BetMGM Online Casino Review: $25 Free + $1000 Bonus

BetMGM Casino
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MGM Resorts International debuted online casino and poker games under the playMGM brand in 2017, later adding online sports betting before rebranding to BetMGM. It’s partnered with GVC Holdings for online gaming, as part of a joint venture known as Roar Digital.

BetMGM Casino is now available in most states with legal online gambling. The company also has an eye on several potential emergent iGaming markets. The rest of our expert BetMGM Casino review details the latest bonuses and promotions, live dealer games, and app details.

Pros:

  • Good assortment of online slots
  • Solid desktop and mobile casino apps that are integrated with the sportsbook
  • Shared wallet with poker and sportsbook
  • Tons of viable payment methods

Cons:

  • Bonus wagering requirements are high
  • Loyalty program needs work
  • Lackluster customer service

Ratings: Overall 3.9 (can be rounded to 4.0)

  • Reputation and Licensing: 4.5
  • Game Variety: 4
  • Bonuses and Promotions: 3
  • Deposits and Withdrawals: 4
  • Software and Graphics: 4

BetMGM Online Casino Review

The pairing of MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings comes with high expectations, and for the most part BetMGM online casino hits the mark.

The gaming selection covers a wide spectrum, ranging from slots, exclusive progressives, Live Dealer games, table games, video poker, and a smattering of niche products. Yes, the table games and video poker selection could be more varied, but at least all the bases are covered.

BetMGM recently overhauled its platform, and the site benefits widely from it. What was once an antiquated looking and buggy app is now smooth and responsive, with a layout that is both aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. Not to mention, all BetMGM iGaming verticals, including casino, sports, and poker, share a common wallet and rewards system, with casino and sports housed under the same app. BetMGM is available on both desktop and Android/iOS powered mobile devices.

A robust cashier, which offers players myriad depositing and withdrawal options, rounds out BetMGM’s strengths. Yet, the site is knocked down a peg or two due to its rigid bonus clearing requirements and a customer service team that often frustrates more than it helps.

BetMGM is a legal and regulated online gambling site, so players can rest easy knowing that the games are fair, and their identities and funds will be well protected, in accordance with strict regulations enforced by experienced governing bodies.

BetMGM Bonuses For New Players

BetMGM comes out swinging with a high-value welcome bonus for all new players who register with the bonus code BUSABONUS.

BetMGM Casino $25 + $1,000 BonusBetMGM Casino Bonus Code: BUSABONUSClaim NowGAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV) or call 1-800-270-7117 (MI) for confidential help. Must be 21+. MI, NJ, PA, and WV only. Please gamble responsibly. Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. All promotions are subjet to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit unless otherwise provided in the applicable terms. Rewards subject to expiry.

Signing Up At BetMGM Online Casino

Registering an account at BetMGM is a relatively stress-free process that should only gobble up a few minutes of your time.

To get started, players will have to provide their full name, email address, and date of birth, followed by a user ID and password, a phone number, and the last four digits of their Social Security Number. Why the Social? Because SSNs are needed so that operators can verify and protect player identities and are a standard of legal, regulated markets.

Finally, players will need to provide their address, the answers to a couple of security questions, and an optional bonus code. Don’t worry about leaving this field blank, as BetMGM automatically makes new players eligible for the no-deposit and match bonus offers detailed above.

A few caveats worth noting:

  • In order to register, players must be at least 21 years of age, which is the legal gambling age in New Jersey and WV. The same will apply to other states.
  • Key casino employees and other casino employees may be prohibited from wagering on BetMGM.
  • Players on self-exclusion lists will not be able to create an account.
  • Finally, registrants do not have to hold residence in a state where BetMGM is offered. They only must be geolocated (either via WiFi or 4G/5G) in an eligible state before wagering real money. In order to geolocate off certain devices, a WiFi adapter or downloaded geolocation plugin may be required.

BetMGM has designed its platform to be very flexible, so players that register for an online casino account, can use the same account information (and wallet) across all BetMGM gaming verticals offered in their state.

Is BetMGM Online Casino Available In My State?

If your primary interest is online casino gaming, then your options to play on BetMGM are limited to the following states:

BetMGM Deposits And Withdrawals

One of the key advantages of regulated sites over offshore is that getting money on and offline is a swift, painless process, with legal sites providing a plethora of straightforward depositing methods that players won’t find elsewhere.

