Club Player Review

BONUSES AND PROMOTIONS

When you land on the Club Player Casino website, you will notice a promotions banner at the top of the screen. This RTG casino offers a few deposit bonuses and other promos to reward players, and while we certainly have concerns about the site – and connected casinos – we’ll give you an unbiased review of their bonuses and promotions below.

Welcome Offer

Club Player Casino offers new players a 450% welcome bonus that, at the time of writing this Club Player Casino review, is available to all players they accept. For this deposit bonus, you’ll need to enter the bonus code 450CLUB when making your first deposit. We should point out that this RTG casino requires you to use a bonus code to claim most deposit bonuses and promotions they offer. The total amount you can claim from this 450% matched deposit bonus is $4,500, which looks decent at first glance.

While the terms and conditions mention the 30X wagering requirement, this only applies to video slots and a few other games. These wagering requirements increase to 60X if you play table games or video poker, so it’s not a bonus well-suited to players not wanting to play slots.

As with most Virtual Casino Group online casino sites, the main welcome bonus at Club Player Casino also comes with a maximum cashout limit. This is just 10 times the total bonus amount claimed. We never like to see maximum cashout limits applied like this, and, in our opinion, it’s restrictive and unfavorable to players.

We also found this clause in the casino’s terms and conditions:

“Unless specifically stated otherwise, bonus amount is always considered non-cashable and will be removed from the amount of your withdrawal request. For example, if the Player receives a bonus of $100 and later requests a $390 withdrawal, the $100 bonus will be removed, and the withdrawal will total $290. Withdrawal requests made for less than the bonus received will be denied and returned to the Player’s account.”

This seems bizarre, as once you’ve cleared the wagering requirement, there are no bonus funds left. This is a term you’d expect to see at a Real Time Gaming software casino ten years ago. To see it in 2023 is disappointing and shows why Club Player’s main welcome bonus may not appeal to many.

Lucky Chip Thursdays

Lucky Chip Thursdays is a popular weekly promotion at Club Player Casino that rewards you with a 200% bonus every Thursday. To claim, simply make a minimum deposit of $100 on any Thursday, and you’ll receive a $200 free chip added to your account automatically.

This chip comes with surprisingly low 30x wagering requirements if playing slots, keno, bingo, or scratch cards. However, these increase to 60X, like the main welcome bonus, if you play table games or video poker.

While called a “free chip,” this is technically a 200% match bonus up to $200. There is no maximum cashout limit, allowing you to withdraw any winnings exceeding the chip value. There also are no stated game exclusions, ironically making this more appealing, in our eyes, than the main welcome bonus!

Reload Bonuses

Club Player Casino runs a pretty unique Reload Bonuses promotion. Each week, you can claim several reload bonuses, some of which we’ll look at below:

• Headspinner Reload Bonus: The Headspinner reload is targeted at slots and keno players, offering 330% extra on deposits over $50. Use code SLOTS330 to claim this bonus. Amazingly, there are no wagering requirements or maximum cashout limits, so – on paper at least – this is one of the most generous bonuses you’ll ever see! However, don’t rush into things until you’ve read this whole Club Player Casino review.
• Green Felt Reload Bonus: For table game players, Club Player Casino offers a Green Felt reload. It matches your deposit by 200% up to $1,000 and is redeemed with code ALLOWED200. With a $50 minimum deposit, no playthrough rules, and no maximum cashout limit, it’s also incredibly generous; too good to be true?
• Skyrocketed Reload Bonus: The Skyrocketer is a 650% matched deposit bonus that you can use on slots, keno, bingo, and scratch cards. Use BIGSLOTS650 and make at least a $50 deposit to claim it. It comes with a wagering requirement of 30X, and, in Virtual Casino Group style, there’s a 10X maximum cashout limit.
• Go Wild Reload Bonus: The Go Wild reload is valid for all games and is delivered as a 175% matched deposit bonus with no wagering requirement. To claim, you must enter the bonus code ALLGAMES175 when depositing and funding your online casino account with $50 or more. There is no maximum cashout limit on the Go Wild Reload Bonus.

