Planet 7 Casino Review

Planet 7 Casino has been welcoming players from around the globe since 2009,
in the process becoming one the leading mid-size online gaming establishments.
They’re also notable for accepting American players, which is still something of
a rarity following the passage of the UIGEA by the Bush administration.

Their selection of games may surprise first-time visitors, and their sign-up
bonus offers cash rewards on each of the initial eight deposits. If you need more
encouragement to open an account, just check out this review about the positives and
negatives of Planet 7 Casino.

First Impressions of Planet 7 Casino

The first time I checked out the Planet 7 site, I was
impressed with their streamlined design and wealth of casino
gaming options. Clicking on the “banking” tab revealed a number
of deposit and withdrawal options, and I was thrilled to learn
that they accept players from the United States.

I was even more impressed with their promotions and VIP club.
The former offers free money to players every day of the week,
and the wagering requirements are comparable to competing sites.
While I don’t play enough to take full advantage of the VIP
program, it’s an option that any high roller or grinder should
look into.

Is Planet 7 Safe?

The casino is powered by software from Realtime Gaming, and
their 15+ years in the business can assure you that all casino
games are operated fairly. They’re one of the biggest names in
the virtual gambling industry, so there should be no problems on
that front.

Other elements surrounding Planet 7 are not as certain. First
of all, they’ve been associated with the Crystal Palace and Ace
Revenue groups, and both have a long reputation for engaging in
slow-pay tactics. There have also been multiple complaints
regarding treatment of players, especially once they start
asking for money to be paid out.

If there are problems, the licensing jurisdiction of Costa
Rica isn’t going to be of assistance. They’ve long been known
for taking a “hands off” approach, meaning they don’t care what
casinos in their jurisdiction do as long as they pay their fees
to the government.

Bonuses and Rewards Programs

Planet 7 offers a number of bonus options, as well as a VIP
program to reward repeat customers. The former is especially
impressive, with eight different opportunities to earn bonus
cash when you first sign up. Weekly and monthly bonuses are also
offered, but the following are available throughout the year:

• $7,777 Welcome Bonus

  Divided up over your first eight deposits, this
  100% matching bonus goes up to $777 for your first deposit.
  After that, all deposit bonuses cap out at $1,000 for the next
  seven deposits.

• Slot Special

  100% matching bonus on deposits between $30 and
  $10,000. Only slots and keno satisfy the 30x wager requirement.

• Table Games Bonus

  80% matching bonus on deposits from $30 to $10,000. Only
  table games satisfy the 60x wager requirement.

• Weekend Special

  Get a 130% bonus when you make a $30 to $10,000
  deposit on Saturday or Sunday. Wagering requirement is 30x (or
  60x for video poker and table games).

• Monday Funday Special

  Deposit between $30 and $10,000 on a Monday and
  receive a 110% bonus. Wager requirements are 30x, or 60x for
  table games and video poker.

• Player Appreciation Free Chip

  Deposit at least $200 during a month
  and receive a $50 free chip. You must withdraw twice the chip
  amount, and the wagering requirement is 30x (60x for table games
  and video poker).

• Wire Transfer Bonus

  Get a 20% bonus added to any other bonus when
  you deposit via wire transfer. Wagering requirements are
  determined by which bonus you choose.

• VIP Member Bonus

  Members of the VIP program can receive a 130% match
  bonus on deposits of $100 to $10,000. Wager requirements are 25x
  (or 50x for table and video poker games).

The Planet 7 VIP program has five levels, and it provides
frequent players with all manner of perks. If you’re a true high
roller, just look at everything you can gain access to at the
fifth level:

• Custom gifts
• Casino balance insurance for $50,000
• Insurance paid at the start of every month
• Access to exclusive bonuses and promotions
• Every $2 wagered earns an additional comp point

Mobile Gaming from Planet 7

Planet 7 doesn’t really offer mobile gaming. The casino used
to have a mobile presence, but only one table game and three
slots were offered at that time. They must have discontinued the
service due to lack of customer interest, so anyone wanting to
play on their portable device needs to look elsewhere.

Casino Games from Planet 7

Planet 7 Casino specializes in casino games, and they offer
over 100 options to choose from. Their entire selection is
powered by Realtime Gaming, one of the leading names in the
industry. This means you can always count on fast loading times,
smooth graphics, and crisp sounds.

The casino divides their games into the following sections:
slots, table games, video poker, and specialty games. We’ll
examine each of these in the next four sections, providing
readers with a strong idea of what to expect before they ever
set eyes on the actual casino website.

Slot Machines

Since space is limited, I’m not going to list all the slot
machines available from Planet 7. There are, however, over 120
to choose from. The fact that they’re designed by Realtime
Gaming is also a bonus, as you can always count on that company
to provide diverse themes and reliable graphics.

If you choose the downloadable version of the casino, then
all slots are available. The Flash version is more limited in
its selection, but that’s common among most casinos.

