A Complete Review of Springbok Casino

Those of you who know me or have read my reviews over the years know that I
have reached the point in my life where I can’t handle a lot of B.S. These days,
the online casino world is highly competitive, and it seems as though every
operator is looking to develop a brand for a niche market or coming up with some
gimmick to set them apart. Hey, I get it – you have to get noticed – but
ultimately, the most loyal casino players are all looking for the same things.
That is why I got into writing these reviews in the first place – that, and it
gives me an excuse to play casino games all day long.

When I first saw the Springbok Casino name, it was pretty clear what I was
going to find – a South African theme. When I pulled up the homepage, however,
what I found was the same VIP-looking homepage but with green and yellow themes.
I wasn’t sure how to feel about this – I am happy I didn’t find a bunch of
animation or mascots I didn’t care about, but I also would like to believe the
casino would try harder to attract South Africans given the branding. Anyway,
that’s just a first impression – the real test lies past the homepage itself.

Ratings

I’ll give you a full review of the casino further down (and trust me, it is
always worth digging into the details), but for those of you who are really just
skimming, here is a summary of my thoughts on this casino.

Site Navigation

The site gets a good score on the basis that the color scheme isn’t obnoxious
and that the information is easy to find. Now, there is some information
missing, but that shouldn’t affect the navigation. The casino lobby is pretty
good and is the standard configuration for casinos using this software provider.

Customer Service

You can reach the site by telephone, live chat, and email. These are the
standard forms of communicating with a casino, and I would like to see them add
some elements of social media. The live agent I tested was available within a
minute or so and answered my question in an adequate amount of time.

Promotions

As everything on this site is promoted in South African Rand, you may want to
have an exchange calculator handy. However, I do like all the promotions that
the site offers – regardless of the size, having multiple concurrent offers
means that the site is trying to keep their marketing fresh.

Mobile Interface

The mobile games at this casino are only browser-based, as RTG has no native
app built for Android or iOS. The games I tested were okay, but nothing to write
home about. If you are looking to play exclusively on your mobile device, I
would suggest continuing to read some of my other reviews.

Game Selection

For me, I think there are plenty of games. However, those of you who love
lots of content may find the Springbok Casino lobby to be a bit sparse. The
reason that the score is so low in my review is the lack of live dealer games,
especially since there is a tab for them in the lobby.

Payout Speed

Personally, I haven’t had a payout yet, so I am only basing this on what the
site says and what some players have posted. Payments seem to take anywhere from
seconds to 20 days, and that is a wide range. Definitely check out the banking
page of the website, and you will get a sense of what payout method will work
for you. As always, be prepared to send the site all the necessary documents
verifying your identity, and you can do this at any time so that your request
can be fast-tracked when you are ready to collect your winnings.

About Springbok Casino and Who Can Play

All right, let me give you all the details you need to know about this
casino. First off, the site has been around since 2012 and is owned by a company
called The Springbok Group. I know, I know – that isn’t a lot of information to
go on. Fortunately, I have been around long enough to piece together some
information about these types of organizations.

First, the company seems to be licensed in Curacao. This is a bit of a red
flag – this jurisdiction isn’t exactly the most diligent when it comes to
managing its clients. However, I suppose they do have a license, so that is
better than nothing. The company seems to also own another brand – Thunderbolt
Casino – but to be honest, I didn’t spend much time there.

So, we have some sort of idea of what type of organization to expect. Now
it’s time to see what Springbok Casino has to offer players from…wait a second.
It seems to be open to more than South African players. So, I suppose they are
looking for players from that country and anyone who just likes the region? I
can’t ever seem to understand what goes through the minds of some of these
operators. What we do know is that players from these countries cannot open real
money accounts.

What I Liked the Most

Let’s start with what I think would keep me coming back to this site. It is
important to remember that I am looking at sites all day and playing games for
the majority of that time, so my viewpoint is one of someone who is planning to
sign up at a site and stick with it. Springbok Casino has a great selection of
tournaments running every day, and for me, that is a great way to break up the
monotony of sitting at a table or at the slots. Tournaments force you to use
different strategies, and playing against other players is an interesting
dynamic. These would be something I would highly recommend to my readers.

What I Liked the Least

Unfortunately, I could tell this issue was going to arise the second I loaded
the main casino page. Knowing what I know about the industry, and again given
how much time I spend playing games, I am always looking for live dealer games.
These games are awesome – if you haven’t tried them before, I cannot understand
what is stopping you. Check out everything you need to know about these games
here.

