I wouldn’t suggest that the real money casino world has been too ambitious when it comes to pushing the envelope over the years. After all, don’t gamblers just want to deposit their money and play their favorite slot machines or Table Games? Well, with the rise of video gaming and social casinos, the traditional casino world is at a crossroad: stick with the current business model or adapt for a new generation of players?
Today, I am very excited to bring you my review of one casino that is taking a huge leap when it comes to what they are offering. Casino Heroes is the first casino that I have come across in my twenty years in this business that tries to wrap a Role-Playing Game (RPG) and social casino achievements around their real money casino offering. But, the question is, does this work? I’ll be taking it nice and slow in this review to try to explain how everything fits together and to decide if this is a casino you more traditional players want to try.
Casino Heroes, which was formerly known as Casino Saga, is a multi-level gaming experience brought to you by Hero Gaming Ltd., which lists its offices as being in Malta. The site has been in existence since 2014, making it one of the newer brands in the market. This is not entirely shocking when you see the type of game they are offering.
Surprisingly, Casino Heroes has chosen to go the route of having multiple gaming licenses. The site is currently licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Curacao Gaming Authority. Having the three licenses ensures that players from all over the world are covered, but I can tell you that the Curacao license does not hold nearly as much weight as the other two. I am still happy to see that the company went through the process with each jurisdiction, and that takes away some of my fear that comes from the site being so young.
The games at Casino Heroes are mobile-compatible; this even includes the RPG version, which is filled with all sorts of bells and whistles. They also have an app available for iPhone and iPad users (no Android app at this stage).
Who Can Play at Casino Heroes?
When I read that the casino had three gaming licenses, I was expecting the list of restricted countries to be significantly longer than what I found. Perhaps it is the fact there is a “skill” component to the games that give the site a loophole when it comes to some of the grey market countries. Whatever the reason, I am pleased not to have to list too many countries that cannot access these games for real money:
- China
- France
- Guadeloupe
- Guyane (French Guiana)
- Hong Kong
- Italy
- Martinique
- Reunion
- Russia
- United States
Software Suppliers
Again, when I first read about this casino and the new concepts they were bringing to the industry, I was a bit concerned as to what software they would choose. After all, the casino play itself is only part of the overall experience at Casino Heroes, so you could see why they might not be as concerned about the quality of the games.
The good news for my readers is that not only is that not the case, but the folks at Casino Heroes have chosen to work with several top providers, including:
- Betsoft
- Evolution Gaming
- Microgaming
- NetEnt
- Play’n GO
- Push Gaming
- Quickspin
- Yggdrasil Gaming
Pros and Cons
PROS
- Innovation Is a Good Thing
- “Mega” Jackpots
Cons
- Innovation Is a Bad Thing
- No VIP Program
Innovation Is a Good Thing
Look, I know that many of you who read this review or head to the homepage of Casino Heroes will be instantly turned off by what you find. The concept of adding in a role-playing game to the casino experience is completely foreign to most gamblers. But, what if you were looking at it from the other direction: casino games being an integral part of an RPG? I think what Casino Heroes is doing really pushes the envelope and I hope more casinos will start to take these types of risks.
“Mega” Jackpots
For the casino traditionalists out there (I am still one, I just have to be more open-minded given what I do for a living), you will still find a ton of great jackpots at Casino Heroes. This includes the Mega Moolah slot machine from Microgaming, which currently as a jackpot set at over 7 Million euros! One of these days I am going to hit a big progressive, I just know it! The jackpots are listed in their own tab in the casino lobby for easy access.
Innovation Is a Bad Thing
The way the website is presented at Casino Heroes, I suspect many players will immediately be turned off. There aren’t enough references to the casino games themselves, replaced instead with all the different characters and worlds that are part of the RPG portion of the game. It is my suggestion that the management changes some of the design of this homepage to include more casino references to attract the more traditional real money gambler.
No VIP Program
With all the new and innovative parts of this casino, I am saddened to find out that there’s not a real VIP program in place. Yes, everything seems to be achievement based and you can complete worlds and move forward in the game, but I would also like to see something that looks more like the VIP programs that make other casinos very successful and breed loyal players.
Game Selection
This review is very different than many of the reviews I have written in the past. Before I get into the casino games and talk about each section in more detail, I feel it is important to have you understand exactly how the whole site works, including the RPG and social aspects of the gaming. So settle in, and let me see if I can make this all a little bit clearer for you.
