49er Casino Review

Updated February 19 2007

49er Casino was first launched by the Peak Entertainment Group, has been around since 2001 and is immensely popular amongst players. In 2006 the casino changed its software from the Cryptologic Platform to Real Time Gaming (RTG), improving its Slots and Video Poker Offering. With the backing of the Peak Entertainment Group which is very well established and experienced in the online casino arena, 49er Casino is a well run, professional and safe place to play.

Having not played at this casino before but having played at its sister brand The Sands of the Caribbean (still running on Cryptologic Software I believe), I decided to give this casino a shot and so I visited their homepage...

49er Casino has a "Wild West" theme with its motto being "The Rootenist, Tootenist Casino this side of the Pecos!" and is complete with Saloons, Gold Chests and it's own talking "Yosemite Sam" cartoon character (you the know...The Warner Bros Wild West Character with the big Moustache) which is quite novel at first but threatens to drive you utterly mad if you don't click on something on the page immediately because his "Quit Stalling and Start-a-winning" line loops repeatedly...aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggg!!!!

Other than that the site is really well set out and the theme is carried through very well. It's easy to navigate too and you'll find that all the information you need is right at your fingertips. I quickly navigated away from the home page and Sam's incessant rambling to the Bonus Offers page.

Welcome Bonus and Promotional Offerings

Currently, 49er Casino is offering two 100% match bonuses. The first is for Slots Lovers who are eligible for a 100% match bonus when depositing $200. You will need to enter a coupon code before making your deposit in order to claim this bonus, so please don't forget! There are also specific Terms and Conditions that relate to this bonus including a wagering requirement of 15 times the deposit plus bonus on Slots games only. The nice thing about this bonus is that it is for both new and returning Slots players, although it can only be claimed once a month.

The other option available is a regular 100% match bonus up to $100, once again you will have to enter a coupon code before making your deposit and a wagering requirement of 30x the deposit plus bonus amount on qualifying games exists...this is quite high compared to some other casinos out there and being a slots enthusiast I'd personally stick to the other bonus although it is a matter of personal preference.

In addition to their above bonuses, 49er casino also offers monthly reload bonuses of 100% up to $100 for existing/returning customers as well as specific Blackjack and Video Poker bonuses which are based on your play at the casino. This is something different as most casinos don't really reward Blackjack and Video Poker players specifically...so if these are your games, this is a great place to play.

There is also a Wire Transfer bonus of 10% if you deposit using this preferred payment method as well as a "Refer a Friend" bonus of $50 for every friend you refer to the casino (terms and conditions do of course apply).

If you play regularly at 49er Casino there is also potential to receive a Loyalty Bonus but for this you do need to contact the VIP Manager, which to me is a bit of a pain and a bit tacky...it's their job to notice and reward you, but free cash is free cash and I guess dropping them a mail is not the worst thing in the world.

Finally, 49er Casino makes a point of offering players regular tournaments for players, so make sure you watch your inbox and their site for notification of these. There are some nice cash rewards and prizes up for grabs.

Loyalty

49er Casino's "Loyalty" program currently comes in the shape of rewards whereby you can collect "Gold Panner" points which can be redeemed for Online Casino Rewards.

Basically it works on the same principles as most rewards programs yet it has automatic entry so to join, you need to play your favorite games and they will credit your account with one Instant Reward (Gold Panner) point for every $10 in real bets that you place. Collect 100 Instant Reward points and you will receive one casino credit.

To redeem your Gold for cash at 49er Casino log onto your account and select "Redeem Comps" in the cashier. Gold to Cash will instantly be credited to your 49er Casino account.

Download and registration

49er Casino can be downloaded from their website and it only takes about five minutes to complete the process with the initial file installer being only 300K in size.

Once this process is complete you'll be directed to the casino where you have the option of playing for fun or for real money. To play for money you will need to register a player account with them by providing some personal and banking information. Once this is done you'll be A-for-away and ready to play.

Banking

To make a deposit you have the options of Neteller, Insta Cash, Click 2 Play, credit card, Firepay, Money Bookers and Citadel. As usual I chose Neteller and for the sake of the review, I entered the coupon code and deposited $100 so that the deposit bonus would be applicable for all games not only slots.

The bonus took a little time but soon enough it was there and I was ready to take a look at what they had to offer in terms of games...

Games Offering

When I entered the Casino Lobby there was Yosemite Sam once again waiting to greet me in true Wild West style!

49er Casino has good selection of games on offer, over 80 to be exact, with them hosting most of the games that you would expect to find in an online casino. Table games on offer include Craps, Bingo, Roulette (both American and European) Blackjack, Let 'em Ride, Baccarat, Caribbean Stud Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Casino War, Red Dog, Tri Card Poker and an extensive collection of 21 games. I started off with Caribbean Stud Poker but didn't do very well with the bad hands I was dealt and so I decided to move on to Blackjack which I always find more entertaining anyway and this proved to be more lucrative for me.

I then moved on to 49er Casinos Video Poker Offerings which are some of the best around and are quite extensive so you're sure to find something that takes your fancy. There is everything from bonus to wild card games, including Jacks or Better, Double Jackpot Poker, Deluxe Double Bonus, Deuces Wild and Aces & Eights with up to 100 hands per game, and all Jacks or Better games are full pay. I tried out Jacks or Better and played for a considerable amount of time and then moved on to the Multi-hand games which are very entertaining with up to 100 hands flying at one time! I also tried out the new Video Poker game with a twist called European Slot Poker, which is a strange mix of slots and video poker that is a whole lot of fun! Like the usual Video Poker games, you are dealt hands with the option of holding before redrawing but instead of using the classic card deck, the card is marked with fruit machine symbols. This is quite a novel game and definitely worth taking a look at.

And finally, I moved on to their slots offering...which is comprised of 25 classic and multi-line slots including 17 "Real Series Slots", which are some of the best bonus feature slots games online. I started off on Lion's Lair which is a 20-liner across 5 reels and is a lot of fun. I then played Diamond Mine (aptly themed) and actually hit a small lode winning $200 which put my balance nicely up again. Not being able to resist anymore I headed for the Progressives...

49er Casino currently offers 15 Progressive Jackpots, including Caribbean Stud Poker, Let `Em Ride, It’s Good to be Bad, Crazy Dragon, Shopping $pree, Light Speed, Card Shark, Mid-Life-Crisis and IRIS 300. Being on a Slots tangent already I started off with IRIS 300 which is a single liner with 7reels and highly enjoyable but after a few minutes I just didn't feel good about this machine and moved on to Shopping Spree which is more my kind of game. And in a last ditch effort to save my balance I tried out Light Speed and came to a grinding halt (even though it was a pleasurable one).

With my balance at zero it was time to call it a day!

Customer Support

I decided to test out 49er Casinos Customer Support team but having no real issues while playing at the casino I made a few up and sent through a mail which got quite a quick and very professional response.

The customer support team at 49er Casino is available 24/7 via Live Chat, phone and E-mail and is highly responsive and very friendly, so if you need anything don't hesitate to contact them.

The Verdict

49er Casino is definitely well run and you shouldn't encounter any problems here. Yosemite Sam does add character even though it can be a little annoying at times, it's all in the spirit of good fun.

The regular promotions and games are great, the banking safe and secure and the customer support team highly professional and responsive. I enjoyed my experience here and I'm sure you would too and so I have no problem recommending that you play here.

 

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