Every time I open my laptop to write a casino review, I am curious to see what theme I am going to encounter, and its relevance to my life.
With Desert Nights Casino, it’s pretty clear that if you are a fan of the movie Aladdin, then you will be pleased with what you see.
I will admit that this isn’t entirely my cup of tea, but I always strive to give you an objective, honest review of every casino I visit.
This is what you will get with my review of Desert Nights Casino, just without all the glitz of a Disney movie.
About Desert Nights Casino
Desert Nights Casino is part of the group of casinos owned and operated by the Deckmedia Group. This is a group that is also responsible for brands like Spartan Slots Casino, Black Diamond Casino, Box 24 Casino and Red Stag Casino. You can find our reviews of all their brands right here at Legit Gambling Sites.
I like the fact that a company like Deckmedia has several different brands that are using different providers. Many times a casino group can get stuck just pushing out carbon copies of their most popular brands, but we all become more savvy about researching casinos and their backgrounds (I mean, you are reading this review, right?). As far as I can tell, Deckmedia is trying to make each of their brands have a very different look to them, which I also think is valuable in trying to cross-promote their brands to inactive players.
The Deckmedia Group of casinos, including Desert Nights Casino, are licensed by the gaming authority of Curacao. For those of you who don’t know where Curacao is located, it is a small island off the coast of Venezuela that is a Dutch province. A small island becoming a place where online casinos can receive a license is nothing new; it’s really more of a cash grab by the country, and there are all too many operators willing to plunk down the cash to get the seal of approval.
Software Suppliers
As I mentioned earlier, Deckmedia has relationships with several online casino providers. Desert Nights Casino has selected to use Rival Gaming’s offering. I did see in some older reviews that this casino was using Real Time Gaming software, but this does not seem to be the case at the time of writing this review in 2017. I am not sure why the change happened; usually, it isn’t a good sign when a casino switches platforms entirely. It doesn’t seem like anything too bad happened here, though; Deckmedia does maintain brands using RTG, so maybe it was just a case of wanting to split their assets a little differently.
Whatever the reason, I am comfortable with Rival as a choice for Desert Nights Casino as they have been in the market for well over a decade and continue to innovate rather than resting on their laurels.
Who Can Play at Desert Nights Casino
Good news for those of you living in the U.S. – Desert Nights Casino is available for you to play! As the company is licensed in Curacao, there are no restrictions on taking American players, so for the time being the countries that are restricted from play at Desert Nights Casino looks like this:
- Israel
- Afghanistan
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Canada
- Finland
- Guam
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Kazakhstan
- Lebanon
- Netherlands Antilles
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Syria
Most of these are pretty standard for being blocked (a lot of scammers come from those countries) but I am a bit shocked to see Canada on the list as it is usually lumped in with the U.S. when it comes to playing restrictions.
The Good Stuff
I-Slots
I am a big fan of the I-Slots games developed by Rival Gaming. What they have managed to do is improve the overall slots experience by injecting a layer of skill into the games, giving players a chance to enhance their ability to win big prizes.
These games are what set Rival apart from many of their competitors. I-Slots feature second screens that take characters in the game through a story, and along the way the player gets to play skill-based bonus games for extra spins and coins. Rival has done an excellent job with the graphics on these games, and they are definitely headed in the right direction by adding more titles all the time.
I-Slots are a major game changer in the slots industry, as skill based games continue to become more and more popular, especially with younger players. You get your chance to be ahead of the game by playing some of the great titles that Desert Nights Casino has in their I-Slots lobby:
- Panda Party
- Midway Madness
- Wild Safari
- Sherwood Forest Fortunes
- Hole in Won: The Back Nine
- Japan-O-Rama
- Bowled Over
- Heavyweight Gold
- As the Reels Turn 2: The Gamble
- A Switch in Time
- Fixer Upper
- Spy Game
- Psycheodelic Sixties
- Rock On
- Cosmic Quest II: Mystery Planets
- Cosmic Quest I: Mission Control
- Baby Boomers: Cash Cruise
- As the Reels Turn 3: Blinded By Love
- Hole in Won
- Reel Crime 2: Art Heist
- Reel Crime 1: Bank Heist
- As the Reels Turn 1: “With Friends Like You”
I am certain when you get used to playing these advanced slots titles, you will keep coming back for more excitement.
Jackpot Games
If you have read any of my other reviews, you will probably already know that while I don’t play a lot of slots games on the regular, I do always search out a good progressive jackpot. I am not greedy; it doesn’t have to be a seven-figure payday jackpot, I will take a simple smaller amount. Actually, the smaller amounts lead me to believe that people are actually able to hit those jackpots, so you shouldn’t be scared off by a small progressive…maybe it’s your turn to win!
