New Grey Zone Casino Review Nalu Casino

[Webzcas]

Nalu Casino has been reviewed and listed in the Grey Zone here on Casinomeister. You can check out our review here.

Established earlier this year, Nalu Casino which holds a licence from Kahnawake, offers a good selection of games, with the likes of Novomatic and NetEnt helping populate their casino lobby.

From the Desk of Max Drayman:

Being a new casino, it’s still a bit rough around the edges, but the main issue we encountered was the operator’s dubious reputation. Several of Nalu’s sister casinos have had some red flags associated with them, and some were even blacklisted.

Please note: This casino is in the Grey Zone - it has not been vetted by us nor the community.

 

[satchnz]

Being a new casino, it’s still a bit rough around the edges, but the main issue we encountered was the operator’s dubious reputation. Several of Nalu’s sister casinos have had some red flags associated with them, and some were even blacklisted.

This may be a stupid question but how can a casino which is stated to have a dubious operator be rated “grey” and not “not recommended“? Maybe I’ve misunderstood the purpose of this rating system?

 

[Webzcas]

I am just the messenger. But I believe this caveat allows it to be listed in the Grey Zone:

Anyone choosing to play at Nalu Casino should keep this in mind, but the Kahnawake Gaming Commission license makes us believe that they will stick to the straight and narrow this time.

 

[StupidButLucky]

in addittion I ask why you post in the review under Pros?

Low wagering requirements on the welcome bonus

it is anything else than low - deposit + bonus x30 is very very high.
If you claim the second deposit bonus of 80% the wager will be more than 60x of the bonus

 

[maxd]

I know this will sound like I’m trying to split hairs but most casinos on the Not Recommended list are there because of some _specific_ infraction perpetrated by _that_ casino. That is not the case with Nalu. Yes, sister casinos have spotty records but not Nalu. With the caveats in place — and not hiding anything there — the Grey Zone listing does seem acceptable, for now. First sign of hinky stuff at Nalu though and we’d be looking at a down-grade scenario.

- Max

 

[Webzcas]

in addittion I ask why you post in the review under Pros?

Low wagering requirements on the welcome bonus

it is anything else than low - deposit + bonus x30 is very very high.
If you claim the second deposit bonus of 80% the wager will be more than 60x of the bonus

Again, don't shoot the messenger. Not my name above the review.

However in the opening post, I quoted the 'warning' for all to see...

 

[shapesy]

Anyone reading that review and signing up needs there head testing. Is this the way CM is heading now that Bryan is going .

 

[ritae]

I don't mind testing new places. I use a separate 'neo bank' for card purchases, and if I lose £50 at an unregulated place, there is no issue.

But this is the third casino promoted in the forums this month that promotes £ / GBP on its front page when it has zero GamStop protection or a UKGC registration licence.

I would really hate if problem gamblers were seeing these Grey Zone casinos and were triggered to gamble again.

 

[maxd]

... Is this the way CM is heading now that Bryan is going ...

Sorry, but in order to answer that question I need to know what you mean by “is this the way”. What “way”do you mean?

- Max

 

[satchnz]

I know this will sound like I’m trying to split hairs but most casinos on the Not Recommended list are there because of some _specific_ infraction perpetrated by _that_ casino. That is not the case with Nalu. Yes, sister casinos have spotty records but not Nalu. With the caveats in place — and not hiding anything there — the Grey Zone listing does seem acceptable, for now. First sign of hinky stuff at Nalu though and we’d be looking at a down-grade scenario.

- Max

I get where you’re coming from but it just doesn’t feel right to be promoting a casino where the operator has displayed dubious behaviour with its other brands, to the point where some have been blacklisted.

 

[shapesy]

Well there was a time CM would not even give a review to a casino like this

 

[maxd]

I get where you’re coming from but it just doesn’t feel right to be promoting a casino where the operator has displayed dubious behaviour with its other brands, to the point where some have been blacklisted.

I hear what you are saying and you are not wrong. My perspective is that you can’t put a guy in jail just because his family are repeat offenders. You gotta give him a chance to be his own man. If he goes down the dark and nasty path then yes, by all means prosecute him like any other offender. But until then he deserves a chance to make his own way.

IMO the same applies here: give them a chance but throw the book at them if they burn it. Simples.

Well there was a time CM would not even give a review to a casino like this

Yeah, maybe so. There will be some changes here at CM as we move into the post-Bryan era. We — meaning CM staff — are doing our best to see that we deal pragmatically with the new demands being placed on the site while honouring and continuing the culture of diligence, honesty and responsibility to offering a level field for players and casinos, as we always have. Changes? Yes. Gone to the dark side? Not if we can help it, no.

