Old Havana Casino Review

What is it about the words “Old” and “Havana” that are so rich in character and imagery? On their own they don’t mean a whole lot, but put them together and suddenly you can’t shake the notion of a wizened old Cuban in a hat sucking on a fat Havana cigar. That, not surprisingly, is the exact image that Old Havana Casino have gone for with their logo, weaving a poker chip and a sprig of mint in there for good measure. Why mint? Because mojitos, obviously.

As for the site itself, Old Havana is an online casino that straddles the divide between slick and modern and old and clunky. Certain elements of the site look smart on first inspection, but once you realise that the site relies on a downloadable software model, Old Havana Casino starts to show its age.

It’s possible to play games in-browser too it should be noted: you have options, which do include provisions for mobile and tablet users. Sign up, claim a 250% welcome bonus and then, if you’re intent on experiencing the complete banquet of riches available, download the casino’s free software to your PC.

About Old Havana Casino

If you thought Old Havana Casino was just a theme plucked from a collection lurking in a gaming operator’s file system, think again. This casino is the real deal, so real that you can almost smell the cigar smoke. That’s because the casino is registered in Panama City. Not quite Cuban then, but in the right part of the Americas at least. It’s Hispanic, put it that way.

As for the operators of the site, there’s not a lot to report: they have no About page and so there’s little to report in terms of their intentions. It’s evident however that Old Havana Casino uses 128-bit SSL, the industry standard. There is a section of the site dedicated to Fair Play however, which addresses the use of a Random Number Generator and the fact that Real Time Gaming, who provide the software, have had it independently verified to ensure honest payouts.

Cash in

There are a few deposit options available at Old Havana Casino, some of which are available to US players and some of which are not. Visa and MasterCard are the starting point; the minimum deposit amount is $20 and the maximum is $5,000. MST international gift cards are also options, as is Neteller, although not in the US. The other deposit option available is Money Order, which allows for a minimum deposit of just $1.

When it comes to withdrawing your winnings, credit card isn’t available as an option, unusually. Instead you’ll need to claim your cash by cheque or by direct deposit if you’re based in the US. The minimum withdrawal amount for this option is $100.

For customers outside the US, Money Order and Neteller are your two options. The latter is probably the best of the two, not least because the minimum withdrawal amount with Neteller is $10. There’s a 48-hour wait before withdrawal requests are processed.

Getting Started

After signing up at Old Havana Casino, your next step will be to choose how you wish to play. If you’re sold on the downloadable software model, you’ll want to click that download button, save the file to your desktop and follow the instructions.

Alternatively, if you’re a mobile user, you can click through to the mobile site, which contains a smaller selection of games, but which have all been optimised for touchscreen devices. Should you run into difficulties, the casino offers 24-hour live chat support. Email and telephone support are also available.

Bonuses

There’s a welcome bonus for new players to claim after downloading the casino’s software. It’s unclear whether the same offer is extended to mobile players and to players who elect to access the games in their web browser. There are 3 coupons to choose from: a 200% welcome bonus, a 250% welcome bonus and a 300% slots bonus. The maximum amount of cash that’s available with this offer is unclear. It’s also unclear whether these 3 bonuses have to be claimed in a specific order.

All through the week, Old Havana Casino offers a different daily promotion. On Monday there’s a 200% deposit match. There’s also a cashback bonus of up to $500 available on Mondays but no Tuesday promo, so this may be an error. Wild Wednesday applies a 300% bonus and Thirsty Thursday applies a 200% bonus plus free spins. There are 250% bonuses up for grabs on Freaky Friday and on Thank God Is Saturday [sic], all of the bonus codes can be used. Super Sunday applies “triple season bonuses” whatever they may be. One thing becomes immediately apparent after perusing Old Havana Casino’s weekly bonuses: they’re better than its welcome bonuses.

Casino Preview

It’s not possible to view all of the casino games that are available at Old Havana Casino. Instead, there’s a preview selection of what’s in store. The first category you’ll encounter is stocked with new games and includes slots and scratch games such as Snowmania, Witch’s Brew, Sweet 16 and Panda Magic. None of these games are particularly new or exciting, but hey, they’re better than nothing.

The remaining games that can be found on the preview page are all table games. Old Havana Casino is well stocked with all your favourite card games, plus a few you’ve likely never encountered. Poker variants include Caribbean Draw Poker, Caribbean Hold ‘Em and Caribbean Stud Poker. There’s Blackjack of course, plus Pai Gow, Pontoon, War and European Roulette. Speciality games include Bonus Bingo, Keno and a whole heap of video poker titles.

Just What You Expected

The slots to be played at Old Havana Casino are as dated as you’d expect them to be. That’s the trouble with marketing your casino primarily as a download-to-play version: games are only updated periodically, and as a result the slots tend to be old and basic. The reality is there was probably never a time when Golden Retriever was cool. Likewise with It’s a Mystery!, Incan Goddess or Loose Caboose. If you find yourself playing Mid Life Crisis, it’s probably time to take a step back and evaluate how you ended up in this mess.

Havana Laugh?

Old Havana Casino is a dated and unexceptional casino that has little in its favour save for the fact that US residents can play at it. That alone shouldn’t be enough to sell a casino to the discerning player. While the site has at least made an effort to attract mobile players, it’s still focused primarily on desktop PC players, a demographic that is shrinking with every passing year. The table games are reasonable enough, because table games don’t really date. The slots, not so much.

Deposit options are limited, promotions and bonuses are illogical and there are no attempts at creating any sort of community spirit. Still, Old Havana Casino does have a good name. It’s got that going for it, but not a whole lot else. If you’re an ardent desktop PC player based in the US it might be worth checking out. Everyone else would be advised to give this online casino a miss.