While writing this Club Player Casino review, we were pretty surprised by the generosity of these reload bonuses. The casino wants loyal players; they demonstrate this by offering a pretty poor welcome bonus but attractive reload bonuses, some without cashout limits. However, the casino is known for its slow payouts (often not paying), which you must be aware of.

Weekly and Monthly Cashback

Club Player Casino offers two types of cashback bonuses – Weekly and Monthly. The Weekly Cashback is available to all players, while the Monthly Cashback is only for VIP players.

The Weekly Cashback is credited every Monday at 00:01 EST. To qualify, you must have a balance of under $10, no pending withdrawals, and no approved withdrawals in the past seven days. The cashback is based on net deposits made within the last seven days, and you must have deposited at least $50 to qualify. The weekly cashback bonus funds come with 40X wagering requirements for slots, keno, scratch cards, and bingo and 60X wagering requirements for table games and video poker. Games like baccarat, craps, roulette, and sic bo are excluded. The maximum withdrawal is just 2X the bonus amount.

The Monthly Cashback is similar; your balance must be under $10, you can’t have any pending or recent withdrawals, and your total deposits in the past 30 days must equal $50 or more. $50 deposits. The maximum withdrawal is just ONE time the bonus amount.

To be frank, the cashback bonuses at Club Player Casino are horrific. The weekly cashback requires a $50 deposit each week just to qualify, and with wagering requirements of 40X or 60X, to find you can only withdraw 2X the bonus amount is incredulous to us.

The monthly cashback is even worse. Despite the exact high wagering requirement, you can only withdraw ONE time the bonus funds. Moreover, if you’ve withdrawn in the previous seven days, you’re not eligible for either. What happens if you’ve lost $1,000 but withdrawn $200? It means you can’t claim any cashback; predatory, unfair, and very unattractive.

No-Deposit & Free Spins Offers

When writing this Club Player Casino review, they don’t appear to offer any no-deposit bonus for new players. However, their terms and conditions page does have a dedicated section for no-deposit bonuses, so it’s unclear whether this is temporary or whether their terms are out of date (like a lot of their site is.)

VIP and Loyalty Programs

Club Player Casino features a multi-tiered VIP program that provides increasing benefits and rewards to loyal players. There are five VIP levels, each with its own set of incentives.

At the Bronze level, you’ll receive a bronze-colored welcome chip and one comp point for every $1,000 wagered. You’ll also get 15% cashback on any monthly losses. If you reach the Silver level, you receive a silver chip, improved point earnings of one comp for $800 wagered, and 20% insurance on monthly losses.

The Gold VIP level allows you to earn two comp points for every $500 you wager and 30% insurance on your monthly losses. At this VIP level, Club Player Casino also claims to offer you tailored bonuses designed “specifically for your playing style.” After the Gold tier, there’s Platinum and Elite VIP. Platinum players earn five comp points for every $500 wagered and enjoy a 30% monthly loss rebate, tailored bonuses, higher betting limits, higher withdrawal limits, and a personal account manager.

The Elite VIP level is largely the same, except that you now earn five comp points per $300 wagered. You also receive 40% “insurance” on losing months.

BANKING AND PAYMENT METHODS

Club Player Casino offers a decent selection of deposit options to use. Major credit and debit cards from Visa and Mastercard are accepted, and all deposits made using Credit and Debit Cards are credited to your online casino account immediately. Enter your card details in the cashier, and the transaction will complete in a few seconds.

The casino also accepts Neteller, a popular online gambling EWallet. Like deposits made using Credit and Debit Cards, Neteller deposits are credited to your online casino account immediately.

Recently, Club Player Casino has added support for cryptocurrencies, too. Their website shows they accept Bitcoin and Ethereum, but many of their sister casinos accept other coins like Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash, so it’s unclear if this is the case at Club Player Casino.

One thing to note is that new players depositing with a credit card for the first time must complete a credit card agreement form. This is an anti-fraud measure to verify your identity. This is stated in the casino’s terms and conditions.

Club Player Casino Withdrawal Speed

If you’re one of the players who believes Club Player Casino will pay eventually, you’ll want to know how long it takes for your money to arrive! Club Player Casino offers a few withdrawal methods, including check, bank wire, Neteller, and Bitcoin.