- Max

 

[Guntis]

To me, this is quite inaccurate info about the bonus:

From Nalu Bonus Terms: 7. Welcome Casino Package Bonuses are subject to wagering requirement of thirty (30x) times both on the deposit and bonus amounts.

--------------------------

So i think something more balanced and accurate could be:


Nalu Casino gives you three welcome bonuses as a new player:

- 1st deposit: 125% match up to $400
- 2nd deposit: 80% match up to $600
- 3rd deposit: 100% match up to $200

That's $1,200 in total bonus money.

The catch? You need to wager both your deposit and bonus 30 times before withdrawing any winnings. This is steeper than what other casinos ask for. But you get a generous 30 days to complete these requirements.

The total bonus package sits in the middle range compared to other casinos. Players looking for larger bonus amounts will find more generous offers at higher-rated online casinos.

----

Withdrawal caps and other key details could also be included for optimal clarity.

 

[satchnz]

I hear what you are saying and you are not wrong. My perspective is that you can’t put a guy in jail just because his family are repeat offenders. You gotta give him a chance to be his own man. If he goes down the dark and nasty path then yes, by all means prosecute him like any other offender. But until then he deserves a chance to make his own way.

But aren’t we talking about a group of casinos owned by the same people, where they have displayed dubious behaviour with some of their casinos, to the point that some have been blacklisted?

Same owner therefore not unreasonable to expect similar behaviour?

 

[mulven]

When did Famagousta become licenced in Canada? Do all the negative things about them predate that (up to 2022/23)

One of the lowest rated groups I've ever seen on casino guru so would be interesting if they actually turned a new leaf.

 

[maxd]

But aren’t we talking about a group of casinos owned by the same people, where they have displayed dubious behaviour with some of their casinos, to the point that some have been blacklisted?

Same owner therefore not unreasonable to expect similar behaviour?

I’m sorry but from what I can tell you’re just repeating your previous argument and ignoring what I’ve said.

We have no direct, first-hand evidence that there is anything wrong with NaluCasino. As such a decision against them — regardless of the “expected behaviour” — is out of line.

Furthermore none of the sister casinos have Rogue status or Warnings against them here at CM. So here again we have no direct, first-hand evidence to act upon.

That leaves us with “give them a shot” or “ignore them because of suspicions” and I’d say the only reasonable and defensible action is the former. And here we are.

- Max

 

[satchnz]

I’m sorry but from what I can tell you’re just repeating your previous argument and ignoring what I’ve said.

We have no direct, first-hand evidence that there is anything wrong with NaluCasino. As such a decision against them — regardless of the “expected behaviour” — is out of line.

Furthermore none of the sister casinos have Rogue status or Warnings against them here at CM. So here again we have no direct, first-hand evidence to act upon.

That leaves us with “give them a shot” or “ignore them because of suspicions” and I’d say the only reasonable and defensible action is the former. And here we are.

- Max

Yes I did reword what I posted earlier as I wasn’t convinced you got my point from your family analogy. Regardless, you’ve explained CM’s stance on this so happy to move on.

To be fair, I’ve never used CM’s casino reviews. I’d tried most of the UK majors prior to finding CM, and am mostly crypto now.

 

[armster]

Not sure about this casino group..

 

[Avernite]

I’m sorry but from what I can tell you’re just repeating your previous argument and ignoring what I’ve said.

We have no direct, first-hand evidence that there is anything wrong with NaluCasino. As such a decision against them — regardless of the “expected behaviour” — is out of line.

Furthermore none of the sister casinos have Rogue status or Warnings against them here at CM. So here again we have no direct, first-hand evidence to act upon.

That leaves us with “give them a shot” or “ignore them because of suspicions” and I’d say the only reasonable and defensible action is the former. And here we are.

- Max

While I fully get what you're saying in terms of giving them a fair shake, I'm concerned this opens the door for abuse by bad operators.

For example running a dodgy casino until it's name is dirt, open a new casino under the same brand with a different name until the same result occurs and rinse and repeat.

Maybe an overall group rating should be taken into consideration here.

 

[maxd]

Fair point, Casino Group Reviews is something I’ll add to our possible future features list. Thank you for that suggestion.

As to the potential for a "rinse and repeat” problem let’s be clear, this would be the first. If it goes bad then yes, by all means, we should look into that. But we are not the PreCrime Police here, we don’t have access to info on future crimes. Certainly it’s important to be vigilant about these things but let’s focus on the here and now.