BetMGM goes above and beyond legal standards. In all, players have a choice of 10 legitimate funding options, and we suspect that at least most of the same options will be available in other states at launch.

Admittedly, players didn’t always have it this good, but since legal online gambling first went live in 2013, credit card companies and PayPal have relaxed their stance against iGaming.

BetMGM Casino Deposits

CasinoUSA.com recommends the following depositing methods:

VIP Preferred: If you have a checking account, this is probably the payment processing method for you. Simply provide a routing/checking account number tied to your name to get started. The main drawback here is that your weekly limit is shared across all VIP Preferred online gambling sites, typically starting at $500+ and rising as you earn trust.

Visa/MasterCard/Amex (credit/debit): Credit/debit card transactions are the ultimate in convenience, but players should be warned that this method boasts one of the lower success rates. However, the situation keeps improving, with banks like TD Bank now allowing online gambling transactions. Credit/debit cards typically have a $4,500 daily limit.

BetMGM Online Play+: Perfect for players that have their eCheck or credit card transactions denied, Play+ is a prepaid card option that can be funded through ACH, credit/debit, and other options. The sign-up process is a little more intensive relative to most other depositing methods, but the good news is that players won’t need to wait until their physical card arrives in the mail to deposit at BetMGM. Once the card does hit your mailbox, the card can be used for ATM withdrawals and doubles as a Discover card.

PayPal: One of the world’s most popular eWallets can now be used to fund BetMGM accounts. To complete PayPal transactions, BetMGM will redirect you to a secure PayPal portal, where you will sign in and process the payment. Linked credit/debit cards and ACH can be used to fund BetMGM accounts through PayPal. ($5,000 daily limit)

Other depositing methods include:

  • Online banking transfers: Similar to VIP Preferred in that you’ll transfer funds directly through a bank account, but different in that you’ll do so through a secure banking portal. Of note is that you’ll need to have enabled online bill pay (not all banks have this) to be eligible.
  • Pay With Cash: Some players prefer to conduct cash-in-hand transactions, and Pay With Cash makes this possible. Simply generate a pay code on BetMGM and bring the barcode to any eligible 7-Eleven, CVS, or Family Dollar. The main downside here (besides having to travel) is the $500 maximum transaction limit.
  • Cash at the Cage: In New Jersey, players can hop over to the Borgata and fund their BetMGM account with cash at the casino cage, the obvious drawback being that this method really isn’t viable to those who don’t frequent Atlantic City. Cash at the cage may or may not be available in other states where BetMGM sets up shop. We’ll keep you posted.
  • Skrill: Skrill is a third-party eWallet designed specifically for online gambling transactions and offers players higher depositing limits than they may find elsewhere.

All depositing methods on BetMGM support minimum deposits of just $10, and most process instantaneously, which means players can start mixing it up at the tables and slots mere seconds after depositing.

BetMGM Casino Withdrawals

In order to withdraw players may be tasked with providing a form of government-issued ID, like a driver’s license. In addition, for VIP Preferred, BetMGM will likely ask for a copy of a recent bank statement.

Also of note: In general, you must first use a method for depositing before it can be used for withdrawals, although this is not absolute.

Withdrawal methods include:

  • VIP Preferred
  • BetMGM Online Play+
  • PayPal
  • Skrill
  • Check by Mail

In most cases, BetMGM will get your money to you in a matter of days, sometimes as quickly as one business day – the exception being Check by Mail, which will most certainly take over a week.

There are instances, however, where the timeline lengthens to as much as 3-4 days. There have also been select cases where players have been tasked with providing even more identification before a withdrawal is processed. However, this appears to be the exception rather than the norm.

Game Selection At BetMGM

As far as online casinos go, BetMGM’s game selection is middle of the road, with enough games on the menu to satiate the desires of most gamblers but lagging behind some of its more aggressive competitors.

The desktop version of the site clocks in at over 400 games, most of them penny slots, with Live Dealer, table games, and other niche products like Virtual Sports also represented. Most of the big game distributors are present and accounted for, such as NetEnt, IGT, and Konami, and new games are added often enough that players are encouraged to check in frequently.

Table games and video poker are weaknesses of the app, with many competitors simply BetMGM out of the water. If you’re looking for really obscure carnival games, best turn elsewhere.

It should be noted that BetMGM will likely launch with fewer games in other states, as it took the operator years to build up its current library in New Jersey and WV.

