Sporting Index Casino

Sporting Index Casino is totally new to the online gaming market, which might cause you some hesitancy about playing here. However, the Sporting Index brand is far from new to gaming because they’ve been operating quite successfully in the UK since 1992. They are also regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (UK Gambling Commission doesn’t regulate spread betting), which furthers their legitimacy.

So why would a successful betting operation wait 24 years to finally open an online casino? According to the company’s marketing director, Paul Turner, there was significant demand among customers for a casino. So they opened both an online and live casino, the latter of which, as you may know, features real dealers and tables streamed live to you.

One thing that you’ll immediately notice upon visiting Sporting Index’s website is that the focus is still on sports betting. The tabs/drop-down menus for the “Casino” and “Live Casino” are found at the far right side of the homepage. However, one look at both of these sections creates the impression that Sporting Index Casino isn’t just some half-hearted attempt at appeasing a few customers.

The games, which come courtesy of multiple software platforms (Evolution, Microgaming, NetEnt, IGT), offer high-quality graphics that put this casino on par with most other sites in the industry. But do the promotions, loyalty rewards, games and customer service also line up with the online casino world’s elite?

Sporting Index Casino Promotions

Any information on promotional offers is current at the time of writing and may be out of date. More current bonus information can be found in the bonus area on this page.

We’ll start off with the big downside to this casino in that they’re lacking in both promos and loyalty rewards (discussed next). We can almost certainly chalk this up to Sporting Index Casino being a brand-new operation, so expect the promos/rewards to grow in the future. But at the time of this writing, the main promotion that you can look forward to is a 100% match bonus up to £200 for new players. Please be aware that losses may exceed deposits.

The minimum deposit to qualify for this welcome reward is £10, and you must wager 30x the deposit plus bonus amount to cash out the bonus. For example, if you deposited £100, you’d need to wager £6,000 [(100 x 100) x 30] to get your free £100. The wagering requirements here are pretty standard for the industry, and you’ll have a pretty realistic shot to earn your money. Be sure to check the bonus tab next to this review to find up-to-date reward info, given that this is a totally new internet casino.

Loyalty Rewards

As mentioned before, there is currently no loyalty program in place for Sporting Index Casino players. Seeing as how most online casinos offer a loyalty program of some sort, I definitely see Sporting Index coming up with one in the near future. However, for the time being, you won’t receive extra benefits out of your casino play. This is yet another aspect of Sporting Index that you’ll want to monitor since they will no doubt continue improving their casino.

Sporting Index Games

This is definitely a bright spot for Sporting Index Casino because they already have a good selection of games along with a live casino too. Upon clicking the website’s “Casino” tab, you’ll immediately be greeted by 18 table games, including baccarat, blackjack, American and European roulette, multi-hand European blackjack, 3 wheel roulette and Texas Hold’em (against dealer).

Navigate over to the slots section, and you’ll see an area where Sporting Index shines. They have almost 60 games already, which is not bad for a company that’s just now rolling out their online casino. Some of the notable slots games here include Aliens, Cleopatra, Family Guy, Gonzo’s Quest, Guns N’ Roses, Jurassic Park, The Dark Knight Rises, Playboy Online Slot, Scarface and Thunderstruck II. What’s nice is that you get a mix of popular movie/TV-themed slots along with some more-obscure titles. And given that there are different software providers here, you’ll see various styles of graphics all under one cyber roof.

Moving to the live casino, Sporting Index already provides one of the more-extensive live gaming experiences available. You can choose from baccarat, blackjack, Circus, European roulette, French roulette, party blackjack and several high-limit/VIP variations of all these games.

Download and Registration

Like many online casinos today, Sporting Index Casino does not require you to download any software. Instead, you merely visit their website on your PC or Mac, hover over your desired casino game, and click “Play Now” to try it out. As long as you have an up-to-date Flash program, which most people have, you’ll be able to play free casino games with no deposit necessary.

Assuming you wish to play for real money, click the “Join Now” button in the upper right-hand part of the homepage. From here you just need to fill out a few basic details like your name, email, date of birth and residence. Note that Americans will not be allowed to register and deposit at Sporting Index.

As for mobile play, Sporting Index is currently working on apps for smartphones/tablets. So it shouldn’t be long before this online casino is compatible with smartphones and tablets.

Banking Options

There are a decent number of banking methods for you to choose from. Maestro, MasterCard, Neteller, Visa and Visa Electron are all accepted here. Considering the fact that many people at least have Visa, MasterCard or Neteller, the vast majority should have no trouble depositing and getting started. And with the low £10 minimum deposit, you don’t need to have much to play.

Customer Service

Sporting Index offers pretty much every reasonable method available for contacting them. Email, live chat, phone, Twitter and even hand-written letters are all ways that you can get a hold of a customer service rep. One thing worth noting here, though, is that if you use the popular live chat method, business hours last from 8am to 11pm GMT. This is a pretty wide range of hours, but keep in mind that you must call or email after these set hours.

Live chat is how I contacted the Sporting Index customer support team. And I found the rep I chatted with to be every bit as good as expected from an operation that has been going strong for 24 years.

Verdict

The only notable problem with Sporting Index Casino is the lack of bonuses and promotions. Again, this is a problem that should be sorted out with time, but it’s the one drawback right now. On the positive side, the live casino offers a greater selection than you’ll find at most established internet casino operations. So if you really enjoy live gaming, then you should consider giving Sporting Index Casino a shot.