- Max

 

[janderson95]

This is the worst casino with the worst give back “loyalty” system I have ever played on the bot is useless the staff are useless and rude I have just closed my account I advise that no one opens an account with these scammers

 

[dunover]

This is the worst casino with the worst give back “loyalty” system I have ever played on the bot is useless the staff are useless and rude I have just closed my account I advise that no one opens an account with these scammers

Why did you deposit and play at a non-UK licensed casino?

 

[maxd]

This is the worst casino with the worst give back “loyalty” system I have ever played on the bot is useless the staff are useless and rude I have just closed my account I advise that no one opens an account with these scammers

So we can mark you down as “undecided” on this one?

Sorry, just having a wee bit of a laugh, your message is loud and clear. With any luck Nalu Central is taking notes.

- Max

 

[satchnz]

For example running a dodgy casino until its name is dirt, open a new casino under the same brand with a different name until the same result occurs and rinse and repeat..

I read this comment and thought if it would be worthwhile for a casino to rinse and repeat just to get a new and improved CM rating. But it got me thinking about where CM ranks amongst the other gambling websites (with decent sized forum).

@maxd @Webzcas - probably a question for you guys. Where does CM rank in terms of traffic/members compared to some of your competitors (big…, ask… etc)? I’ve used other sites for specific things (slot demos, specific Google hits etc) but I’m neither a regular nor member at any of these other sites.

Edit - I realise this post is a little off topic…sorry.

 

[Webzcas]

I read this comment and thought if it would be worthwhile for a casino to rinse and repeat just to get a new and improved CM rating. But it got me thinking about where CM ranks amongst the other gambling websites (with decent sized forum).

@maxd @Webzcas - probably a question for you guys. Where does CM rank in terms of traffic/members compared to some of your competitors (big…, ask… etc)? I’ve used other sites for specific things (slot demos, specific Google hits etc) but I’m neither a regular nor member at any of these other sites.

Edit - I realise this post is a little off topic…sorry.

Even if I 'still' had access to that information, I am afraid I would not be able to divulge it, sorry. I will say and this is my own personal appraisal based on what I know of the industry. The forum here at Casinomeister, is arguably the busiest dedicated online casino forum - that is hosted independently of a social media site.

 

[satchnz]

Even if I 'still' had access to that information, I am afraid I would not be able to divulge it, sorry. I will say and this is my own personal appraisal based on what I know of the industry. The forum here at Casinomeister, is arguably the busiest dedicated online casino forum - that is hosted independently of a social media site.

So CM is very prominent in this area. That’s good to know, thanks.

 

[Webzcas]

As far as Online Casinos go. Yes, very well known.

 

[maxd]

Here’s a thing guys, if I’m not mistaken this review and a number of the others coming up are paid reviews, meaning the casino is paying a fee for the review and to have it posted here. So by rights we probably should have posted a disclaimer, something like this:

“… this casino is in the Grey Zone - it has not been vetted by us nor the community. Their review is here (—link--), their rep can be contacted here (—link--), you can check them out and sign up here (—link--). Tell us what you think of their operation here.”

Would that help make the situation any clearer? Would that make a thread like this any more useful?

The point is that we DO NOT want to be duping anyone into depositing at a casino that they think we are giving a “thumbs up” to when that isn’t at all the case. “No thumbs yet” is what these are and our feeling is that that should be made clear to anyone reading the review.

Please let us know your thoughts.

- Max

 

[mulven]

Fair point, Casino Group Reviews is something I’ll add to our possible future features list. Thank you for that suggestion.

Definitely think that would be a useful thing to have. Starscream for example is a good group on the whole but a few of their sites are a little bit naughty with confiscations while the rest behave.

Can additionally detail in what capacity the groups tend to allow people signing up to more than one of their sites. TH Gambling NV (Arcanebet/Casinovibes/Nuggetslots) for example tend to immediately disable your account if you sign up to a second site, or maybe thats just me.

Might also be a good way to tier sites within a group such as with Dama as the fairness of their terms vary quite a bit across their 100+ sites, with the best ones having x40 bonus wagering, 5-10 max bet and no win cap

whilst the worst have low max bets and/or win caps.


Also some sites have different companies written down at the bottom but are undisputedly the same group. For Example BruceBet, MrBet and Spin City are all from the same people and also the affiliate stuff is all done for the three sites by MB Partners. TechOptions and Techsolutions are also a group even though their names differ slightly.