Bank wire is available for withdrawals over $200, and funds are wired directly to your bank account. However, the processing time can take between five and ten working days, and your bank will, more often than not, apply a fee.

If you withdraw $300 or more, you can request a mailed or couriered check. The online casino states you should expect to wait between three and eight days for your check to arrive, and an unspecified fee is charged and deducted automatically from your withdrawal.

Neteller withdrawals are processed within 48 hours, making it one of the fastest options. You’ll need an existing Neteller account to use this method, and you may need to verify ownership of your account. The minimum withdrawal is $100, although, thankfully, no fees are applied here.

Crypto withdrawals are, according to Club Player Casino, the fastest. They state on their website that crypto withdrawals are processed within 24 hours. However, a member of their team told us:

“Most Bitcoin-depositing players have the option of withdrawing using Coindraw.  This function is fully automated, meaning our Withdrawals and Finance Departments are not involved.  We’ve also employed Hooyu, a document validation service.  With Hooyu, players simply upload their documents, and we are notified if the docs are acceptable or if further scrutiny is necessary.  Between Coindraw and Hooyu, our Withdrawals and Finance teams are less overwhelmed, and as a result, payments have been consistent and far swifter.”

It remains to be seen whether these instant withdrawals will materialize in reality – but if so, it could help the once-troubled casino group to (begin) repairing its tainted reputation.

Withdrawal Limits and Verification

All players have a weekly withdrawal limit of $2,000, which is incredibly low. While VIP members may qualify for higher limits upon request, such a low limit is going to be severely restricting too many players. Hit a big win, and you’ll have to set up a payment plan to receive your winnings!

Plus, on your first withdrawal, you will almost certainly need to verify your account. We will cover this later in this casino review. Still, as a general rule of thumb, you need to provide a valid photo ID, utility bill/bank statement, and, in some cases, proof of payment method ownership. Verification documents can take up to five working days to process, which is far too long.

Responsible Gaming

Unfortunately, Club Player Casino does a terrible job regarding responsible gambling features and self-exclusion options. At the time of this review, we could find no evidence of the casino offering any responsible gambling resources whatsoever.

There is no dedicated, responsible gambling page, no information on deposit limits, reality checks, cool-off periods, or self-exclusion. Their website has no mentions of problem gambling protections or links to resources at all – never a good sign, although wholly indicative of an online casino licensed in Costa Rica with nobody to report to.

It’s disappointing to see no responsible gambling policies or protections in place. For players’ safety, it would be advisable for Club Player to implement essential responsible gambling tools to promote healthy play. However, as an unregulated site, there is no requirement for them to do so. Players should exercise caution when gambling on Club Player Casino, given the lack of self-control options.

At the very least, the casino should offer a self-exclusion program that’s openly discussed. There’s simply no reason not to; the Virtual Casino Group runs many online casinos, and it’s zero work at ALL for them to offer site-wide self-exclusion. This is an area the online casino needs to improve on.

About the Team and History: Based In Costa Rica

Club Player Casino was first launched in 2004 and is operated by the Virtual Casino Group, based in Costa Rica. The Virtual Group has a tarnished reputation from its early unregulated days and history of slow-paying players.

Regarding restricted countries, Club Player blocks many nations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. Notable excluded areas are the UK, most of Europe, and many Asian countries. The casino primarily accepts players from the USA, Canada, and Australia.

While now claiming to be licensed and regulated, Club Player Casino does not provide any information about its regulator. They imply they hold a valid online gambling license – but this is misleading. In reality, Club Player Casino is based offshore in Costa Rica, where online gambling is legal but does not require licensing or oversight. So, there is no real regulation despite their claims.

Over the years, Club Player and other Virtual Group sites have accumulated many player complaints about unfair practices like denied withdrawals and unprofessional customer service. They claim to have improved, but skepticism remains. Take a look at this extract from Max’s recent post on the group:

Beginnings and the Bad Old Days

“Anyone wanting to discuss the Virtual Casino Group (aka “Virtual”) with any seriousness has to acknowledge the fact that it started from pretty dubious beginnings. The story begins in the late 1990s when a man — let’s call him “Veejay” — who’d just spent four years in a US federal prison for real estate fraud moved to Costa Rica and set up an impromptu sports betting shop from his living room couch.

