Merlin Casino Review: Scam or Safe?

Merlin Casino is an establishment that has existed for a few years now but that has managed to stay mostly under the radar. The casino's reputation among players is overall decent, and the conditions the house offers are mostly very good. Merlin Casino is regulated in Curacao by Antillephone which offers an additional level of safety.

Merlin Casino offers a very impressive game library as well as many no-wager bonuses. These things are already reason enough for us to state that they are worth taking into consideration. Moreover, the house accepts many payment options and has very high withdrawal limits.

Merlin Casino is not without its problems – the lack of responsible gaming tools, for example, is bothersome. However, we still do think that this is worth checking out because of the generally good terms it offers. Learn more in the following review.

Merlin Casino Bonuses

Merlin Casino offers a large selection of attractive bonuses, all of them no-wager. This means that you are free to withdraw the bonus and winnings whenever you decide and without having to worry about meeting any wagering requirements. Keep in mind, however, that these bonuses expire in 48 hours so you will still have a limited amount of time to use them. All deposit bonuses come with a cash-out limit of 10x which is acceptable. The maximum bet size while you have an active bonus is rather small – €4.

Without further ado, here is what Merlin Casino can offer in terms of promotions:

The casino's Welcome Package consists of four bonuses that require a minimum deposit of €20. Here are the bonuses that are featured in the package:

• First Deposit Bonus – 120% bonus of up to €240 + 100 Free Spins on “Power of Merlin Megaways”
• Second Deposit Bonus – 110% bonus up to €220
• Third Deposit Bonus – 100% bonus up to €100 + 200 Free Spins on “Magician's Secret”
• Fourth Deposit Bonus – 120% bonus up to €240

The casino's Enchanting Tuesday promotion allows players to get free spins if they deposit on a Tuesday. Depending on the size of your deposit, you will get a different number of free spins. Each week, the game you can use the free spins on changes. Deposit €20 and you will get 25 free spins. For deposits over €50, you will get 70 free spins. Finally, if you deposit over €100, you can get as many as 150 free spins.

The Magical Friday Bonus allows players to get a 100% bonus up to €200 if they deposit at least €20 on a Friday.

The Saturday Enchanted Bonus adds an additional 50% up to €300 to your account once you deposit at least €20.

Merlin Casino also offers an Unlimited Cashback promotion that is quite interesting. When you stake €10 – no matter the outcome of the bet – you get 1 point. For every 25 points, you get €1 that you can claim at any time.

The casino also offers three Enchanting Sportsbook Bonuses.

• Merlin's Multi Bet Cashback – This promotion requires you to place at least 3 selections with minimum odds of 1.5. You have to bet at least €10. Then, if you lose, you will get some of your losses back as a cashback. The exact percentage depends on the number of selections. You will get 5% for 3 selections, 10% for 4 selections, etc. – up to 60% for 10 or more selections.
• Multi Bet of the Day – This promotion requires you to place a bet on one of five options the casino has provided on that particular day. If you win, you will get an additional 30%.
• Merlin's Magic Multiplier – To use this promotion, you once again have to place at least 3 selections with minimum odds of 1.5. The minimum bet size is €10. If you win, you will get an additional percentage – 5% for 3 selections, 10% for 4 selections, 15% for 5 selections – up to 60% for 10 or more selections.

Merlin Casino License

Merlin Casino is owned and operated by a company called Versus Odds B.V. This operator is regulated in Curacao by one of the four Master License Operators responsible for regulating casinos in this country – Antillephone.

Curacao is one of the oldest and most secure suppliers of regulated eGaming services. The country has been granting eGaming licenses since 1996 and is regarded as a well-liked location for online gambling companies because of its affordable, easy-to-follow licensing procedure and advantageous tax regulations. The main regulatory body in charge of granting licenses and overseeing online gambling operations is the Curaçao Gaming Control Board (CGCB). Unlike many other countries that would need separate licenses for different types of gambling, Curaçao's licensing architecture is created to allow operators to cover several gaming operations under a single license.

