Carousel is a Belgian casino. As a consequence, it is obliged to adhere to the laws put in place by the Belgian government, laws that are extremely rigid in terms of what a casino can and cannot do. This is a Category B licensed casino, which means, for example, that it can offer slots but only those games that involve dice. This will seem strange for players who don’t hail from Belgium, but for players within the country who are, after all, who this site is marketed at, it will make perfect sense because this is what they are accustomed to.
There are loads of dice-based games to play here but there are also some other games that don't involve dice, just to provide some respite from the relentless spinning of dice-themed slots. There is virtual racing for example and card games too. Throw in some roulette and you've got all the makings of a casino that, while hardly comprehensive from the eyes of players hailing from other countries, should prove more than adequate for Belgian gamblers.
Carousel is licensed and regulated by the Belgian Gaming Commission. It is one of the first sites to been granted such a licence and is linked to the company's real world casino in Hulste. Creating an account at Carousel is quick easy and once done you'll be able to help yourself to some of the bonus cash that is available as an incentive for getting involved. Because the site is regulated by the Belgian Gaming Commission, it is 100% legal for Belgians to play here and all games involve use of a random number generator which ensures that fairness is maintained at all times.
While Carousel might excel in terms of fairness, in other areas it doesn't fare quite as well. It seems to have given up on its social channels for example, with its Facebook page having been abandoned a few months ago and its Twitter account going the same way too. This is strange, since both channels seem to be enjoying a reasonable amount of traction and had a respectable follower base. Whatever the case, if you need to get hold of customer support, you can still do so on the site by opening a support ticket.
There is a reasonable range of deposit options available at Carousel. You can use Bancontact card or Visa via HIPAY wallet. You can also use MasterCard in the same manner or bank transfer using Dexia Direct Net. Finally there is Paysafecard, a prepaid card option which is extremely popular at casinos on the web. Due to the strict laws governing Belgian gambling, you cannot make a direct deposit via your credit card, which is why credit cards deposits have to made via an intermediary account like those listed above. Although there is an FAQ on the site, it doesn't give any information about withdrawals so it is hard to tell how long it will take funds to clear into your account or indeed what withdrawal options are available to you.
When you sign up at Carousel there is a first deposit bonus of up to €500 to claim. This appears to be a 100% bonus. In addition, there is a €10 welcome bonus that you can claim simply for signing up. This bonus cash can be put to use on the various games on the site such as cards and roulette. Carousel also operates a loyalty scheme call the Diamond Club. Save up points with every deposit you make and then redeem these for bonus cash. Finally, there is a refer a friend scheme that will see you awarded €25 when your friend signs up and makes their first deposit.
Dice games are the most popular games on the site, not specifically because Belgians nurse an obsession with dice-based gambling but more because this is one of the few means of betting that is available to them within the country. At Carousel you can play simple dice games where the aim is to match three dice symbols horizontally or diagonally. Match them to win – it's that simple. These are basically akin to the sort of scratch cards or mini games that you would find at other casinos. There is no skill involved but it is still possible to win large sums with a bit of luck.
Due to licensing laws that came into effect in Belgium in 1999, fruit machines have lost their traditional symbols and these have been replaced by dice. In practice this doesn't really change anything other than ensuring that online casinos accord to the relevant laws in the country. In many respects, the dice slots look just like the sort of regular slots you’d expect to find at a normal casino save for the regular symbols having been swapped out for rows of dice plus the occasional wild symbol.
Roulette – or carousel – is also popular at Belgian casinos, both land-based and online ones, and you can play a selection of roulette games at Carousel where you can win upto 36x your bet. In addition, there are card games including blackjack and a range of video poker games to try your hand at. To keep things fresh, Carousel regularly host tournaments in which there are some serious prizes to be won including tangible gifts such as cars, electronic goods and money. There is a different tournament held every month on the site where loyal players are rewarded with bonus cash for the time they’ve put in playing Carousel’s games.
From the perspective of Belgian players, Carousel is one of the better equipped gambling sites on the web. Admittedly their choice, while staying within the confines of the law at least, is limited. There are only so many casinos and so many game types that Belgian gamblers are allowed to enjoy. In practice it makes little difference whether the symbols you are gambling with display fruits or dice. It has to be dice here, so be prepared to see a lot of them surfacing on the slots and mini games as you work your way through the titles available at Carousel.
The deposit options are as convenient as is reasonably possible given that the Belgian law doesn't permit credit card transactions to be made directly. Customer services at Carousel are also capable. The welcome bonus of 100% up to a maximum of €500 isn’t bad either. For the purposes of playing roulette, blackjack and other table games, Carousel does the job just fine. Realistically, there are only so many table games and dice games you can play in one sitting, but until you get to that stage, Carousel will provide plenty of ways to keep you entertained and potentially enriched.