Silver Oak Casino Review and FAQ

Silver Oak Casino has been in the online gaming business for over seven years, and during that time they’ve continued to improve their image and overall standing within the industry. Their partnership with Realtime Gaming ensures patrons of a wide selection of options, and the site has made a conscious decision to avoid sportsbook and poker options in order to better concentrate on pleasing the casino gaming crowd.

Deposit Methods

What Makes Silver Oak Casino a Great Choice?

The biggest selling point for Silver Oak is their wide
selection of games that includes almost 170 options. Their
diversity is also something to be admired, as they feature big
bonuses, mobile gaming, and a strong customer support team. A
lot of casinos would only be able to claim one of these items,
but Silver Oak has these and many others to brag about.

For those who live in the United States, another advantage is
that the site accepts American players despite the continued
existence of the much-hated Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act. Since a lot of the leading names in the gaming
industry still stay far away from the U.S. market, the refusal
of Silver Oak to knuckle under to a repressive law and the
cronies of Sheldon Adelson is admirable.

Is the Site Safe?

Thanks to the reliance on RTG software, you can always count
on the games at Silver Oak delivering a fair session to their
players. The site also utilizes state-of-the-art security
software, so transactions and credit card information is
consistently protected from would-be thieves. If you ever have
any questions about security, you can also reach out to their
customer service department 24/7 for additional assurances.

Bonuses and Rewards Programs

In order to attract customers to their site, Silver Oak has
established a competitive series of bonuses for their players.
And in order to keep new players coming back, they’ve also
created a VIP program to reward frequent patronage. This section
discusses both in detail.

Their main promotion is directed at new players, and it
awards a 100% matching bonus up to $1,000 on each of the first
10 deposits. That’s a total of $10,000 just for putting money
into your account. The wagering requirements for the bonus are
30x for slots and 60x for allowable table and video poker games.

Each month, the casino also holds a drawing to award one
lucky member with $10,000. You must make at least three deposits
during the month to be eligible, and the wagering requirements
are the same for the $10,000 sign-up bonus.

If you deposit more than $1,000 and don’t take advantage of a
deposit bonus, then you’ll be eligible to get back some of the
money you’ve lost while playing. This amount starts at 30% and
rises to 50% for amounts over $10,000. You will, however, need
to wager 30x the cash back amount before you’re able to withdraw
it.

The site also offers a different promotion every day of the
week. I won’t go into detail since they change all the time, but
they’re on par with anything offered by other casinos you might
be familiar with.

For players who expect to be doing a lot of gambling at the
casino, Silver Oak also offers their Centurion VIP Program.
Wagering money earns you comp points, and your level in the
program is determined by how many points you’re able to
accumulate. I’ve listed the levels below, along with some of
their most notable benefits:

• Centurion – Table limits are doubled; access to special promotions; 1 comp
  point for every $10 wagered
• Silver – 4x
  table limits; 10% monthly insurance; $150 free chip; 1 comp
  point for every $7.50 wagered
• Gold – $250
  free chip; 1 comp point per $5 wagered; 15% monthly insurance;
  faster withdrawals; personal account manager; 8x table limit
• Platinum – $500 chip; 20x table limits; personal VIP host; exclusive gifts;
  17% monthly insurance; 1 comp point per $5 wagered
• Ultimate – $1000 chip; personalized bonus template; 20% monthly insurance;
  40x table limits; 1 comp point per $2 wagered; personal VIP
  host; rewards on special occasions; faster withdrawal times

Mobile Gaming

Silver Oak has offered a mobile option to their players for a
while, and it continues to improve as innovations are made in
the portable technology sector. In order to access their mobile
site, all you have to do is type the casino URL into your iPhone
and follow an easy sign-up process. You’ll need an iPhone 4 or
higher to take part, and this is currently the only mobile
device that they support.

Blackjack is one of the available games, but almost all
others are slots. There are some great titles, however, and many
of them are leading titles from RTG’s Real Series. These include
the following:

• T-Rex
• Cleopatra’s Gold
• Naughty or Nice?
• Builder Beaver
• Aladdin’s Wishes

By entering a promo code when you sign up, you can also get
20 free spins. It should be noted, however, that these freebies
come with a 30x wagering requirement, and a minimum withdrawal
quota of $100.

