Casino Max Review NZ

Expert Review

Casino Max is an online casino with a huge welcome offer, but from our testing, we found that it is lacking in several areas. For example, there is a limited range of games, with only 100+ slots, while other casinos such as Jackpot City (see review) and Spin Casino (see review) have more than 500 games.

Another downside is the high minimum deposit amount of $35 whereas many other NZ casinos only require $5 or $10 to get started. Withdrawing will also cost you as well, with $50 fee for check, and $25 fee for bank wire. Additionally, the casino doesn't operate in NZD, so you will have to choose either USD or CAD, and incur a currency conversion fee.

For a better gaming experience in New Zealand, we recommend you sign up to Jackpot City Casino or have a look at our article on the best online casinos in NZ. If you are still interested in researching Casino Max, keep reading to see how we came to our conclusion.

Games: 7.3/10

The games at Casino Max are decent; the gameplay, and features are as you would expect from any legitimate online casino in New Zealand. There is also a demo mode available on each game, so you can try it out without having to deposit even a dollar.

 The downside is that the graphics are not as great as some of the top pokies sites in NZ. Since the graphics are pixelated, and not as sharp as other casinos, the games look a bit outdated even though the casino itself is not that old.

We did some research and found that all the games are provided by Realtime Gaming. While they are a reputable company, they are not one of the industry-leading game developers (like NetEnt and Microgaming), and you can see this in the quality of the games when you visit Casino Max. If you prefer a casino with better graphics, then have a look at our list of the best casinos in NZ.

If you can look past the poor graphics on Casino Max's games, you will find various categories to explore, such as slots, progressives, table games, video poker, and even a 'specialty' section. We were intrigued with what was in the 'specialty' games, so we did some investigating.

We found cool games, like Fish Catch, where you aim your gun to shoot and catch underwater creatures, and win money! It was quite fun, since it is like playing an old-school arcade game, but this time you can win money by playing! Have a look at the screenshot of this shooting game below.

After we spent some time on Fish Catch, we explored the slots and table games. One thing we need to point out is the small range of games compared to other casinos.

There are over 100 slot games at Casino Max, but other online casinos in NZ usually have at least 500, and in some cases even 2,000 or more. If you want a larger gaming library, then have a look at Jackpot City Casino or Spin Casino.

Bonuses: 9.8/10

Casino Max has one of the largest bonuses we have ever seen at an online casino in NZ. The match bonus is 325% which means if you deposit $100 you will receive $325 additional bonus, for a total of $425 to play with! The most you can claim on each deposit is $3,250 which will be reached if you deposit $1,000. You can claim this bonus on your first 3 deposits, which is excellent.

This bonus is valid for slots only, but if you prefer to play table games, Casino Max has a different offer, where you can receive 100% match bonus up to $1,000 to play table games.

There is also an additional promotion of free spins for anyone who has made their first deposit. You will receive 25 free spins each day for the next 7 days! All you need to do is log into your account and collect them at the Cashier.

Keep in mind that to claim the bonuses you need to use the relevant coupon codes before making your deposit. These can be found at the Casino Max promotions page on their site. In addition, you need to deposit at least $35 to redeem the bonus, and there is wagering requirement of 40x the deposit and bonus amount.

Deposits and Withdrawals: 5.5/10

While Casino Max has a wide range of banking methods, there are high minimum amounts required for depositing and withdrawing. Moreover, some withdrawal methods come with a high withdrawal fee. We also found that the casino doesn't operate in NZD, so there are currency conversion fees on top of everything else.

Deposit methods

• Visa/Mastercard: $35 to $1,000
• American Express, Diners Club, Discover: $35 to $1,000
• Interac e-transfer: $35 to $1,000
• Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum: $10 to $10,000
• Blue Rewards card: $35 to $1,000

Withdrawal methods (and timeframes)

• Check: $250 to $3,000 (3-5 days) - $50 Fee
• Bank Wire: $200 to $4,000 (3-5 days) - $25 Fee
• Bitcoin: $30 to $4,000 (1-2 days)
• Blue Rewards card: $35 to $4,000 (Instant)

Mobile Gaming: 7.6/10  

Casino Max is easily accessible on your mobile or tablet by visiting the site through your internet browser. We tested it out and found that the games ran smoothly, like they did on desktop. All the options that are found on desktop are accessible on your mobile, so you can play whenever and where you like.

There is no dedicated app for Casino Max, and the graphics are outdated compared to many of the best online casinos in NZ, but these are issues the casino can potentially address in the near future.

Customer Support: 8.5/10  

If you run into any issues on Casino Max, you can find the 'Contact Us' button in the menu. When you click on it, you will see two options, either live chat support, or telephone support, both of which are available 24/7. 

We tested out the phone support, which we found to be helpful. The only problem for New Zealanders is that the number is an international number, so you will either incur high international call charges, or your phone may not be able to make the call at all.

The more convenient option for Kiwis is to use the live chat support. We messaged them, and a support member responded within about ten seconds. She was very polite and helpful, and knowledgeable regarding every question we asked her.

Security and Licensing: 3/10  

We did some research on Casino Max, and it was hard to find whether they are properly licensed. At the bottom of the casino website, it states that they are licensed by the Government of Curacao, with Master License No.365/JAZ and Sub-License GLH-OCCHKTW0705302017.

From the seal at the bottom of their site, and researching the master license number, CasinoMax is apparently licensed by Gaming Curacao. However, we were unable to verify whether the sub-license is legitimate. The seal on the Casino Max site does not have a link to it. Usually you can click on the seal which directs you to the license verification website. When we tried to find a Gaming Curacao license verification website, we were not able to find one; all the information we found was outdated, and the links that were previously used to validate licenses are no longer current.

We are not saying that Casino Max is a dodgy casino, but we are simply stating that we are not able to confirm that the license is valid and legitimate. If you do your own research and you find evidence to confirm they are trusted and licensed, please feel free to contact us and we can update the article.

In the meantime, we suggest that you use a legitimate licensed online casino in NZ so you can play with peace of mind. Our top suggestion is Jackpot City Casino.

Verdict

Casino Max has a huge welcome bonus which makes it an attractive option to newcomers to the casino. However, the banking methods have high minimum limits and fees for withdrawals, the number of games is limited, and we cannot confirm if they are properly licensed or regulated. Our suggestion is to use another casino, such as one of the best casinos in New Zealand.

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