9/10
Online since 2021, FreshBet claims to reinvent the online gambling experience. Its combination of online Australian casino and sports betting is very attractive. Moreover, FreshBet’s eagerness to accept deposits in crypto is a real boon for customers who prefer to avoid conventional banking. But does this recent arrival in the market live up to its promise to be one of the best Australian online casinos?
Casino features
- Established: 2021
- Owner: Ryker B.V.
- Email: [email protected]
- Licences: Curaçao
- Languages: Russian, English, Italian, Brazilian, French and Spanish.
- Currencies: USD, EU, CA, AUD, RUB, BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, XRP, DASH, XMR, USDT
FreshBet casino theme and design
The design and layout of FreshBet’s site won’t win any prizes for originality among the crowd of Aussie casinos. On a more positive note, it’s not going to confuse anybody unfamiliar with online casinos.
The understated color scheme features white text on a black background and burnt orange highlights. It’s easy on the eye, but not exactly memorable. However, this calming effect might be just what some gamers are looking for, if they want to spend a long time playing without developing eye strain or a migraine.
Navigation is straightforward enough. Log in or registration tabs are at the top, replaced with your account information once you’re ready to play. Then comes a discreet horizontal menu steering you to the different parts of the site: sportsbook, live betting, live casino, slots and more. A scrolling graphic display details any available promotions, and then it’s straight into the games.
With over 5,000 games of various types available in the casino, a reliable search option is a boon. The site sorts slots into different categories — personally, I’d like new online pokies to be higher up the list — and it’s fairly easy to get around. Scroll right to the foot of the page, and you can link to detailed information about the company, the payment systems and cryptos available, plus the game providers. You’ll also find extensive contact details. However, in many cases your first port of call for any advice will be the live chat option, activated by clicking the orange speech bubble in the bottom right-hand corner.
FreshBet casino games
The casino boasts almost 5,500 games. This includes a huge range of online Australian pokies, live casino games and table games. FreshBet partners with the leading game developers in the market to bring the most exciting action to its customers. These include:
- Bet Soft
- Endorphina
- Evolution
- Gameart
- Hacksaw
- NetEnt
- Play’n GO
- Pragmatic Play
- Push Gaming
- Red Tiger
- Softbet
Between them, these market-leading providers offer a great gaming experience, whatever your preferred style. Frequently, these game producers even collaborate directly to improve current and future games. Customer feedback and analytics combine to give the likes of Pragmatic Play vital data. This is then used to fine tune future offerings.
Video slots
With 4,877 video slots at the last count, it’s no surprise that these are king of the gaming floor. Players will find a vast selection, including a few Australian real money pokies as well as some renowned titles. Perennial favourites include Play’n GO’s Book of Dead series, Push Gaming’s Jammin’ Jars and Sweet Bonanza from Pragmatic Play. These are made possible via an impressive 55 different games providers.
With this gaming comes a wide range of different bonus features and jackpots. One technical feature to look out for is the Autospins button. With this, you can select your game, set your stake and the wheels will keep spinning for you without repeatedly launching the next game. With the best Australian online pokies real money is available for the right gamer, so this can help keep up the momentum.
Table games
However, this site would be rather limited if it was only a pokiez casino. For many, table games are what the casino experience is all about. After all, James Bond doesn’t impress the ladies by shovelling coins in a slot, does he?
At FreshBet, there are some 130 table games that work like the best Australian online pokies, plus the assorted live games that we’ll discuss in the next section. These include all the classics: several versions of roulette, blackjack and baccarat, plus video poker games and more. Each game is available with different maximum and minimum stakes, so you can find something to suit your budget.
Live casino games
The closest thing to a bricks and mortar casino on your computer, FreshBet’s live games give you the chance to interact with the dealer. You get to see the turn of every card and the spin of every wheel — very reassuring if you have doubts about the honesty of computerized table games. As the sophistication of streaming and graphical technology has improved drastically over the past decade, these types of game are more realistic than ever.
FreshBet offers over 200 live games. Anything you would expect to see in a real world casino is on offer here, plus a few additional game show wheels. These are variations on the wheel of fortune, often with themes taken from board games or popular stories. Most spins return a multiplier of your stake, if you choose the winning number. However, a few trigger bonus games that offer a shot at big prizes.
FreshBet casino bonuses
Casino customers can get some bonuses from FreshBet. However, it is not the most extensive offer on the market. In particular, there is no such thing as a FreshBet no deposit bonus, which is a bit of a disappointment for an Australian real money casino. What’s more, it feels like sports gamblers are getting superior options for ongoing free bets. Could we get some FreshBet free spins for regular slots players, please?
Welcome bonus
FreshBet’s welcome bonus offers up to $1,500 (or currency equivalent) in matched deposits. The offer is broken down over your first three payments into your FreshBet account. New customers can claim 100% of their first deposit, 50% of their second deposit and 100% of their third. In each instance, the casino caps the maximum bonus payment at $500. There is a 30x wagering requirement on bonus funds, and the site has a minimum deposit of $20.
While this is not a bad offer, it is unusual not to get a few free spins when you sign up for a casino. Some even have this as a no-deposit offer, so it seems ungenerous of FreshBet not to join in. The omission appears even stranger when you consider the vast number of competitors out there equally concerned with scooping up those floating customers!
For crypto players, there is an additional offer. If you make your first deposit in a cryptocurrency you can grab a 155% deposit bonus up to a value of $500 (or currency equivalent). These bonus funds are only available for use on slots and mini-games and there is a 40x wagering requirement. The site supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, Monero and more.
FreshBet also has sign-up bonuses for sportsbook fans. There is an offer of one free bet for every three qualifying wagers placed on sports. Thus far, however, there is no equivalent offer in the casino, which seems unbalanced.
Additional bonuses
This is another area where Freshbet disappoints. There is no VIP club or loyalty program available to regular players. Although the site advertises one of its offers as a loyalty bonus, in reality this is a standard cashback offer. Again, this seems bizarre, since a strong loyalty scheme normally works hand in glove with a good welcome bonus, to entice and keep hold of newbies and experienced players alike.
To activate this bonus, players need to contact customer support. There are a few conditions about staking with real money, but gamers can recover 10% of their losses each week, up to a maximum of $500. Unfortunately, there is no sign of any reload bonus beyond that initial welcome offer.
Freshbet casino banking methods
With the meteoric, if volatile, rise of cryptocurrency over the past decade, it is unsurprising that the online betting world would take an interest, and FreshBet is no exception. Crypto is certainly the star attraction here. FreshBet accepts, and indeed encourages, transactions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, Dash, Monero, Litecoin, Ripple and Bitcoin Cash. You can move funds directly in and out of your crypto wallet whenever you wish and your first crypto deposit attracts a hefty 155% match bonus.
Naturally, FreshBet also supports fiat currency. Very few online casinos are as yet 100% crypto operations, so long as the world continues to revolve around established forms of payment. Accounts are available in US dollars, euros, and sterling, as well as Australian and Canadian dollars and Brazilian reals. However, there are relatively few ways to make payments in fiat currency.
Deposit methods
For fiat currency accounts, you can make payments by Visa, Mastercard, bank transfer Neosurf and Sofort, which mainly serves the German market. It’s not an extensive list, which is why FreshBet is regarded as a crypto-first casino. The eight supported cryptocurrencies offer immediate transactions, with no fees or limits. There is a minimum deposit of $20, which applies to all payment methods.
FreshBet has no transaction fees on deposits, regardless of your payment method. Essentially, once there are funds in your account, you can start playing right away.
Payout methods
Crypto withdrawals are entirely straightforward, although they are subject to some transaction limits. Payouts must be over $50 (or currency equivalent) in your chosen crypto, and cannot exceed $7,500.
Best of all, crypto withdrawals are fast, anonymous and free of charge. This is par for the course with cryptocurrency, which prides itself on its speed and anonymity. However, it is not so normal for withdrawals using other forms of currency to be hammered quite as hard as they are here.
Notably, if you want to use fiat currency, you’re in for a tougher time getting hold of your winnings. The only way to cash out your account is via SEPA, a Europe-wide scheme to process cashless payments. This is subject to the same transaction limits as crypto transactions. Moreover, it is primarily used in the 27 EU states and nine others which widely use the euro. In short, crypto is the better option here.
Licence and security
FreshBet is licensed by Curaçao’s gaming authority. This is one of the world’s most well-known gambling regulators, widely trusted to ensure the safety of players.
The casino implements Know Your Customer procedures for accounts that use fiat currency. However, accounts operating solely in crypto have no additional verification requirements. Customers who need to submit proof of identity and proof of address can send them to the site, where they will be processed by a dedicated department.
Customer support
As you might expect, FreshBet has solid customer support options. Ignore the sparse FAQs on the site. There are just two questions: one about contacts and one about how to register. They have limited value.
For immediate operational queries, the live chat is excellent. It works 24/7, and staff are quick and willing to respond. Frequently, this will solve your problem with a minimum of fuss.
When things are more complicated, and especially when you want a lasting record of the conversation, email is the way to go. Customer support is available at [email protected].
Final thoughts
To wrap up this FreshBet Casino review, we’d have to say that there are many good things to enjoy about this relative newcomer. There’s a wide choice of games, comparable with far more established online gaming platforms. The site is smooth and easy to navigate, and it runs its games reliably. You won’t run out of things to do here.
Moreover, a commitment to accepting crypto gamblers is welcome. Better still, the relaxed registration rules for customers using digital finance is a real boon. Ultimately, simplicity and anonymity are what crypto is all about, and FreshBet seems to get that.
However, it’s not all good news. The bonus offers are not the most generous, and they peter out pretty quickly once you are signed up and done with your welcome bonus. We’re sure it wouldn’t kill FreshBet to throw a few free spins our way once in a while, would it?
In addition, if you don’t use crypto and don’t want to start, the lack of payment methods for fiat currency makes FreshBet difficult to use.
Overall, this is an Aussie online casino worth considering if you want to gamble with crypto. It’s not perfect, but there is much to enjoy. However, if you’re not a crypto bro, this is probably not the site for you.
Casino Reviews by WhereGamble
Editorial Team
This editorial was brought to you by WhereGamble. We’re a dedicated team of casino enthusiasts and we love to share our knowledge of casino bonuses, games and casino brands with fellow players across the globe. We hope you enjoyed this—check back soon for the latest news and offers!
