Bingo Village launched back in 1996 offering two decades of experience in online bingo and casino games al albeit unlicensed. In September 2022, Bingo Village and sister site CasinoCastle obtained licensing from Curacao. Our test (August 2022) took place prior to the announcement, but the current T&Cs are still in favor of the operator and NOT the PLAYER. Let’s see if the village is as welcoming as it appears with its free trial and big bonuses.
We sent in one of our experienced reviewers to put Bingo Village to the test. From making a deposit to cashing out, did they uncover dry rot in the foundations? Find out here!
- Tester of the day: tfeketeyo
- Registration Date: August 28, 2022
- Deposit date, amount and payment method: $200 Bitcoin deposit August 28, 2022
- Withdrawal request date: No withdrawal request as rollover was not met. Playthrough required on straight deposit. ($5,000 WR on $200 deposit with no bonuses)
- Withdrawal received date: N/A
Registration
Players from the U.S. are accepted. The simple one-step registration form made sign-up a breeze. The tester, tfeketeyo, was welcomed to the Bingo Village community along with details on how to claim the latest welcome offer. As with all new players signing up for the first time, our reviewer received a $25 free trial bonus.
Initial Deposit
As is standard in the iGaming industry, Bingo Village bonuses come with wagering requirements. At the time of the review, bingo bonuses were subject to 3.5x turnover while casino bonuses and bonus spins were substantially more at 25x. Tfeketeyo wanted to keep things simple so headed to live chat to request all bonuses be removed from his account. Within a few minutes his request was fulfilled, and even the no deposit offer was removed. After this, a withdrawal of any winnings SHOULD be hassle-free. Unfortunately, the support representative failed to provide information regarding what was to come – the shady rules our tester discovered for straight deposits.
Once bonuses were removed, tfeketeyo made his way to the cashier to make a Bitcoin deposit. After completing the cashier process, refreshing the bingo site and logging back in, his balance was updated to $200 in cash. Regardless of the currency used, all deposits are converted to USD.
Gameplay
With a name like Bingo Village, you’d expect there to be a decent choice of rooms to choose from, sadly, Bingo Village is home to just one bingo room – The Cozy Café.
The Cozy Café bingo room is vibrant and features a very active chat window and plenty of side games. There are jackpots to be won by completing the pattern stated within a set number of calls and there are Hot Ball and 1TG features too! As numbers are called, they are automatically marked off tickets. The downside is that there is a 5-second wait between each ball drawn, and this then draws out the games much longer than a typical 75-ball bingo game.
Hot ball and 1TG deliver more chances to win for the same outlay. Card prices will vary from one game to the next. Off-peak times mean fewer players and more chances to win, but this also means less prize money. Busier periods mean more players, bigger cash prizes, and less chance to win.
When it comes to games other than bingo, Bingo Village has a generous selection of themes ranging from Halloween frights to angelic delights. Bonus features include pick-and-click bonus rounds, bonus spins, roaming wilds, and scores more!
All casino games come with details on how to play. There are no demo modes. The only way to play for free is to accept bonus offers or casino spins.
Tough Wagering Requirements on Straight Deposits
After the removal of all bonuses from his account, the wagering requirements were still $5,000!Bingo Village enforces a playthrough on straight deposits! This unrealistic wagering made it impossible to cashout, so our tester tried his luck on slots. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to chip away at the rollover and did not attempt a withdrawal.
How Does Bingo Village Stack Up?
Where do we begin? The operations and T&Cs are appalling as of September 26, 2022, despite new licensing in Curacao. Here are some of the key points to look out for.
- Withdrawals are processed once a week - Wednesdays at 10 am EST. If your cashout request is done after this time, it won’t be reviewed until the following Wednesday.
- The T&Cs fail to mention a wagering requirement on deposits made with no active bonuses. As you can see in the previous section, our tester’s balance was subject to a $5,000 rollover.
- Minimum withdrawal is $100, which would account for the fee assessed for certain withdrawal methods. Bitcoin is a zero-fee method and should not be subject to the same limitations. From the FAQ section:
- Players with more withdrawals than deposits are ineligible for bonuses. Once the payout ratio falls below 100%, bonus eligibility may be restored if you qualify.
- Accounts are considered inactive if a minimum $25 deposit is not made every 30 days.
One thing our reviewer noted was the pushing of bonuses. The chat feature was busy but the host would always post details on how to claim bonuses, and these bonuses then tie you into wagering requirements. Also, when switching between games and pages on the website, a pop-up will appear actively encouraging players to “choose village items” which are disguised as bonuses. This is all quite interesting considering they’ve already got players locked into wagering on deposits regardless of an active bonus.
The loyalty scheme with its virtual village and other bonuses will only benefit players who opt-in to bonus offers. By requesting to remove bonuses players are removing themselves from future offers.
This concludes the extensive test as part of our From the Players, For the Players project. Bingo Village proved to be just as predatory as its sister site, CasinoCastle, which we tested in September 2021. If you are a member of Bingo Village or consider making a deposit, we hope this report encourages you to think twice before depositng.
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