Desert Nights Casino has access to the Rival games network progressives, which means their jackpots will grow a little faster as they are pooling all players who are with Rival Gaming clients who have opted-in to be part of these games. Their largest jackpot at the writing of this review was over $240,000, but check their website for an updated list. Here are the games they currently offer with jackpots:
- Jackpot Five Times
- Major Moolah
- Money Magic
- One Million Reels BC
- Strike Gold
The Bad Stuff
Bonus Restrictions
It appears that not all players are the same at Desert Nights Casino. For some reason, there are players from certain countries that do not qualify for any promotions or bonuses at the casino. Here is information directly from their website Terms and Conditions:
I understand that when you get certain gaming licenses that this type of restriction is part of the deal, but this is the first I have heard of it from a casino “licensed” in Curacao. I have reached out to the team at Desert Nights Casino for an explanation, and when I receive a response, it will be posted with this review.
Less Than Stellar Ongoing Promotions
Desert Nights Casino doesn’t do a great job in trying to get you to come back on a regular basis, at least from a promotional standpoint. It’s a total bummer to get all the way to their promotions page to simply find a couple of re-worded deposit bonuses.
It would be nice to see some tournaments or leaderboards strewn in there, and I am hopeful that Deckmedia will get around to updating the Desert Nights Casino promotions to bring them up to the level of their competitors.
Game Selection
Rival Gaming has an excellent roster of games available for play at Desert Nights Casino. While they may not have the sheer volume of titles of some of their competitors, what they have provided are high-quality games that are quick, and graphics-rich no matter if you are downloading the casino or playing in either their PC or mobile browser version.
I talked earlier about Desert Nights Casino’s great I-Slots games, but they casino also has over 150 other games for your betting enjoyment. Let’s have a look at some of them now:
Table Games
When I review casinos, especially their table games offerings, I look for a couple of specific things. First, I look at the selection of the game variants available to me as a player. I assume that all the majors will be covered, but any interesting progressive games are always an added bonus. Second, I want to play games that are very responsive; there is nothing worse than a delay when you have doubled down only to find out the delay has drawn to 21 to beat you. Desert Nights Casino has both a good stable of games and games that are quick to play….now if I could actually find a 10 when I double down. Here are the games that Desert Nights Casino offers in its Table Games lobby:
- Baccarat
- Blackjack
- Multi-hand Blackjack
- Craps
- Pai Gow Poker
- Red Dog
- American Roulette
Traditional Slots Games
- Aussie Rules
- Catsino
- Golden Gorilla
- Ice Picks
- Leonardo’s Loot
- 5 Reel Circus
- Arabian Tales
- Candy Cottage
- Cleopatra’s Coins
- Coins Of Olympus
- Cream Of The Crop
- Fantasy Fortune
- Fast Lane
- Five Reel Bingo
- Gobblers Gold
- Gushers Gold
- Hobo’s Hoard
- Jacques Pot – Gourmet Slot
- Lions Roar
- Lost Secret of Atlantis
- Moonshiners Moolah
- Nuclear Fishin’
- Ocean Treasure
- Reel of Fortune
- Reel Party
- Reel Party Platinum
- Scary Rich 3
- Secret Garden
- So 80’s
- Spartan Warrior
- Summer Ease
- Travel Bug
- Vintage Vegas
- Wheel of Cash
- Wild Carnival
- Winter Wonders
- Zombiezee Money
Three Reel Slots
If you want to dive even deeper into the old school slots pool, then the original three reel slots at Desert Nights Casino are perfect for you. Even though they may have some updated graphics and themes, these games play a lot like the old “One Armed Bandits” of glory days gone by. Here are some of the more popular Three Reel Slots at Desert Nights Casino:
- Diamond Dazzle
- Five Times Wins
- MegaWins
- Pistols & Roses
- Ten Times Wins
- Big Cash Win
- Fantastic Fruit
- Flea Market
- Gold Rush
- Loco 7s
- Milk the Cash Cow
- Red White and Bleu
- Sevens and Bars
- Snow Wonder
Video Poker
If you are a big video poker player, then you may find the options at Desert Nights Casino a little bit underwhelming. While they do cover off the basics of the game, I am personally a big fan of getting my money in on a 50 or 100 hand version of the game, and these are unfortunately not available for play at Desert Nights Casino. Regardless, there are several available video poker games, which you can see below:
- Aces and Faces
- Deuces and Joker
- Deuces Wild
- Double Joker
- Jacks or Better
- Joker Poker
- Tens or Better
Specialty Games
Sometimes when I am growing weary after a long session at the Pai Gow table, I like to give my mind a rest by playing some non-traditional games. In a land based casino, that usually meant going to the bar or maybe to the café and playing a little Keno while grabbing a bite to eat. Desert Nights Casino gives me the option to play some fun games, including Keno and Sudoku, in their Specialty Games category. Here you will also find bingo as well as some fun scratch card games:
- Keno
- Box Sudoku Game
- Vegas Jackpot Keno
- 30 Ball Bingo
- 80 Ball Bingo
- American Bingo
- Cavalier Cash
- Beach Bum
- Ithcin’s to Win
- Gunslinger’s Gold
Promotions
Having reviewed many Deckmedia casinos, I expected to be able to cut and paste many of the casino’s promotions from other reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised when I clicked on the Desert Nights Casino Promotions page. While I wouldn’t call the offering fantastic, there is a little something for everyone, which to me is more important when trying to find a good casino for some of our novice players. Here are some of the promotions that they have on their site:
No-Deposit Bonus
I love a small chip to try out a casino. I think we all know that it isn’t likely going to turn out to be a winner, but regardless the fact that Desert Nights Casino wants to let you try their games for real money shows that their marketing team knows what they are doing. You receive a $10 chip for signing up an account, and they are up front with the wager requirements: 50x, with a max cashout of $170. There is no excuse; you should all create accounts and at least play the free chip.