The Casino Heroes site is built around a game in which you are a hero whose job it is to defeat the bosses placed by the evil dragon who has stolen the king’s crown and has hidden it on Treasure Mountain.
Are you still there?
Ok, yes, I will admit that this is a bit childish if you are just looking to play some table games and slots. But stay with me here.
To advance in each of the worlds and unlock the next, you need to accumulate XP, which you get by playing slots and table games. This is no different than a typical casino, where you receive points for playing. Where things get different is that when you get to the end of the status bar, you meet up with a Boss who you have to fight. If you win, you are rewarded with things like free spins, bonus dollars, and rubies, which can be used to buy things in the store. If you lose the boss battle, you are set back a bit in the game and have to reach that level again.
See, it isn’t all that bad, right?
I know it is going to be confusing at first, but since anyone under 50 grew up with some form of video game in their life, I feel like Casino Heroes is on the right track here.
Now that the RPG part of the game is hopefully more understandable, let’s get into the casino games themselves.
Slots
Casino Heroes is without question a casino that is heavily weighted towards slots. This makes sense given the type of player they seem to be trying to attract with all the achievements and RPG functionality. So, it seems like this is a good spot for me to start my review.
Now, those of you who read my reviews on the regular will know that I am not much of a slots player, but I do love a good progressive jackpot, so I jumped into to Mega Moolah right away and went hunting to become a millionaire. Two things happened: one, I did not win the jackpot, so it is still there for you, and two, I managed to earn enough points to earn a fight with the Big Boss. Which I lost. I guess my Sega Genesis skills are long gone.
As for the full slots catalog, you will find a great variety that comes from having multiple providers in the same lobby. This means that you will find everything from the traditional 3-reel classics to games that feature much more detailed characters and storylines. Here are just a few of the titles that caught my attention:
- 108 Heroes
- 2 Million B.C.
- 4 Seasons
- Ariana
- Basketball Star
- Beach
- Bell of Fortune
- Bicicleta
- Break da Bank Again
- Bridesmaids
- Chibeasties 2
- Creature Black Lagoon
- Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
- Egyptian Heroes
- Elements: The Awakening
- Red Riding Hood
- Game of Thrones
- Game of Thrones 15-Line
- Guns N’ Roses
- Holmes the Stolen Stones
- Jack Hammer Vs. Dr. Wüten
- Golden Age
- Legend White Snake Lady
- Miles Bellhouse
- Paradise Found
- Quest for Immortality
- The Book of Dead
- The Grand Journey
- The Groovy 60s
- The Hidden Temple
- The Honeymooners
- Secret of the Sword
- ….and many more!
Video Poker
I am glad I started with the slots area because I would have been disappointed if I had first checked out my favorite games: the Video Poker games. Despite having the option of taking all 26 of the Microgaming variants, the site has chosen only to have a handful of games available. Well, at least one of them has a progressive jackpot, so there is a silver lining.
Here are the options you will find under the Video Poker tab:
- Jacks or Better
- Jackpot Poker
- Joker Poker
- Kings or Better
- Tens or Better
- Deuces and Joker Wild
- Double Bonus Poker
Table Games
When I saw that the Table Games tab had Blackjack and Roulette separated out of it, I was wondering if that was because there were so many choices that they didn’t want to get these titles lost in the shuffle. Once again, however, I found myself disappointed as there are many of the traditional table games missing. To make things worse, the Live Dealer games are mixed into these tabs, leaving the Live Casino tab unclickable.
Well, despite not being able to play games I like such as Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Pai Gow, I did manage to get an excellent Blackjack session in, which highlighted the speed and graphical quality of the game.
Here are the Random Number Generator Table Games you will find at Casino Heroes:
- Blackjack
- European Roulette
- English Roulette
- Roulette La Partage
- European Blackjack
- Casino Stud Poker
- Casino Hold’em
Live Casino
OK, here is a section that I have only favorable things to talk about. The Live Dealer games at Casino Heroes are powered by Evolution Gaming, who are far and away the industry’s leader. The engagement with a live dealer really transforms the gaming experience and combined with the RPG aspects of the site, it really takes away the feel of playing in a cold, digital environment.
