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Vanguards Casino was established in 2009 and remained relatively unknown for a while. Players discovered it a little while ago, and it didn’t take them too long to wish they’d rather not. This rogue online site is undoubtedly sketchy, and we had to conduct quite a thorough research to find out that the Refiliate group operates it.
Although Vanguards purchased all the software from Rival, it failed to build a reliable connection with its player base. As a result, it is blacklisted by most of the reviewing websites; including ours. For this review, we decided to put our detective hats on and find all traces of player mistreatment by Vanguards Online Casino.
First Impression
At first glance, the casino looks like an online gaming website to us, only not the gambling kind. Considering that gambling is an 18+ form of leisure, it seems like Vanguards is trying to attract minors to the website. Everything looks like as if you logged in to one of those really old games that existed in the early 2000s. Overall, the interface of the casino is a major disappointment. On the homepage, you’re offered with two options; you can either play instantly or download the software.
Disappointingly enough, the casino is very slow so whatever you click will take some time to load — don’t worry, it has nothing to do with your Internet speed. It comes as a disappointment that a website runs so slow in the digital age. Once you enter the instant play section of the website, things don’t get better. It still looks childish and somewhat underdeveloped, and the selection of games is very poor.
There are around a hundred video slots, seven video poker games, and about eight table games. These numbers are slightly different in case you download the software; however not significantly. Casino bonuses look attractive yet unrealistic; we found out that players don’t get to keep the money they won through these bonuses.
Games and Software
Although the selection of games at Vanguards is a big letdown, they are still very good. Rival Gaming Software provides all sorts of games; it is a relatively new, yet very successful player in the online gambling industry. The company was established in 2006 and continues to climb the ladder ever since. Rival is slowly but surely becoming a major competitor to other serious players and will definitely pose a more significant threat once it presents more games.
Here’s one remarkable fact about Rival — it genuinely cares about players. This is something that the company kept proving constantly. To put it simply, Rival implemented the auto-restriction method for bonuses inside the software. What does this mean? Well, it is a straw to grasp for many gamblers online. It means that if a player has a bonus in his account, he will not be allowed to bet more than the permitted maximum (if he did, this would result with a casino confiscating his winnings). Many rogue casinos and shady software producers choose to hide this rule, leaving players utterly oblivious to its existence.
Rival produces a variety of table and slot games; basically, most of the casino games that cross your mind are probably powered by this company.
User Experience
Players are not even one bit happy with this casino. It is not transparent at all and hides most of
the crucial information.
The first issue relates to its license. We found some information online that it might be licensed by Curacao, which doesn’t help its case at all. Either way, we decided to speak to the casino’s customer service via live chat and find out.
We entered a random e-mail address (the one that doesn’t even exist) and waited for our turn. All of a sudden, Rachel appeared and asked if she could help us with anything. We asked about the casino’s license, and whether Rival is their only game provider. The reply we received was not helpful at all; Rachel said we could know this information only if we create a real account in the casino.
Why should any casino hide the most crucial information? After all, a proper license is something any legitimate casino should brag about. Even putting a Curacao license on your website is still better than nothing. Moreover, we didn’t get the answer to whether there are games by other software manufacturers on the website. In any case, we found the reason why so many players are furious with customer support of this casino.
We believe it’s important to mention that the casino allows players from the UK to gamble, even though it doesn’t own the UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission) license.
Depositing and Withdrawal
Ultimately, no matter which country you come from; it will be impossible to withdraw your winnings.
When it comes to depositing, Vanguards accepts American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Neteller, Ukash, Skrill, and a couple of other options. So the next reasonable thing would be to have just as many withdrawal options as well, correct? Not exactly. You can withdraw your money only through ECO Card, Neteller, and Skrill. The casino offers neither a credit card nor the most popular e-wallet option.
Your safest way to withdraw the money would be through Neteller; although, many players are complaining about additional fees. Moreover, all the withdrawal methods come with a commission in spite of deposit-free options.
Once we referred to terms and conditions, the more we read, the angrier we became. In case your deposit is anything less than $249 (euros, Australian dollars, or any accepted currency) your maximum withdrawal limit is only ten times larger than your deposit. Let us explain: you can get a jackpot of 4 million and still earn only x10 of your deposit. The casino will clear the remaining balance.
According to Vanguards, if you want to withdraw your money, the approval period may take up to 15-18 working days. However, there are a lot of players online complaining that they haven’t received their winnings at all.
Bonuses
Another statement in terms and conditions is that deposit bonuses are ‘meant to enhance game time only.’ None of the bonuses can be withdrawn as they are not real in the first place. So if you win something you will receive your winnings without any bonuses. The bottom line is, you can forget about real money with Vanguards. Every part of terms and conditions is written to trick you and take your winnings.
The casino is accepting players from the USA and the UK offering them free spins and free chips. Once these players win a lot of money, their accounts are automatically banned — and all the money from that moment on belongs to the casino. This is a true indication of blatant players’ money theft!
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Rival Gaming Software
Cons:
- The casino is operating without a license
- Bad customer service
- Poor selection of games
- Fake bonuses
- No payouts
- Poor choice of payout methods
No lies, this was probably the easiest list we ever had to compile.
Our Verdict
Vanguards Casino is rogue beyond all doubt. We strongly advise you to stay as far away from it as possible. The terms and conditions are very vague, and it is necessary to stress that this casino is operating without a respective license. As such, it is not accountable to anyone, and it will steal your money in a blink of an eye.
Casino Rating
- Complaint Resolution – 1/10 stars
- Jurisdiction – 1/10 stars
- Software – 7/10 stars
- Cashout Time – 1/10 stars
Our final grade for Vanguards is 2 out of 10 stars. You should not waste any of your precious time at this casino; there is absolutely nothing attractive, nor merely interesting about it. To keep yourself safe, always read reviews about online casinos. Best of luck out there!