Welcome Bonus
The Welcome Bonus at Desert Nights Casino is split in three, but what is nice is that the third piece is a $50 free chip. The first two are 100% deposit bonuses up to $1000 and $1500 respectively, and when you have completed the two deposits, you will receive the free chip.
Wagering requirements for the deposit bonus are 28x, which is nice and competitive, and the $50 free chip comes with a playthrough of 40x which is also a little better than most free chip promotions.
Banking
As with most casinos that take U.S. players, credit cards are front and center when it comes to depositing options. Desert Nights Casino is apparently paying the right payment processors to take cards from the U.S., although it always pays to check to see if they have other options as it still can be hit or miss depending on your issuing bank.
Here is a list of the deposit and withdrawal methods at Desert Nights Casino:
Deposits
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Ecopayz
- Electronic Funds Transfer
Withdrawals
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Wire Transfer
- Check
- Ecopayz
It seems that the maximum that you can withdraw in a week is currently $2500, although it is likely higher for VIP players.
Comp Program
Desert Nights Casino does have a standard comp program, similar to many of its competitors. It’s pretty simple: as you play for real money in the casino, you will earn comp points that correspond to the amount you bet and the game you are playing. Every 1,000 comp points earned is worth $1 of real money, and when you reach the minimum amount to be able to convert, you just press a button that is labeled “Convert to Cash, ” and you can make the transaction immediately.
The same restrictions on promotions that we mentioned before apply to the comp points program at Desert Nights Casino.
VIP Program
There is a 4-tiered VIP program at Desert Nights Casino. What is nice about this program is the initial qualification is simple: all you have to do is make 5 real money deposits, regardless of play, to qualify for the initial level. That’s where my praise ends. Here’s the outline of each level straight from their site and let’s see if you notice anything:
- Unique birthday surprise
- Dedicated VIP only promotions
- Exclusive freeplay on our newest game releases
- Dedicated VIP-only promotions
- Exclusive free-play on our newest game-releases
- Extra Comp Points as you wager
- Weekly Cashback plan
- Unique birthday surprise
- Faster withdrawals and payments
- Personalized VIP service, with our dedicated VIP manager at your disposal
- Dedicated VIP-only promotions
- Exclusive free-play on our newest game-releases
- Extra Comp Points as you wager
- Weekly Cashback plan
- Unique birthday surprise
- Faster withdrawals and payments
- Personalized VIP service, with our dedicated VIP manager at your disposal
- Dedicated VIP-only promotions
- Exclusive free-play on our newest game-releases
- Extra Comp Points as you wager
- Weekly Cashback plan
- Unique birthday surprise
- Faster withdrawals and payments
- Personalized VIP service, with our dedicated VIP manager at your disposal
Notice anything there? Like the fact that each level has the same rewards without any explanation of the differences in levels of service or bonuses?
This is a feeble effort on the part of Desert Nights Casino just to throw this up there – I hope their marketing department reads this and puts more detail on these pages.
Customer Service
Desert Nights Casino offers 24/7 Customer Support via all three of the standard methods: email, phone, and live chat. In fact, while I was messing around on their website, the live chat option was a fixture on the corner of my window, which I love as a feature.
According to online casino forums, the response time from Desert Nights Casino is pretty decent. I haven’t yet tried it out myself, but when I do, I will report back to you all.
Would I Play at Desert Nights Casino?
I think Desert Nights Casino has its benefits and its issues, much like most online casinos. As far as the Deckmedia brands go, I would place Desert Nights Casino right in the middle of the pack. While their game offering is excellent and I do love the I-Slots catalog, there aren’t enough promotions or details on the VIP program to make it appealing to more than the casual player.
While I won’t be making a deposit myself anytime soon (I am too much of a degenerate and need my bonuses stacked on top of one another haha) I would say that if you want to give them a shot then for sure play their free chip.
After that, see what you think and make sure you contact them to let them know you want extra bonuses – sometimes casinos respond to that for fear they may lose you as a player! Let us know your thoughts and experiences with Desert Nights Casino, and we’ll add them to this review.