Desert Nights Casino is an online casino operated by the well-regarded Deckmedia Group. The casino was launched in 2010 and is powered by Rival Gaming software, which undergoes regular audits to ensure the gameplay is fair. Like most online casinos, Desert Nights offers a wide range of gaming opportunities; however it is important to note that only slots games, keno games, and scratch cards count towards clearing a bonus.
What may be more important to be aware of (depending on where you live) is that many of the bonuses are country-restricted. This means that you may not be eligible to receive them, there may be limits on how much you can withdraw from each bonus, or they may have additional clearing requirements. Residents of the USA and Australia appear to be eligible for all bonuses, but residents of other countries may prefer to explore alternative online casinos.
The Desert Nights Casino No Deposit Bonus
The Desert Nights Casino no deposit bonus consists of $10 free to check out the casinos rich selection of slots games. In order to claim the bonus, all you have to do is create an account with Desert Nights Casino. Then, when you first log into your account, visit the “cashier” section of the software, where you will find a drop-down box listing all the bonuses available to you. Simply click on the “$10 FREE Sign Up Bonus” and start playing.
There is no specific casino bonus code required to take advantage of this promotion, but there are some terms and conditions connected to it. First of all it is a slots-exclusive bonus (so you won’t be able to use it to play Blackjack). Secondly there is a 50x rollover requirement before you can cash out any winnings (i.e. you have to stake $500 in wagers before requesting a withdrawal), and thirdly, the maximum amount you can win from the no deposit casino bonus is limited to $170.
The Desert Nights Casino First Deposit Bonus
The first deposit bonus at Desert Nights Casino consists of a 250% match on your first deposit up to $2,550. It is a country-exclusive bonus inasmuch as you have to live in the USA or Australia to be eligible for it, and it has quite a high rollover requirement of 35x your deposit and the bonus amount. So, if you deposit $1,000 in order to take advantage of the maximum $2,550 bonus, you will have to wager $122,500 before you are able to request a withdrawal.
To make it harder, there is a maximum bet limit of $6.50 per spin. This is lower than the industry standard of $10.00 per spin, and will affect how much you are allowed to bet on slot games with multiple payout lines. For example, if you play a game with 25 payout lines, and you can bet in units of $0.05, $0.10, $0.20 or $0.50, you will be limited to bets of $0.20 or lower per line – effectively limiting the maximum you can bet in one spin to just $5.00.
Reload Bonuses at Desert Nights Casino
Desert Nights Casino advertises its reload bonuses as “daily, weekly, and monthly”. That´s not entirely true. There is a midweek bonus available on a Wednesday, a weekend bonus available on Saturday or Sunday, and a once-a-month bonus available at any time during the month. Having said that, although this casino does not have such a wide range of reload bonuses as some others, they are fairly generous:
- The Wednesday promotion consists of a 250% “sticky” (i.e. non-withdrawable) bonus of up to $625.00.
- The weekend promotion is a 100% bonus up to $500, plus a further $50 free once you have cleared the bonus.
- The monthly promotion offers a 177% bonus on deposits up to $500 for a maximum bonus of $885.00.
As with the first deposit bonus, the rollover requirements (in my opinion) are quite high, and you are limited to a maximum bet of $6.50 while you are meeting the rollover requirements. If you are still inclined to take advantage of them, you will find the bonus offers in the drop-down box in the cashier section of the software. In their favor, none of the reload bonuses limit how much you can win – although restrictions apply to how much you can withdraw each week.
How to Create an Account at Desert Nights Casino
There are three different ways of playing at Desert Nights Casino – either via the downloadable software, the Instant Play software, or the mobile-optimized website. Unlike what is written in other Desert Nights Casino reviews, there is no difference between the three alternatives. The full range of games is available on each option, plus you can create an account and make your first deposit whatever option you choose (some reviews state you can only access the cashier from a PC).
If you choose to download the software, you can create your account during the installation process. Alternatively, simply complete the registration process via the web on your PC or mobile – making sure your personal details match the way they appear on documents you will use to verify your ID (passport, utility bill, etc.). Verifying your ID is a necessary stage before you can request a withdrawal. It also secures your account against fraud, so is a process I recommend you complete sooner rather than later.
The Deposit and Withdrawal Options
Realistically, you are only going to play at this casino if you are a resident of the USA or Australia, so you might as well ignore the banking pages on the casinos website and accept that your only deposit options are Visa, Mastercard, or American Express. Deposits made by credit or debit cards are instant; but, on your first deposit, you will be required to complete and submit a credit card authorization form – so this is a good time to go through the rest of the verification process as well.
USA customers have the option to withdraw their winnings by check (up to $3,000 per week), while customers from the USA and Australia can also request a wire transfer (up to $2,500 per week). Typically you will wait between two and four days for your request to be processed, but the casino is pretty good at keeping up to date with withdrawals, and any delays are usually attributable events outside the casinos control such as public holidays.
The Choice of Games Heavily Favours Slots Players
Considering that all the bonuses are slots-exclusive (plus a few specialty games), it’s no surprise that the vast majority of gaming options are slots-orientated. Admittedly there is a very good selection of regular slots, interactive slots, and jackpot slots, and the current jackpots available are prominently displayed on the web platform and in the downloadable client. Personally, I found playing the games better on the downloadable client, but you have to have a Windows PC in order to do this.
You can try out each slot game in “Play for Fun” mode before investing any real money in the games, and this can be a good way of determining which games are best for you to clear your bonus (considering what I wrote earlier in my Desert Nights Casino review about number of payout lines x your stake). Other than the hundreds of slots games, there is a limited number of table games (8) and video poker games (7) if you fancy a break from the action at the online slots.
The Desert Nights Rewards Program
The Desert Nights rewards program is simply called “Rewards”. It consists of a comp-points-for-cash exchange program and a “Magic Token” cashback scheme. The Comp Points element is fairly straightforward inasmuch as you are awarded between 2 and 8 Comp Points per dollar wagered on casino games (depending on your status in the rewards program). Comp Points can be exchanged for cash whenever you want via the Cashier, which is where you will also find the number of points you need to collect in order to reach the next status level.
The cashback scheme is a bit more convoluted. Each Monday, you are awarded a Magic Token provided you have made a deposit in the previous week and have net losses of more than $25.00. The value of the token is dependent on how much you have lost and represents a bonus with rollover requirements and a maximum cashout limit. It is important to note that you cannot clear two bonuses simultaneously; so, if you are already in the process of clearing a first deposit or reload bonus, you will not be eligible to receive a Magic Token as well.
Desert Nights Customer Support & Social Media
In the process of compiling this Desert Nights Casino review, I had several opportunities to engage with the site’s Customer Support. Without exception, the support team are efficient, knowledgeable and friendly. If you need help navigating the site, playing the games, or verifying your ID, customer support can be reached by Live Chat, email, or toll-free number (for USA-based players). An international number is also available for players from the rest of the world.
With regards to the site´s social media activities, the only channel worth bothering with is Facebook where the site advertises Facebook-exclusive offers such as free spins and additional reload bonuses. Unfortunately the site´s social media “Genies” don´t post much information about each offer, but at least the Customer Support team and marketing team tend to speak with each other; so you can easily go on Live Chat and find out more when you see a promotion advertised that is of interest to you.
The Pros and Cons of Playing at Desert Nights Casino
This section of my Desert Nights Casino review is basically a summary of my likes and dislikes. Naturally, they are what turned me on or off about the site and won´t necessarily apply to every player. Therefore, I recommend taking advantage of the free $10 no deposit bonus currently being offered and check it out for yourself. For the record, this is what I personally disliked about the casino:
- High rollover requirements.
- Low maximum bet limit.
- Limited rewards program.
It is also worth mentioning that, if you fail to log into your account during a 180-day period, you forfeit your balance. This condition won´t affect too many players, but it is worth mentioning and an example of why you should always read the terms and conditions of playing at an online casino before making a real money deposit. In its favor, the casino has several positives going for it:
- Good selection of fair and high-quality slots games.
- Excellent mobile platform for playing on the go.
- Top quality Customer Service team available around the clock.
Desert Nights Casino Review Conclusion
I can see why Desert Nights Casino will appeal to some players. The site offers a good gaming experience with bonuses of a sufficiently high value to generate a lot of interest. The bonuses may not be as spectacular or as numerous as on some other online casino sites, but – when reading other Desert Nights Casino reviews – it is hard to find anybody with something bad to say about the site.
Certainly there can be no complaints about the software and the sites mobile platform – both of which are excellent. The terms and conditions of playing at the site are transparent (in a good way) and, if you have any problems, there is a marvelous Customer Support team available at the click of a mouse. I might not like this online casino as much as like some others, but I suggest you take advantage of the no deposit bonus promotion while it exists and give the site a try. What´s the worst that can happen?