Overview

When you’re one of the biggest names in UK betting, you need to create an online casino that fits your reputation. Fortunately, that’s exactly what Gala Casino has done. Since merging with Ladbrokes in 2015 and becoming part of the Ladbrokes Coral Group, Gala’s online presence has gradually improved. Today, as well as hundreds of games from the top software suppliers, this operator offers one of the best welcome bonuses around. To give you a little more insight into what makes this platform tick and how you can get more for your money when you sign-up, stick with us for the next few minutes as we review Gala Casino.

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Pros & Cons

• Fantastic welcome bonus
• Impressive selection of games
• Mobile-first interface
• Secure and UKGC licenced
• Low wagering conditions on promos

• Game categories can be unclear
• Some reports of slow withdrawals

Welcome Bonus and Special Offers

Sign-up to Gala Casino using our exclusive link and you’ll get the following: up to £400 in bonus cash when you credit your account with £10 or more thanks to 100% deposit multiplier. Now, before we dive into the details and unpack why we believe this is one of the best welcome bonuses in the business at the moment, let’s look at the headline figure. Straight away we can see that £400 is an amount of cash that should pique the interests of players at both ends of the experience spectrum. Although it’s not as much as a Casumo, which gives you up to £1,200, it is solid amount that’s significantly more than another major British brand, Grosvenor (£20 deal).

In addition to stacking up well against its peers, £400 isn’t too much or too little. What we mean by this is that an opening offer that has thousands of pounds up for grabs looks great on paper, but it’s often unattainable. Aside from you having to deposit thousands to get thousands in return, the wagering requirements can be tough to complete it. So, even if you do have enough cash to get the maximum bonus, you may not be able to unlock. At Gala Casino, the bonus team has pitched its golden hello somewhere in the middle. For us, that’s impressive because it means seasoned players have something juicy to sink their teeth into, while newbies aren’t left feeling overwhelmed.

Once you bore down into the details of Gala’s Casino’s welcome bonus, the wagering conditions don’t disappoint. When you scroll through our UK casino reviews, the average playthrough is somewhere between 30X and 40X the deposit + bonus amount. If you’re lucky, you can find sites where the amount you have to stake is 35X the size of your bonus. However, in general, 30X to 40X is the standard. At Gala Casino, the amount you have to stake is 20X the deposit + bonus. Instantly, you can see that this is better than the industry average. Moreover, it means that you won’t have to work too hard to unlock your bonus.

As you’d expect, certain games are given more credit than others as you’ll see from the list below. However, one thing to point out is that all slots, including jackpots, are given a 100% contribution weighting. That, again, is better than the many of the leading UK casino sites and, again, a reason Gala’s offer is worth a look.

Casino Games	Contribution weighting
Slots all types including jackpots (Excluding double up options)	100%
Arcade, Scratchcard Games and Fixed Odds Games	100%
Roulette (Excluding Keybet Roulette)	20%
Craps	20%
Blackjack (excluding Blackjack Cashback) & Poker	10%
Baccarat (all variations)	10%
Pontoon, Red Dog, Spin A Win/Lucky Wheel, Casino War	5%
Casino Hold’em, Wild Vikings, Let Them Ride	5%
Stravaganza, Blackjack Switch, Pai Gow Poker	5%
Blackjack Surrender, Lucky Blackjack	5%

Overall, when you take this deal and look at it from all angles, it’s impressive. Although the operator isn’t giving something away for nothing, the terms and conditions are more relaxed than you’ll find elsewhere online which, for us, is a positive.

Promotions

Perhaps the most notable thing about Gala Casino’s promo schedule is that it offers a degree of flexibility. Indeed, when you scan through the latest deals, you’ll see phrases such as “opt-in”, “what you want” and “choose your own”. This idea of semi-personalisation is great because it means you can focus your efforts on the games and offers that makes sense to you. For example, if you’re a slots player, the Jackpot King promo is perfect because it applies to a selection of progressive spinners. Put simply, if you play one of Gala Casino’s Jackpot King slots, you’ll not only be spinning for the in-game prize, but an exclusive community jackpot worth £2 million.

In contrast, if you’re someone that prefers to play table games at the weekend (Friday to Sunday), Gala Casino offers a weekend reload bonuses. Here you’ll receive a 25% deposit multiplier worth up to £100 when you make a deposit during the weekend. Like the welcome bonus, the playthrough is 20X the deposit + bonus and you’ll need to credit your account with at least £10. The only other caveat you need to take note of is that you must have made at least three deposits during your time at Gala Casino.

Finally, for those that like to grind away for hours, Comp Points allow you to convert your effort into cash. Every time you wager £10, you’ll receive 1 Comp Point. Once you hit 100 points, you’ll be able to exchange them for £1 in real money. Additionally, as you make more deposits and bets, you’ll climb the loyalty ladder and receive monthly bonus points and, at the top level, a better exchange rate. Overall, when you combine this system with a roster of regular rewards designed to suit players of all persuasions, it’s clear to see that Gala Casino places a lot of emphasis on added value and customer satisfaction.

