Gala Spins was launched in 2016 and is one of three sites with the Gala brand name that are owned by LC International Limited. Unlike its sister sites, Gala Spins is largely focused on slot gaming, rather than bingo or table games and has a library of 2,500 slot titles along with slots focused promotions.
The Gala name has long associations with high street bingo gaming, but is now part of LC International Limited, which in turn is part of Entain, a gambling giant that includes well known brands such as Ladbrokes, PartyCasino and Coral.
Gala Spins differs from its sister sites Gala Casino and Gala Bingo in focusing almost entirely on slots, although there is quite a lot of overlap between the three. In fact, Gala Spins could be described as Gala Bingo without the bingo, although the promotions offered on this site are slightly more slots-focused, including the regular slots tournaments.
The site design isn’t particularly remarkable and there is no theme to speak of, other than an accessible, informal style, with big icons and straightforward navigation. In terms of branding, this site depends largely on the Gala name and otherwise presents as an uncluttered interface.
One of the first things you notice about the site is the two tabs at the top of the home page enabling you to switch quickly to Gala Bingo or Gala Casino, and the cross-compatibility is further emphasized by the fact that you can use the same login to access all three of the sites, although you can only claim one welcome bonus across the three.
There’s a simple sign up process, accessed by clicking the pink Join Now button, with three standard forms to enter. You don’t have to provide ID or address verification at the sign-up stage, although it might save time later if you do.
You can also decide when you want to claim the welcome bonus, rather than having it automatically credited to your account, giving you some control over the process, although you should also remember that only debit card deposits are eligible for the new player offer.
Site navigation is relatively player-friendly, with two menus running horizontally across the top of the screen, although aside from the Megaways and Jackpot categories, there isn’t any way of refining your slots search and there’s no information about RTP or volatility on the game panels.
Gala Spins is all about the slots and there’s a plenty of diversity among the 2500 titles here. The obvious favourites are mostly present, with NetEnt, Big Time Gaming, Blueprint, Red Tiger and IGT all contributing to the catalogue.
Alongside the popular slot titles like Book of Dead, Fishing Frenzy and Starburst, there’s also a range of exclusive games, mostly from Entain’s in-house developer ElectraWorks. These include Gala Gold and Super Star Turns which can only be played on the Gala sites. They aren’t all classics by any means, but they do add some distinctiveness to the site.
There’s a solid jackpot collection too, with some notable progressives including Eye of Horus Jackpot King, Slots O’ Gold Megaways, and Deal or No Deal Megaways Jackpot. And if you enjoy live casino gaming, there is an entire lobby area given over to live games, mostly provided by Playtech and Evolution, although if you are into traditional casino games, Gala Casino is a better option than Gala Spins, with a much bigger choice of table games and live titles.
We were pleased to see dedicated sections for Slingo games and for Instants and Scratchcards, and although there aren’t many options, particularly in the latter category, it’s good to see that these are not hidden among the general slot library as happens at some sites.
Mobile casino fans can play at Gala Spins through downloadable apps, for both iOS and Android operating systems, and both seem to be well liked by players. The iOS app, for example, has a rating of 4.7. As far as we can tell, both apps provide biometric login suport, and neither is limited in terms of what areas of the Gala Spins site you can access, although we also found that the site ran smoothly on an iPad and Android tablet using a mobile browser.
While Gala Spins does offer promotions, they aren’t prominently displayed, and tend to be fairly standard daily free spins or prize draws. There isn’t a promotions link, so this clearly is not a priority here, but there are links to the rewards program, which awards points for completing missions, although there’s none of the tiered progression that you see on other sites. For casual players, that’s probably fine but for more experienced players it’s a little disappointing.
One area where Gala Spins scores highly is in its support for responsible gambling features. It offers all of the required UKGC-mandated safe gambling tools plus some extras, and displays links to multiple gambling organisations. The information on responsible gambling is not hidden away as is the case with some brands, and can be accessed through a prominent link at the top of the home page. Some of the safer gambling tools are particularly well integrated, including the reality check system that provides regular reminders without being overly intrusive.
Even more impressive is the customer support platform at Gala Spins. Admittedly, it is slightly frustrating that when you click on the phone symbol representing help and support, you have to go through the FAQ section before you can access the other channels.
That section is comprehensive, however, and if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you’re just a couple of clicks away from accessing the main support options. This includes 24/7 private messaging through Instagram, X or Facebook, all of which have an average response time of five minutes. You can also contact Gala Spins through live chat or email.
Do Entain really need to operate three Gala sites? There’s a case for saying that Gala Casino and Gala Spins could be combined, since they overlap significantly in the gaming products they offer and you can only claim one of the two welcome offers. Some slots gaming fans may feel that Gala Spins doesn’t do enough to provide a pure slots experience, compared to other sites that can offer twice as many games. The absence of a traditionally structured VIP scheme may also be a drawback for some.
On the plus side, Gala Spins does deliver on the basics, providing a good selection of slot games, including a solid collection of jackpot titles and some interesting exclusive games. There are no bells and whistles here, and the promotions are relatively muted compared to some rivals, but the banking system, responsible gambling section and customer support are all first rate and suggest that the operator is focused more on the fundamentals than the window dressing, which is refreshing in the modern iGaming sector.
Essentially, what helps Gala Spins to stand out from the array of white-label slot sites available to UK players is its balance of big name slots with proprietary content, its trusted branding, and its attention to detail when it comes to customer care. It’s not a comprehensive, flashy, all-in-one gambling hub, but it offers a reliable slot gaming experience.
The selected games as of August 2023 are:
9 Pots of Gold, Big Banker, Big Bass Bonanza, Big Fishing Fortune, Bigger Bass Bonanza, Cleopatra, Fishin’ Frenzy, Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch, Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch Jackpot King, Fluffy Favourites, King Kong Cashpots Jackpot King, Lucky Larry Lobstermania Slingo, Rainbow Cashpots, Rainbow Riches Pots of Gold, Sahara Riches: Cash Collect, Slingo Rainbow Riches, Slingo Reel King, Slingo XXXtreme, and The Goonies Return
but it appears these may be just a suggestion and the bonus is actually playable on any slot game
Please check the offer terms and conditions on the Gala Spins website for an up to date list
40 x bonus on slots, no wagering on free spins winnings.
Entain’s safer gambling provision is trailblazing (and award winning). Their safer gambling tools go far beyond what is mandated, including the ability to set a maximum spin value, set play breaks of 15 minutes to 3 hours and request a deposit curfew (which blocks deposits at times of your choosing such as late night or weekends). Self exclusion can be from Gala Spins only or from all Entain sites. The Advanced Player Protection part of the policy explains identity and affordability checks and warns that they may impose loss limits on players. There’s also the My Hub area in account settings where players can see net deposits and profit and loss over various periods to help keep track of spending. It all goes to show that they deserved their Safer Gambling Standard Advanced Level 3 certificate (unfortunately, that entire accreditation scheme has been discontinued).