Ace Pokies Casino Review

Welcome to my review of Ace Pokies Casino! I am excited to sit down and finally spend some serious time with this casino, as any casino that is Australian-facing I find fascinating. Clearly any site with a name that focuses on Pokies (the Australian term for slots) has those residents in their sights.

Online gambling regulations in Australia have been changing, and there has definitely been a clamp put on the restrictions of offering games to players from Down Under. However, there are still a series of smaller offshore casinos that continue to accept players from Australia.

I am excited to get to the meat of this review so that I can provide you with the information you need to determine whether or not you want to play here – the game selection, promotions, and customer service that this new casino provides. Enough chit-chat, let’s get to it!

Ratings Breakdown

Overall

A new casino is facing an uphill battle in a very competitive industry, so it needs to come out of the gate with a very compelling reason for a player to make a deposit. Even though there are lots of good reasons to join Ace Pokies, there are some missteps that the casino has taken that have caused me to give it this overall rating. I think some of the items can be easily addressed, which will increase the score, but some are more philosophical, and I am not sure the ownership group is willing to do what it takes to be more competitive.

Game Variety

Having RealTime Gaming as a supplier means that players will get access to good quality games, just not that many of them. The casino could add providers if they wanted to increase the amount of content available to their database. The easiest fix here is to at the very least add in the live dealer games RTG offers its licensees.

Banking

There is an adequate number of payment options at Ace Pokies, and with no fees listed anywhere, so I appreciate that the casino takes on that expense. However, the pending internal audit time seems to be variable, and the wait times for a couple of the payment methods seem high compared to what I have seen elsewhere.

Bonuses

I want to give the site a higher mark here, as they do have several offers available. However, with a wagering requirement that is higher than most casinos I have reviewed in the past, it just doesn’t seem feasible that the average player is going to be able to truly benefit from the bonus structures. Also, I need more information from the casino about its VIP program before I can give it a proper score.

Customer Service

Adding an FAQ section would help Ace Pokies, but for the most part, I am pleased with the support department. They have several ways to contact the casino, including live chat and telephone, and I haven’t read any complaints about the site being non-responsive.

User Interface

This casino is available in both download and browser formats, and they both are very easy to navigate. It helps that there aren’t hundreds of games to filter through, but I still like the way RTG has set up its lobby screens for players.

Mobile Compatibility

Again, given that the site has a full browser-based solution, playing from a mobile device is possible. The games I tried on my phone were very responsive, and I didn’t see any difference in speed between the mobile and PC versions. There is no native app, so the site gets a bit of a deduction in score for that.

The Basics About Ace Pokies Casino

You would think that a casino focused on the Australian market might also be exclusively available to those residents, but not Ace Pokies – aside from the UK, there aren’t too many other countries who are restricted from playing at this site. In fact, this is a rare moment when I get to tell my American readers that they can get their credit cards ready because Ace Pokies is open for US business.

This casino is licensed by the Curacao Gaming Authority, which explains the lack of restrictions on accepting US players. Trying to find info on the owners of the casino is very difficult, especially since there is nothing listed on their site. What I have been able to determine is that the casino launched in 2017, and to date seems to have no issues with regards to shady behavior, so I will continue to dig for information on the owners in the future.

Having gathered as much information as I could find about the background on the casino, it was time to sit down and spend some quality time with my favorite casino games in a testing session at Ace Pokies Casino.

The Casino

The most important piece of any of my reviews is the overview of the games being offered to players. After all, it is the games that matter the most to anyone who enters a casino, and with so many options to choose from in the online casino world, this is the way an operator can set itself apart.

Game Variety/Navigation

With only one software supplier, the game variety at Ace Pokies isn’t going to be as vast as many other casinos that I have reviewed. This goes for many of the US-facing casinos as well, as many of them have chosen to add multiple providers to their offering. This is a little disappointing after having reviewed casinos with over 500 titles, but on the positive side, I am able to review the games that are in the lobby at Ace Pokies in far greater detail.

I have played the RealTime Gaming catalog many times over the years, and I know that they have recently made several upgrades to their system. I am interested to see what effect that has had on their games.

One thing I did notice right away when looking at my game options at Ace Pokies is the lack of a live dealer tab. I know that RTG secured a live casino partnership in 2016, so I am surprised that this hasn’t been integrated into this newer brand under their umbrella. Perhaps it is coming shortly.