All types of internet gambling, including casinos, sports betting, eSports, lotteries, and games of skill and chance, are covered by Curaçao's “one-size-fits-all” license. The country offers eGaming enterprises enticing corporate tax rates. For eGaming enterprises, the gross bet tax rate is 0%, and the corporate tax rate is generally advantageous.

Although the jurisdiction has always given business owners a great deal of privacy, the implementation of these policies is impacted by worldwide trends that are shifting toward greater transparency and against money laundering. There are certain AML and KYC policies all houses regulated in Curacao need to implement. License holders must adhere to strict operational and technical requirements, and take things like fair play, and responsible gambling into consideration. They also need to prove that they have sufficient funding to finance their operations.

Curaçao has been striving, like many other jurisdictions, to strengthen its AML and compliance laws. Operators must follow KYC (Know Your Customer) protocols and other AML measures. Because of its apparent laxity and lack of enforcement in comparison to stricter nations like the UK, Malta, or Gibraltar, the Curaçao gambling license is occasionally regarded with suspicion. According to critics, this has resulted in cases of license abuse and fraud. As a result, initiatives have been made to strengthen regulatory supervision and procedures to improve Curaçao's standing as one of the main licensing spots for online gambling companies.

If you are working with a brand of an established, well-known company that is regulated in Curacao, you generally have nothing to worry about. However, you should exercise an extra level of caution when working with a house that is regulated in this jurisdiction. Consider the particular casino's reputation and take a closer look at its Terms and Conditions. Do not forget to consider the efficiency of the customer support, the quality of the website, the variety of games and game providers, etc. It is also imperative to keep up with any changes to the law, particularly in light of the global trend toward more regulation and openness in the online gambling sector.

The casino did not provide an extensive list of restricted countries – players based in most jurisdictions will probably have the chance to play at Merlin Casino.

Restricted countries: United States, United States Minor Outlying Islands

The website was available in the following languages:

Languages: English, Spanish, Norwegian, German, Turkish, Finnish, French, Portuguese

Merlin Casino Deposit and withdrawal

Merlin Casino accepts many convenient and safe payment options including Visa and Mastercard, bank transfer, instant banking, Revolut, Jeton, MiFinity, Cashlib, and various cryptocurrencies. Naturally, some of these options are only available for depositing.

The minimum deposit amount for most payment methods is €20 which is acceptable. Deposits are processed instantly, and there are generally no fees charged by Merlin Casino itself. Be warned, however, that certain transaction fees might be charged by the payment option provider when using some payment methods – like credit/debit card, bank transfer, and crypto (blockchain fees).

The minimum and maximum deposit amounts were not mentioned. The casino processes withdrawals within 3 business days which is standard. Keep in mind that the exact withdrawal processing speed will also depend on the amount you are withdrawing and the payment option you are using. Withdrawals to e-wallets and those made in crypto, for example, tend to be processed faster than bank wire withdrawals.

The casino has some of the most liberal withdrawal limits we have recently encountered. Players will get to withdraw as much as €50 000 a week, and €200 000 a month. In case you are withdrawing over €100, additional account verification will be carried out.

Keep in mind that before withdrawing, you need to wager your deposits at least once. Otherwise, you will be charged a 10% fee. This is a standard anti-money laundering requirement in most casinos and is hardly something out of the ordinary.

Players can open an account in one of the following currencies:

Currencies: Euro (EUR), US Dollar (USD), Australian Dollar (AUD), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Norwegian Krone (NOK), Turkish Lira (TRY)

Merlin Casino Games and game suppliers

Merlin Casino offers a rich variety of games developed by some of the top game providers in the industry. The casino collaborates with a large number of the best-known and respected game developers – companies like PragmaticPlay, Evolution, Play'n Go, Spribe, Red Rake, Evoplay, Amusnet, Spinomenal, Merkur, and many others. This means that the games they offer are not only many but also of very good quality. The game library itself was well-organized which made it easy to find the exact sort of game the player was looking for.

Merlin Casino offers games that will suit the needs of all sorts of players including Slots, Video Poker, Video Bingo, Table Games, Scratch Cards, Live Dealer games, Crash and Fast Games, and Esports, as well as an impressive Sportsbook.