Casino Games at Silver Oak

Silver Oak specializes in casino gambling, and they have a
wide range of options thanks to their partnership with Realtime
Gaming. In the following four sections, we’ll look at the
various categories of games and provide descriptions of what you
can expect during your visit.

RTG has been supplying software to the online industry since
1998, so you can always count on their products to run smoothly
under any circumstances. Sudden disconnections are unheard of,
and they excel at providing games with smooth graphics and sound
effects that pop. I’m especially fond of their slots, as the big
payouts and multi-denomination wagers are bolstered by a variety
of themes ranging from the no-nonsense to the downright zany.

Online Slots

As of this writing, Silver Oak has 124 different slot
machines for players to enjoy. Each game has been designed by
RTG for maximum customer satisfaction, and they’ve been grouped
into the following categories:

• Real Series Video Slots
• Video Slots
• 3 Reel Classics
• Bonus 3 Reel Slots

The Real Series games are the signature line from RTG, and
they’re known for their multiple paylines, bonus rounds, crisp
sound, and impressive graphics. While I don’t have enough space
to list them all, here are some of the leading titles:

• Aztec’s Treasure
• The Three Stooges: Brideless Groom
• Orc vs Elf
• Naughty or Nice: Spring Break
• Fruit Frenzy

If you like variety, these games won’t disappoint. There are
themes ranging from ancient civilizations to sporting events,
and some games also contain a progressive jackpot that can
instantly turn you into a millionaire.

Table Games

Whether you prefer a game of strategy or just blind luck,
these table games from Silver Oak Casino should have what you’re
looking for. There are 15 options to choose from, and they
include the following:

• Blackjack

  This classic casino game challenges the player to get a higher score than the dealer without exceeding 21.

• European Blackjack

  The biggest difference between this and traditional blackjack is that the dealer doesn’t get a second card until after the player is finished with their hand.

• Face Up 21

  Instead of the dealer having a hole card in this variation of blackjack, both of his cards are revealed to the player from the beginning.

• Match Play 21

  This variation of blackjack is also known as Spanish 21 and features no 10 cards in the deck.

• Perfect Pairs

  Most of the game works just like blackjack, but there’s also an optional side wager that pays big money for a pair on the first two cards dealt.

• Pontoon

  Similar to 21, although a five-card hand can often be worth more than a smaller hand with more points.

• Super 21

  Plays similar to blackjack, although higher payouts are issued for six-card 21s, diamond blackjacks, and other unique combinations.

• Baccarat

  Enjoyed by high rollers around the world, this pure game of chance pits the player against the dealer in a contest to achieve the highest score with a maximum of three cards.

• Let’em Ride

  The player must build the best five-card hand possible, and at least a pair of 10s is required for a payout. A side bet of $1 also makes you eligible for the progressive jackpot, but you’ll need a royal flush to win the entire amount.

• Pai Gow Poker

  The players receive seven cards, and they must then create a two-card and five-card hand. These are compared to the dealer’s hands, and the result is either a win, loss, or tie.

• Red Dog

  Three cards are dealt, and it’s your job to predict whether or not the value of the third card is between the first two.

• Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker

  This game plays just like Texas Hold’em, but you can also win a bonus amount based on the strength of your initial two cards.

• Tri-Card Poker

  Win by beating the dealer’s hand or choosing the Pair Plus option and getting a matching pair of cards. There’s also an Ante Bonus that pays if you get a straight, three-of-a-kind, or straight flush.

• Vegas Three-Card Rummy

  You and the dealer each get three cards, and the objective is to get a lower hand than your opponent. If you choose the bonus wager option, you’ll get paid if your hand is worth 12 points or less.

• War

  The player and dealer each turn up one card at a time, and the highest card wins. If a tie occurs, the player has the option of going to war and doubling their bet.

Video Poker

While a large segment of gamblers often overlook video poker
in favor of its flashier cousin, the game is actually more
profitable than slot machines in the long run. This is due to a
lower house edge and the ability of players to shrink it even
more through the execution of perfect strategy. Silver Oak has
16 titles to choose from, and they include everything from wild
cards to multi-hand games. In the case of multi-hand games,
players can choose to manage anywhere from three to 100 hands at
a time.

• Aces and Eights

  You’ll receive a payout for a pair of Jacks or better, but the real money rolls in when you get four Aces, sevens, or eights. Bets start at $0.05 and go as high as $5 per hand.