Multi-payline games have become the norm, and the bulk of
these slots fall into that category. There are, however, some
three-reel games for old school players. Regardless of your
preference, you can look forward to progressives, win
multipliers, bonus rounds, scatter pays, and wild symbols.

I would discuss the slots with the best payout percentages,
but these figures aren’t commonly available. To make matters
more complicated, RTG software provides three settings to allow
casinos to make each game looser or tighter.

Table Games

Fifteen table games are available from Planet 7, and each has
been designed by the award-winning team at Realtime Gaming. The
following are included:

• War

  The player compares one card with the dealer, and the high card
  wins. In the case of a tie, the player can go to war and double
  their wager.

• Baccarat

  The player tries to beat the score of the banker. Featured in a
  number of James Bond films and often played for high stakes.

• Blackjack

  The player wins if they can get a higher total than the dealer
  without exceeding 21.

• European Blackjack

  Similar to blackjack, although the dealer doesn’t
  draw their second card until the player has completed their
  hand.

• Vegas Three Card Rummy

  The objective of this game is to build a lower
  three-card hand than the dealer.

• Face Up 21

  Played in a similar to manner to blackjack, but the dealer and
  player both get two face-up cards at the beginning of the game.

• Tri-Card

  PokerThe player must build a better three-card hand the
  dealer. A pair pays bonus money if an optional wager is made.

• Let’em Ride

  Requiring at least of pair of 10s for a payday, this game
  challenges the player with building the best possible hand using
  two cards and three community cards.

• Texas

  Hold’em Bonus PokerPlays like regular Texas Hold’em, although
  there are no additional wagers after the river phase.

• Match Play

  21A variant of blackjack with all the tens removed from the
  deck. The house edge is only 0.76% when the dealer is required
  to hit on a soft 17 and 0.40% when he must stand under the same
  circumstances.

• Pai Gow

  PokerThe player must make a two-card and five-card hand, and
  both must beat the dealer’s hands in order to win a payout.

• Pontoon

  The player gets two face-down cards to begin the game, and their
  objective is to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going
  over.

• Perfect

  PairsThis game is similar to blackjack, although a bonus
  payment is available to the player if they get a pair with their
  initial two cards. Carries a low house edge of 0.54%.

• Super 21

  Played much like regular blackjack, expect with a few tweaks to
  the rules.

• Red Dog

  The player is dealt three cards. In order to win, the value of
  the final card must be between the values of the first two.

Video Poker

Thanks to RTG, Planet 7 has 16 different video poker games to
offer its customers. These include the following:

• Sevens Wild

  The minimum hand for a payout is three-of-a-kind, and the
  seven cards substitute for any other card.

• Pick’em Poker

  Two cards are dealt face up, and then a pair of
  three-card hands is dealt with only the top card facing up. In
  order to win, the player must guess which hand is superior.

• Mystery Bonus Poker

  This is a unique hybrid that combines slots and
  video poker.

• Loose Deuces

  At least a three-of-a-kind hand is required for a
  payout, and all deuce cards are wild.

• Joker Poker

  The joker serves as a wild card, and at least a pair of kings
  is required for a payout.

• Jacks or Better

  The most common form of video poker, this game starts
  paying out with a pair of jacks. The multi-hand version of this
  game offers one of the lowest returns at 97.29%.

• Double Jackpot Poker

  Four-of-a-kind hands offer larger payouts, but
  you can finish in the money just by getting a pair of jacks.

• Double Double Jackpot Poker

  The same as the previous game, although
  some four-of-a-kind hands offer larger payouts.

• Double Bonus Poker

  This game is like Jacks or Better, except a bonus
  payment is paid out for any four-of-a-kind hand.

• Double Double Bonus Poker

  Plays like Double Bonus Poker, expect the
  bonuses for some four-of-a-kind hands are even larger than
  before.

• Bonus Poker

  In order to receive a payout, you’ll need a pair of jacks or
  better. If you get any four-of-a-kind hand, you’ll win a bonus
  payout.

• Bonus Poker Deluxe

  This game plays exactly like Bonus Poker, although some
  of the payouts have been amplified.

• Deuces Wild

  All deuces are wild, and the minimum payout hand requires
  three-of-a-kind. In order to receive the top cash prizes, you’ll
  need to make a royal flush or five-of-a-kind using a wild card.

• Bonus Deuces Wild

  The deuce card is wild, allowing it to substitute
  for any other card. Bonus payouts are available for different
  card combinations, but you need at least a three-of-a-kind to
  finish in the money.

• All American Poker

  This game is similar to the classic Jacks or
  Better, although the pay table has been modified.

• Aces and Eights

  The minimum payout requires a pair of jacks, but
  special payouts are awarded for four aces, eights, or sevens.
  Aces and Eights offers the best overall return of these games at
  99.78%.

Both single and multi-hand versions of video poker are
available through the site. If you decide to play more than a
single hand at a time, you can choose from the following
options: 100, 52, 10, or 3.