Game providers: 1x2gaming, 2BY2 Gaming, 3 Oaks, 5 Men, Amatic, Amigo Gaming, Atomic Slot Lab, AvatarUX, Betixon, Betsoft, Betsolutions, Big Time Gaming, Blue Guru Games, Booming Games, Caleta, Candlebets, CT Interactive, Dragon Gaming, ELK, Endorphina, Evolution, Evoplay, Fantasma, Fazi, Felix Gaming, Felt Gaming, Foxium, Fugaso, GameArt, Games Global, Gaming Corps, Gamomat, Gamzix, Givme, Golden Hero, Ggames, Habanero, Hacksaw, Iron Dog Studio, ISoftBet, Kalamba, Leap-Gaming, Mancala, Mascot, Merkur, Mr Slotty, NetEnt, Nolimit City, Novomatic, OneTouch, Oryx, PGSoft, Platipus, Play'n GO, Playson, Playtech, PragmaticPlay, Push Gaming, Qora Games, Rabat, Quickspin, Red Rake, ReelPlay, Relax Gaming, Revolver Gaming, Salsa Technology, Skywind, Slotmill, Smartsoft Gaming, Spade Gaming, Spinmatic, Spinomenal, Stakelogic, Swintt, Thunderkick, Tom Horn, Vibra Gaming, Wazdan, Wizard, Yggdrasil, Other

If you are a fan of Slots, you will be happy to learn that you can play games with varying themes and mechanics at this casino – Megaways, Multiways, Bonus Buys, Jackpots, etc. Some of the popular games you will get to enjoy include Big Bass Bonanza, Gates of Olympus, Book of Dead, Book of Ra Deluxe, Sakura Fortune, 9 Masks of Fire, Gold Digger, Buffalo Blitz, Candy Palace, Play with Clea, Mystery of the Orient, and many others.

The casino offers almost 350 online Table Games – you will get to enjoy many versions of all your favorite casino games like Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker, Roulettes, etc. Some of your options include Blackjack Deluxe, Bombay Blackjack, Blackjack VIP, American Roulette, Bombay Roulette, European Roulette, Multifire Roulette, First Person Roulette, Auto Roulette, Sic Bo, Andar Bahar, Teen Patti, etc. If you are a fan of Video Poker, check out the casino's separate section that is devoted to this game – you will get to play a total of 64 such games.

Scratch Card fans have about 150 options – Silver Diggers, Fortuna Mortal, Demon Train, Love Balloon, Rise of the Titans, Hot Safari, The Perfect Scratch, etc.

If you would prefer to play Video Bingo, you will be happy to learn that the casino offers 90 games – titles like Chocolate Planet. Bingo Dama de Fortuna, Egyptian Riches Gold, El Dorado, American Gold Fever, Bingote, Bingo Halloween, and many others.

The Live Casino section allows players to enter various lobbies (organized according to game and provider) and play live versions of their favorite casino games, or game shows.

The Crash and Fast Game section offered around 150 games – Aviator, Christmas Deal, Jingle Up, Piggy Smash, Christmas Crash, Crash Infinity, Raging Zeus Mines, Smash X, Super Bartender, Maverick, Plinko, and many others.

The Sportsbook did not disappoint either – players will get to bet on a huge number of live and pre-match events in many sports, both popular and more niche. Football events were around 1270 in total, Tennis events were 435, Basketball events were 180, and Table Tennis events were almost 480. The more niche options include Chess, Padel Tennis, Oscars, Eurovision, Hurling, Sumo, Politics, etc.

As a whole, Merlin Casino offers an exceptional selection of games, and players with all sorts of preferences and experience levels will surely find a game to suit their taste in the house's vast catalog.

Conclusion

Merlin Casino generally seems like a house that is worth checking out despite a few drawbacks. The website does not look spectacular and the lack of responsible gaming options was disappointing. The game library, on the other hand, was astonishing, and the bonuses, although not huge, did not have wagering requirements. The casino also accepts a good variety of reliable payment options and has high weekly and monthly withdrawal limits.

Are there better casinos you could be working with out there? Certainly. But that does not mean that this house is not worth checking out.