BetMGM Slots

Slots are the bread-and-butter of BetMGM’s game library, with just about 400 one-armed bandits ready to be played. Over 20 of these are exclusive to the site, which is refreshing, as many online casino lobbies are near-exact clones of one another.

In terms of quality, BetMGM’s product line runs the gamut from old-school to ultra-modern, with providers like NetEnt supplying a myriad of dazzling penny slots chock full of riveting bonus rounds. Top titles include SteamTower, Gorilla Go Wild, the screamingly popular progressive slot Divine Fortune, and for you traditionalists, Black Diamond.

BetMGM does an admirable job of mimicking casino floors, featuring games that can be found at many of its brick-and-mortar properties, like Zeus, Double Diamond, and Cleopatra.

Unique to BetMGM and its partners are two linked progressives. Its Big Series, which consists of 10 slots (including the exclusive MGM Grand Millions), often features a Mega Jackpot of over $3 million. Granted, these games are about as exciting to play as watching paint dry, with outdated graphics and pedestrian gameplay. But if you’re in it for the big bucks, this isn’t a bad place to start.

MGM also features a smaller Cash Flash series of progressive slots, which offer a much more realistic chance of hitting a jackpot.

BetMGM Live Dealer Casino

Live Dealer is perfect for players who enjoy a more social atmosphere but would rather not trek all the way down to the casino or just for people who haven’t fully warmed up to online gambling yet.

The games have become all the rage in the online casino space, and BetMGM capitalizes upon the hype by offering a suite of products where players can interact directly with real dealers, who deal real cards and use other physical playing devices.

BetMGM’s Live Dealer rollout is provided for by Ezugi, and if we’re being completely honest, it’s not all that impressive.

Currently, the offering consists of:

  • A half-dozen or so blackjack tables, with table minimums ranging from $20 – $100.
  • Unlimited Blackjack, which is a community blackjack game, and is highlighted by its $1 minimum bet size.
  • American Roulette (double zero)
  • Baccarat Dragon Bonus
  • Casino Hold’em

Games in the NJ market run from 11 am – 3 am daily.

The small selection of games, mediocre rules, and grainy streams make it hard for us to fully recommend the product, but we expect BetMGM to continue improving its offering.  

Digital Table Games

On the digital side of the table gaming fence, BetMGM again comes up a little short.

The site offers several blackjack games, including the exclusive Premium Blackjack Pro, which boasts a crisp interface, and supports favorable rules (99.49% theoretical return).

BlackJack Xchange is a neat twist on traditional 21 in that players can pay to switch out their lousy cards and get paid to switch out their winning cards. Of course, switching comes with a price, and in this case, the price works out to a 2.5% commission – which is way higher than the house edge on most blackjack games.

In addition to a couple of roulette games that players can find just about anywhere, BetMGM offers the exclusive Black & Yellow Roulette game. Sadly, the color swap from red to yellow is really the game’s biggest innovation, but at least it’s a single-zerod game.

Other table games include an exclusive Craps game, Casino Hold’em, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, and … well, that’s about it. Not the greatest selection.

On the plus side, MGM offers a variety of niche games, including just about every Slingo variation presently on the market, virtual scratch-offs, and Virtual Sports, where players bet on simulated games of their choosing, be it horses, cars, soccer, or motorcycles.

BetMGM Video Poker

BetMGM offers several full-pay (or near full-pay) single-line Game King video poker games, including Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus,and Double Double Bonus. There are also three- and five-line Game King machines, but the payout tables on the games featured therein are a few shades short of optimal.

BetMGM also features a few niche VP games, including Destiny Poker, where apparently your “destiny” is to get a second lease on life when you are dealt four-to-a-flush and miss. Draw a blank and get a second chance to make a flush. Miss that and players are whisked away to a bonus game where they can win up to 3,000 coins. It’s a neat concept, but the execution is lacking.

Rounding out the card-slinging games are a handful of single-line VP games by developer Spin Games, although these are very difficult to recommend based on their substandard payout tables.

BetMGM Online Casino Software

BetMGM took on a complete overhaul of its online gambling platform in 2019, and the site has benefitted widely from it. Still, the old software was so flawed that even the update only elevated it to “decent” status.