Software

When I found out that Ace Pokies was open to American players, I was able to narrow down the possibilities of what software was being used without even opening the lobby. There are very few options for casinos willing to take the risk of being open in the US. As I logged into my new account, it was very clear which software was being used. RealTime Gaming is the sole supplier of games for Ace Pokies. This developer has been making casino games since the late 1990s and has built a very nice product while still accepting operators in the grey markets. As you will read, RTG has their strengths and weaknesses, but overall, they are an excellent choice for Ace Pokies.

The RTG software is available in both download and instant-play formats at this casino.

Slots

The jewel of the RealTime Gaming crown is definitely the slots category. The company’s development team has worked hard on these games over the years and has received accolades for the quality of the graphics and storylines, especially for the Reel Series games.

While there are not nearly as many slots titles as you will find at other casinos, and there are only a handful of licensed brands to be found in the lobby, that shouldn’t stop you from jumping in and playing. I got to the site and found a total of $13,000,000 available in progressive jackpot games, which is a crazy amount of money! The RTG networked progressive games link all of their participating licensees into one pool, which generates massive jackpots that reach well into the seven-figure mark for an individual game!

I spent a good chunk of my playing session for this review trying to win one of these progressives, and I am happy to report that I have left them all available for my readers. Here are some of the slots titles you will find in the lobby at Ace Pokies:

• Achilles
• Aladdin’s Wishes
• Aztec’s Treasure
• Aztec’s Treasure Feature Guarantee
• Cleopatra’s Gold
• Count Spectacular
• Coyote Cash
• Crazy Vegas
• Enchanted Garden
• Fucanglong
• Ghost Ship
• God of Wealth
• Goldbeard
• Golden Lotus
• Green Light
• Hairway to Heaven
• Jumping Beans
• Kung Fu Rooster
• Lion’s Lair
• Megasaur
• Mermaid Queen
• Mister Money
• Naughty or Nice: Spring Break
• Naughty or Nice?
• Ninja Star
• Polar Explorer
• Purrfect Pets
• Snowmania
• Spirit of the Inca
• Super 6
• Sweet 16
• Swindle All the Way
• Texan Tycoon
• The Big Bopper
• The Elf Wars
• The Naughty List
• The Nice List
• The Three Stooges: Brideless Groom
• The Three Stooges II
• Tiger Treasures
• T-Rex
• Triple Twister
• Voodoo Magic
• Vulcan
• Wild Wizards
• Witch’s Brew
• Zhanshi

Video Poker

As a big fan of video poker, I tend to know each of the providers in great detail. Every software company builds their video poker catalog slightly differently, and for RealTime Gaming, the focus is more on the multi-hand options than having the most variants available in a casino lobby. I don’t disagree with why they do this – they only have a certain amount of development time to dedicate to their product. I would, however, like to see them maybe add a couple more variants in the future, so their players don’t get too bored, or look for these titles at other casinos.

You can play the following video poker titles in 1-, 2-, 5-, 10- or 52-hand options:

• Aces and Eights
• Jacks or Better
• Joker Poker
• Double Bonus Poker
• All American
• Deuces Wild
• Sevens Wild

Table Games

After getting in my fix at the machines, it was time to settle into to what I hoped would be a long session of table games at Ace Pokies. I downloaded the casino to my PC, so there was no lag time in switching between the different tabs in the lobby.

Similarly to the slots and video poker sections, the RealTime Gaming software has the basics when it comes to table games, but not much else. There are a few variants of blackjack available, but the remainder of the games offered follow the standard casino rules. That is totally fine with me, as the classics are what I grew up on, and they tend to have the best player odds anyway.

I love the RTG gameplay – the games deal very quickly, and the graphics and sound are excellent. I was able to spend some quality time in this session, and after a few hours, I can say that I didn’t feel fatigued by the look and feel of the games at all, even if my account balance was a bit fatigued itself.

Here are the available table games for you to choose from:

• Baccarat
• Blackjack with Perfect Pairs
• Caribbean 21
• Caribbean Hold’em Poker
• Caribbean Stud Poker
• Casino War
• Craps
• European Blackjack
• Face Up 21
• Keno
• Let ‘Em Ride
• Match Play 21
• Pai Gow Poker
• Pontoon
• Red Dog
• Roulette
• Sic Bo
• Super 21
• Texas Hold ‘Em Bonus Poker
• Tri Card Poker
• Vegas Three Card Rummy

Banking Options

I was surprised to see so many different banking options available at Ace Pokies given the fact that they accept US deposits. This typically limits the companies that will do business with a casino, but it seems this casino has found a way to bring some e-wallet solutions in for non-US players. The site is also in the cryptocurrency business, accepting Bitcoin as a method for withdrawals only – I guess the site doesn’t want to take on the risk of the volatility of Bitcoin at this stage. It doesn’t appear that the site passes fees to the players for their transactions, but this may just be something they don’t mention on the website.

