Zodiacu is an online casino launched in late 2017. Operated and managed by EveryMatrix Ltd. of Malta and Curacao, it operates under the regulatory oversight of the Malta Gaming Authority or the government of Curacao, depending upon a player's location. In the UK the company trades under the name Jetbull. Not all of their properties are licensed in every jurisdiction. The company has been licensed in Malta since 2012 with a Class 1 on 4. When accessed from some countries, such as Canada, the site bears the badge of Antillephone N.V. which links to the Master License holder's validation page. The page confirms that the operator has registered several top-level domain variations for the property including dot com, dot ca, dot casino, etc.

The website presentation is unique and compelling with an astrological cosmic theme, sharp design lines, and interesting contrasts between minimalism and a sort of segmented directory structure. Each player is assigned an avatar defined by their date of birth. The avatar will reflect a zodiac sign and an element. As players progress the avatar evolves and the game world background changes.

The theme is carried to the traveler in good fun via an assumed belief in astrology while speaking of astrological signs and the positions of the stars as influences on a player's luck. The main protagonist or brand ambassador in the theme is a character known as Oracle. Oracle is said to be the keeper of cosmic wisdom and the player's guide. Great knowledge is promised along your way to ever-increasing perks like tournaments and bonuses. Oracle will present new quests every day, soothsay prophesies, announce tournaments, and award spins on the Oracle's Wheel.

The Wheel will become charged with mystical energies as you play. Travelers are invited to spin the Wheel to win Star Dust, which is the currency of the game universe. It can be exchanged for free spins on selected games and is a reward given for the completion of daily tasks, leveling up, etc.

Looking beyond the theme, we find a gambling website powered by EveryMatrix (EM). Some of the most well-known sites operated by them are Jetbull, Casino Cruise, NextCasino, and Noxwin. While many of the sites enjoy good reputations, some of the properties such as Buck & Butler have less than stellar histories with the operators often blaming payment delays on technical problems. We find that excuse untenable as the company that holds the license is supposed to be operating the properties - so if one is trustworthy they all should be and the other way around.

One major problem that seems to occur repeatedly at EM sites is players who have self-excluded at one site being denied winnings at another. Those who have claimed to experience gambling problems in the past have been allowed to deposit and lose with no hope of retrieving their funds, only to be denied cashouts when they finally do win. While not exclusive to EM, there is no excuse for operators to wait until someone is owed money before their accounts are checked. Instead, it could be done in the background during the regular course of business. Any site operating under a cross-brand self-exclusion policy could flag up a date of birth and name during the registration process as easy as they can identify your location and simply deny membership pending manual appeal.

It is too early to know how this particular property will handle the issue. Some properties, such as Casino Luck have been very proactive in identifying and closing the accounts of self-excluded players and generate no other complaints.

Software and Games

All games are available on mobile, tablet, Mac or PC. When first launched, EM had multiple difficulties, but the platform has been stabilized for several years and now delivers over 600 games to hundreds of thousands of users around the clock. The games found here come from top-tier developers and providers including Net Entertainment, NextGen, Betsoft, Microgaming, Play'n GO and IGT.

In addition to being able to sort by game type; video slots, classic slots, jackpot games, and "other games," players can filter their view by the vendor. Clicking Play'n Go will cause all other games to disappear and leave you with Reactoonz, Viking Runecraft, Eye of the Kraken and others. Selecting Microgaming will present true MGS titles such as Break da bank and Tiger vs. Bear, but it will also offer a screen full of games from boutique development labs usually found on Quickfire. Moby Dick and Castle Builder by Rabcat and Big Bad Wolf from Quickspin.

Keep an eye out for Empress of the Jade Sword by Bla Bla Bla Studios, Humpty Dumpty by Push Gaming, Alaxe in Zombieland from the inimitable Genesis Gaming, and Super Sumo from the brilliant minds at up-and-coming Swedish Studio, Fantasma Games.

In addition to more than 500 slots you'll also find about 20 classic table games, more than 30 iterations of video poker, and over 30 progressive jackpot games worth a total of 10,387,999 Euro upon review. All in all, an amazing selection of titles is offered. It would take nearly two years to get through the catalog if you only played one game per day - and by the time you reached the end a whole new assortment of cutting-edge digital games would keep your journey fresh.

Bonuses and Promotions

The Oracle theme seems well developed, so partake of his blessings for extra chances to win. Stardust will be granted simply by playing the games, so trade in the currency of the site and increase your chances of a beneficial outcome.

Bonus money is accumulated separately from deposits and wagering requirements can be checked from within your player profile. When a bonus is active winnings are split equally between your cash and bonus balances. This allows you to cancel a bonus at any time, but you'll forfeit all bonus winnings. After wagering requirements have been fulfilled you can go over the 5 Euro limit per spin.

Classic slots only count 50% toward wagering and video poker players will have to churn through 20x as much as video slot players to profit from a bonus. There are nearly a dozen slots that only count 1% toward playthrough including Castle Builder, Scrooge, and Blood Suckers.

Banking and Customer Service

All common methods are supported including Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller, and Zimpler. Withdrawals are always approved within 23 hours, sometimes almost immediately. Once approved, payment is immediate except for bank transfers outside of Sweden and Finland which can take up to three business days. Once withdrawals reach the threshold of 2,300 Euro, the account must be verified and can require verification at any time.

Customer Service is available all week via chat or email between 09:00 and 21:00 CET.

Pitfalls

It is difficult to find a list of restricted jurisdictions so most players will need to try to create an account in order to find out if they can play there. For instance, accessing from Holland we didn't learn we were forbidden until after entering an email address whereas the main site could have easily geo-located our IP address and let us know a lot earlier. You'll have to create a valid account in order to access deposit and withdrawal limits.

Players who may have simply wanted to close an account at another EM property, but who used words like "self-exclude" or "problem" may face issues before or when it comes time to collect their winnings. Term 3.6 lists more than 10 games that push wagering requirements from 30 times deposit plus bonus to 3,000x which is simply ridiculous. Castle Builder is a low-risk game with an RTP of 96.47%, hardly a house-breaker. Pity the player who doesn't read the "fine print" or check wagering requirements in time to realize something is amiss.

The Final Word

The Zodiacu theme is well thought out and it will be interesting to see player reactions to avatar evolution and what the game world will eventually look like after leveling up over time. The game selection is simply phenomenal and the EM platform delivers a stable gaming experience. The bonus scheme has a lot going for it and is superior to many if not most, giving players excellent options - complete wagering to free up the cash or get out with half while you're ahead.