Starting with the basics, BetMGM online casino is available as a non-downloadable browser-based platform on desktop and a mobile app on Android and iOS-powered devices. In states where online sports betting is legal, the online casino and sportsbook are located on the same platform, and users can easily switch between the two. Poker players, however, will have to download a separate app before initiating the grind, which is a slight inconvenience. One wallet is used for all of BetMGM’s betting verticals, which is a mammoth plus in our book.

The software is fairly responsive, even on WiFi, with games that are quick to load, minimal software bugs, and a general aesthetic that isn’t too harsh on the eyes. There are some oddities, however. For instance:

  • If you’re playing a game for a while and back out, the software will log out of your session.
  • Clicking on the “Info” link of a game doesn’t really reveal any new info about the game.
  • The withdrawal and responsible gaming links are buried way too deep in the menus for our taste. Furthermore, while BetMGM does provide a robust array of responsible gaming settings, players can’t limit themselves by gaming vertical.
  • A site with over 400 games could stand to incorporate a more advanced filtering system. Instead, BetMGM filters casino games the way it thinks players will want to see them.

These few negatives aside, players will be delighted to see far fewer software glitches and geolocation errors than in early 2019. Not to mention, the site’s account management features are significantly easier to explore, with the cashier, loyalty program info, and customer service portal never more than a click or two away.

The mobile experience largely mimics that of desktop, featuring a very similar layout, one-click access to the sportsbook, and largely the same account management features. Some of the games are missing, however, most notably some table games and about one-quarter of the slots. Small price to pay for gamblers that prefer to play on the go.

BetMGM Loyalty Rewards Program

Give MGM credit for having the savvy to link its online and brick & mortar rewards. At BetMGM, players will earn M life Rewards Tier Credits for every spin of the slots or roll of the dice. Also earned are loyalty points (called iRewards) that can be redeemed online for bonus bucks or cash, for accessories, electronics, and other online items at the site’s loyalty store, or for Express Comps at any MGM destination.

Express Comps can be used to pay off hotel stays at restaurants or at entertainment venues. Suffice it to say MGM provides players with plenty of diversity as to how they can spend comps.

But the question lingers: How fast can players earn comps?

BetMGM divides its loyalty into five tiers:

  • Sapphire: Baseline point
  • Pearl: 25,000 points annually
  • Gold: 75,000 points annually
  • Platinum: 200,000 points annually
  • NOIR: By invitation only

Let’s start off by saying that we’re fond of the annual loyalty system, as it means players that don’t have the time or desire to gamble on any given month won’t be negatively impacted.

Players earn tier credits/points at different rates, depending on the game played:

  • Regular slots: $5 wagered per point
  • Progressives: $10 wagered per point
  • Video poker: $20 wagered per point
  • Baccarat, Roulette, Craps, Blackjack: $25 wagered per point

Unfortunately, sports bettors do not earn loyalty points at this time, but poker players do, at a clip of 5.5 per dollar raked.

This means that to climb just one tier, players will have to wager $125k on slots or a whopping $625k on most table games. That’s just plain excessive and deflates our opinion of the program.

As players climb the ranks, they’ll earn (slightly) better exchange rates on Express Comps. For instance, at Sapphire, 500 points will net you $5 in Express Comps, which works out to a 0.2% conversion rate. At NOIR, the rate increases to 0.33%, which is hardly worth it unless you plan on taking advantage of the other amenities that come with NOIR.

All considered, the loyalty program will only really benefit the most hardcore gamblers, with casual players left hung out to dry. Granted, anything is better than nothing, but iRewards at BetMGM will be an afterthought for most.

BetMGM ups the ante slightly via its frequent leaderboard promos, but again, these highly favor players willing to gamble tons of money.

Customer Service At BetMGM Online Casino

Without a doubt, the weakest aspect of BetMGM’s online casino operation is its customer service.

The site offers four modes of help:

  • Live chat: 24/7
  • Phone: Typically around the clock, but sometimes with reduced hours of 8 am – 10 pm
  • Email: 24/7
  • Help Pages

Admittedly, the help center is really comprehensive and does provide answers to many common queries. Communicating with an actual customer service agent, however, can be quite an exercise.

The primary issue is that the reps don’t seem to understand the product as well as they should, leading to exchanges that are often way longer than they need to be. There’s also a prevailing feeling that everything is your fault.

It’s not all bad, and the reps are equipped to handle the basics, such as bonus and cashiering questions, but the tough stuff usually has to be elevated to a greater authority, and even then, the answers aren’t always satisfactory. Definitely an area for improvement.