In the online casino world, we sometimes come across an ownership group responsible for many different casino brands. In some cases, that means nothing more than a carbon copy of one site to another with a different name and logo. The more innovative groups try to differentiate by using different software vendors, coming up with different promotions and changing the look and feel of a site, so it isn’t as obvious that it is owned by the same group (think of all the different-themed casinos owned by MGM in Las Vegas for example). Desert Nights Casino fits into the latter category; we are going to take an in-depth look at the brand, its owners and everything it has to offer to determine if it is a legit casino for your real money play.
Desert Nights is one of many brands owned by the Deckmedia Group of Casinos. They own over a dozen sites, including some brands you may recognize like Spartan Slots Casino, Black Diamond Casino, Box 24 Casino and Red Stag Casino. Deckmedia is licensed by the country of Curacao, a small country off the coast of Venezuela. This Dutch colony is home to many online gaming licensees, mainly due to its loose process of keeping their casinos in check. This is a great location to receive a license if you are an operator who plans to take action from the U.S. market, as there are no restrictions on play from that country.
As mentioned above, Deckmedia has chosen to differentiate by having different brands under their umbrella use different pieces of software. For a long time, Real Time Gaming was the supplier used by Desert Nights, but today the casino is using Rival Gaming. We can only presume the switch was the decision of Deckmedia; they still use RTG for other casinos, so it isn’t likely a fallout or violation of terms that caused the switch.
As there are no restrictions on play at Desert Nights for American players, it is hard not to make these guys a legit place to play for U.S. players. Having said that, there are definitely better sites as far as promotions go (you’ll see as we get deeper into this review).
As we mentioned off the top, when a group owns more than one casino brand, they often save time by cutting and pasting promotions across the different brands. It was a pleasant surprise to see that Deckmedia took the time to create a set of unique promotions for the Desert Nights brand; where they fell short is in the number of ongoing promotions available for players. In an increasingly competitive environment, it is important for casinos to keep their marketing fresh, especially for players who have already taken advantage of the Welcome offers. Let’s look at a couple of the promotions currently available at Desert Nights:
Now here is a promotion it is hard to say anything bad about. All you have to do to earn a free $10 chip is to create an account – no deposit is necessary at this stage. Now, with this free chip come some restrictions of course: there is a wagering requirement of 50x and a maximum cash out from the bonus of $170, but hey, it’s free money, they are allowed to make you work for a little. As a way to test out the games for real money, there is no better way than signing up and taking this offer.
The Welcome Bonus at Desert Nights is split into three sections, giving you the chance to earn up to $2,550 in bonuses. A unique twist to this bonus is that the third stage is just a free chip, not a percentage bonus, so you don’t even have to make a third deposit to qualify! Here is the breakdown of the Welcome Offer:
| BONUS | MAX. | PLAYTHROUGH | PROMOTION NAME |
| 100% | $1,000 | 28x | 100% 1st Welcome Bonus |
| 100% | $1,500 | 28x | 100% 2nd Welcome Bonus |
| $50 FREE | – | 40x | $50 FREE Welcome Reward! |
Rival Gaming has been building casino games for over 15 years, and with that experience comes a level of innovation that is required to stay relevant in this business. They are one of a handful of software vendors that still allow their licensees the ability to take U.S. action; the number seems to dwindle each year. For Deckmedia to choose Rival for Desert Nights means that they have faith the games will be attractive in a competitive, crowded market; we don’t disagree with that assessment.
Desert Nights Casino uses the RealTime Gaming software in providing its games. RTG is a reputable company that has been proven countless times to provide a fair variety of games. Also, the games undergo third-party auditing and it’s certified by TST though the audit information is not posted publicly. Desert Nights Casino doesn’t only provide fair play to players, it also protects all their information at all costs. It uses an advanced 128bit SSL encryption and world-class firewall technology in protecting users; financial information and personal details.
With an army of iSlots under their belt, the casino could just stop there, but they don’t, offering up dozens of more “traditional” slot machines for your pleasure. Whether you are interested in the old-school style of the 3 Reel slots or the expanded pay line structures of the digital slots that have become more popular over the last decade, you are going to find something you like in the slots lobby at Desert Nights. Here is one that we particularly enjoyed when testing the software: We won’t give you the full list of slots available at Desert Nights; you can find them all in the lobby. Here are some titles we had tried before and recommended:
iSlots are the standout of the Rival Gaming software. The games are designed to be more interactive than regular slots titles, featuring significantly better graphics along with storylines that weave in and out of the game itself. Built with very attractive second-screen bonus games, the iSlots are always a treat to play; if you haven’t seen them before, then I suggest you hit them up first when you enter Desert Nights. In fact, you can try the Reel Crime 1: Bank Heist slot for free right here: Here are all the iSlots titles you will find at this casino:
We really wish there were more Table Games offered at Desert Nights. Given the fact that their parent company has relationships with 4 different software suppliers, they could have enhanced the offering by sprinkling in some more variants, especially since they do not currently offer any Live Dealer games. Having said that, what games they do offer are robust, and the gameplay is very smooth, which results in a very pleasant experience at the tables. You can give their games a try for free; why not try their Roulette game right here: Here’s what you will find if you are looking for Table Games:
What we said about the Table Games selection goes for Video Poker as well. This reviewer is a huge sucker when it comes to the game, always gravitating to the casinos that offer the most variants for him to try. When looking at the video poker lobby at Desert Nights, you can see a few of the standard variants that are played by most novice players; more seasoned video poker experts won’t be thrilled by the pay tables or lack of multi-hand options at the casino. No matter: there are a few games for you to try:
Desert Nights does offer the more novice casino player a series of games that are less difficult to learn to play; these Specialty Games are also not the best from an odds perspective, but their ease of play makes them a favorite regardless. Have a look at the games they have, including some scratch cards:
Now, we will say that playing Sudoku for money is incredibly attractive. For those of us who plow through them in the newspaper every day (people do this still, yes?) the idea of winning cash for completing one is enticing enough for us to give it a try every once in a while to break up a long Blackjack session.
Deckmedia has always made customer service a priority for their casinos, and Desert Nights is no exception. The casino features agents available 24/7 via live chat; we tested out the system when we were poking around the website, and a representative responded within one minute. When we asked a relatively simple question (the wagering requirement for the Welcome Bonus, which we could read on the site), the agent was quick to respond with the answer and also a link to the Terms and Conditions page. You can also contact the casino via email if you want to be a little more formal, or if you really like to hear the sound of a person’s voice, then you can call the casino directly.
It is getting harder and harder for U.S.-facing sites to process transactions from their American players. Even with approval rates of below 50% at times, processors are still charging a significant premium to take the risk of U.S. credit cards, so Desert Nights is definitely working hard to be able to provide this many options to you. Make sure you check in the cashier which payment solutions are available in your country; some have restrictions on where they will process deposits from. Here is a list of the deposit and withdrawal methods at Desert Nights Casino:
To fund your account Desert Nights Casino has a wide variety of banking options in which you can use. Although they do not accept bitcoin as at the time this was compiled, here are the few options you can find to your taste.
Desert Nights offer its players the chance to earn points while playing real money games and then convert those points into a little something extra in their wallets with their Comp Program. Terms of this program are straightforward; you earn points for every real money wager placed in the casino; points can be converted at the touch of a button in the cashier. The value of the points is $1 for every 1,000 you convert. We always recommend you cash them out as quickly as you can; they serve no value in your account gathering dust. The casino also offers a comprehensive, multi-tiered VIP Program to its players. Well,…at least it is multi-tiered. We can only assume it is comprehensive because the information the website provides you on the program is generic, to say the least:
So, the good news is that there is at least the structure in place to reward players as they become more and more valuable at Desert Nights. The bad news is we don’t entirely know how well you will be rewarded if you make it past the first level. We’ll do some more digging and see if we can find examples of the types of rewards each level receives.
The U.S. online casino market is always in a state of flux; as it stands today, there are fewer operators than ever before willing to take the risk of accepting players from that country. However, there are still a good number to choose from, so it is important that a casino checks off all the boxes when making your selection. The folks at Deckmedia have a dozen brands that are U.S.-friendly, including Desert Nights. While I have seen more robust lists of games, this casino covers all the bases that the majority of gamblers would be looking for online. The Welcome Bonus is very attractive, and you can’t go wrong with the Free Chip just for registering an account! We had an excellent experience with their customer service team, and there are no reports of players not being paid when trying to withdraw their winnings. Overall, this adds up to a very good player experience; not the best we have come across but still good enough for us to recommend that you give Desert Nights a try. As always, we value your feedback, so if you have information about this casino or have had an experience you want to share, please send us an email to let us know!
This review was made by: LegitCasinosOnline.com Rating: 7 out of 10
