Hippodrome Casino

Pros

• 450 casino games by Microgaming and NetEnt

• Evolution-powered Live Casino

• £10 no-deposit bonus for UK players

• Welcome package worth up to £1,000

• No max withdrawal limit

• UKGC and MGA operating licenses

• 24/7 customer support

Our summary verdict

Very few benefits are available once you move past the welcome offer, and promotional terms, presented in different sections, tend to contradict one another.

The operator has not quite reached the standards for us to recommend the casino as a favourite. For an excellent experience, with the best games, visit Mega Casino

Cons

• Not many ongoing promotional offers

• Conflicting promotional terms

Restricted Territories

Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Columbia, France, German state Schleswig-Holstein, Greece, Greenland, Guyana, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lithuania, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Yemen

Hippodrome Casino Review

Software and Games (rating: 8/10)

Hippodrome casino is accessible online and requires no downloads, which in my book is good news. One doesn’t have to spend money or even open an account in order to play; play-for-fun button, attached to most if not all games, allows players to get entertained completely risk-free. Though Microgaming features as the main supplier, NetEnt has also contributed with some of their best products found across various categories – 3-reel and 5-reel slots, Roulette, Blackjack, Video Pokers and other games. Roulette plays as European, French and American, while Blackjack is made available in fun variants like Hi-Lo 13 and Super Fun 21. You’ll find Baccarat and table Poker grouped with Red Dog, Craps, Sic Bo, Keno and Bingo under “other games”. Evolution-powered Live Casino gives you a choice of several Live Roulette variants, including one broadcasted from land-based Hippodrome casino, as well as Baccarat, Blackjack, Dream Catcher, Live Casino Hold’em, Caribbean Stud, Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.

Players can access the operator’s mobile site via browsers of their iPhones, iPads, Android and Blackberry devices. They’ll find about 250 slots, table games, Video Pokers and live dealer games, along with the same promotional offering and identical functionalities as those offered in the desktop version. Navigation has been adapted so one can easily switch from one section to another and play using small touch screens.

Slots (rating: 9/10)

As is usually the case, the majority of featured games are slots. Fans of old-school one-armed bandits will be happy to see an above-average offering of 3-reel titles, among which the familiar Break Da Bank, Couch Potato and Cash Clams. Cash Crazy and Legacy are your basic games without bells and whistles except for a multiplying Wild icon, while Wow Pot additionally offers a progressive jackpot available to those who choose to play maximum 3 coins. Mega Money Multiplier features symbols capable of boosting one’s payout x2, x3, x4 and x5.

Hippodrome Casino stocks all of Microgaming top hits, including Immortal Romance, Thunderstruck II, Game of Thrones and Lost Vegas, as well as NetEnt’s Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Bloodsuckers, Fairytale Legends and Guns ‘n’ Roses. Light-hearted Karate Pig plays with a valuable substitute icon, Scatter-activated free spins, plus a special feature which tasks you with working your way up karate belt rankings. In order to do so, you have to play pick & click Pork Chop or Hammer bonus games, and having earned all 7 belts, you’ll enter the Final Showdown.

When Pigs Fly is another witty affair with an irregular reel structure which expands with each consecutive win. Castle Builder II is a highly engaging game going well beyond slot play and could easily keep you entertained for hours on end. If you like titles inspired by blockbusters, launch Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Secret of the Sword, Jurassic World or Terminator II. The first features free spins with rolling reels and an interactive bonus round which sends you travelling to various locations to search for hidden sword fragments. Jurassic World stacks substitute icons up to 10 positions in height, makes Scatter duos go Wild, offers three enhanced free spin bonus rounds, and randomly sends the Indominus Rex to multiply your stake by as much as 10,000 times. Terminator II offers Scatters which activate free games at 1,024 ways, cleverly using the original movie plot to craft lucrative special features.

Temple of Tut is one of the more recent releases created in cooperation with Just For The Win. You’ll witness between 1 and 5 reels randomly transform into Super Reels generously populated by Wild symbols and benefit from up to 60 spins on the house. Launch Lucky Little Gods to see coins pour down the Scattered golden tree, pick treasure pots to collect instant rewards, catch little gods to win bonus prizes, and spin for free with two Wild reels.

Microgaming is renowned for offering some of the most generous progressives out there and they’ve made sure big win opportunities are also available to Hippodrome players. Jackpots section displays Mega Moolah, Major Millions, King Cashalot and a dozen other games with a continuously increasing top reward, but they can only be played with real cash.

