The Zodiac Casino welcome offer has recently been changed to a conventional slot bonus welcome offer, but be aware that the wagering requirements remain supersize.
Launched back in 2003, Zodiac is one of the oldest Microgaming‐powered brands still trading under its original name. That longevity is a trust signal in itself: you don’t stay in business for twenty-plus years and keep a UKGC licence for so long unless you’re doing everything right.
Having been around for more than 20 years, the website certainly has a retro look about it. If you’re used to modern casinos, you’ll probably consider it to be very old and clunky looking. Behind the retro façade, though, there’s a modern HTML5 lobby with new games releases every few days.
Opening an account at Zodiac Casino is very easy; you just have a two-page format where you enter your details and then you’re in. No SMS pin, no email link to chase.
There’s just one sticking point for me. Your login is a random string of letters and numbers the system spits out. There’s no option to create your own handle, so unless you’ve got autofill turned on you’ll be copy-pasting that Frankenstein ID forever. It’s not a deal-breaker, but mildly irritating.
What I like most about Zodiac Casino is that its lobby isn’t some mind-numbing wall of 3,000 thumbnails. Instead the team have carved the catalogue into themed “rooms” and it’s honestly the smartest bit of UX I’ve seen on any Casino Rewards skin:
Beyond the slots, the Variety tab is packed with Microgaming’s instant wins, including games like Dice, Mega Money Wheel and FlyX. In Progressive Jackpots, the selection is pretty small but you’ll find all of the original Microgaming hall-of-famers there like Mega Moolah, Treasure Nile and Cash Splash.
If live tables are your thing, the lobby pivots to Pragmatic Play Live where you’ll find hits like Sweet Bonanza Candyland, Mega Wheel and PowerUP Roulette and Evolution Live which has Mega Ball, Funky Time and other game shows as well as live roulette and blackjack. The RNG section is well-populated, too, with some fun Microgaming-branded titles like 9 Pots of Gold Roulette. In terms of video poker, I counted 30-plus video-poker variants with everything from single-hand Aces & Faces to 100-Hand Jacks or Better.
While it might seem a little lackluster for an online casino in this day and age to only have games from two providers (Games Global and Pragmatic Play), it’s still a decent selection. These days many innovative games studios such as Gameburger and Just for the Win come under the Microgaming umbrella. And although the casino looks dated, there’s plenty of new release games to bring it very firmly into the 2020s (there’s no area explicitly for new games but you’ll find recent releases showcased in the For You tab which is where you’ll land when you first enter the lobby).
To claim the welcome offer, make sure you opt in when you register. Immediately after making your deposit you’ll see a pop up with your bonus all ready to play.
Returning to Zodiac Casino can be a slightly confusing experience, especially if it’s on a different device to the one you used to register. The casino lobby is on a different URL and if you return via the main casino page and use the Play Now button you’ll have to accept the terms and conditions again before you can see the login option. As previously mentioned, you’ll also have to remember your username which is a long sequence of letters and numbers (but if you forget, you can retrieve it from the welcome email they send). If you forget your password, you will need help from their live chat to reset it. If you are the only person who uses your device and the connection is secure you may want to tick the “keep me logged in” option to avoid all this hassle.
Banking is very simple and casino gamer-friendly: minimum deposits are £10 across the board – ignore the ancient £1 wording still buried in the help pages – and you can load up with a variety of deposit methods.
Withdrawals are processed via the same methods (apart from Paysafecard which is for deposits only) and are fee-free. The site is pretty quick with these, taking a couple hours for e-wallets and under a day for debit cards.
Live-chat and email run 24/7 and agents actually know their stuff – but there’s no self-serve FAQ. This is a pretty annoying quirk, because you’re left running to customer support for every little thing. A searchable help centre would really go a long way to improving the user experience.
I should also point out that Zodiac is part of the Casino Rewards network. So, you can take your loyalty points with you from Zodiac Casino to any other site on the network. The list of regular promotions includes getting double loyalty points on the game of the month and (at higher loyalty scheme levels) unique prize draws where you can win once-in-a-lifetime experiences (for example, F1 paddock passes, private-island trips etc).
For cash-based bonuses, the wagering requirements are very steep – a whopping 200x. This is unlike anything else I’ve seen in the casino world where the highest playthroughs I’ve encountered are around 60x and 65x range.
Additional perks and promos are unlocked as you climb the VIP ladder.
Zodiac Casino has come a long, long way in 20 years. Even though it doesn’t have an ultramodern design and still sticks to having games from two providers, there was once a time when Zodiac Casino was a download-only casino on Microgaming’s Viper client.
Many casinos from that era struggled to adapt and either simply had to close (like Casino Tropez) or were absorbed into other more modern brands. So, Zodiac Casino is unique in that it’s kind of a relic of a previous time in the online casino world while still offering everything that modern slots players need to enjoy themselves.
So, Zodiac Casino is certainly a bit different from most of the other casinos you will come across with a UKGC licence, which may take a bit of getting used to. Plus – many players will no doubt balk at the mahoosive wagering requirements and the absence of many popular game providers – but there’s still lots to like about the site.
The operator definitely plays to its strengths successfully. The handpicked catalogue with thoughtfully-arranged rooms really makes browsing a dream while low deposit limits and quick withdrawals are just generally player-friendly.
200x bonus on slots – some other games count at lower rate, details on site. Bonus and cash wagers both count.
The Responsible Gambling Policy outlines the safer gambling tools they are required to have – deposit limits, reality check, take a break and self exclusion. There aren’t any extras.