Platinum Play

Platinum Play New Zealand Review (2023)

Feed “platinum qualities” in the Google engine and it spits out values that promise down-to-earth standards, rather than some dazzling metal elements. Once known as “white gold”, platinum spells durability. That is, a product which is resistant to tarnishing and corrosive elements, thus earning it the label of “noble metal”.

It’s fair to say Platinum Play Online Casino New Zealand epitomises those metallic qualities when you venture to its website. Aotearoa New Zealand gamblers must not let the grey background, infused with blood and charcoal motifs, put them off because that Platinum-plated promise comes with a quality of play that’ll never lose its lustre or fade.

Platinum Play is Bayton Group Limited’s 21st Century baby that has gone through its teething phase. However, it wasn’t until 2004 that Bayton’s millennial child had crawled and toddled its way into the consciousness of Kiwi iGamers through the esteemed membership of the Fortune Lounge Group. The Digimedia Limited Casinos-owned establishment has become a contender for timeless choices of games on account of its library stacked with a mind-boggling number of titles.

You can never emphasise it enough, but the biggest thing Kiwis want is a safe and secure platform to wager on. Platinum Play — a sister act of 7 Sultans, All Slots Casino, Fortune Room, Royal Vegas, and Vegas Palms — operates under the licence of the Malta Gaming Authority. In other words, the online operator belongs to a “noble stable” that adheres to the policing measures of independent scrutineer eCOGRA. It puts the health and wellbeing of Kiwis at the forefront to ensure they have a fair chance of winning on its digital playground. Add the benefits of a 256-bit secure socket layer (SSL) encryption protection and it’ll put Kiwis’ mind at rest from the ever-present threats of cyber terrorists.

Through the affiliation of Buffalo Partners, Platinum Play is in a pivotal position to reach New Zealand gamblers but also those from other countries who are lucky enough to have the opportunity to engage on its platform. Like the qualities of the precious metal, Platinum Play doesn’t make any over-the-top claims that it’s a scratch-free platform. That’s because the industry is an evolving one where the key playmakers all boast similar, if not better, services. What Platinum Play does is assume the qualities of a metal widely considered to be an ideal base for jewellery — that is, the online casino re-polishes its services to an optimum level with little loss of quality.

Range of Games

On arriving at the Platinum Play lounge, New Zealand gamblers will find more than 700 games greeting them. The first thing that makes the heart race is the digital clock-ticking progressive jackpot meter, flirting with the multi-million-dollar figures. The $NZ800 welcome bonus for newbies may pale in comparison with other rivals but don’t let that deter you from exploring what awaits at Platinum Play. The $NZ10 minimum deposit with free spins and Hyperstrikes are a case in point. In an industry where the margins of difference can boil down to personal likes and dislikes, the online casino operator aims to keep to a simple agenda of delivering its customers the real deal. No matter what takes your fancy, Platinum Play has got you covered with an array of progressive or video pokies, live-dealer interaction, video poker, table games, scratchies, and casual games.

When the Kiwi enthusiasts find their bearings to bring their erratic breathing under control from the clock-ticking progressive jackpot, they’ll discover easy-to-navigate drop links that won’t mess around with their rhythm. The “new and exclusive” drop link is a constant reminder to New Zealanders that Platinum Play doesn’t want Kiwis to develop a stale taste on their digital playground by rolling out fresh titles with regularity. However, here’s the spoiler Kiwis must be prepared for. Click on the “more games” drop link and Platinum Play will suddenly direct you to register. Added information on the “more games” drop would’ve done the online casino and players more justice.

Here’s a taste of some of the exclusive and fresh games:

• Adventures of Dubloon Island™
• Amber Sterling’s Mystic Shrine™
• Chicago Gold™
• Galactic Gold
• Odin’s riches
• Queen of Alexandria
• Serengeti Gold™

Pokies

Perhaps what’ll hit the Kiwi gamblers most is that Platinum Play doesn’t just cover their favourite pastime of pokies in the theme of this world, but it’ll also take them to another universe. Whether Ancient Egypt greases your muffin tray, Greek mythology, or losing yourself in outer space, the online casino operator has ensured its award-winning, world-class Microgaming provider has ticked all the boxes.

