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Due to the popularity and earning potential of online gaming, many traditional UK bookmakers have expanded their operations into cyberspace. The Tote is no exception to the rule. Totesport came into existence in 1928, first as pool betting company with its mission to use any profits for "purposes conducive to the improvement of breeds of horses or the sport of horseracing". From its noble intentions, the company grew into a betting giant and the UK's 4 th largest bookmaker. To date, it has over 4,000 employees and 450 retail stores on famed High Street. Totesport is the Internet offshoot of the Tote. Its well-known name inspires confidence in the Totesport online casino – people visiting Totesport for a friendly game of craps can rest assured that they're in good hands. We already know that Totesport is trustworthy – now lets get down to the business of finding out if the Totesport online casino is a thoroughbred or just an also-ran.
We know that the heart of an online casino lies in the gaming software it's powered by. The heart of the Totesport Casino beats with the help of PlayTech software, a very robust casino engine – letting players choose from over 60 games, in addition to both "instant play" and "download" options. As usual, the "download" versions can only be accessed if you're using the Windows platform – it’s the richest and best-looking version of the casino. The "instant play" version can be used with any software platform; you trade off some of the glitter for instant gaming access. We found all of the games at the Totesport Casino very easy to learn and even easier to start playing – this is in comparison to other online casinos that use Cryptologic and Microgaming software to power their games. We were disappointed that at the Totesport casino the "live dealer" option was not offered, even though this option is available at other online casinos that use the PlayTech software suite. The "live dealer" option offers an unrivalled life-like casino experience when you're playing card games like blackjack and poker.
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We thought we'd died and gone to heaven when we saw such a wide choice of games from a great, well-known betting company with a pristine reputation – that is, until we realised how poorly done the website actually is. Not only is the design poor, but functionality, navigation and layout are equally dreadful. When we hit a "Play Now" banner, we got a rude awakening, as we were greeted with the dreaded "404" (page not found) error – a very basic, but deadly, Internet no-no. Uh…what's going on…. To be fair, we did find the same issue at another online casino powered by PlayTech, BetFred Casino – so we think it's probably a problem related to the PlayTech Software, but still….this error should have been caught by Quality Control – it certainly doesn't help new visitors to come and play. Worse yet, seasoned gamers will be downright turned off, 'cause it looks like someone fell asleep at the roulette wheel. Even more disappointing was the fact that we couldn't access the "play for fun" instant play games when we wanted to test how the games would run on our Mac. We know from experience that PlayTech games will indeed work on the Mac platform – so we're at a loss as to why Totesport failed this rather basic test. While we're on the subject of failing tests, let's segue into customer service…
The layout of the Totesport website was passable, but could be better. The website does have help guides available. Remembering our issues with the Mac testing, we starting looking for information on technical requirements, information that is usually included in the help guides of many online casinos. We're sad to say that we didn't find any such info. We looked all over the website, showing more patience than a one-legged man in an arse kicking competition, with an equal amount of success. In defiance of Internet and website logic, there were no customer support numbers or email addresses in plain view on the homepage (this is standard on any website, not just online casinos!) – however, we did find one lonely, obscure "contact us" link. Again, contrary to Internet/website logic, when we clicked on the link, we didn't go to a help page, but rather our email service was launched. We couldn't believe our eyes – could there only be email support? Say it ain't so! Alas, we finally found a round-the-clock freephone support phone number – buried at the bottom of the "help" (really?) guide. How come customers have to be Sherlock Holmes incarnate to track down what should be a highly visible, basic function of an online Casino? We can only hope and pray that these problems will be fixed in the near future. Back on the subject of help, we phoned the support line – and found it adequate, with good response times and friendly staff with good intentions. But, knowledge of the functionality of the casino bordered on average with too many "please hold's" to get the fairly basic answers we needed.
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On the plus side, Totesport Casino does have good points - it offers promotions, in the form of a Welcome Bonus, loyalty points that equal 1% cashback on all bets over £10, and a monthly promotion that changes from time to time. The casino also offers good progressive jackpots, available on a wide range of the games.
In the end, Totesport Casino is a mixed bag. Some parts of the website are very good, while other parts range from merely disappointing to downright awful. At any rate, we're absolutely sure that the games and financial transaction security are top-notch – so if you're not completely turned off by the shortcomings of the actual website, then you can have a great gaming experience on Totesport. Totesport is a great company with an excellent reputation – we just wish that they'd put more of their expertise into the internet gaming waters so newbies could get their feet wet.
click here to play at Totesport Casino now |
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