• Deuces Wild

  Two cards are wild, and a three-of-a-kind hand is required for a payout. Like many of these video poker games from RTG, there’s also a bonus round where player winnings can be doubled (or lost entirely).

• Joker Poker

  There’s one wild card in the form of a Joker, and you need a pair of Kings or better to qualify for a payout. You can also double your winnings in the easy-to-understand bonus round.

• Loose Deuces

  The deuce cards are wild, and special payouts are available for hands such as four deuces and five-of-a-kind. The minimum hand requirement is three-of-a-kind.

• Sevens Wild

  The seven cards are wild, and there’s also a bonus round where your winnings can be doubled. In order to get paid, you’ll need at least a three-of-a-kind.

• Bonus Deuces Wild

  Deuces are wild in this game, and winning players can try to increase their payout by taking part in the Double or Nothing Bonus Round.

• Bonus Poker

  This game offers the highest payout percentage for certain four-of-a-kind hands. A pair of Jacks or better is required for a payout.

• Bonus Poker Deluxe

  A simple variation of Jacks or Better that doesn’t includes wild cards or bonus rounds. A perfect option for no-nonsense players.

• Double Bonus Poker

  This is another version of the popular Jacks or Better, although it offers increased payouts for four-of-a-kind hands. In the bonus round, choose a card that’s higher than the dealer’s card to double your money.

• Double Double Bonus Poker

  The same as the previous entry, but with increased payouts for certain four-of-a-kind hands.

• Mystery Bonus Poker

  Jacks or better are needed for a payday, but there’s also a random bonus round after each game that increases your winnings if you have the proper cards.

• All American Poker

  You’ll need at least a pair of jacks to get paid, but you can increase that amount by choosing to take part in the bonus round.

• Jacks or Better

  The most popular option among video poker players, all you need to do is get a pair of jacks or better in order to finish in the money.

• Double Jackpot Poker

  A variation of Jacks or Better that gives bonus payouts for four-of-a-kind hands. There’s also a bonus round where you can double your money.

• Double Double Jackpot Poker

  Just like Double Jackpot Poker, except the payouts are even bigger for certain combinations.

• Pick’em Poker

  The player is given two face-up cards, as well as a couple of three-card piles with only the top card visible. Your objective is to build the best poker hand possible by choosing one of the three-card piles to complete your hand. At least a pair of 9s is required for a payout.

Specialty Games

In addition to slots, video poker, and table games, Silver
Oak offers 14 specialty options that include roulette, scratch
card simulations, and the always-unpredictable keno. If you’re
an advantage player who likes a low house edge, you may be
disappointed to find that most of these games give the casino a
2% to 3% advantage over the long run. That’s still better than a
lot of betting options, however, and being able to enjoy them
from the comfort of your home also counts for a lot.

• 5 Diamond Blackjack

  Scratch off five two-card hands and try to get closer to 21 than the dealer. Wager amounts include $1, $2, $5, and $10. Random jackpots and the diamond symbol provide additional ways to win.

• Hot Dice

  Scratch off the dice symbols to see if you’ve won a prize. This could be as simple as a free game, or you might win 2000x your initial wager. There’s also a random jackpot that can turn up at any point in the game, even if your card isn’t a winner.

• Lucky 8’s

  A scratch card game that allows you to uncover five pots of gold for a chance to win prizes. Wagers range from $1 to $10, and prizes include win multipliers, free cards, and a 4000x bonus multiplier.

• Magic 7’s

  Scratch off ten spaces and try to uncover the winning “7” symbols to gain free cards or a 3,000x win multiplier. Uncover a magical hat and find your winnings doubled.

• American Roulette

  The most common form of this game calls on players to predict which pocket the spinning ball will land in. There’s a wealth of betting options, although the presence of the 00 pocket means a higher house edge than its European counterpart.

• Bonus Bingo

  The computer draws 44 numbered balls, and the player tries to match as many as possible on their bingo card. Fill in patterns to win cash, and increase your winnings by taking advantage of the game’s bonus round.

• Craps

  Roll a pair of dice and win money by correctly predicting the outcome. The biggest payouts are 30 to 1, and these pay if you correctly predict a two or twelve coming up on the dice.

• European Roulette

  This game plays like the American version of roulette, except the lack of a 00 lowers the house edge in favor of the player. The minimum wager is $1, and the maximum is $200 for inside bets and $250 for those on the outside.

• European Slot Poker

  A combination of slots and poker, this game gives the player a five-card poker hand. If you manage to make a winning hand, you can receive your payout or go for the High-Low bonus in an effort to increase your wager by a multiple of five.

• French Roulette

  This is the same as European roulette, although all the wagers on the layout are written in French.

• Keno

  Place a wager and select up to 15 numbers. Twenty numbers are then drawn at random, and you receive a payout based on your number of matches. If you play 12 or more numbers and fail to get a hit, you’ll receive twice the amount of your wager.

• Multiplayer Roulette

  This game is played with the same rules as European roulette, and the absence of the 00 pocket gives the players a better chance of winning. The biggest difference is the multi-player feature, which allows you to gamble alongside customers from every corner of the globe.

• Roaring Twenties Bingo

  Play up to 100 cards at a time in this hybrid of bingo and slots with a 1920’s theme. Wager from $0.01 to $5 per card, and the extra balls feature allows you to double your wager and receive five additional balls in the process. There are three major payouts, including the Maxi Jackpot, Mini Jackpot, and Minor Random Jackpot.

• Sic Bo

  The player rolls a trio of dice and tries to guess which numbers will turn up. Single numbers can be selected, or a range of combinations can be selected. Table limits start at $1 and go up to $250 for single bets, and the best payout (180 to 1) comes if the same number appears on all three dice.

Banking Options

Silver Oak is one of the few casinos I’ve seen that doesn’t
have a “banking” or “cashier” link on their homepage. Instead,
you’ll need to visit their FAQ page in order to get more details
about the various methods of deposits and withdrawals. This is
something of an inconvenience, and I hope they’ll decide to
change this feature at some point in the future.

For deposits, the following options are available:

• Visa – Each
  transaction has a minimum of $50 and a maximum of $1,000.
• Cash Transfer – You’ll need to contact customer service in order to
  use this option. The least amount is $50, while the upper limit
  per transaction is $1,350.
• Credit Card – Can be done by phone or live chat, although there’s a minimum
  of $50 and maximum of $5,000 per day.

All of the above options are processed quickly, so you’ll be
able to make a deposit and start playing within minutes. Cash
transfers can take around 20 minutes due to verification issues,
and certain rare cases might take as much as 24 hours. In most
situations, however, you should be good to go in less time than
it takes to fix a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

The withdrawal options on the site change from time to time,
but all of the following are standard:

• Bank Checks
• Cash Transfer
• Bank Wire

Withdrawals usually take up to 10 business days to get
approved and another 7 days to be sent out (although withdrawals
of $200 or less tend to be faster). Then there’s the time is
takes for it to be delivered, which may tack on a few additional
days.

In the case of checks, there’s also the small chance that
your bank might make you wait up to 45 days for the check to
clear. This has never happened to me while using Silver Oak, but
the presence of the information on their website indicates that
it does occur from time to time.

The maximum withdrawal per week is $2,500, and all
transactions require a minimum of $100. If you choose the check
or money transfer option, a processing fee up to $40 may be
included.

Customer Support

Silver Oak claims to have the most dedicated customer service
staff in the industry. While I don’t know if this bold assertion
is true, they do have a decent number of ways for players to get
in touch with representatives. They’re also available 24/7,
which has become a common feature for online casinos due to
their global customer base.

If you do need to reach out to customer support, the
following methods are available:

• 1-888-402-2063 (for US and Canada)
• Fax
• Email
• Live Chat
• Skype

Most of these options put you directly in contact with
someone. Their email option is supposed to generate a response
within 48 hours, but I’ve found the turnaround time to be much
shorter. When I sent out test emails, I received a reply within
two hours (on average).

What’s Missing?

The site offers everything you could expect from an online
casino, although I would have preferred to see an individual
page devoted to deposit and withdrawal information. Making the
customer search around for this basic information is
inconvenient. There also seems to be some contradictory
information presented, such as American Express being listed as
a payment option when that company traditionally has nothing to
do with online gambling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Overall Impression

Silver Oak casino is a solid option with generous bonuses,
strong customer service, and a rich selection of games. My only
concern centers on the numerous customer complaints about slow
payments, and the fact that they’re licensed in Costa Rica does
nothing to assuage my worries. If you choose this site, I
suggest taking things slow to gauge their response time before
committing large sums of money.