Kiwis who gravitate towards classic 3-reel, one pay-line machines, or those who fancy 5-reel ones that come with the turbo-charged progressive payouts, won’t have to lose sleep over their choices. Hero games such as Mega Moolah, Cash Splash, Immortal Romance, Mega Millions aside, the Platinum Play catalogue stores a stimulating blend of popular pokies and hybrid progressives. On the flip side, the online casino’s loyal software suppliers have included a rash of TV and film-themed titles such as Agent 47™, Battleship Galactica™, Jurassic Park™, Kiwi favourite Game of Thrones™, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider™, and Phantom of the Opera™, to name a few.

Here’s a typical blend Kiwis can find on Platinum Play:

• 9 Masks of Fire™
• Alaskan Fishing
• Boom Galaxies
• Jungle Jim El Dorado™
• Noble Sky™
• Sisters of Oz Jackpots
• Thunderstruck II™
• Tiki Reward
• Zeus Ancient Fortunes

Card/table games

To feed the habit of New Zealand players with pokies is a given but Platinum Play, as astute entrepreneurs, know only too well that the champagne-and-caviar breed of gamblers will want something different. That means finding a different iGaming menu to whet Kiwis’ appetite. Enter the online casino operator to lay out a variety of card and table games.

Platinum Play puts on the usual spread of traditional fare, such as baccarat, blackjack, craps, poker, and roulette. But wait, a wicked twist awaits Kiwi players — a rash of variations that’ll leave them salivating for more.

Here are some of the digital variations from automated games that Platinum Play lays out for Kiwis:

• 3 Card Poker Multi Hand Gold Series
• Atlantic City Blackjack
• Classic Blackjack Gold Series
• European Blackjack
• Monkey Keno
• Real Baccarat with Courtney™
• Saphire Roulette

If you’ve been on a double-zero roulette diet and wish to flirt with a single-zero one, then do so by all means. However, it pays to brush up your skills by doing some homework on the Platinum Play site on some of the subtle changes in rules, as well as grasping some basic concept of strategies to boost your chances of raking in some real money on a steep 50% house edge.

Live-dealer games

The digital dive and virtual animated wonderland may not be everyone’s cup of tea. That’s all right, too, as far as Platinum Play is concerned. New Zealand gamblers can simply strike a conversation with a class of highly trained and cordial croupiers, as well as fellow online gamblers in one of more than 15 live-dealer tables available on the casino operator’s platform. Watch the action unfold in real time of high-definition, live-streaming technology to the sounds of cards snapping on the velvet tables and the silver ball rattling to a standstill on the rotating roulette spinning wheel.

Here’s a random snapshot of some of the live-dealer games Platinum Play provides to its card and table-savvy Kiwis:

• 3 Card Poker
• Baccarat
• Caribbean Stud Poker
• Deal or No Deal
• Dragon Tiger
• Football Studio
• Monopoly Live
• Party/Private Table
• Super Sic Bo
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em

Payout Percentage

When choosing an online casino, New Zealanders are encouraged to do some ground work before wagering. That means, not only checking out the welcome bonus but also the payout percentage. Also referred to as the return to player (RTP) percentage, the auditing process of eCOGRA sheds light on gaming machines that offer the best bang for the kiwi dollar.

Most online casinos entering the New Zealand cyberspace offer a 96%-plus RTP and Platinum Play is no exception with its 96.24% rating, in keeping with most other sister casinos under the Fortune Lounge Group umbrella who are hovering around the 95% to 98% threshold. The equation to work percentage payout centres around the amount of money an online casino forks out for its wins, compared with the total sum of deposits gamblers wager at that venue over a specified spell of time.

