Bally Casino Review
Bally Casino Online launched in February 2022 and accepts customers 21 or older located in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
Our Bally Casino review covers its strengths, weaknesses, and whether this is an online casino app worth playing at.
- Withdrawable Cash Bonus
- Daily Free Spins
- Exclusive Slots Titles
- High-Payout Table Games
The Bally’s brand has attempted a resurgence in recent years, primarily due to its acquisition by regional casino operator Twin River Worldwide Holdings.
Through its innovative welcome bonus, robust promotional schedule, and land-based integration, Bally’s online casino shows flashes of a world-class gambling site.
However, it lags behind its biggest competitors in several key areas, including game selection and user experience.
Pros
Exclusive Game Titles Fast Responsive Software Best Table Game PayoutsCons
Limited Deposit Options Mediocre Loyalty ProgramIn Which States Is Bally Casino Available?
Bally Casino is available in three legal US online casino markets:
- New Jersey: Operates under Bally’s Atlantic City casino license; launched on February 2022
- Pennsylvania: Granted a license as a Qualified Gaming Entity, which allows out-of-state operators to launch an online gambling site without a land-based partner; launched in June 2023
- Rhode Island: Operates in partnership with the Rhode Island Lottery as the state’s only approved online casino
Bally Casino Promo Code
Bally Casino offers a small but beneficial welcome bonus to new players in NJ and PA only.
Title | Details |
---|---|
Bally Casino Promo Code | Not Required |
First Deposit Bonus | 100% refund up to $100 on net losses |
Wagering Requirement | None; bonus paid in cash |
Eligible States | New Jersey, Pennsylvania |
Eligibility Period | Seven days following first deposit and wager |
There is no promo code necessary to claim this offer. Simply create a verified account, make a qualifying deposit of $10 or more, and place at least one wager within 7 days.
Bally Casino Bonus Details
There are two obvious downsides to the Bally Casino bonus. The first is the low monetary cap. Whereas many online casinos welcome new players with big four-figure bonuses, Bally’s caps its bonus at a very modest $100.
The second issue is that players who win or break even during their first week on Bally’s don’t receive any benefit from the bonus. That’s because the bonus acts as a refund on net losses.
For instance, players who deposit $100 and win $50 playing slots get to enjoy their winnings but it’s like the bonus never existed. If the same players lost $50 instead, they would receive a full refund.
However, a player who loses $200 would only receive a $100 refund because that’s the maximum allowed per the bonus terms.
The main appeal of Bally Casino’s welcome bonus is that it pays all refunds as cash that are immediately withdrawable. There are no lofty wagering requirements to contend with, making it a refreshing alternative to traditional deposit match bonuses.
Players that limit their first deposit to $100 will at worst, break even. That’s a pretty fair deal.
Other Bally Casino Promotions
Bally Casino offers an assortment of rotating promotions. No one promotion offers exceptional value, but stack a few together and the bonuses start to add up.
Here’s what promotions Bally online casino players can expect to see offered:
- Free Spins: Players can play one of two daily free games at Bally Casino for a chance to earn symbols. Then at the end of the month, they can play a Special Game where they smash open their symbols to reveal free spin prizes.
- Bally Daily Picks: This game is available once per day, and is completely free to play. The concept is simple. Players collect symbols on the weekly grid, and if they make a match they win 1x bonus funds up to $750.
- Sweepstakes: Bally’s is big on sweepstakes promos. To earn entries, players must wager qualifying amounts (usually $50 or $100). Then if their ticket is pulled, they’ll win moderate bonuses. The maximum number of entries per day is usually capped at five, meaning casual players will have a fighting chance against big spenders.
- Happy Hours: During Happy Hours, players can earn Bonus Money Playback on their net losses. The maximum bonus is usually capped at around $20 – $25.
- Point Matches: Bally Casino runs a promo in New Jersey where players receive online currency for their land-based play at Bally’s AC.
Bally’s is also known to give spot bonuses to its loyal customers. These bonuses can reach over $100 and are only subject to a 1x wagering requirement on any game.
Bally Casino Loyalty Program
Bally Casino offers a straightforward rewards program, where players can earn redeemable points on their play.
The program, simply entitled Bally Rewards Online, is still in its infancy, and players can expect more features to be added down the road.
For now, players earn the virtual currency Bally Bucks at the following rates:
- All Slots and Instant Win games: 1 Bally Buck per $20 wagered
- Baccarat and Roulette: 1 Bally Buck per $100 wagered
- All other casino games, including Blackjack and Video Poker: 1 Bally Buck per $250 wagered
Each Bally Buck can be redeemed for $0.01 in bonus money. This works out to a nearly negligible bonus back rate of 0.05% on slots, 0.01% on Baccarat and Roulette, and 0.004% on all other games.
In other words, slot players will have to wager $2,000 to earn a $1 bonus. At that point, why even bother having a loyalty program?
Bally Casino VIP Program
Bally’s has introduced a VIP program in New Jersey. This invite-only club receives access to the app’s very best promotional offers and more.
Here’s a full listing of Bally Casino VIP benefits:
- VIP bonuses
- VIP promotions
- Personalized gameplay advice
- Personal host
- Physical destination perks, which include invites to exclusive events, room upgrades at Bally’s hotels, and comped meals.
- Double the standard refer-a-friend bonus ($100 bonus per referral)
This all sounds good, but Bally Casino doesn’t provide any information on how to become a VIP, other than that it’ll reach out to eligible players.
Luckily, players who have achieved VIP status at another legal US online casino have an easy path into the program, via Bally Casino’s “Level Up” promo. Just email the casino at VIP@nj.ballycasino.com with proof of your status elsewhere and Bally Casino will gift you a one-month comped VIP membership.
At that point, you’ll be assigned a host, and can probably get more information on what it takes to maintain VIP status.
Bally Casino Games
Bally Casino has a small yet inspired game library that consists of over 400 games in New Jersey, nearly 250 in Pennsylvania, and just shy of 200 in Rhode Island.
In New Jersey, this is how the game selection breaks down:
- 385 slots of all types
- Three jackpot slots
- 58 tables games
- Seven video poker titles
Bally Casino has inked deals with several major game manufacturers like IGT, NetEnt, and Everi, but what really sets it apart is its arrangements with lesser-known providers. Thanks to these agreements, players will see slots on Bally Casino that they simply can’t find on most other apps, including industry giants like DraftKings and FanDuel.
The online casino is also one of the only ones to use Gamesys as a platform and games provider. This choice makes perfect sense considering Bally Corporation owns Gamesys Group. It also opens up a unique opportunity, where Bally’s can offer exclusive or nearly exclusive Gamesys titles in its online casino markets.
Bally’s also has one of the best table game selections of any online casino, offering players nearly as many options as they’d find on land-based casino floors. The only difference is that Bally’s Online games pay out significantly better.
However, the site’s small slots library and near lack of jackpot slots are disappointing. Not to mention, Bally Casino PA lags significantly behind the NJ site in terms of size and exclusivity.
At least Bally Casino offers live dealer games powered by Evolution in both states.
Bally Casino Slots
Slots account for the majority of Bally Casino’s game library, although the ratio between slots and table games isn’t as steep compared to the app’s competitors. Currently, Bally Casino NJ has 385 slots, Bally Casino PA has 212, and Bally Casino RI has about 170, but those numbers are swelling all the time.
Unfortunately, Bally Casino is competing in two of the most established online casino markets, where the biggest brands can offer over 2,000 slots across dozens of providers. In terms of sheer size, Bally’s cannot compete.
Bally’s does do well in the area of exclusive slots, at least in New Jersey. Players will find titles from Gamesys, Roxor, and other little-known providers. Standout exclusives include Secrets of the Phoenix, Tiki Totems, and Sapphire Sorceress.
The app has a dedicated “Exclusives” section that lists eight exclusives, but the number of exclusives or near exclusives is much higher.
Sitting alongside the site’s exclusives are popular slots like Cleopatra, DaVinci Diamonds, 88 Fortunes, Ca$h Machine, and Guns N’ Roses. NetEnt probably supplies the most slots, but IGT, Everi, and DGC also have strong presences.
One area where Bally Casino suffers is progressives. There are just a few options available, and they’re not linked together, so the jackpots are rather small, rarely topping out over six figures. Progressives include:
- Wonderland
- Deal or No Deal
- Diamond Bonanza
- Divine Fortune
- Mercy of the Gods
On a positive note, several of these progressives are near exclusives, including Deal or No Deal, which is still popular despite being somewhat dated.
The slot RTPs are in line with industry standards, hovering around an average of 96%. However, the RTP of Gamesys games tends to be a bit lower, closer to 95%. It’s not a huge difference, but one worth noting.
Bally Casino Table Games and Video Poker
The table game offering at Bally Casino is nothing short of exceptional in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Its offerings are more limited in Rhode Island, where state law permits live dealer games only.
In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Bally Casino offers numerous Blackjack games. The lineup includes traditional offerings like Blackjack with Surrender by IGT, Multi-Hand Blackjack, and Classic Blackjack. These are joined by several fun variants including Blackjack XChange and 777 Blazing Blackjack.
However, the Blackjack games provided by Roxor are a cut above anything else. The main highlight is Single Deck Blackjack which features an otherworldly rule set for a one-deck game and can be played for as little as $1 per hand. The game returns a stagging 99.91% which is the best return of any legal US online casino game.
The roulette selection is also extremely inviting. Players can find several single-zero roulette games and a couple of unique roulette variants. The best of these has to be Fusion Roulette, which offers a neat gameplay twist that “fuses” 3-18 numbers. If the ball lands on a fused number, then that straight bet wins as normal. However, straight bets on any other fused number also win.
Typically, quirky game variations cause the RTP to sink, but Fusion Roulette returns 98.83% on straight bets. That’s a full 1.5% better than traditional single-zero roulette.
Bally Casino also features a variety of poker games like Let it Ride, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Mississippi Stud, and the hard-to-find Fortune Pai Gow Poker. There are even a few rare treasures: Sic-Bo and Hi-Lo.
Bally’s video poker selection is fairly pedestrian, consisting of nine single-line Game King games including Jacks or Better, Double Double Bonus, and Deuces Wild. Three, Five, and Ten-Play variations are also available, as is Ultimate X. Most online casino sites offer similar games.
The multi-line and Ultimate X games have mediocre paytables and players are best playing the same games elsewhere. However, the single-line game is a full-pay machine, with returns soaring as high as 99.73%.
Bally Live Dealer Casino Games
The Live Dealer games at Bally Casino are provided by market-leading supplier Evolution. Bally’s also maintains a live dealer studio at Twin Rivers Lincoln, where it employs real dealers to run the games live from the casino floor.
Games offerings include:
- Blackjack (multiple tables)
- Infinite Blackjack
- Roulette
- Lightning Roulette
- American Roulette
- Craps
- Three Card Poker
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
- Speed Baccarat
- Dream Catcher (NJ only)
- Free Bet Blackjack (NJ only)
- Football Studio (NJ only)
It’s not the most fascinating collection of live games, but it’s more than adequate, especially for a non-market-leader app.
Bally Casino Bingo
Bally NJ is one of the only casino apps to offer a real-money bingo game. 90 Ball Bingo is a simple variant where players have to match 15 numbers as they’re called.
Unfortunately, Bingo is only available in New Jersey. Players can take advantage of a special promo where they can buy one ticket and get one free every 30 minutes from 10 am to 11 pm. Also, players can occasionally win random jackpot prizes.
Bally Casino App Review
Bally Casino is available on desktop and as a mobile app for both iOS and Android enabled devices. The mobile version can be downloaded directly from the App Store or Google Play.
The casino app is not integrated with Bally Bet, so players looking to place sports wagers will have to download the Bally Bet Sportsbook app separately. On desktop, Bally Bet and Bally Casino are accessed via different websites and do not share a common wallet.
Unlike sites like DraftKings Casino, which only require casino customers to download one universal app, Bally Casino has an app for NJ and another for PA. All of these different apps can lead to confusion and frustration, and better integration should be high on Bally’s to-do list.
The software is powered by Gamesys and runs extremely smoothly. Games often load in just a second, and disconnects are rare. There is even a niche feature where players can switch back and forth between viewing the game lobby and playing a game.
However, games will occasionally fail to load on the first (or second) try. There are also a couple of UI/UX issues, the main one being that game icons jump around constantly, sometimes making it difficult for players to tap on a game. This problem is exclusive to mobile.
The lack of game filters is also an issue. Players can filter by game type and featured games, and that’s about it. There are no filters for game providers or specific game types. Should Bally greatly expand its game library, finding games will only become more difficult.
Otherwise, the UI experience is pleasant. The red and black aesthetic fits well with Bally’s brand. The promotions page is colorful and clear, and accessing account management features is quick and painless.
Bally Casino even shows players a detailed description of the game they’re about to play before they play it. They also allow gamblers to play games in demo mode. Surprisingly, more casinos don’t incorporate these simple “try before you buy” mechanics.
Bally Online Casino Deposit Options
One of Bally Casino’s biggest shortcomings is its cashier. There simply aren’t enough casino deposit and withdrawal methods available to capture all demographics.
Here’s what you get:
There is no cash deposit option, no prepaid card option via Play+, and no way to wire funds. If that weren’t bad enough, credit card transactions are often rejected by the issuing bank, and VIP Preferred sets weekly limits on how much players can deposit. Often, these limits are low until you build trust with the company.
With online casinos like BetMGM Casino supporting many more deposit methods, Bally Casino needs to step up its game.
Bally Casino Online Customer Support
Bally Casino provides a well-organized and fleshed-out help section. Here, players will find the answers to common questions regarding payments, promos, responsible gaming, geolocation, and more.
Players looking to chat with a real person won’t have to jump through too many hoops. Simply go to the Help menu and click or tap on the little chat bubble. From there, you’ll be asked what kind of help you need and will be able to access live chat.
The live chat agents are surprisingly helpful. Responses to complicated questions were quick and accurate, even during off-peak hours.
Beyond the 24/7 chat option, players can email or call support. The email request form is integrated into the help section and the call center is open 24/7. The toll-free number is 1-888-897-1524.
More About Bally Corporation
By the late 2010s, the once iconic Bally’s brand was in a state of freefall. It had lost so much prestige that in 2020, Twin River Worldwide Holdings was able to purchase the brand name from Caesars Entertainment for the bargain basement price of $20 million.
Around that same time, it also acquired the decrepit Bally’s Atlantic City for dirt-cheap, just $25 million. In the ensuing weeks and months, Twin River, now Bally Corporation, went on an unprecedented spending spree, purchasing casinos in Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, and Nevada.
These new acquisitions saw Bally Corp’s already impressive land-based casino portfolio swell to 17 casinos, fourteen of which would bear Bally’s name. The Corp also attempted to revitalize Bally’s AC via a $100 million renovation project.
Despite Caesars’ rebranding Bally’s Las Vegas as the Horseshoe Casino in March 2023, Bally’s had reestablished itself as a national brand.
However, the future is still precarious, as a lot of money has been poured into the revitalization project, and it’s too early to tell if it was a worthwhile investment.
Already, Bally’s has run into some financial trouble. Most notably its $125 million acquisition of Bet.Works proved a disaster. This has resulted in Bally’s abandoning the sports betting platform provider in favor of Kambi Group and White Hat Gaming. It also resulted in Bally Corp’s online sports betting operation, Bally Bet, temporarily shuttering operations.
Bally’s now has the market access it needs to regain its lost status. Whether or not it will effectively leverage its brand is still an open question.
Bally Casino FAQ
Expert Opinion: Is Bally Casino Legit?
Bally is one of the oldest and most respected names in casino gambling. Its parent company owns and operates regulated casinos across a number of states, and Bally’s online sportsbooks and casinos are licensed in every state where they’re operational.
Therefore, to say Bally Casino is legitimate would be an understatement. Players should expect nothing less than game fairness, identity security, and fund safety from Bally’s. Otherwise, it would have its license stripped by state gaming regulatory bodies.
However, that’s not to say Bally Casino is perfect. The game selection could be better, there needs to be a few more depositing options, and the loyalty program could be improved. But it’s still far better to play at Bally’s than any illegal offshore casino.
Robert Dellafave is an expert sports bettor, professional gambler, and advocate for the fair treatment of sports bettors.