Seen a bunch of new names turn out to be Liernin Enterprise properties or whatever Denys Butko's re-animated rabidi sites are ran by these days, not that it would be too advisable to use those sites at the moment, at least until they have had their dust settle and people reliably getting payments again (wonder if that dust will settle in comoros, the phillipines or in a massive plot twist, the GCB somehow).

For anyone wanting to steer clear of such sites, beware of the bonus crab. Unless it's maltix as those are basically rabidi clones but licensed by the MGA

 

[satchnz]

@maxd - I said I’ve moved on but you’ve asked for more feedback so here goes:

Knowing that this was a paid review puts a lot more context around it now. Personally I don’t trust paid reviews as much as non paid, but in all reality how can one tell if a review is paid or not if this is not disclosed. I probably watch/read a bunch of reviews not knowing if they are paid or not!

Are paid reviews a new thing or has CM always posted paid reviews?

Again, I’m not a user of the casino reviews so it has no impact on me tbf. The forums are much more important imo.

 

[The Dude]

I've always done my reviews for free - whether it's a rah rah Accredited casino review or a scathing rogue review. No one pays/paid me on what to say, and pretty much everyone here knows that. It was only recently before the sale that we started charging for reviews since they took a lot of resources to write. I couldn't right them all anymore, and we had to start hiring folks to write these - under my supervision. Sometimes an erroneous one would slip by, and I would have to eat some crow in the forum, but we got it straight most of the time.

Please note: even though a casino would be charged for a review, there was no guarantee on its score or outcome for the casino peeps, and yes, we had some complaints about low scores, but it is what it is - scorewise.

And to continue this thought - the Meister Minions can have their say in the reviews. Meister Minions can leave a score and have their unfiltered comments posted in these reviews. Just sayin'.

 

[satchnz]

I’m not so useful in terms of the meister minions review of new casinos. Being based in the UK, a lot of the casinos introduced are not available to me. Of the ones that are, they generally operate lower than max RTP and I’m (unreasonably?) sensitive to RTP.

I’m aware I’m now getting into the “here are some problems but I have no improvement suggestions” territory, sorry. The casino group review was a great suggestion though.

 

[maxd]

"Are paid reviews a new thing or has CM always posted paid reviews?"

Frankly, the reviews have never been my department so I don’t know what the deep back history is on that. In recent years I know we’ve had a smattering of paid reviews but AFAIK they were always prefaced with that disclaimer I posted above. Now we’re going through a transition phase that includes three major factors at play:

• Bryan is wrapping things up and departing soon, which means ...
• We are building/re-building a new Sales & Marketing side of Casinomeister that is being driven from the Gentoo side of the business. This means ...
• The public-facing and interactive side of Casinomeister — that’s the forums and the PABs — is adapting to the new Sales & Marketing initiatives with changes and modifications as needs arise.

So yes, there are and will be changes with some things that you see and deal with here on the site HOWEVER the Prime Directive that we are getting from the new ownership since Day 1 of this transition is “Be Casinomeister!” Every person in every department I’ve listened to or dealt with since the transition started has repeated that message over and over: they like what we do and they are giving us resources, freedom and paychecks to continue doing so.

So, returning to the specific subject at hand — reviews — yes, we are seeing more paid reviews BUT I’m being asked on a regular basis to provide the Max’s Desk section of those reviews and I can promise you that I say what I need to say there. No one is messing with what I say or cajoling me to say something different or, more to the point, big-up something because they say so. So the paid reviews aren’t being whitewashed for the sake of the site in question. AFAICT the only piece of puzzle that we’ve overlooked (until now) is the “not vetted” disclaimer I posted above.

- Max

 

[mulven]

While paid reviews have well deserved stigma, I think that if CM has been willing to attach their name to the casino in the form of a paid review then plenty of due diligence has taken place to ensure they won't regret doing so.

I also think all paid reviews aren't created equal. Ones on a smaller site thats only real purpose is to funnel people to casinos for affiliate revenue has a lot less credibility than ones on a site with decades of earned reputation in the space. People with something to protect (reputation) will be slower to take money out of someone's hand than people with nothing to protect.

Super Scammy casinos will approach and try to pay for reviews. I'd say its already happened and the reason you don't know about it is because they didn't take their money because requisite checks will take place before they would agree to such deals.

With that said I think it should be clearly visible if its a paid review, which can be done as simply as putting a little superscript ad/paid somewhere in the title or by-line. (example below)

 

[Guntis]

I think it would be best to include a clear explanation of what 'Paid' means to avoid confusion. Otherwise, some players, especially non-English speakers, might have different interpretations.

