Reviewing Ontario-Licensed Royal Vegas: Homecoming Edition

Royal Vegas Ontario – It Feels Like a Homecoming

While it’s true that Royal Vegas Casino has never had physical roots in Canada, the news of a local license comes with the welcomed comfort of a long-awaited homecoming. From its humble launch in 2000, Royal Vegas has been delivering solace to Canadians in an otherwise sketchy industry for more than two decades. The approval of Ontario’s iGaming regulators reaffirms our confidence in the operator’s resolve to serve the Canadian community in any and all legal capacities.

When the industry was in its infancy, Royal Vegas did everything by the books (not that any books existed back then). When the US launched its 2006 legal attack against iGaming, so many operators fled not just that country, but the entire continent, to avoid the DOJ’s wrath. Royal Vegas was not among them. It closed its doors to the US, and opened them all the wider to Canadians. And as the years went by, the operator took every measure to make Canadians feel welcome. This includes the early integration of Interac payments; a rare deposit option for international websites, even today.

For 20+ years, Royal Vegas Casino has emitted nothing but love for its Canadian player base. It’s a quality that continues to earn utmost respect from us, and every other local iGamer that recognizes the operator’s unwavering level of commitment.

That being said, from this point on, this review will be written from an unbiased perspective. As with all of our reviews, it’s about facts and figures, not assumptions and preferential favoritism.

Review of Royal Vegas ON – Pros & Cons

I’ll kick this off with a preemptive side-by-side of reasons you may or may not feel Royal Vegas is right for you. We’ll get deeper into each of these topics further along on in the review.

I’d like to point out that Ontario’s edition of Royal Vegas is not a mirror of the international website. The game variety is minimal in comparison. However, I expect the operator will soon be integrating more of its usual software suppliers; hopefully to include Evolution Gaming’s live dealer studio. Only time will tell, but we’ll keep you updated on that front.

PROS (i.e. Stuff We Think You’ll Like)

CONS (i.e. Things That Might Hold You Back)

Behind the Scenes – License, Ownership, Background

Royal Vegas Ontario is a tributary of that vein, owned by Alderney-based subsidiary, Cadtree Limited. Cadtree is responsible for the brand’s registration with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (iGO) licence. You’ll find all the technical details below.

Software – Game Variety and Accessibility

The website states that it offers “over 100 online casino games”. That reference to 100+ games repeats multiple times as you browse the site. In reality, there are hundreds of games on the menu. Exactly how many you have access to will depend on how you access them.

Royal Vegas is compatible with all major operating systems, including PC, Android, and iOS. If you choose the mobile route via smartphone or tablet, you’ll have a slightly smaller selection of games, simply because some of them were built before the industry’s mobile revolution.

The Games Menu

A visit to the website doesn’t reveal much in the way of game selection. Only a few of the most popular titles are on display. Once you create an account and log in, that’s when you get to see just how voluptuous the menu really is.

Myriad slot machines line the virtual menu; 3-reel classics, elaborate pay-line and fixed-line video slots, and games with anywhere from 248 to 200,000+ ways to win. If you like progressive jackpots, Royal Vegas won’t disappoint. Microgaming is the proud host of the world-famous Mega Moolah Progressive. It spans a vast network and series of slot machines, and carries a mega jackpot that seeds at a whopping $1 million.

The tables games menu offers all the favorites, including a variety of baccarat, blackjack and roulette games, along with a few less common titles. There are a number of “live dealer” tables on the menu, but they aren’t the usual live casino variety. The dealers are live, but the games are not. These come from Microgaming’s innovative table games partners, On Air Entertainment and Real Deal Studios.

Here is a quick preview of some of the top titles:

Royal Vegas Mobile Casino Ontario – No App for That

Royal Vegas is fully optimized for in-browser play on most systems, including desktop PC and most mobile devices. If you have an Android, iOS, or Windows smartphone or tablet, you can access the games without need of a download. Good thing too, because there is no download available. Royal Vegas ON is mobile compliant, but there’s no app for that.

Like the desktop edition, everything loads up seamlessly in any compatible mobile browser. The creator’s made every effort to make the desktop and mobile versions as similar as possible, but there are a few differences. Most notably, the game selection in the mobile version is slightly smaller. this is because royal Vegas and its leading software supplier, Microgaming, have been working together since long before the mobile gaming revolution. Some of their long-time favorites were never optimized for mobile play, but you can still enjoy them on PC.

The lack of an app isn’t a downside, really. The desktop and mobile browser editions work flawlessly, and have all the features you should expect from a top-tier iGaming website. Navigation is straightforward and games load quickly. The same cannot be said of the international website’s downloadable app, which has struggled to achieve even a 3-star rank on app stores. So, perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise. 

Payment Options – Deposit & Withdraw in CAD

Note that the minimum deposit required by Royal Vegas is just $10. However, some payment providers (e.g. your bank) may require a higher minimum to transfer. The minimum withdrawal, regardless of method, is $50.

Promotions – The Best Kept Secret in Ontario

According to local regulations, we simply cannot tell you about the promotions on tap at Royal Vegas. There are promos available, we can say that much. But we can offer you no details. We can’t even tell you if they’re good, bad, or somewhere in between.

iGaming Ontario strictly forbids public advertisement of inducements. It’s just one of the many ways the province strives to protect players from the potential harms of gambling, and the all-too-common practice of predatory marketing in lax jurisdictions. We can’t fault them for it, so kudos to you, Ontario, for resting on your laurels.

Customer Support – There When You Need It

Before you open a live chat or start typing an email, I recommend visiting the interactive help desk. It covers a bunch of topics, providing answers to the most common questions, and then some. Topics include:

• Verification Documents
• Location Services
• Two-Step Verification
• Deposit Queries
• Withdrawal Queries
• My Account
• New To Casino
• Promotions
• Technical Support
• Responsible Gaming

If you’re new to online gambling, check out the New To Casino section for a quick-start guide. And if you still need assistance, or have a question not covered by the Help Portal, live chat and email support are available. Live chat is the best route for a quick response. With email, you can usually expect a reply in 1-2 hours.

There is only one thing that leaves me scratching my head. You must be logged into the online casino to access live chat or even a link to email support. I suppose they don’t want to deal with queries from ineligible players outside Ontario, but I’ve never known a gambling site to withhold basic support from potential non-members. For the record, you can reach support here: feedback@playersupportcentre.ca