Despite technically not being owned by Richard Branson anymore, Virgin Games is an online casino that still uses the Virgin branding thanks to a licensing agreement between the casino and the global enterprise.
Although they are not one of the biggest casinos in the world, the Virgin name gives Virgin Games the clout of a famous brand that is trusted world-wide, and it’s for this reason that so many players have chosen to make it their go to gambling site.
Focusing entirely on UK players, not only do Virgin offer a tremendous selection of games, but they also fully adhere to the strict rules and regulations set forward by the UK Gambling Commission, so there’s never any question of the casino’s integrity. This means that you can play in complete confidence, and ensures that you don’t fall foul to any dodgy hidden terms and conditions.
In this post, we’re going to take an in depth look at the casino, covering the games offered, the website itself, the mobile app, and also the payment methods/withdrawal processes and company history. So, let’s get going.
Casino Games
Virgin offer a decent enough number of games, although it’s not the biggest selection we’ve ever come across. Interestingly though, the range of software providers is quite broad, and you can find titles from Gamesys, NetEnt, IGT, WMS, High5Games, and Hasbro.
The largest game category by far is the Video Slots, and here you’ll find hundreds of titles to choose from, with some of the most popular including: Cleopatra, Guns n Roses, Starburst, Great Rhino, Aztec Spins, and Dragon’s Luck.
There are also a number of classic slots to enjoy, made up of 1, 3, and 5-line games. These can be found under the ‘Classic Slots’ tab on the main navigation menu.
For players who prefer good ole’ table games, Virgin offer a decent selection here too, and while you won’t find anything particularly unique, you will be well looked after when it comes to standard game types. You’ll find titles such as: European Roulette, American Roulette, Blackjack, Multi-Hand Blackjack, Single Deck Blackjack, Baccarat, 3-Card-Poker, Casino Hold’ Em, and Caribbean Stud Poker.
There are also a number of instant win, scratch, and lottery games, which despite usually offering quite a high house edge, provide a fun way of trying something new nevertheless. You can find these games under the ‘Instant Win’ tab.
Live Dealers
Virgin Games feature a small but well curated Live Dealer Casino, with five games to choose from upon entering.
These games are Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, 3-Card Poker, and Casino Hold’ Em. While this may seem like a small selection, it is worth pointing out that the games are built to a high standard with a quality video stream that doesn’t lag unless your internet connection is poor.
The live games can be played from as little as £5 per hand/spin (occasionally lowered to £1, as part of a happy hour promotion) and the tables run 24 hours a day seven days a week, ensuring you can log on and enjoy the action whenever it suits.
The live casino games can be found under the ‘Live Casino’ tab on the navigation bar at the top of the page.
The Website
The Virgin Games website is perhaps not one of the fastest we’ve ever come across, but thanks to the fact that’s it’s not just some cookie-cutter template that we see on virtually every small to medium sized casino these days, it is a breath of fresh air.
Navigation is excellent, and it’s easy to find and play the games you’re looking for. In fact, the selection bar is one of the most intuitive that we have seen, allowing you to categorise by a number of different factors, as well as searching for a game directly in the search box.
Loading speeds are kept to a minimum, and the site uses a fairly minimal design to ensure that on-screen graphics don’t increase the time it takes for pages to load and games to render.
It’s also worth pointing out that Virgin offers all of its games via instant play. This means that you don’t need to download any software to your computer or laptop, as all of your favourite games are playable from within your internet browser.
Not only does this mean that your gaming experience is a lot more fluid (no long loading times while the game downloads to your computer, for example) but thanks to the fact that the games are delivered using HTML5, you don’t need any software installed in order to run them either.
A working internet connection is all you need and all browsers are supported.
Mobile Casino
Virgin Games were one of the only casinos not to offer a mobile casino at first, and understandably this was enough to turn away many prospective players, as a mobile gaming experience is a definite selling point to some.
Thankfully, Virgin Games realised this was proving detrimental to their business, and it wasn’t long before they re-built their entire site to be fully mobile friendly.
While they do offer an app for anyone that wants it, their mobile optimised website can be enjoyed by virtually all players, as there are no set system requirements aside from a working internet connection.
To access the mobile site, you simply need to open your internet browser on your tablet or smart phone and head to the Virgin Games website. This will then automatically re-direct you to the mobile version of the site where you can either log in or sign up as normal.
Hint: To save you from having to manually log in to the website each time you play, on iOS, Android, and Windows devices, you can choose to add a webpage as a desktop shortcut. This will look like an app, and once selected will take you straight to the casino via your browser.
Loyalty Program
The loyalty program at Virgin Games is different to most other casinos, although they do offer a pretty generous range of promotions and bonuses, which we’ll take a quick look at in the section below.
Daily Free Game – This is the most popular promotion on the site. At the beginning of each day a random slot game is chosen by the casino. You will then be able to play that game for free as part of a kind of competition. While you won’t win any real cash in the game, you can be awarded free spins, cash prizes (for beating other players who are also playing the game), and more; so it’s basically a free to enter competition.
There’s also a monthly free game option as well as a refer a friend bonus.
It’s not the best range of promotions but it is something different, and as with any freebies in life, it’s certainly better than nothing.
Payments & Limits
One of the biggest plus points of playing at Virgin Games is the speed at which they process withdrawals. The exact amount of time that it takes for your withdrawal request to be processed depends heavily on the standing of your account and when the request is made, but it’s not unusual to see withdrawals processed in under 6 hours.
In fact, the maximum amount of time it can take – according to the terms and conditions of the site – is 24 hours, although this won’t apply to accounts that aren’t verified.
In terms of the methods you can use to withdraw, they remain identical to the depositing methods, and include all major Debit cards, a number of EWallets including Skrill and Neteller, and direct bank transfers and personal cheques.
Direct bank transfers and cheques are only usually available for particularly large deposits/withdrawals, and you’ll need to get permission from the casino beforehand so that they can send you the account details etc. Head to live chat if you want to deposit using one of these two methods.
There is no limit on how much you can withdraw in a single request, nor is there a limit on the number of withdrawals you can make per day, but Virgin Games do state in their terms and conditions that over 5 withdrawals per day can incur a small charge. The details of these charges aren’t given, however, and it’s unclear whether this policy is implemented or not.
History & About
Virgin Games is owned and operated by Gamesys (Gibraltar) Limited, and has been around since the birth of online gaming. First founded in 2004, the site has been in existence for almost 20 years, yet despite its long history it is yet to become a major player within the industry.
That said, it’s done fairly well, and commands a loyal player base.
Originally owned by Virgin itself, the company was sold to Gamesys with the rather beneficial agreement that the new owners could continue using the Virgin name, logo, and branding; something that’s undoubtedly helped the casino to maintain the levels of success that it enjoys today.
While it’s been a somewhat bumpy road for the casino due to their struggle in attracting new players, plus the time it took to develop their mobile casino; Virgin Games have bounced back, and continue to grow their business by securing new partnerships with game providers and further enhancing their website.
The casino is licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, and this ensures they keep in-line with strict laws and legislation designed to keep players safe. Some of the measures in place include giving players the ability to set deposit limits and self-exclude, as well as things like having to hold player funds in secure accounts in case of insolvency, and regular game audits.
In short, you know that you’re playing at an honest and ethical casino, and you’ll see for yourself once you begin playing at the site just how reliable they are.