Software and Games

Gala Casino is available as an instant play online casino, which means you can login and ante-up via any desktop device. What’s more, as well as offering easy access to PC and Mac owners, the software has been optimised to work at all screen sizes. In real terms, this allows you to also play via your mobile device without downloading any apps. Once you’re inside the site, everything is secured by SSL encryption, while you’ve got the added advantage of having Playtech’s certified fair software behind each game.

In terms of design, the gaming grid is nicely spaced out and you can “pin” your favourite games for easy access at a later date. If there’s one downside to the interface, game categories aren’t listed along the top of the page. Instead, you’ll find a dropdown menu that allows you to move from section to section. While this certainly adds to the compact, mobile-first look the designers are going for, this does have the potential to leave some players a little lost. Indeed, even if you’re an online casino veteran, it may take a few moments for you to realise how you can switch from blackjack to slots, for example.

Leaving the design aside, Gala Casino is extremely well stocked. As we’ve said, Playtech’s software forms the backbone of the site and this means you’ll get access to a slew of high profile games, including Penny Roulette and superhero themed jackpot slots such as Superman II, Justice League, as well as many other Marvel & movie-themed slots like Gladiator, King Kong, Rocky, Fantastic Four, Iron Man 2 and Incredible Hulk.

IGT powered slots including Cleopatra, Cleopatra II, Da Vinci Diamonds, Star Trek and Siberian Storm are right there alongside, and Alice’s Wonderland, Midas Millions, Leprechaun’s Luck and Captain Cannon’s Circus of Cash are also available to thanks to the Ash Gaming software also running on Gala Casino.

Beyond offerings from Playtech, IGT and Ash Gaming, you’ll also find the latest and greatest games from NetEnt, NextGen and Inspired under the following categories:

• Video Slots
• Jackpot Slots
• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Scratchcards
• Sic Bo
• Baccarat
• Table Poker
• Video Poker
• Casual Games

What’s also nice to see when you login to Gala Casino is that there is a selection of exclusive games. Because this operator is one of the biggest names on the UK betting scene, it’s used its reputation to offer special games, such as Big Banker Slot, Wild Cannons and Rainbow Rewards, that few others can. That’s rare in today’s iGaming scene and another reason Gala is worth a punt.

Mobile Casino

Where the dropdown category menu might have seemed a little out of place on the desktop site, it works extremely well inside the mobile app. Once you download the iOS or Android software, you’ll be offered a slightly reduced selection of games, but access to a full line-up of bonuses and promotions. As with many of the leading mobile apps, scrolling up and down is the norm, while swiping backwards and forwards will move you between menus.

However, beyond these standard features, we found some nice little touches that help to make this app standout. The first is TouchID login for iOS users. Although passwords are secure, your fingerprint is even better. So, to have this feature available is fantastic. Another great addition to the Gala Casino app is a session timer. Keeping track of how long you’ve been active is important for those that care about bankroll management. Although it’s nothing more than a small timer in the bottom left of the screen, it can have a profound effect on your sessions.

Sure, it won’t help you win more and it won’t make everything more exciting. However, it will help you take more control over your time online which, in the long run, should make your overall experience more enjoyable.

Deposit and Withdrawal

All the usual deposit and withdrawal methods are available at Gala Casino. From debit cards to PayPal, you’ll be able to send and receive payments in a secure an efficient way. The payments team aims to process every withdrawal request within 24 hours, which means that you should receive your funds within two to five days. A final point to note here is that you can only request a withdrawal to a deposit option you’ve previously used.

Security & Trustworthiness

When it comes to regulatory approval, Gala Casino has done everything the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) requires. This means that it segregates player funds, upholds responsible gaming protocols, uses secure software and offers games certified as fair. Beyond its legal obligations, Gala is one of the largest betting brands in the UK. As well as a presence in the bingo world, Gala owns a number of betting shops as part of its relationship with Coral and Ladbrokes.

Reading through the community’s reaction to Gala Casino, the general consensus is that it’s a well-stocked, safe place to play. Members of AskGamblers have given the site 9.5 stars out of ten, with only a handful suggesting that withdrawals may take slightly longer than anticipated. Over at The Pogg, some issues with regards to trust have been raised following the merger with Ladbrokes Coral. Although the operator has a longstanding history of being trustworthy, delays in handling some complaints has given some reviewers cause to suggest that you may have some issues with the customer service team.

Customer Support

Help is available 24/7 at Gala Casino. For a direct link to the customer service team, you can choose the following contact methods:

• Live chat
• Email: Internal form
• Phone: 0800 328 4272

Alternatively, a comprehensive FAQ covers virtually every topic you may need addressing, while Twitter users can reach out to a social media rep by following @GalaCasinocom.

Conclusion

Overall, Gala Casino is up there with the best UK operators in the business. As well as having a solid reputation in the industry, the interface is packed with gaming options, is highly secure and is designed to fit in with today’s mobile-first dynamic. However, perhaps the most impressive thing about this site is the welcome bonus. As we’ve noted, the amount you can claim isn’t too much or too little. Moreover, with our exclusive sign-up link, the wagering conditions are some of the most relaxed you’ll find. For us, this is the main reason you should give Gala Casino a try. Regardless of whether you’re a high roller or a newbie, there’s plenty of action and added extras on offer when you become a Gala player.

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