BuddySlots casino review (UK)

Instead of a traditional deposit match offer, Buddyslots gives new players a chance to spin the Mega Reel. The prizes range from Amazon vouchers to bonus spins on various fan favourites:

• Spin the Mega Reel and win up to 500 bonus spins on Starburst

To get your chance with the Mega Reel, you must deposit at least £10 with your chosen method. Although I prefer to have some extra funds in my account right away, BuddySlots' welcome offer was a welcome change from the norm. The actual Mega Reel heightens the suspense and offers the chance to win 500 spins on the legendary Starburst, which is always a joy to spin.

If you win the 500 bonus spins, you will receive 50 of them right away. However, note that you have to email the support team to receive the remaining spins, as these are manually credited. Furthermore, there is always the possibility that you will land on an empty slot, in which case you will not win anything from the reel.

When you play your bonus spins, you receive the winnings as bonus funds. These winnings have a 65x wagering requirement attached to them, so compared to the golden standard of 35x, the conditions are really harsh for the player. 

Another drawback of the BuddySlots first deposit offer is that the winnings are limited. The maximum withdrawal amount is capped at £250, or alternatively, your lifetime deposits.

Overall, the Mega Reel bonus concept is great, but the operator has added some stringent terms that make it less appealing in comparison to other casinos.

Significant terms of the BuddySlots welcome offer

• New players only, 18+.
• Minimum deposit: £10.
• £8 max win per 10 spins.
• 65x wagering requirement.
• Maximum withdrawal: lifetime deposits (up to £250).

Please gamble responsibly.

VIP / Special promotions

BuddySlots has a separate "Trophies" section which can be accessed from the top bar of the site. The concept is simple, as you play on the site and complete different tasks, you unlock trophies and win bonus spins. 

For instance, newbies get to start with some simple tasks such as playing three different slots or playing via mobile. I found this a fun way to track your progress and enjoy some bonus spins at the same time.

BuddySlots is mainly driven by slots, with a huge library of over 2,000 games to choose from. The selection is not only quantity but quality as well, with numerous top-tier developers included in the lineup. No matter what type of game or mechanic you're looking for, you will definitely find it here. 

In addition to slots, you will also find a variety of table games, scratch cards, and jackpot games at BuddySlots. Once you've launched your preferred game, you can save it to your personal favourites for easy access in the future. What particularly stood out to me was the site's bingo section, where you can play real bingo from 30-ball rooms to 90-ball rooms with massive prize pots.

While there is a lot of quality to explore at BuddySlots, there is also much room for improvement. The different categories are easy to navigate on both desktop and mobile, but the operator has decided not to include any subcategories. You can browse through the main sections, but if you want to see different themes or game mechanics, you'll be disappointed to find that there are none. The search functions are also lacking, as you can only search for games by their names, with no option to filter by game provider.

Performance-wise I couldn't have asked for more from BuddySlots. The games load without a hitch, and you can quickly jump to suggested games with options displayed beneath the game window. You can also play in fullscreen mode on both desktop and mobile for maximum immersion. 

Desktop game information

• Games: 2000
• Slots: 1900
• Table games: 20
• Jackpot games: 60

BuddySlots hasn't forgotten about live casino fans. Pragmatic Play is the biggest dog in their lineup, but OnAir Entertainment, Real Dealer Games, and Authentic Gaming also contribute to the diverse selection of live entertainment. 

While BuddySlots does not have the most live casino tables, I found that each genre was well covered with at least a handful of games to choose from. The only issue is that everything is placed under a single category, just like with the slots, so comparing the selection is difficult. 

Besides traditional live games like roulette and blackjack, BuddySlots includes some of the most popular game shows. For example, you can enjoy some of the best game show experiences available with Sweet Bonanza Candyland and Mega Wheel.

The actual game experience was excellent on both desktop and mobile. I had no stuttering issues with the streams and had an overall positive experience.

Live game information

• Total number of live casino games: 70

With more and more players tending to play with a mobile device, it's crucial for the casino's success to have full mobile support and a highly responsive site. With this in mind, I was pleased to see that BuddySlots covers all aspects of a great mobile casino, offering players a user-friendly version of their site regardless of device.

To make navigation easier, the casino smooths up the top bar into an openable top right-hand menu. You can jump between tabs with ease from here, and all of the same features are quickly accessible with a single tap. 

On mobile, the bottom of the page is also updated, with a floating bar that directs you to your messages, cashier, trophies, and two of the most popular slots, Fluffy Favourites and Starburst. All in all, the mobile version of BuddySlots flows well and leaves a good impression.

BuddySlots accepts nearly all traditional payment methods for UK players, including the most popular payment cards and e-wallets, as well as Paysafecard and the pay by phone option.

The minimum deposit is £10, which is ideal and considered the gold standard of the industry. This way, you can play without risking a large sum of money. However, I didn't like that you have to select a preset amount rather than actually typing in the amount you want to deposit.

When it comes to withdrawals at BuddySlots, things are not looking so great. All withdrawals are subject to a £2.50 fee, which is unfortunate because most casinos do not deduct any fees from your winnings.

In addition to the withdrawal fee, you will have to wait up to three days for your winnings to be processed, which is far from ideal.

Deposit methods at BuddySlots

Withdrawal methods at BuddySlots

BuddySlots withdrawal times

• Mastercard 2-3 working days
• Visa 2-3 working days
• PayPal 1-2 working days
• Skrill 1-2 working days
• Neteller 1-2 working days

When it comes to customer service, players expect to receive prompt and professional assistance. BuddySlots response times can take up to 48 hours, so my experience was disappointing to say the least. This is due to the casino's lack of live chat, instead relying solely on email support.

If you have any issues while playing at the casino, your best bet is to look for answers on the frequently asked questions page. However, because this section only contains the most basic questions that players have encountered, you may have to wait for an answer via the slow email route.

On the bright side, the support team was able to resolve my queries in a professional and friendly manner. The casino should introduce live chat soon, as it would greatly enhance the customer service.

• Email support: ✅
• Live support: ❌
  
• Phone support: ❌
  

As part of the gambling regulations, BuddySlots needs to know who their customers are. This process begins with you providing them your real information during sign up and then later verifying them. This is known as the KYC (Know Your Customer), and is mandatory for all casinos operating in the UK.

To get your account completely verified, you need to provide the casino the following:

• Proof of ID
• Proof of address
• Proof of payment

Verifying your account is simple, head to your account and choose the "Upload verification documents" tab. You can then select which of your documents to upload, with full instructions provided on the page to assist you. 

The team can take up to 72 hours to verify your documents, so it's recommended that you upload them right after registration.

BuddySlots is a UKGC-licensed casino, making it a completely secure gambling environment.

The operator has also placed a strong emphasis on safe gambling, which has its own page on the site's "responsible gambling" section. Aside from useful information and instructions on how to monitor your own gambling, the casino provides a concrete set of tools for playing responsibly.

You can use the following responsible gambling tools at BuddySlots:

• Deposit limits
• Reality checks
• Self-exclusion

Each day, week, or month can have a different deposit cap that you can use individually or collectively. The reality check tool will serve as a reminder of how much time you've spent gambling, and self-exclusion enables you to stop gambling for a predetermined amount of time.