- $1000 bonus package for new players
- Claim bonus deals in CAD
- CAD-friendly deposit methods
- Players can register with no deposit
- Casino site secured by RSA encryption
- Microgaming slots with free spins
- Unable to find French option
- 60x wagering requirements on bonus funds
- Performance issues with loading times
- No longer favoured by Casino Rewards
- Software Microgaming
- Banking Methods
- Established 2000
- Licence Kahnawake
Welcome Bonus and Promotions
Casino Challenge has frontloaded the $1,000 welcome package to provide the bulk of the bonus credit on the first deposit. As such, review readers can complete the first deposit and receive a 25% welcome bonus up to $800. Although the $800 bonus limit has been generously set, the percentage is low compared to the 100% welcome bonus at Casino Royal Vegas Canada.
Despite lacking free spins, the welcome offer contains a 50% reload bonus up to $150 on review readers' second deposits. For the third deposit, there's a larger 100% bonus that's offset by the $50 limit. After three deposits, the entire package can take players to $1,000 of additional bonus funds.
After consulting the terms for this bonus offer, we identified 60x wagering requirements that are quite high. Therefore, the most effective way to clear the requirements is by playing video slots and receiving a 100% weighting for using the bonus funds. During the process, you might even trigger free spins in some of the slots' bonus rounds.
Honestly, Challenge Casino doesn't make a concerted effort to provide bonus offers for the longer-term. Instead, what happens is that players can seek out bonus deals from the network operator, Casino Rewards. This is perhaps better, however, as the operator began as a loyalty scheme and is experienced in rewarding players.
Casino Rewards closely resembles a loyalty scheme by dishing out benefits to players who accumulate long-term wagering. As comp points are awarded, players can attempt to reach new status levels, with six developed for the programme. Having already wagered, some benefits can be received with no deposit, while other bonus deals can require a deposit.
The benefits to watch out for are no deposit funds, free spins and high roller bonus offers. Meanwhile, there's a jackpot that can be entered with no deposit for each of the six status levels. Plus, review readers can enter the Time of Your Life Sweepstakes to win a bonus or maybe even a luxury holiday.
Challenge Casino Bonus and Promotions for Canada
Casino Challenge provides a standardised bonus package with the $1,000 in credit available in CAD. In truth, there's scope for more customisation following this review. We would like to see Challenge roll out exclusive Canada bonus deals, including no deposit free spins, cashback and more. You can find lots of bonus examples scatted across our site.
Microgaming at Challenge Casino
Finding Challenge Casino is difficult, with the browser-based lobby now available from Game Assists rather than a traditional website address. Compared to other brands on the Casino Rewards network, Challenge isn't receiving the same level of attention from the operator.
Although in need of a rebrand, Challenge Casino Canada had a superb range of 500+ games when we came to review the site. After years of depending on Microgaming software, this trusted relationship is still in place. Review readers can join Challenge from Canada and test out games with no deposit.
In this review, the casino lobby was compatible on Windows and MacOS with common web browsers. Having created an account with no deposit, players can review a gaming collection with content from the likes of Rabcat, Just for the Win, Triple Edge, Fortune Factory and Switch Studios.
Popular Games at Challenge Casino
Mobile Gaming/Live Casino for Canada
The Game Assists platform from which Challenge Casino operates is also mobile-compatible, thus allowing desktop users to seamlessly make the switch. At no point will installation be required. Unless, of course, review readers are prompted by their device to update the browser or operating system, which can be Android or iOS.
Fundamentally, Casino Challenge Canada doesn't need a native app to run games on review readers' devices. Apps can sound appealing, but having too many can clutter smartphones and tablets. With Challenge, review readers can experience a new mobile casino site in a simpler manner that doesn't demand storage space.
Microgaming is integral to the operations of Challenge. However, the live casino requires specialist support from Evolution Gaming, which is an award-winning source of live dealer software. For our review readers, we like that the live casino lobby can highlight free seats. At other casino sites, it can slow down a gaming session if you need to load a table before finding out if you can play.
Evolution Gaming broadcasts live dealer tables from eight studios spread across the world, including a Vancouver studio situated right here in Canada. At Challenge Casino, there's a strong mix of traditional tables like baccarat, blackjack, poker and roulette along with game-shows such as Dream Catcher and Monopoly Live.
Games and Payout Percentages
With this review, we were excited to play more than 500 games from the Microgaming catalogue and Challenge Casino Canada didn't disappoint. When it came to the slots, there were countless opportunities to play for big jackpots, mini-games and free spins.
The five-reel slots felt more advanced compared to the three-reel options and were more likely to have free spins within the special features. Of those we got to review, we were most impressed by Immortal Creatures, Roar of Thunder, Aurora Beast Hunter, Playboy Fortunes, Thunderstruck 2, Break Away Deluxe, Girls with Guns: Jungle Heat, Halloween, and Jungle Jim & the Lost Sphinx.