From a turnaround standpoint for withdrawals, I think the wait times at Ace Pokies are similar to others in the industry. You should always factor in another day or so for the internal pending period for all payout requests.

Deposits

Withdrawals

Bonus Promotions

I like to look for value when I come to an online casino promotions page. I mean, we all have the option of choosing from hundreds of casinos to make our deposits, so what separates one from another? Well, the bonuses, offers, and VIP programs are all items that factor into a player’s bottom line. Finding the right offers for the stakes level you like to play as well as the games you tend to play the most is the best way to increase your odds of being a profitable player. And…that is the goal, right?! We aren’t doing this just for the entertainment value, or else we would be playing Facebook games.

Welcome Bonus

Let’s start our promotional journey with the welcome offer. On the surface, it looks like a nice, aggressive offer. It is split over your first three deposits, and here is what you will receive:

• 1st Deposit – 100% up to $500 + 50 free spins on Samba Sunset
• 2nd Deposit – 50% up to $250
• 3rd Deposit – 100% up to $250

All in all, this is pretty competitive as an offer. However, a couple of things caught my eye. In describing this promotion on the website, Ace Pokies says they are welcoming all new Australian players with this welcome bonus. I had to assume this was for marketing purposes, so I read through the terms and conditions for more details. What I found was that residents of the following countries are not allowed to receive this bonus (or any other at this casino):

Finland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Thailand, Greece, China, Denmark, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Turkey, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Furthermore, I found out that the wagering requirement for bonuses handed out at Ace Pokies is a whopping 40x the deposit + bonus. This is extremely high compared to the rest of the industry. I doubt many of my readers will be able to clear much of the welcome bonus, so rather than tell you to deposit the maximum amount, I will just suggest you deposit whatever you are comfortable with.

Cashback Daily

As opposed to having a larger series of ongoing bonuses, the site has landed on having a daily cashback promotion. I actually like this, given how hard it is to earn the bonuses due to the high wagering requirements.

The cashback program works as you would expect it would, working on the calculation of daily losses. Here is how the casino describes it:

Receive daily cashback on unlucky deposits! Simply make cash deposits without using any of our bonus coupons, and you will receive 10% cashback automatically the very next morning. Daily cashback earnings have a 10X wagering before a withdrawal can be made.

While I am not totally keen on the 10x wagering requirement, it is still better than taking a full beating at the tables.

VIP Program

Well, the site does offer a VIP program, and it promises “access to higher daily cashbacks, priority payouts, exclusive events and giveaways and loads of bonuses and offers reserved for our VIP members.” However, that is all the information that Ace Pokies is willing to give us on the site. It is a subjective program, with players having to request access via email. This drives me nuts – I want to see the tiers, the rewards, and why it is worth my time to put in the effort to reach the VIP levels. The site will need to improve this transparency in my eyes.

Mobile Compatibility

Seeing that this casino is available in both download and instant-play formats, there isn’t much concern for players who want to access the games from a mobile device. The instant play games are browser-based, which means that they can be played on PCs or mobile devices. There is no native app for Ace Pokies, and considering they are taking US players, I highly doubt we are going to see one anytime soon, so the browser games are the only option for those of you wanting to play here away from your PC.

Customer Service

Should you need to contact the casino for a support issue, you can do so 24 hours a day. I personally think the best way to contact the support department is via live chat, as this gives you a real-time response and the ability to save the conversation for future reference. If you really want to hear the sound of someone’s voice, then you can give the casino a call. There is an 800 number listed on the website, but I suspect that outside of the US, there will be additional long distance charges applied. You also have the option of sending the casino an email if you aren’t in a rush for a response.

Summary

Well, considering when I started this review I thought it was going to be aimed solely at my Australian readers, we have come a long way, haven’t we? The fact that this site is open to basically everyone around the world is lovely, but my American readers will be thrilled to have it added to their relatively short list of available online casinos.

Overall, this is a casino I expect from a RealTime Gaming licensee. What I mean is that the software is an adequate, middle-of-the-road product, and this casino fits the same description. The games are of a decent quality and very playable, but they are limited in number compared to some other options. The bonuses look attractive but are handcuffed by a very high wagering requirement. There isn’t enough information on the VIP program for me to be able to determine its full value, but at least they offer one to their players!

Verdict

If you are an American player who doesn’t really worry about bonus hunting, then I think this casino could be a good fit for you. However, you would be well served to read through some more of my reviews to see if there is something more appealing to you out there. Those of you reading from outside the United States would definitely be better served by one of the hundreds of better casinos available in your country.

FAQ