Casino Site Expert Review: Tropez Casino

History

Casino Tropez is one of the longer established online casinos, having first begun operating in 2001. Its parent company is called Imperial E-Club Limited and it is incorporated in the jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda. As you’d expect from a company with ten years experience in the industry Casino Tropez offers a product that has been refined and optimised with the experience of dealing with the needs of its players over a considerable time period.

Casino Website

The casino website has a sleek black background which looks good and enables the colourful graphics of the games to stand out clearly and enticingly. The main casino page is well laid out with links at the top to all you need, including your account, bonus offers, support and banking. On the left side is a menu with all the games offered. This is nicely divided up into quite a few categories which make choosing the right game quite easy. The categories include Classic Slots, Video Slots, Table Games, Live Dealers, Arcade Games, Video Poker, Progressive Jackpots and Multiplayer Games. When you click on a category all the games offered appear in the main screen. There is also a facility for storing your favourite games which is always useful, and even a search box to locate the game you want quickly, which is a rare but very useful tool on online casino sites. The only slight drawback to the website design is that there is so much information you need to scroll down to see it all.

Software

The site is powered by Playtech software and is available in either a download or instant play Flash version. It offers the full range of Playtech games, with over 350 games available in total, including all the traditional favourites such as roulette and blackjack, as well as a considerable range of more modern games including multi-player games, video poker, arcade games and many slots with progressive jackpots.

Live Casino

There is a live casino section easily accessed from the menu on the main casino page. It offers Baccarat, Blackjack and Roulette. A nice feature is that when you select which game you want you are given a selection of mini images of each game in progress so you can choose which dealer you want. A slight drawback though is that even though they make it easy to choose the dealer without having to actually launch the game, there is no personal biographical information given on the dealers themselves.

Customer Support

Customer support is comprehensive, with 24/7 chat and phone, as well as email, regular mail and fax available. Their 24/7 chat facility is excellent however, and is probably the best way to contact them. This is available from a button in the top left of the main casino lobby at any time, which really is a very reassuring thing to have in an online casino. You know that there is someone there to answer your queries very quickly, with the waiting time to talk to a representative usually very short.

Payment Methods

Banking options, specifically withdrawal methods, are a bit limited in comparison with other sites. The casino uses its own subsidiary called Fastengine Processing Ltd which may account for this. Deposit methods are fairly good though, and include credit and debit cards, Neteller, Moneybookers/Skrill, Ukash, Paysafecard, Bank Transfer, and Internet Banking. Withdrawal methods include Visa credit cards, Neteller, Moneybookers/Skrill, bank transfers and cheque. It is not possible to use debit cards or Mastercard credit cards to withdraw though, which is a noticeable shortcoming. Overall, the banking options aren't bad and should cater to the needs of most customers but they are definitely more limited than many other sites.

Safety and Security

The security of your personal and financial information is of paramount concern to most people and unfortunately the site does not offer a comprehensive statement of how they ensure this. Their privacy policy is clearly stated however so you know how your personal information will be used, and there is some reassurance in the fact that they are regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission of Antigua and Barbuda and must therefore follow stringent international guidelines pertaining to the handling of personal information.

Licence

The casino operates under a licence issued by the Directorate of Offshore Gaming of Antigua and Barbuda.

Reliability & Fairness

Casino Tropez offers the security attached to all Playtech products, with periodic testing by Technical Systems Testing North America Inc. (TST) to ensure fairness and reliability in their payouts. This statement that their products are ‘periodically’ tested is, however, slightly less rigorous than some casinos which guarantee monthly testing of all games.

Social Engagement

As with other casino sites Casino Tropez does promote responsible gaming, with tips to ensure this and links to problem gambling sites such as Gamblers Anonymous and GambleAware. There is little else to indicate wider engagement with the community though, which is slight downside as it’s always nice to think that you are contributing to a company that does more than just make money.

Mobile / Tablets

Casino Tropez offers an excellent array of games for playing on their mobile casino. These include Blackjack, Roulette, Video Poker, Keno, Baccarat and quite a few slots. It is easy to sign up, either by filling out a short form on the website after which you will be sent an SMS with details of hoe to sign up, or going straight to their site on your mobile browser. Quite a few mobile platforms are supported, including iPhone and Android operating systems.

Free Demo Play

Definitely a negative for this site - there are no obvious free play options, or at least none that can be found easily. So make sure you have a good idea of the game before you start playing it!

Promotions and bonuses

The current welcome package is worth up to $3000. It comprises a 100% deposit bonus up to $100 on your first deposit, a 50% deposit bonus up to $200 on your second deposit, and a 100% deposit bonus up to $100 for deposits made on a Sunday for the first 27 Sundays of your membership. The wagering requirements vary a bit but are between 25x and 40x the bonus. There is also a $500 dollar high roller bonus for those that like to bet big, which is useful because you can access it from the start of your membership rather than having to wait until you attain VIP status. There are special bonuses for signing up to their mobile site, with an excellent 110% deposit bonus, and they also have a $50 refer-a-friend bonus. And lastly, they have a very useful 10-15% bonus on offer for certain deposit methods, including Moneybookers, Ukash and bank transfers.

Loyalty Scheme

Like other casino sites Casino Tropez has a comp point scheme, with bets you place earning you comp points which you can redeem for cash and which will also move you up their VIP levels. The comp points you earn vary with each game and for some games can be quite considerable with, for example, a £9 bet on slots earning you one comp point but you need a $30 bet on Blackjack to earn one comp point. This is not very generous in comparison to other sites, but considering their Sunday bonus scheme of $100 deposit bonuses lasts for 27 weeks then taken together you are well rewarded for the first half year of using the site anyway, and by then you may well have moved up the VIP levels and be earning comp points quicker.

VIP Scheme

There is a VIP scheme with seven levels, from Club to Gold and Platinum finishing with Premier Club. You move up these levels based on the comp points you earn, with each level giving you access to more and more bonuses and promotions including faster withdrawal times, personal account managers, special tournaments and restricted prizes.

Pros

• Games well organised with search facility for easy access
• Excellent customer support with prominent chat facility
• Very good initial bonuses and promotions

Cons

• After first 27 weeks loyalty bonuses not that great
• Withdrawal methods somewhat limited
• Doesn’t offer games from other software providers

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