However, Kiwi players must bear in mind that such percentages are only applicable in theory and not hard and fast on what an individual will necessarily collect. Furthermore, the individual Microgaming pokie games also may differ in its RTPs. That Platinum Play throws in free spins and Hyperstrikes only boosts the gamblers’ chances of maximising their returns.

Here are the top-rated Platinum Play pokie machines in terms of a “theoretical” RTP:

• Bikini Party: 97.49%
• Dragon Dance: 97.49%
• Lucky Riches Hyperspins: 97.49%

Software Manufacturers

Platinum, the metal, is what accentuates precious stones, such as diamond and ruby, on a wedding ring. In that vein, the online casinos that subscribe to the award-winning technological creations of Microgaming and Evolution Gaming will find the two software developers mount the likes of Platinum Play to an optimum level where the marriage between the gamblers and online casinos is harmonious.

It’s no trade secret that online casinos anywhere in the world that don’t employ the services of the two pioneering virtual gaming giants will come up short on delivering total satisfaction to their clients. Microgaming is the patriarch of pokie machines. That aside, its software wizardry also takes the credit for coughing up the most winnings of any other rival virtual gaming developer in the thriving online casino industry.

Here are some of Microgaming’s pokie machines that Kiwi gamblers can try to tame on the Platinum Play platform:

• Assassin Moon™
• Break Da Bank Again™
• Chicago Gold™
• Hyper Strike™
• LotsALoot™
• Reel Gems Deluxe
• Shogun of Time™
• Wacky Panda™

Evolution Gaming is creating waves of its own in the live-casino gaming department. Like Microgaming did with pokies, Evolution Gaming created the prototype for live-streaming technology. Having etched its name 11 consecutive times on the Live Software bling in the casino industry, Evolution threw down the gauntlet to any other software gaming rivals to match their feats in creating a competitive environment that’ll only see the industry make leaps and bounds into the future.

Just as Microgaming is immortalising TV and film titles into its themes, Evolution Gaming is pulling out a swag of tools, such as assemblers, compilers, code editors, and linkers, to spin a web of game-show features. Evolution Gaming and Microgaming aren’t shy to collaborate with minor competitors — such as NetEnt, Next Gen Gaming, Northern Lights Gaming — to take not just Kiwi gamblers but global ones to places where they can break down new barriers. That’s why Kiwis don’t have to leave the comfort of their lounges and study rooms to experience a near brick-and-mortar landline casino experience via live streaming.

Loyalty Programme

The moment New Zealand players register and make their first deposit, they’ll become eligible for 2,500 loyalty points, on top of the $NZ800 welcome bonus, spread over the second and third deposits with a 100% match. The loyalty points are accumulated in accordance with Platinum Play’s four-tier loyalty programme. Kiwis can earn them from real money wagers — progressing from silver to diamond status — before having the option to convert them into bonus credits.

The onus is on Kiwi gamblers to stay in stride with the weekly and monthly promotions on their individual email inboxes, as well as the Platinum Play website page on software, to avoid the disappointment of missing out. For every credit Kiwis wager on their favourite pokies, they’ll receive a matching loyalty point. On the table games, every five credits will yield a loyalty point. The formula is simple — the more you play, the more points you’ll accumulate to unearth surprises. 

• Silver tier: Automatic entry to the loyalty programme on making the first deposit to wager.
• Gold: On mustering 10,000 to 24,999 points.
• Platinum: Accrue 25,000 to 74,999 points to enter the zone.
• Diamond: 75,000 points to sky’s the limit for Kiwis to rock and roll.

The Platinum Play cashier will offer Kiwis an online casino credit in exchange for a 1,000 loyalty points, but they have to be mindful to redeem them within 60 days or forfeit it. 

It’s like an Easter egg hunt for the New Zealand iGamers on the Platinum Play digital playground. That comes to the tune of a VIP element incorporated on the Fortune Group Lounge privileges, in line with the consortium’s multiplied rewards scheme. It’s an invite-only call for a select few but, on entering the VIP room, they’ll find packages tailored for a wider appeal, and an elite presence about it. Kiwis can add supplementary loyalty points to eventually redeem them for bonus credits, with no wagering requirements.