For example, most might think of the 1 and 2:

1. Paid = Oh, somebody paid them to review a casino... so it's likely BS and should be taken with a grain of salt, since all paid stuff typically includes marketing fluff that paints everything in a positive light and hides the negatives.

2. Paid = It's a commercial review - they're your client, and you reviewed their service. Like any business relationship, there's money involved, and it's likely to mean bias or dishonesty. It's a gambling business after all with a lot of shady things around.

Some might also assume:

3. Paid = They paid you to mention them first/rank them higher in listings, but the casino is no better than others, even worse at some things. Like paying for a more attractive shelf in a store.

The next one would likely apply to only a slim portion of your visitors:

4. Paid = They paid you to review the casino, and you provided straight-talk information based on your knowledge of what's generally important and matters most to players. The payment didn't influence your opinions or decisions - it only was taken to cover site management expenses, nothing else.

---

Personally, i don't read any casino reviews anywhere. If i want to play on a new site, i look for one and check everything myself. But if i were relying on sites like Casinomeister, i'd prefer to see something simple like this:

Note: Paid Review.

"Paid" means we've received a payment from the casino operator to cover site-related expenses, nothing else. The payment does not influence our opinions and decisions. We evaluate each casino using consistent player-focused criteria and share our findings honestly. See more details here.

 

[Webzcas]

Number 4 would be the case. Please note in the opening post of this thread announcing the review of this particular casino, I directly quote comments from Max. I did so as I felt it was pertinent to do so.

 

[Guntis]

These ideas could easily be used for casino reviews, just need a bit of sharpening. Otherwise, it's exactly what most players would want to hear. It's straight and clear.

techradar.com/news/how-we-test

 

[mrmileena]

Hello,

This casino is a scam. I won fairly and they accused me of fraud, saying i used vpn, that i disguised my documents and that i was a bonus abuser, which is a total lie. I'm playing casino for years and i never had a problem. Why would i use a vpn when their casino accepts swiss players. I cannot be a bonus abuser since i just used their welcome package available on the account. And i never dusguised my documents since i use the same on every casino. I can send all proofs if needed, they just invented lied to not pay me, I'm so disgusted, i feel frustrated and stolen.

 

[dunover]

Hello,

This casino is a scam. I won fairly and they accused me of fraud, saying i used vpn, that i disguised my documents and that i was a bonus abuser, which is a total lie. I'm playing casino for years and i never had a problem. Why would i use a vpn when their casino accepts swiss players. I cannot be a bonus abuser since i just used their welcome package available on the account. And i never dusguised my documents since i use the same on every casino. I can send all proofs if needed, they just invented lied to not pay me, I'm so disgusted, i feel frustrated and stolen.

Welcome. As this casino is being reviewed here, you may want to avail yourself of the PAB service if you have a valid complaint;
Player Arbitration Service (PAB)

 

[mrmileena]

Hello everyone,

this casinos scammed me 650 euros. I have deposited and won fairly and they took away my winnings accusing me of a lot of things: that i used vpn, that i disguised my documents for verification, that i am a bonus abuser and i am a fraud in a group. I did not use any vpn since the casino accepts swiss players, and i never used a vpn in my life to play at a casino. I did not use fake documents or any sort of it, i am using same documents for verification on every casino i played and i never had trouble. I did not abuse their bonuses since i was new to their casino and used the welcome package, and about the fraud thing, i really do not understand, i am just a normal guy playing casino. Avoid this casino at all costs, it should be blacklisted. I feel disgusted, frustrated and stolen. I have contacted their license giver and i hope they will help. I have also submitted a complaint on askgamblers to see if they can help me too.

 

[pereblue]

While paid reviews have well deserved stigma, I think that if CM has been willing to attach their name to the casino in the form of a paid review then plenty of due diligence has taken place to ensure they won't regret doing so.

I also think all paid reviews aren't created equal. Ones on a smaller site thats only real purpose is to funnel people to casinos for affiliate revenue has a lot less credibility than ones on a site with decades of earned reputation in the space. People with something to protect (reputation) will be slower to take money out of someone's hand than people with nothing to protect.

Super Scammy casinos will approach and try to pay for reviews. I'd say its already happened and the reason you don't know about it is because they didn't take their money because requisite checks will take place before they would agree to such deals.

With that said I think it should be clearly visible if its a paid review, which can be done as simply as putting a little superscript ad/paid somewhere in the title or by-line. (example below)
View attachment 202189

about this, we added following feature for the Casino Reviews and Casino Lists : Affiliate Disclosure Tooltip: