Jackpot Bonus during the free spins, you’re guaranteed to win one of the four progressive jackpots. One per cent of all bets punters place on this roulette table goes towards these jackpots. The Ultimate Jackpot can easily reach £500,000.
BGO Mobile Casino
BGO is also available on the go. Players can easily download the BGO mobile app and enjoy over 200 games across a variety of mobile devices. The app is relatively easy to use, and the variety of games offered makes it a solid choice if you can’t play on your PC or laptop.
Financial Information
BGO offers a decent selection of banking options. The casino uses a 128-bit SSL encryption, so you can be sure that your personal and banking information is well protected.
The available currencies are GBP, NOK, CAD, EUR. The minimum withdrawals are £20, or the equivalent in your chosen currency. Despite the sum of £100,000 stated on the website, we’ve confirmed with the customer support that the maximum cashout is £20,000 daily.
However, this is good news for high rollers and casual players alike. Progressive jackpots are exempt from these limitations, and we believe £20,000 daily limit is more than enough. Furthermore, the casino states the withdrawal times span from 1 to 7 business days. However, they typically pay out within 12 hours.
BGO casino boasts a spotless track record when it comes to processing deposits and withdrawals. What’s more, no players report having had problems claiming their winnings from BGO in the past.
Here are all the deposit and withdrawal methods available at BGO:
- Credit Card — Deposits: £10–£50,000; Withdrawals: £10–£100,000; Withdrawal Times: 1–7 days
- Debit Card — Deposits: £10–£50,000; Withdrawals: £10–£100,000; Withdrawal Times: 1–7 days
- Neteller — Deposits: £10–£50,000; Withdrawals: £10–£100,000; Withdrawal Times: 1–7 days
- Skrill — Deposits: £10–£5,000; Withdrawals: £250–£2,500; Withdrawal Times: 1–7 days
- PayPal — Deposits: £10–£5,000; Withdrawals: £250–£2,500; Withdrawal Times: 1–7 days
- PaySafeCard — Deposits: £0–£4,000; Withdrawals: £0–£4,000; Withdrawal Times: 1–7 days
Bonuses
The BGO online casino offers a variety of fantastic bonuses. New players will have the ability to choose between three welcome offers and claim the one that best suits their tastes.
When you register an account, you’ll receive a “Boost.” This boost is stored in a “Vault” on your account until you deposit and claim an offer. Clicking on it will take you to the associated bonus.
In case of the BGO’s welcome package, you can choose between a slots bonus, 50 free spins, or Live & Table games bonus. Be mindful that all three offers are first deposit only. In other words, you can only claim one of them, so choose wisely.
Both the slot and the Live & Table games bonuses are 100% matching deposit bonuses, up to £200. Moreover, they have the same wagering requirement of 40x deposit + bonus. After you successfully complete the playthrough, you can withdraw any remaining balance.
The maximum bet during bonus play is £5. In addition, the minimum deposit required to claim the welcome offers is £10. However, you’ll have a week to try and meet the wagering requirements. If you fail to do so, you automatically forfeit the bonus and any winnings.
One thing to keep in mind is that neither of the three bonuses are available if you fund your account through Neteller or Skrill.
Free Spins
If you’d rather take the free spins over the matching bonus, you’ll get one free spin for every £1 you deposit, up to 50 spins. Although, the free spins can only be used on the specified games: Aloha Cluster Pays, Starburst, The Legends of Shangri-La Cluster Pays and Finn & the Swirly.
The best part about this bonus is that there are no wagering requirements. You get to keep whatever you win off of the 50 spins and can continue playing without any limitations. Again, don’t forget that this bonus isn’t available if you’re using Skrill or Neteller to make the deposits.
Aside from the free spins BGO offers on the first deposit, they are even more generous towards British punters. Every new play from the UK will automatically receive 10 free spins as soon as they create the account.
Once again, there are no wagering requirements or anything of the sort. Naturally, you can only use these spins on a handful of games. Still, it’s a great welcoming gift in our opinion.
Promotions, Loyalty & VIP Programme
Aside from standard casino bonuses, BGO gives their players ample opportunities to win ostentatious prizes, such as cruises, vacations in Dubai, or even a brand-new Audi A3.
These promotions frequently change, so make sure to check out the “Promotions” page at BGO every once in a while. On top of these fantastic prizes, the casino also features loyalty and VIP programmes.
The loyalty programme is a standard comp point system that rewards you for playing at the casino. From the moment you make your first deposit at BGO, you’ll start accruing ‘diamonds.’ You’ll earn 1 diamond for every £10 you wager on any of the 170+ slots in the casino’s library. Table games only contribute 0.1 diamond for every £10 spent.
Currently, the diamonds can be exchanged for free spins or real money. Free spins start from 10 spins for 100 diamonds, while you can exchange 300 diamonds for £1.
The VIP programme BGO casino offers is by invitation only. Players who earn the VIP status will enjoy faster withdrawal times and have access to a plethora of exclusive promotions and bonuses.
Customer Support
The BGO online casino experienced its fair share of problems throughout the years. However, they never exhibited anti-consumer or predatory behaviour. Moreover, the casino appears to genuinely care about player feedback and is actively working on improving its service.
That said, the bulk of player reviews we’ve run into list bad customer support as the casino’s major drawback. If you were to base your opinion solely on these reviews, you would believe that the Live Chat takes forever to connect to and that the casino representatives aren’t particularly friendly.
However, that no longer seems to be the case. Quite the contrary, we connected to an agent on live chat instantly. Moreover, they were quite amicable and promptly provided us with straightforward answers to all our questions.
Also, there are virtually no unresolved player complaints. Everything we’ve seen so far suggests that BGO does care about its playerbase and invests considerable efforts to ensure an enjoyable online gambling experience. If they did experience issues with their customer service team in the past, we have every reason to believe that these issues are now resolved.
Aside from several reports of bad Live Chat experiences, players have only words of praise for the support provided via e-mail and telephone. You can send an e-mail query directly from the website and can reasonably expect a response within hours. Alternatively, you can get in touch with the casino’s Customer Services and Responsible Gaming Team every day, from 7:30 am to 01:00 am.
Summary
The BGO online casino is a good online destination, especially for British punters. The casino boasts an extensive game library, fast payouts, and cashable bonuses with reasonable wagering requirements. Although games on BGO are available online in the Instant Play version of the casino, the mobile app allows you to play over 200 casino games on the go.
However, the BGO online casino isn’t without its flaws. First and foremost, the site and the slot games can sometimes be laggy, which can be quite annoying. What’s more, some NetEnt slots don’t offer a ‘Quickspin’ feature, and each round might take up to 5 seconds or more.
Furthermore, the casino applies fees to both deposits and withdrawals. Moreover, there’s also the fact that the site’s navigation begs for an overhaul. On top of that, players don’t appreciate the casino’s aggressive marketing strategy, either. BGO has been known to spam players with promotional messages in the past.
Another ‘weakness’ of the casino, so to speak, is the long list of restricted countries. Most European countries and the US are excluded from playing here. Still, it is quite welcoming to players from the United Kingdom.
Whereas customer support used to be BGO’s weakest point, they seem to have improved on it and brought it back to a satisfactory level.
Overall, the casino is far from perfect. Still, it’s decent enough, especially if you’re from the UK. BGO has a good track record and a reliable payment policy, so you should have no trouble withdrawing your winnings from this casino. Nevertheless, we’re still hesitant to recommend it.
In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether BGO online casino is worth your time.
Rating
Reputation | 4 |
Software/Games | 5 |
Banking Options | 4 |
Banking Times | 5 |
Support | 4 |
Bonuses | 4 |