So, I finally decided to try a Playtech casino, basically because I wanted to give the Marvel slots a go. I miss them from back in the day. Disappointingly, they didn't have Silver Surfer, which used to be my favourite, but never mind.
I went with Omni after checking it out on CM (of course!) and scoping out the welcome package. I started off with the free chip, then mainly took no bonuses for a few deposits, lost, and then took one with a bit of a play through on it (25x). So, some thoughts...
GAMES
The Marvel slots are both more and less than I hoped for. Graphically they look the business, and there are some genuinely innovative features. I like the Heroes and Villains free spins in X-Men, I like the different character features in Fantastic Four, and I LOVE the respins in Hulk. When you get the one mega respin where reels 2,3 and 4 are wild it's super-exciting, because you know you're gonna get something decent. Unsurprisingly, I didn't get anywhere near the progressive. Would be interesting to know what bet sizes people have gotten it on though.
The big disappointment with the Marvel slots for me was the sound effects and the music, all of which feel a bit cheap and light in some way. When I play something like X-Men, I want a soundtrack or something. I need a bit more...grit. Or at least something I can hum on the tube. A minor gripe anyway.
The other slots are good fun and again, graphically impressive. I enjoyed Banana Monkey, Archer and King Kong. Archer especially. Some really innovative features here. I only really play slots so can't comment on the other games.
One other minor gripe is that when I first load up the casino and open a game for the first ten minutes or so the reels are very stuttery. Not sure how or why this happens but it's a regular thing. Would always stop after ten mins or so though so no biggie.
SUPPORT
There are pluses and minuses here. When I first joined, the live chat support was still available, but it's since been taken offline while they "upgrade to a new system" apparently. When I used the Live Chat, it was very good. I didn't have to wait long and I got the same person both times. Nikki was very friendly, and gave me a retrospective bonus after I forgot to claim one that I had wanted.
After that I had to call them to check on my wagering requirement for a bonus I took later on. That was annoying. Call up, answer a few security questions, ask to check your WR, "We'll send you an email". Ok, fair enough. Not the worst process in the world but hardly the easiest. This is why I rarely take bonuses apart from free chips. Bottom line, it's very annoying to be unable to see how much WR you have left.
One more positive thing on deposits: when I deposited I got a pop-up with "You have been awarded xxxx bonus" and then an option to accept or decline. I like that feature, though it would be improved if there was a link to the TCs right there in the pop-up box.
Omni is one of those casinos that offer some kind of bonus (or multiple ones) every single day. One of those Mega Monday, Sweaty Tuesday, 150% on the your first deposit and up to 176% on your next and blah blah blah...Overall, my sense is that Omni use bonuses as do many other online casinos - not to reward players for their loyalty, but to lock their money in for as long as they can in the hope that they'll lose it. I know that sounds harsh - I'm not having a go here and this IS a rep friendly thread - that's good business sense and a casino is a business. It's just an observation. Another way to look at it is "extended playtime", and that's fair too. As with all such things, if you scrutinize the terms really carefully, you should be ok. If you don't...
There was one thing that I couldn't get a straight answer from support on. I asked about five different ways and tried to be as clear as I could. Here's the question: "If I TRY to make a withdrawal before my WR is met, will I be prevented from doing so by the system? Or will the system let me do this, and then the funds get returned to my account manually?" and of course my follow up question: "If I ACCIDENTALLY try to withdraw BEFORE the WR is met, will my winnings be void?". I was asking because obviously, this would be a way around not knowing what my remaining WR was without having to contact them each time. Anyway, I couldn't get a clear answer.
As an aside and on the subject of bonuses in general, this is why I think Netent excel in this area. Sure, their bonuses are small but whenever I receive one from them it's just that - a BONUS. Free money. I can (and have occasionally) withdraw it immediately without wagering a penny. There are no terms attached whatsoever. Now that's a genuine bonus.
DEPOSIT and WITHDRAWAL
Guess what? it's EASY to deposit! There are about a million methods for doing so! They even accept bartered goods as currency. Ok, maybe not but you get the point. Withdrawal? Haven't done so yet. Waiting to hear whether I've made the play through on that bonus and then I'll get it sent back to neteller and post an update.
LOBBY/INTERFACE
Hmmm. A bit odd actually. Games, and the cashier open in an entirely new window. Not ideal, and necessitates a bit of moving things around to get them "comfortable" on the screen so to speak. A bit clunky I think. Also, not sure how the "favourites" work; I starred a game and it disappeared. I'm probably being dense on that front though.
OVERALL
Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh, it's ok. Some nice games. Kong, Marvel etc. Had some luck as well finally but I never take that into account with a new casino. Overall I'd give it a seven. A solid seven. The key questions for me are:
1) When will live chat be back?
2) When will they introduce an easy way to check your WR?
3) When will I, will I be famoussssss! (sorry, terrible Bros joke there).