Specialty Games

The 14 games in this section offer a variety of options, with
the house edge averaging 2 to 3 percent. The best wager is the
even money bet on the French roulette wheel, which carries a
house edge of 1.35%.

• Sic Bo

  Three dice are rolled, and the player wagers on the outcome. The
  highest payout is an impressive 180:1.

• 5 Diamond Blackjack

  This scratch card option simulates blackjack, with
  the player trying to get a better hand than the dealer.

• Lucky 8s

  This is another scratch card game, this time offering a theme of
  leprechaun and shamrocks. The lowest winning multiplier is x1,
  while the highest is x4000.

• Magic 7s

  Another scratch card game, this one pays out if a 7 is
  uncovered. The player wins double the amount if a magical hat is
  also revealed.

• American Roulette

  This is the most popular version of the game in
  American casinos, although the addition of the 00 pocket results
  in a bigger house edge.

• European Roulette

  This game has a lower house edge than its American
  counterpart thanks to only one zero pocket.

• French Roulette

  All wagers are written in French, and the table can
  accommodate more than one player at a time.

• Multiplayer Roulette

  Several players can play at the same time, and a
  timer feature is included to simulate the pressure and
  excitement of real-life gaming.

• Roaring Twenties Bingo

  With a theme straight out of the 1920s, this
  game features progressive jackpots and the option to play up to
  100 cards at once.

• Bonus Bingo

  Fans of bingo should love the extra features such as bonus
  rounds, special balls, and winning multipliers.

• European Slot Poker

  A combination of video poker and slots.

• KenoPick

  one to 20 numbers and then get paid based on the number of
  matches.

• Hot Dice

  Another scratch card game, this time requiring the player to get
  a 7 or 11 to win.Various multipliers are available, including
  one that pays 2000 times the normal win.

• Craps

  The classic casino game that allows players to roll a pair of dice
  and wager on the outcome.

Banking Options

While Planet 7 accepts players from the United States, they
don’t act as though the passage of the UIGEA has harmed their
ability to accept deposits from players. In fact, they state on
their website that they have one of the best records in the
industry for successfully processing money into customer
accounts.

The two main deposit options listed on their site are as
follows:

• VISA

  This credit card option can normally prove difficult for players in
  the United States, but Planet 7 insists that they’ve got players
  covered. Keep in mind, though, that some of the leading casinos
  have difficulty on this front. Players in other parts of the
  world, however, should find it a simple matter to perform a
  transaction.

• Neteller

  One of the world’s leading e-wallet services, Neteller is not
  available to players in the United States. For those who live
  elsewhere, they’ll find that their account can be loaded with
  money online or at an available kiosk.

Other deposit options are supposed to be available, but the
site doesn’t provide any additional information other than their
logo. If you want to know more, you’re supposed to contact their
customer service department.

Withdrawal options may change at times according to their
site, but the following three options are always available:

• Bank Checks
• Bank Wire
• Cash Transfer

It takes 7 to 10 business days for a withdrawal request to be
approved or denied. If it’s accepted, payment will be made
within 10 to 14 business days. The minimum withdrawal is $100,
and a processing fee is involved for checks or money transfers.
There’s also a per-week maximum withdrawal limit of $2,500, so
any amount over that is paid out in subsequent weeks.

Customer Support

Planet 7 takes a great amount of pride in their customer
service department, and there’s someone standing by 24/7 to
answer your questions. If you need to get in touch with them,
the following methods of contact are available:

• Telephone
• Live Chat
• Email

Live chat remains my preference, but those who use email can
choose from five different categories to best meet their needs.
These include the following: payouts, deposits, general,
marketing, and technical. I sent out a message to each to test
them, and the average response time was just over one hour.

What’s Missing?

Their lack of mobile gaming is going to be a disappointment
to a number of potential customers, and I also wasn’t thrilled
about their lack of descriptions for their various games. The
section on deposits and withdrawals was also lacking in details,
forcing players to contact customer service for more
information.

While their terms and conditions section wasn’t missing, it
was lacking in clarity. I’ve visited a lot of gaming sites in
the past, and this was perhaps the vaguest set of rules that
I’ve ever seen. There seems to be a lot of room for
interpretation, and that’s never a good thing when it comes time
to claim your winnings.

Our Overall Impressions of Planet 7

While you can do a lot worse than Planet 7 Casino, it still
needs some work before it’s ready to join the upper echelon of
online gaming sites. On the plus side, they have a tremendous
selection of games and a wide range of generous bonuses. The VIP
program is also a nice addition, and all players have to do to
participate is go about their business as usual.

On the downside, Planet 7 has suffered through a number of
player issues over the years, with slow payments being the most
consistent problem. Even their terms and conditions page hints
at possible trouble by stating “the withdrawal amount paid or
processed to players on a weekly or monthly basis may vary.”
While I hope they’ve learned from their mistakes and remedied
the situation, the prudent player is advised to proceed with
caution.

Frequently Asked Questions