There are no live dealer games to be found here, and that is a huge
disappointment for me. To make matters worse, there is a tab for live dealer
games in the games section of the site, but nothing comes up when you click on
it. WTF is going on here? Are they toying with me? Okay, a couple of deep
breaths, and I am ready to actually start testing the software.

The Casino Games

When I review a casino, I try to put myself in the mind of a brand-new
player. The first thing I test is the account creation and funding, which at
Springbok, I am happy to report is pretty standard – just give a few pieces of
information, and you have an account. Then I head to the lobby to see what games
are staring me in the face – this is the casino’s best chance to get me to play.
Here’s what I found at Springbok Casino.

Software

I had already seen this logo on the homepage, so I was not surprised to find
Real Time
Gaming casino software in the lobby. This company is what I would
consider to be in the middle to lower tier of providers. They have been around
for over two decades, and I have in fact been into their offices in Costa Rica.
However, the company makes the majority of their money from companies who accept
US wagers and from a series of terminals across Europe and Asia. This business
model seems to be working for them, but without any real desire to compete in
the regulated space, there hasn’t been much in the way of innovation over the
years.

What About Mobile?

Most people are asking me about where to find the best mobile casino games,
and I too will admit that these days I seem to be playing more with my phone
than anywhere else. I like the convenience factor, and you should as well. The
mobile games from RTG are browser-based, and the company seems to not be in any
hurry to build a native app (likely because of where their core business lies).
These games are decent, but I have definitely seen better mobile platforms.

Table Games

I know that most casinos offer way more slots than table games, but I am more
likely to spend hours playing blackjack or Pai Gow Poker than ever sitting at a
slot bank. I tested the RTG games at Springbok Casino at a decent stakes level,
really because I was hoping to win a bunch of money. What I quickly remembered
was how many times a 20 is beaten by a dealer 21 when all 8 decks of cards are
being shuffled every hand. What a disaster. However, I will say that the Pai Gow
table was much nicer to me, and I managed to win back most of what I gave to
blackjack.

Games that are in the lobby include:

• Baccarat
• Casino War
• Caribbean Stud Poker
• Red Dog
• Roulette
• European Blackjack
• Craps
• Let ‘Em Ride
• Pai Gow Poker
• Vegas Three Card Rummy
• Sic Bo
• Pontoon
• Blackjack with Perfect Pairs
• Caribbean 21
• Caribbean Hold’em Poker

Slots

Okay, I think I have to give RTG a little more credit than I did earlier –
they have clearly done some work to improve their slots category. Now, there
aren’t nearly as many titles in the Springbok lobby than if they were using
another vendor, but for someone like me, there are plenty to choose from. I
mean, do you really need 300 games to pour over? I like the Real Series slots
games, as they have some excellent bonus rounds, and the graphics are more
detailed. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice it to say I didn’t walk
away with one of the progressive jackpots in the short time I tested these
slots:

• Aztec’s Millions
• Aztec’s Treasure
• Aztec’s Treasure Feature Guarantee
• Bank on It!
• Basketbull
• Big Shot
• Bunko Bonanza 2
• Caesar’s Empire
• Cash Bandits
• Cleopatra’s Gold
• Derby Dollars
• Diamond Dozen
• Diamond Mine
• Diamond Mine Deluxe
• Double Ya Luck
• Dream Run
• Enchanted Garden
• Enchanted Garden II
• Eternal Love
• Field of Green
• Food Fight!
• Football Frenzy
• Glitz & Glamour
• Goblin’s Treasure
• God of Wealth
• Goldbeard
• Golden Glove
• Golden Lotus
• Golden Retriever
• Green Light
• Hairway to Heaven
• Happy Golden Ox of Happiness
• Haunted Opera
• Hen House
• Hidden Riches
• High Fashion
• Incan Goddess
• It’s a Mystery!
• Jackpot Cleopatra’s Gold
• Jackpot Pinatas
• Jazz Time
• Jumping Beans
• Lucky Tiger
• Medal Tally
• Megaquarium
• Megasaur

Video Poker

So, if I were to look at the amount of time I have spent playing different
casino games, video poker would likely be near the top. Now, this can be partly
attributed to the fact that the game is often found at the bars inside casinos,
and I do enjoy a good cocktail or two while I am gambling. I do play a fair
amount of video poker online as well and have played these RTG games many times.
I like that the standards are all here (they could maybe build some new ones)
and that in a couple of the games, you can play with up to 52 hands at once.
What can I say…? I need the rush of all those cards being dealt.

If you want to brush up on your video poker skills, check out our strategy
page here.

Does the Site Offer Anything Else?

There are a few specialty games listed (these are really just scratch cards
and keno). I tend not to bother with these games when I review any casino, as
the odds are so poor that I would rather recommend you burning your cash. As for
other products, a casino is the only thing you will find at Springbok – there is
no poker room or sportsbook attached. And I don’t need to remind you that there
are no live dealer games….

What Are the Options for Payments?

I will say that my initial experience with the cashier was pretty decent. RTG
has built an excellent interface, and there are lots of payment options
available at Springbok. With the casino accepting players not just from that
country but all over, there needs to be a wide array of solutions to make sure
they don’t lose a live one on the line. Some of the processors they offer won’t
be options for where you live, so it is best that you check out the cashier
yourself to make sure you are prepared.

Payment Options

• EcoPayz
• Mastercard
• Neteller
• Visa
• Skrill
• Wire Transfer
• Bitcoin
• EasyEFT
• Secure Instant Deposit

What Is the Welcome Bonus?

I used to spend lots of time going over all the promotions that a site has.
Then I decided one day to really focus on one thing – what is the site giving
players to make their first deposit? For me, this is where a casino can fall
flat on their face. If the initial offer isn’t compelling, then a player will
not likely ever see any of the other marketing a casino undertakes.

Since I am making deposits when I test a site, I always take advantage of the
welcome bonus. At Springbok, it was pretty simple. First, you have to remember
that the entire site plays in South African Rand as the currency. This is pretty
stupid, considering how many players they have from other countries. However, I
will get over it.

As soon as you create an account, you are given R250 to play with. For
conversion purposes, this works out to just over $17 in free play, which you can
take to the tables. That isn’t too shabby, and giving players a free chip to
start is a disappearing promotion on the casino landscape.

I clearly blew through my free Rand, so it was time to deposit, and there is
a two-tiered bonus that can get you up to R11,500 (USD 800). According to
Springbok’s website, here is how to collect the bonuses:

• 100% up to R1500
• Coupon Code: SPRINGBOK100
• Use Coupon Code “SPRINGBOK100” – Double up your first deposit and casino
  kitty by claiming up to R1500 the first time you deposit.
• 50% up to R5000
• Coupon Code: SPRINGBOK50 (you can use this Coupon Code two times)
• Use Coupon Code “SPRINGBOK50” – Enjoy a whopping R10000 extra cash with
  this 50% deposit bonus offer. Claim this code with your second and third
  deposits.

This brings up another pet peeve of mine. Did you read all that? Doesn’t it
sound like it’s a 21,500 bonus maximum? I tested it to make sure, and it is
indeed 10,000 Rand on both your second and third deposits, so the casino is
screwing itself in this case.

Is There Anything for VIPs?

Given the amount of volume I put into playing casino games, I am always
looking for something extra. When I play live, I expect never to pay for a meal
or a drink and to walk away with some other good stuff. However, online, I am at
the mercy of a loyalty and VIP program.

At Springbok, I found the guts of a comp program which is similar to most
casinos. You earn points by playing real money games and can convert those
points to real money at certain intervals. However, there were no details on a
VIP program, and that really sucks. I want to know up front what rewards I can
earn, and now I have to assume I will get a call from a VIP host when I reach a
level of play. Not knowing what that level is can be very frustrating,
especially with other programs clearly defining what they have to offer. I’ll
keep playing until I hear from someone so that I can update this review.

Verdict

I never want to have a player come back and say they were misled by one of my
reviews. I think Springbok Casino is another example of a site that has taken
the time to focus on a particular market but stopped short of being fully
invested. Don’t get me wrong – the RTG games are decent, and the promotional
area is full of nice offers. The lack of a VIP program and live dealer games is
a bit of a deal-breaker for someone who plays at a high volume like me, so it is
unlikely I would stay long at this site. However, if you don’t care much about
these points and like the sounds of playing in Rand and pretending to be in
South Africa, then this site should do you just fine.