Thanks for reading, and God Bless if you got this far. Here are some screenshots for ya:
I went with Omni after checking it out on CM (of course!) and scoping out the welcome package. I started off with the free chip, then mainly took no bonuses for a few deposits, lost, and then took one with a bit of a play through on it (25x). So, some thoughts...
GAMES
The Marvel slots are both more and less than I hoped for. Graphically they look the business, and there are some genuinely innovative features. I like the Heroes and Villains free spins in X-Men, I like the different character features in Fantastic Four, and I LOVE the respins in Hulk. When you get the one mega respin where reels 2,3 and 4 are wild it's super-exciting, because you know you're gonna get something decent. Unsurprisingly, I didn't get anywhere near the progressive. Would be interesting to know what bet sizes people have gotten it on though.
The big disappointment with the Marvel slots for me was the sound effects and the music, all of which feel a bit cheap and light in some way. When I play something like X-Men, I want a soundtrack or something. I need a bit more...grit. Or at least something I can hum on the tube. A minor gripe anyway.
The other slots are good fun and again, graphically impressive. I enjoyed Banana Monkey, Archer and King Kong. Archer especially. Some really innovative features here. I only really play slots so can't comment on the other games.
One other minor gripe is that when I first load up the casino and open a game for the first ten minutes or so the reels are very stuttery. Not sure how or why this happens but it's a regular thing. Would always stop after ten mins or so though so no biggie.
SUPPORT
There are pluses and minuses here. When I first joined, the live chat support was still available, but it's since been taken offline while they "upgrade to a new system" apparently. When I used the Live Chat, it was very good. I didn't have to wait long and I got the same person both times. Nikki was very friendly, and gave me a retrospective bonus after I forgot to claim one that I had wanted.
After that I had to call them to check on my wagering requirement for a bonus I took later on. That was annoying. Call up, answer a few security questions, ask to check your WR, "We'll send you an email". Ok, fair enough. Not the worst process in the world but hardly the easiest. This is why I rarely take bonuses apart from free chips. Bottom line, it's very annoying to be unable to see how much WR you have left.
One more positive thing on deposits: when I deposited I got a pop-up with "You have been awarded xxxx bonus" and then an option to accept or decline. I like that feature, though it would be improved if there was a link to the TCs right there in the pop-up box.
Omni is one of those casinos that offer some kind of bonus (or multiple ones) every single day. One of those Mega Monday, Sweaty Tuesday, 150% on the your first deposit and up to 176% on your next and blah blah blah...Overall, my sense is that Omni use bonuses as do many other online casinos - not to reward players for their loyalty, but to lock their money in for as long as they can in the hope that they'll lose it. I know that sounds harsh - I'm not having a go here and this IS a rep friendly thread - that's good business sense and a casino is a business. It's just an observation. Another way to look at it is "extended playtime", and that's fair too. As with all such things, if you scrutinize the terms really carefully, you should be ok. If you don't...
There was one thing that I couldn't get a straight answer from support on. I asked about five different ways and tried to be as clear as I could. Here's the question: "If I TRY to make a withdrawal before my WR is met, will I be prevented from doing so by the system? Or will the system let me do this, and then the funds get returned to my account manually?" and of course my follow up question: "If I ACCIDENTALLY try to withdraw BEFORE the WR is met, will my winnings be void?". I was asking because obviously, this would be a way around not knowing what my remaining WR was without having to contact them each time. Anyway, I couldn't get a clear answer.
As an aside and on the subject of bonuses in general, this is why I think Netent excel in this area. Sure, their bonuses are small but whenever I receive one from them it's just that - a BONUS. Free money. I can (and have occasionally) withdraw it immediately without wagering a penny. There are no terms attached whatsoever. Now that's a genuine bonus.
DEPOSIT and WITHDRAWAL
Guess what? it's EASY to deposit! There are about a million methods for doing so! They even accept bartered goods as currency. Ok, maybe not but you get the point. Withdrawal? Haven't done so yet. Waiting to hear whether I've made the play through on that bonus and then I'll get it sent back to neteller and post an update.
LOBBY/INTERFACE
Hmmm. A bit odd actually. Games, and the cashier open in an entirely new window. Not ideal, and necessitates a bit of moving things around to get them "comfortable" on the screen so to speak. A bit clunky I think. Also, not sure how the "favourites" work; I starred a game and it disappeared. I'm probably being dense on that front though.
OVERALL
Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh, it's ok. Some nice games. Kong, Marvel etc. Had some luck as well finally but I never take that into account with a new casino. Overall I'd give it a seven. A solid seven. The key questions for me are:
1) When will live chat be back?
2) When will they introduce an easy way to check your WR?
3) When will I, will I be famoussssss! (sorry, terrible Bros joke there).
Thanks for reading, and God Bless if you got this far. Here are some screenshots for ya:
