Desert Nights Casino

Desert Nights Casino Review

3.7 / 5

Desert Nights is a Curacao licensed online casino which has been entertaining players in South Africa since 2012. It has a great reputation for being fair, safe, fun and rewarding. 

Enjoy those sunny desert feels with some exceptional bonuses and promotions. Your first deposit will also get you access to a high-end VIP club where all bets count towards some terrific rewards. 

Try out a range of casino games such as slots, bingo, jackpots and scratchcards. Fuel your balance with cryptos or Rand and anytime you need some help - the experienced customer support agents are there.

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Desert Nights Casino
3.7 / 5
Get R250
Others
Year established: 2009
Payment methods:
  • Amex
  • Easy EFT
  • Eco
  • Master Card
  • Neteller
Bonus Offer Details
Min Deposit
R25
Payout Speed
-
Wagering Requirements
15x
Bonus Type
Welcome Bonus

Editor's Verdict: Desert Nights Casino

I had a relaxed and enjoyable time during my Desert Nights Casino review. The platform has a professional and easygoing vibe to it, which I appreciate. I think those of you looking for a larger lobby and a more modern site might be put off though. But I enjoyed the diverse selection and it’s always great to discover new games that I’ve never heard of. 

Payments are simple and there are enough options to suit players in South Africa. I also felt secure playing on the mobile site and would happily give a 5-star rating to customer support. 

I’d recommend that you all give Desert Nights a try. It’s welcoming and you’ll definitely feel rewarded and safe. In my opinion, the games are more than enough to keep beginners and avid slot players entertained. 

A Closer Look at Pros and Cons

Let’s face it, any online casino that has survived for more than 5 years is going to be good. And this is why the longevity of Desert Nights has hit my number one pro spot. The second has to go to the sheer volume and variety of bonuses that you can claim. It feels very inclusive when it comes to rewards and the VIP club is open to all. Deals are diverse and it’s always good to see no deposit treats on offer. My third pro goes to the simplicity of the sign-up process and the fact there are very few restricted countries. The site is even open to players in the US - which is rare.

It’s not all good stuff though and there are a few cons to discuss. The Desert Nights slots and casino games take up the main share of the site, and there isn’t a live casino. I also had issues finding some key info on the platform such as licensing and ownership. Though it wouldn’t take much effort from the operator to solve this.

If Desert Nights isn’t your kind of groove then head on over to my other recommended online casinos for more options.

Desert Nights Casino vs Competitors

Desert Nights has been around for more than a decade and what it offers is simplicity, rewards and appealing games. The unique selling point for me has to be the rewards though. And for players in South Africa, these are fantastic and genuinely good. It’s often difficult to find bonuses that don’t always require a hefty deposit. Desert Nights has managed to find the ideal mix between these types and the no-depositing types. The VIP club is a great example of this where you can scoop cashback just for playing your fave games.

This online casino is positioning itself as one of the more established. Things move so quickly in the world of iGaming that 11 years in existence is a difficult feat for many sites. The casino is simple but this doesn’t mean that it’s lacking anything. It just means that you won’t get caught up in huge lobbies. If you play at a casino with 7,000 games - will you ever get around to trying them all? 

What Desert Nights offers is a fairly unique collection of assorted games. Fantastic daily and weekly deals and a rewarding VIP club. It isn’t sticking in the past though and you’ve also got crypto payments and a superb mobile experience. This means that the platform is meeting the demands of the industry and players.

The Desert Nights Experience 

I can sum up most of my experience with one word - smooth. I found zero frustrations in signing up and playing. The site itself is straightforward though some of you might think it’s a bit old-fashioned. I don’t have a problem with this, though the mobile experience is more modern than the desktop.

The only point of frustration was in finding the key information for Desert Nights. Crucial details like ownership and licensing should be a lot easier to find. 

Sign-up:

Desert Nights Casino makes it possible to create your account in just a few steps. Once you have clicked on ‘Play Now’ and ‘Register’ you’ll be presented with a short form. 

Complete the following info:

  1. Email address and password

  2. Username 

  3. Full name

  4. Date of birth 

  5. Mobile number

  6. Address

  7. Currency 

You’ll then be redirected to your new account and automatically logged in. A useful pop-up will display your eligible Desert Nights bonus and a screen for depositing. You can bypass these though and begin to take a look around the site.

Player verification procedures take place at the point of your first withdrawal. This just requires an email to customer support with the following:

  • An image of your government ID - back and front

  • A proof of address issued within the last 90 days (a bill or bank statement)

Banking:

I found the entire banking process incredibly straightforward. The flow is hassle-free and can be completed on one screen. There’s a sufficient selection of options to choose from including South African favourites such as EasyEFT and payz. You also have the option of using 4 different cryptocurrencies, which can give faster payments and more flexibility. 

Minimum deposits begin at R50 though can range up to R250 for credit/debit cards. The deposits I made for this Desert Nights review were each credited instantly to my balance. When it came to getting hold of my winnings this was equally as easy. Though the minimum amount is between R1,00-1,500 which I think is too high. 

Fees are only applicable on bank transfers and can be quite steep. My advice is to stick with cryptos or use one of the other methods for your Rand payments.

It can take between 48-72 hours for Desert Nights to process your withdrawals. I do find this time a little excessive and cashouts are handled during weekdays only.

Bonuses:

Desert Nights has a massive range of offers to suit all budgets and styles. These begin with a collection of deposit based welcome deals, enabling you to choose what you like best. I also noticed a couple of Desert Nights no deposit bonus offers. These were in the shape of free spins and bonus cash. 

Once you’ve enjoyed your welcome, you can then claim daily slot bonuses, reloads, free chips and cashback. The terms for each offer vary and wagering requirements too. Thankfully you can access the ins and outs easily by hitting the ‘show details’ tab. Wagering is generally within the standard ranges though some offers can be steep. But there are enough deals to pick and choose something with a lower rollover attached.

If you want to play with any Desert Nights promotions then you’ll need to claim these before depositing. Of course, the no deposit deals and cashback are credited automatically. 

Available to all players is the VIP Club. This has multiple levels which you’ll proceed through based on your VIP points collection. You can bag these for each deposit and real money wager that you make. The rewards are exceptional and include tailored bonuses, free play on new games, cashback and faster withdrawals. There are 3 upper levels for the higher rollers, where a more personalised service awaits. 

Games:

The Desert Nights games collection serves up a few hundred different titles. The diversity is strong though and there are even some games that I had never heard of - which is a first!

The main types are:

  • Slots

  • Bingo

  • Scratchcards

  • Table games

  • Jackpots

  • Video poker 

The providers include Saucify, Rival, Betsoft, Arrows Edge, Qora and Dragon. This is a good selection for the total number of games on offer, though the bigger developers are absent. This didn’t detract from the experience for me though. I really enjoyed the variety on offer and the chance to play something new. In terms of jackpots, there are a few of these with a couple of progressive pots.

The lobby itself is well organised and there are multiple filters which you can apply to your searches. There is also the option to play anything that you fancy in free play which is a great feature for new players.

Whilst there isn’t a live casino, I did find the RNG table games to be appealing and I managed to enjoy a few rounds of Tri Poker and baccarat. 

Mobile App:

My Desert Nights Casino review gave me the chance to test out both mobile options. These are the standard mobile site and downloadable software. You can choose which one you prefer, though to be honest I saw little difference between the two. The software gives a little more of an ‘app feel’ but each option adapts to all screens and operating systems. 

You can access the software via the mobile site, it’s fast to download and doesn’t take up too much storage.

Support:

It’s great to know that the Desert Nights Casino online support is available 24/7. If like me you prefer to play later at night then you’ve still got access to instant help. This can be done via the hamburger menu and you’ll be presented with all the options. 

Another selling point for me is that you can access live chat when you aren’t logged into your account. And there are no automated bots - I was directly connected to an agent each time. 

My emails were responded to within the hour and the FAQs serve up a well-rounded bunch of topics.

Safety and Security 

Deckmedia N.V. owns and operates Desert Nights which uses a Curacao gambling licence. It has been operating for more than 10 years and has a decent reputation in the industry. I read many accounts from players for this Desert Nights review. They are mixed though most negative comments stem from a misunderstanding of bonus terms. On average it seems that existing players are happy and rate the rewards and games highly.

I do have to mention that the licensing and ownership info was difficult to locate. This should always be displayed at the footer of any online casino, giving more peace of mind to players. I found it hidden in the terms and conditions, which isn't ideal and Desert Nights could really do better on this.

Responsible Gambling:

I had a little difficulty locating the RG information, which shouldn’t be the case at any online casino. You can get access via the terms and conditions and then go into ‘fair gaming and security’. Alternatively, a click on the 18+ logo will redirect you. 

There’s a short section with links to US and international charities and help organisations. As well as some sound advice on keeping in control of your gambling. But there are no account limits available or mentions of blocking software.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, and you can download this from the main Desert Nights mobile site. The software has been developed so that it adapts to all operating systems and suits tablets and smartphones.

All of the games are available to enjoy in demo mode. You can play with free credits to your heart's content. Allowing you to test new slots until you feel confident enough to make a deposit.

You can choose to pay with 4 different cryptos. These are Litecoin, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Lightning Bitcoin. Doing so also gives you smaller deposit/withdrawal minimums and there are no added fees for using cyrptos.

My Desert Nights review revealed active Curacao licensing which ensures safe play. You can also rest assured with SSL technology that encrypts all of your data and payments. Keeping you 100% safe online.

This is so that the platform complies with anti-money laundering and responsible gambling protocols. The process is to keep all players safe and ensure that there are no underage users or illegal financial transactions.