Welcome Bonus and Ongoing Promotions (rating: 7/10)

New members get to boost their balance by up to £1,000, with 100% up to £250 given on their first deposit of £20 or more, 25% up to £250 on the following one, and 50% up to £500 with the third. What’s important to know is that credited bonuses have to be played through 50 times, maximum withdrawal value is limited to 6x your first deposit (progressive wins excluded), and offer valid only if paying via credit cards, debit cards or PayPal. As far as wagering requirements go, do note that slots contribute 100%, Roulette, most Blackjack variants, Poker and the majority of Video Poker games 8%, and Baccarat, Classic Blackjack, Craps, and a few other table games don’t count at all.

There’s another welcome treat offered exclusively to UK players – a £10 no-deposit bonus which becomes available as soon as they register. This free bonus is subject to 100x play-through and cashouts limited to £100 or 5x bonus amount (whichever happens to be bigger).

Hippodrome Casino boasts the so-called Freedom Bonus which allows you to withdraw your cash balance at any time, even if you have yet to complete aforementioned wagering requirements. So what does this mean? It’s important that you understand Bonus-to-Cash Ratio (BCR), a percentage split between your bonus balance and cash balance, and the resulting implications. Making a deposit of £10 and receiving £10 bonus creates a total balance of £20 with 50% /50% BCR, and the same ratio is applied when financing your bets. For example, when you place a £50 bet, £25 will come out of your bonus balance and the same amount out of your cash balance. Winnings are allocated in the same way so that a £70 win increases both the withdrawal and non-withdrawal balance by £35.

Loyalty points, awarded for placing real money bets, help you climb 6 loyalty levels of the Casino Rewards Club. You’ll receive 5 points for every £10 wagered, and having accumulated at least 5,000 points, get to exchange this amount for £10 in bonus credits. Not all games generate points the same way, and while 100% of your bets on slots and American Roulette count, those on other Roulette games, table Pokers, Red Dog, Casino War or Sic Bo contribute only 50%, and most Video Poker and Blackjack variants as little as 10%.

The promotional section is scarcely populated though there might be other goodies offered directly via email and casino messenger. Personally, I like to know what to expect in advance and would rather have all active deals presented on the website for the whole world to see.

Deposits and Withdrawals (rating: 9/10)

Hippodrome Casino accepts payments in GBP, EUR, USD and CAD. Both deposits and withdrawals can be made with a Visa credit or debit card, MasterCard, Maestro, Neteller and PayPal. PaySafeCard and EntroPay are two additional options for funding one’s casino account, and Bank Transfer available when looking to collect your winnings. Those playing on the go would likely appreciate a mobile payment alternative, but none is currently available. Minimum withdrawal limit of £10 is quite reasonable, and apparently players can cash out as much as they like. Great news, right? When you make a withdrawal request, your funds will be subject to 24-48 hours pending period before being processed.

Licensing and Security (rating: 10/10)

The website is powered by Maltese-based Betway Limited, a company which is licensed to offer online gambling services by both the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. I probably don’t need to tell you these are two highly reputable regulatory bodies with particularly strict standards and rigorous procedures, so having their blessing is a good indicator of security and fair-play. What’s more, the MGA is willing to go an extra mile and offer a helping hand when it comes to players’ complaints. In the unlikely event there is an issue you can’t resolve with the Hippodrome Casino directly, feel free to make use of their Player Support Channel.

The site additionally displays eCOGRA Safe & Fair seal which demonstrates compliance with the organisation’s Generally Accepted Practice. The Casino uses SSL technology to encrypt and thus protect all sensitive information transferred via the Internet, including those related to financial transactions. Games use Random Number Generator and theoretical payout percentages for each individual one are listed on the operator’s website.

Customer Support (rating: 8/10)

Featured FAQ list is so short that it’s practically non-existent. You’ll basically need to read through multiple site sections of the site in order to find relevant information and / or contact a member of the Casino’s support team. Friendly agents are available 24/7 via Live Chat, email and phone, and players residing in the UK and Canada offered to use toll-free numbers. While some members are perfectly happy with the response time and assistance provided, others report having to wait and not necessarily receiving a satisfactory answer. The team has chosen not to display social media icons on the website, even though they do have an active Facebook profile, and I’m guessing the reason is that they stopped posting more than 2 years ago.