Columbus Casino was launched in 2017 by Sunlet Services Ltd. of Limassol, Cyprus. The site is operated by and their Curacao sublicense is held by Avento N.V. under Master License holder Curacao eGaming 1668/JAZ. Avento N.V. sister-sites include Frank and Drift casinos. Frank should not be confused with PlayFrank. As well, there was a Russian language gaming site by the name which launched in 2013 but the domain name servers were changed before Frank launched in June 2016.

The site has an interesting collection of game providers including Microgaming, NetEnt, and NextGen but also offers games by Amatic Industries, Red Rake Gaming, Booongo, Booming Games, and the more well known Yggdrasil, Playson, and 3D creators, Betsoft Gaming. Current languages available are English, Swedish, and Russian. We were able to access the site from a server in the Netherlands. Players in restricted territories will simply not be able to load the site in their browsers. The games are available for mobile or desktop play with no apps to install or software to download.

With any newer site, it is always good to look at the reputation of other properties in the operator's stable. We find only one complaint about Frank, which occurred because the player had closed his account and opened a new one. He was paid when it was determined he was not attempting multiple account bonus fraud.

In a little under 2 years of operation, we only find 2 complaints against Drift, both were solved to the players' satisfaction. One had to do with wagering requirements and the other was a player trying to withdraw before turning the money over, a practice that goes against money laundering rules. Columbus has a slightly different rule that still protects them and makes it easier for players to withdraw. If you don't turn the money over at least three times they may opt to charge 5% to cover their processing charges.

Software and Games

The website is laid out for a sleek look and uses the same menu options for mobile and desktop play. Moving between different devices gives players the same experience. It's amazing how long it took some sites to figure out that most players want a homogenous experience. These guys got it right straight out of the box.

Click the menu in the upper left with three horizontal lines to open a list containing; Games (with its own sub-menu) Tourneys, Statuses, and Offers. Clicking the Games sub-menu brings up a variety of choices including slots, jackpots, tables, others, video poker, and cards. Clicking on one of those subcategories brings up a variety of games. It is also possible to sort by the provider so that only games from Endorphina or Amatic appear if those are all you wish to choose from.

If you are logged in you can play for real. A "Demo" icon appears if you aren't logged in, but it doesn't allow play right away unless you click the word, "Demo". If you click the icon it asks you to log in and you have the option of doing that with Facebook Connect or another social network before playing.

The game choices are where this site becomes really exciting!

Most players are familiar with the tomes of games available from the well-known industry giants including NetEnt and Microgaming progressive jackpot games. But this is a great place to find high-quality games from licensed and regulated up and coming developers like Red Rake Gaming and several others.

Try Time Warp Guardian by Playson, or Booming 7's Deluxe from Booming Games for some great variety and interesting math models. Fruity Frost from Booongo mixes a frozen winter theme with fruit symbols incased in ice cubes, scatters for free spins and expanding wilds on reels 2 and 4 for some chill win potential.

You'll find Rabcat's Castle Builder, Spinions Beach Party and Sticky Bandits from Quickspin, and hundreds more.

There are more than 40 table games to choose from, but there are no live streaming games available. Betsoft's Pirate 21 blackjack and 3D Head's Up Hold'em poker games are there along with 3 card rummy, Caribbean poker, many roulette variants, and high limit baccarat to name a few.

There are about 15 video poker variants in single and multi-hand games, but most of these currently require a Flash player which may not be available to some browser or mobile devices.

Bonuses and Promotions

In addition to a generous welcome bonus package with 35x wagering requirements, you'll find some nice top-up offers for second and third deposits with lower playthrough. If you want to take advantage of the welcome package be sure to claim it within 22 days or it will expire.

The point system is also very fair with no wagering requirements or other hidden terms on points turned in for cash. The more you play, the higher your tier will be, and the more each point is worth. Upper-tier members can take advantage of the VIP Menu that changes every day. Order the perks you like and play away! You'll also find seasonal and game provider-specific offers and gifts throughout the year.

Maximum bet amounts for bonuses are based on VIP tier level ranging from 10% to 50% max bet. However, exceeding your percentage doesn't void the bonus, but only your set amount will count toward wagering requirements.

Banking and Customer Service

Credit and debit cards, Neteller and Skrill, interkassa, liqpay, Paysafecard and wire transfer are available for deposit. Visa and e-Wallets should be available for withdrawals based on their other operations. Wire transfers may also be available.

All withdrawals, except those made by MasterCard, are returned to the method used to deposit. Withdrawals of 200 EUR or more can trigger document verification. Each VIP tier status has its own maximum withdrawal limits which aren't listed in the terms ("look up p.p. 29" which doesn't exist. Finding 29.1 the page linked from there 404s, meaning it is not at the given address).

We didn't notice a live chat option but the Contacts section does give an email address and phone numbers. Customer support is stated to be available 24/7.

Pitfalls

The whole "tier-level" or point level aspect does not seem to be customer service driven. Your "points" are determined by your lifetime deposits, so if you have only deposited a few times you will likely get the lowest possible payout. When Frank opened that was a mere 750 euro daily and 7,500 monthly. They did eventually raise those limits but in our mind, a bet laid is a bet paid and they should be better funded or have a better agreement with their finance partner that doesn't make it look like a Ponzi scheme. Comps expire and have to be earned again every month, so be sure to cash them in!

Again, the amount of wagering that is counted toward the bonus is not something most players will be able to calculate so it's probably best to low roll bonus bets under 10% or whatever your "level" is.

You'll need to register an account to find the minimum and maximum deposit and withdrawal limits, fees, etc., which we would hope are at least spelled out in a player's profile or in the cashier.

Even without a bonus, you need to place bets equal to at least 3x your deposit in order to cash out without a potential fee.

The Final Word

The site presents a few complicated terms and perhaps because it was recently launched, not all information is available yet. That aside, it is operated by a firm which seems to be building a good reputation with very few complaints, and none we've found that was not solved to a player's satisfaction.

That said, the game selection is here is simply phenomenal. It's always nice to see comp points awarded as cash rather than with wagering requirements. You can even earn 30% more points by playing the game of the day. The site is well laid out and a lot of information is available with a swipe or a click. A comprehensive FAQ would be handy, but with customer support available 24/7 players should be able to get answers to their questions fairly easily and have some smooth sailing with Columbus Casino.

External Links
Booongo Games
Red Rake Gaming
Booming Games