Aside from slots, there are yet more casino tables and these aren't reliant on live dealers. Among the virtually programmed options are Vegas Strip Blackjack, Vegas Downtown Blackjack, Atlantic City Blackjack, American Roulette, European Roulette and the Real Roulette series, as hosted by the virtual dealers of Bailey, Caroline, Holly or Sarati.
Another type of game worth mentioning in this review would be the video slots, which blur the lines between slot and table, with the games consisting of Deuces Wild, Bonus Deuces Wild, Double Double Bonus Poker, All Aces, Aces & Eights, Aces & Faces, and Jacks or Better.
When researching this review, we sourced the following payout percentages for Challenge Casino Canada:
- All Games - 96.60%
- Slots games - 96.57%
- Table games - 96.32%
- Poker games - 96.92%
Progressive Jackpots - Winners
We were unable to access a direct winners' list from Challenge Casino Canada. In a media search, however, we did identify a user called A.D. who went big in October 2011 by winning €3.8 million ($5.99 million in CAD) on Mega Moolah. In a single year, there are typically a few millionaires from Casino Rewards sites.
Mega Moolah is still on the of the premier progressive jackpots available to play at CasinoChallenge. At the time of review, we were also thrilled to find Mega Vault Millionaire, Treasure Nile, Atlantean Treasure, Cash Splash and the exclusive Casino Rewards: Treasure Quest. Progressive jackpots are typically played for real money, with bonus free spins not usable unless specially awarded.
Banking Options for Canada
This network is one of the best for Canada players, considering that it's connected with Interac, Instadebit, iDebit, MuchBetter and Flexepin. As such, no deposit has to be sent in an undesirable currency. On a wider basis, the CAD-based cashier can accept deposits through Citadel, Neosurf, paysafecard, ecoVoucher, MasterCard and VISA.
Some Casino Rewards sites accept deposits from a low of $1, due to the availability of bonus offers with free spins. The threshold is higher at Challenge Casino, though, with deposits of $20 or more required to claiming the bonus package. Withdrawals, meanwhile, are accepted from $50 up to $4,000 per week, though progressive jackpot wins aren't subject to this rule.
Customer Support
ChallengeCasino is completely reliant on Casino Rewards for customer service, which is the same for every other brand on the network. Through Casino Rewards, players can receive access to live chat 24 hours a day. Plus, there's an email address for submitting files that are needed for review in more complex complaints and requests.
Security and Fairness at Challenge Casino
In our security review, we used the browser-based data supplied by Challenge Casino. This revealed that the instant-play lobby has certified encryption from the Entrust Certification Authority. To simply, no deposit at Casino Challenge will be transmitted without RSA encryption. Unfortunately, there's less we can say on fairness, with no payout reports to review - only a Kahnawake licence from here in Canada.
Casino History/Complaints
Challenge Casino Canada dates right back to 1999 and predates the 2000 founding of Casino Rewards. Once owned by Fresh Horizons Ltd, the Challenge brand has since changed ownership. Meanwhile, operations are managed according to a licence held with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), as of this review.
Regarding complaints, we found almost none to review. ChallengeCasino hasn't courted controversy and it doesn't have a bad reputation. What we do need to say, though, is that the brand isn't currently championed by its operator. Consequently, the player base is low and that could also have contributed to the low number of complaints available online.
Player Location Restrictions
As of this Challenge Casino Canada review, the operator would process no deposit and award no bonus within the restricted locations to follow: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Australia (including foreign territories), Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), Cyprus, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France (including foreign territories), Germany, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Netherlands (including foreign territories), Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Uganda, UK (including foreign territories), US (including foreign territories), Western Sahara and Zimbabwe.
Unique Casino Features for Canada
Our review readers should know that Challenge Casino is optimised to recognise their location and auto-select Canada as their home nation. Another helpful function is the recognition of your province, leaving you to provide the other elements of your address. Plus, CAD should be chosen as your currency to guarantee that no deposit is processed in a currency you aren't familiar with.
Summary/Personal Recommendation
During the review process, we found that Challenge Casino could struggle for consistency on some days. On one day, for example, the signup form would load and display. Then, on another day, the form would fail to load. For review readers who do load the form, it's separated into clear sections and can be completed with no deposit before later targeting the welcome bonus.
Challenge Casino has fallen down the pecking order on the Casino Rewards network. However, that doesn't mean the casino site has been deprived of initial bonus offers or the very latest Microgaming slots, many of which include free spins. Thankfully, there are positives to be drawn from this Canada review, and a handful of improvements could elevate Casino Challenge once again.