If that’s not enough warm fuzzies for Kiwi gamblers, then Platinum Play dangles a carrot of a premier annual event, the Fortune Lounge Cruise, which offers a shot at claiming tickets for two on board a luxury cruise liner. That doesn’t factor in other random prizes throughout the year. Do read the terms and conditions to avoid pitfalls, such as having to claim your bonuses and free spins within seven days.

Mobile Sites/Apps

The standard desktop version of Platinum Play’s mobile site provides traction for a range of devices, including android smartphones, tablets, and the iOS gadgetry. It can be accessed by entering the URL on the browser, but those New Zealand gamblers who don’t wish to go down that path can download the online casino’s app from its website.

The immersive interface qualities open the Platinum Play digital playground to Microgaming’s brilliance in ensuring the cutting-edge graphics fit snugly into the HMTL5 frame of the hand-held devices. Supplementary software such as Chrome, Java, and Mozilla makes them hum. In using their website username and password, Kiwis can log in to their accounts to place bets, play games with seamless precision for real money, withdraw their wins and even claim the promotions.

Customer Support

Casinos that put the welfare of the gamblers at the lounge foyer will win the respect of New Zealand gamblers. Platinum Play does that, if its live-chat response time is anything to go by. The online casino operator’s round-the-clock customer support crew is always within reach to answer any questions in what is the swiftest mode of communication in real time. That negates the need for a phone line.

Despite Platinum Play not anticipating any hiccups via its desktop service, it assures Kiwis that its FAQ section will answer most of the teething problems or minor queries they may encounter. That includes account registration, banking issues, wagering requirements, and matters pertaining to “source of wealth” that Kiwi gamblers may have to produce on request.

Platinum Play has a desire to be the best online entertainment platform, so it’s not surprising to find the casino operator has dedicated a responsible gaming page on its website. It touches on embracing its services, not just as a means to becoming rich but treating it as entertainment. It outlines the need for gamblers to take time out from playing, and adjusting their deposit limits. The online casino operator offers a link to New Zealanders for a self-assessment test and support agencies.

Payment Methods

To want to be the best means online casino operators need to tap into the most efficient services, from superior software to a caring culture, and a fair chance to claim returns. Platinum Play has all that covered. Now add to its efficient services the ease with which New Zealand gamblers can rely on payment methods that may require feeding in promotional codes.

The online casino operator has sourced a variety of depositing and withdrawal options for Kiwis so they can spend more time on entertaining themselves. Platinum Play offers the run-of-the-mill debit and credit cards, as well as bank transfers. However, be mindful that just because you can use one financial mode to secure deposits it doesn’t mean that it can be used to withdraw winnings. Maestro, Interac Online, and Trustly don’t offer withdrawals. Not only does Platinum Play adequately cover Kiwis but it also shores up its global appeal with lesser-known financial institutions.

Here are some of Platinum Play deposit methods:

• Bank transfers
• Click
• ecoPayz
• iDebit
• Interac Online
• Maestro
• MasterCard
• Neteller
• Skrill
• Trustly
• Visa
• Visa Electron

When it comes to withdrawals, it helps Kiwi gamblers to factor in that payment times may vary, depending on what methods they opt for. The times that different facilities take to process withdrawals lack the immediacy of deposits. They may vary from 24 hours to up to three days. The online casino operator has a floor and a ceiling on the sum of money that players can withdraw. It’s a minimum of $NZ50 and a maximum of about $NZ7,500 a week. Platinum Play and its banking providers may also levy fees.

Here are some of the withdrawal paying methods available at Platinum Play:

• Bank withdrawals
• Cheques
• Click and Buy
• ecoPayz
• IDebit
• Neteller
• Maestro
• MasterCard
• Skrill
• Trustly
• Visa

Platinum Play accepts the kiwi dollar among numerous other currencies. The 256-bit SSL encryption technology offers Kiwi players peace of mind that their personal details and funds are safe from cybercriminals.