If you haven’t tried Live Dealer games before, this is the perfect site to do so. The gameplay is excellent, and there is a full suite of games to choose from:
- Dream Catcher
- Casino Hold’em
- Baccarat
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Ultimate Casino Hold’em
- Three Card Poker
- Speed Baccarat
- Caribbean Stud Poker
Promotions
Given that Casino Heroes has broken all the rules when it comes to how an online casino is run, I wondered to myself if the promotions and bonuses would also be radically different. This might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back when it comes to attracting traditional real money gamblers, as these bonuses can directly affect the profitability of a player.
Let’s have a look at the promotional area of Casino Heroes and see what we find.
Welcome Bonus
New players are hit with an offer before they even consider making a deposit: $5 free in your account. I love when a casino offers players something just for opening an account. The most important thing a casino can do when they convince you to give them your information is to give you a reason to jump right into the games and play. This is a very traditional way to engage with a real money gambler, and I think it is a smart move for Casino Heroes to take this path.
When you are ready to make your initial deposit, you are offered two different promotions, from which you can only choose one:
I like that there are two options here for you to choose from, but the amount of the cash bonus is not very large. Even though I am not a slots player, I might be more inclined to take the 300 spins option here.
Second Deposit Bonus
The bonuses don’t stop with your first deposit. If you need to reload, then you can take advantage of this offer:
Again, while the bonus dollar amount is low, having the option of that or Free Spins is a nice touch.
The wagering requirement for bonuses is 40x the deposit, which is in the acceptable range.
Missions and Challenges
For the ongoing promotions, Casino Heroes has a series of missions that are time-sensitive. When you register for a mission, should you complete it and follow the terms (some involve having to make a deposit), then you are rewarded with free spins, free play or rubies: the digital currency used inside the store.
The Ruby Store
When you are playing at Casino Heroes, aside from XP, you also earn rubies for meeting challenges and beating bosses. You can redeem these rubies in the ruby store. Here is how the site describes it:
I like the idea that you can redeem these tokens for cash that does not have a wagering requirement, although I would like the site to be more transparent with what the conversion rates are for each of these awards. This information seems to be hidden behind the wall of having to have registered for an account, and I don’t think that is a great way to promote the rewards program for any casino.
Banking
When it comes to banking, you are going to see the standard methods that are available for a real money casino. Even though the offering has more social and RPG aspects to it, at the end of the day this is still a real money casino, and the deposit and withdrawal transactions will be tagged as such. I haven’t seen any complaints about slow pay so you can assume that everything is currently smooth from a banking perspective.
Deposit Methods
- Bank Wire Transfer
- MasterCard
- Neteller
- Visa
- iDEAL
- Fast Bank Transfer
- Skrill
- PugglePay
Withdrawal Methods
- Bank Wire Transfer
- MasterCard
- Neteller
- Visa
- Skrill
Customer Service
So, for me, doing well in this area is more important for this casino than perhaps any other casino I have reviewed in my career. Given the nature of the site and the elements that aren’t found anywhere else, I really need there to be many layers to the customer support department. I suspect players will have more questions for this casino than any other they have played with.
The first thing I was greeted with when I clicked on the Help link was an FAQ section that was absolutely full of answers to the questions that I had. It very clearly explains what the boss battles are all about, how to use your rubies, and how their mobile game works. I am very impressed with what I see here, and I am certain the majority of your queries will be solved by reading this page.
If you need to contact the casino for any reason, you can do so via live chat, or via many of the social media methods like Facebook and Twitter. There is no telephone number, but that is fine as you can still speak to someone in real time via the chat function.
Would I Play at Casino Heroes?
I don’t know if I have ever been more torn with an answer to this question for any other casino I have reviewed. There are so many unique factors at play here that I want to give you all an honest, measured response.
First of all, I fully and loudly applaud what the folks at Casino Heroes are trying to achieve with this site. The gaming world is evolving, and operators need to adapt to the changing times to not be left behind. However, I suspect the real money casino world is not quite ready for the Role Playing Game part of the site. I am sure that when different themes (how about playing sports games instead of fighting bosses?) are introduced, the concept will catch on.
From a pure casino standpoint, I went from the elation of seeing so many software providers to the disappointment of having so few table game and video poker options. I think the site needs to address this in order to appease those who really only want to play casino games but will put up with the other sections of the site.
Overall, I am very impressed with Casino Heroes. If you are someone willing to try something new, then I can highly recommend this site to you. If you are a traditionalist and not yet ready to make the leap, then my suggestion is that you read some of my other reviews and find a site that is more up your alley.