That quickly developed into a small casino group — Cool Cat, Cirrus, Virtual, and BetRoyal — which Veejay has denied ever owning. However, several sources — including but not limited to former employees — paint a very different picture and show that Veejay has a long history of denying things in his past that are inconvenient or potentially harmful to his current interests.

The business model for Virtual was simple and ruthlessly effective: start unlicensed (later cheaply licensed) casinos, rake in cash, pay players as slowly as possible — preferably never if you could get away with it — and treat whatever money was at hand as your own. As a relentless entrepreneur running 50-80 businesses by the early 2000s, Veejay had a lot of uses for that money: paying players simply wasn’t one of them.

For nearly 15 years, Virtual ran on that same “business model,” the group grew accordingly: roughly 30 casinos by the early 2010s, two if not three different affiliate programs, etc. To the outside world, Veejay had two primary associates, literally known as “Big J” and “Little J” (not their real names). Big J was effectively the COO, making deals with games providers and payment processors, etc, while mainly staying out of the public eye.

Little J was the General Manager, and in practice, he was the man on the conference floor meeting people, shaking hands, tugging on sleeves, and taking abuse to salvage some shred of respectability for the group. Veejay benefitted hugely from the Virtual operation, so much so that by the late 2010s, he presented himself as one of London’s billionaires, hosting big-ticket sports and fashion events in London and Paris to prove it.”

Complaints and Track Record: The Virtual Casino Group & A Troubled Past

Club Player Casino – and all associated Virtual Casino Group properties – has a complex relationship with us here at Casinomeister. They have repeatedly operated unethically, unfairly – and against every value we stand for. We have given them repeated chances, and after years of seeing change, we’ve decided to give them one final chance.

For a quick breakdown of what’s happened, check out this post from Max back in 2017. He said:

“All casinos in the Palace Group (aka CityViews Group, see details below) that I’ve dealt with over the years have adopted a “talk to the hand” policy when it comes to player complaints. Although the casino rep here on the forums — Andrew-RFB — will inquire with the relevant casino regarding a player complaint, no detailed information will be given. In other words, he’ll repeat what the casino says and nothing more. In the past, this problem was minimized because we seldom heard of player problems at these casinos. Unfortunately, that appears to be old news, and we are now seeing a slow but steady uptick in player complaints for these casino properties.

The bottom line is that there is no avenue to discuss player complaints (PABs) with these people properly; their refusal to discuss complaints leaves players with no opportunity for dispute arbitration. As such, anyone who submits a PAB to us regarding one of these casinos cannot expect the usual PAB service from us: we can forward your issue to the casino people for their consideration, but our involvement must necessarily stop there.

Players complaining about these casinos must refer to the casino’s Terms and find the “Complaints” section (usually section 11 or 13). You’ll be told to take your issue to eCOGRA, the MGA, or Kahnawake, depending on your country and the individual casino.”

All Virtual Casino Group properties were then rogued here at Casinomeister, and it’s not just us; many other casino review websites take a similar stance, and the web is littered with complaints from them and their online casinos.

So, Why Are We Giving Them Another Chance?

Please read Max’s entire piece here to get a proper understanding of why we’re moving Virtual Casino Group sites out of the rogue pit. However, below, we’ll briefly summarize how we came to our decision.

As Max points out: “Around the beginning of 2021 or so, we began to notice that there were fewer complaints regarding Virtual casinos. Our forums were pretty quiet on the subject, and certainly, the Player Arbitration (PAB) requests we received had dropped noticeably. Talking to other people in the industry later that year seemed to confirm this, at least insofar as public complaints — complaints players had taken to 3rd parties — were concerned.”

We also found that complaints posted to other websites were also significantly down. For example, in 2021, roughly 100 complaints were lodged against Virtual Casino Group sites; in 2023, the number is averaging at 30. Of course, that’s still 30 too many – but it is a sign they’re trying to clear up their act, and, so far, everything is headed in the right direction.

Naturally, some have concerns; some will never give them another chance. Here at Casinomeister, however, we believe in second chances. However, rest assured that we will be monitoring Club Player Casino and all Virtual Casino Group brands and won’t hesitate to reverse our decision if we see problematic behavior in the future.