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Royal Panda is a top online casino that knows how to roll out the red carpet. New Zealand players are welcomed with a generous deposit match bonus the first time they add funds to their account. It’s an excellent way to get started and explore the site.

New players need to opt-in via the ‘My Offers’ page after signing up. When making a deposit, the casino will match it 100%. There is a minimum deposit in place, although some deposit methods might have a higher minimum. Be sure to check out all of the terms and conditions of the casino bonus before beginning to play.

When playing at the site, we found the ‘Wager Bar’ useful, as it keeps track of progress in meeting the wagering requirement. To fulfil that, it’s worth keeping in mind that it has to be bet on the casino and live casino games, and they don’t all contribute evenly.

There aren’t too many game restrictions that count towards the wagering requirement, as pokie games, live, and table games are included, although there are some exceptions.

The Royal Panda welcome bonus can be used on live dealer games. However, it isn’t the only benefit for those that like video streams from the casino floor. We’ve noticed that it runs regular tournaments, and many include cash prizes as a live casino bonus.

There are weekly prizes for various live casino games, such as live roulette, live blackjack, live baccarat and Mega Wheel. Loading a game and placing a minimum bet is all it takes to participate. Points are accumulated by winning consecutive games and the higher scores move to the top of the leaderboard, where the prizes are.

Most main bets are included apart from side bets, and in roulette, wins on even-money wagers don’t count. The great thing about these casino bonuses and promotions is that the prizes are added to your cash balance, so there are no wagering requirements to meet.

Instead of claiming the casino welcome bonus, there’s a sports offer dedicated to those who like to bet on the latest football, rugby or cricket matches. Opt-in through the ‘My Offers’ page once you’ve signed up for your account to get the matched free bet.

To trigger the sports bonus, players need to make a deposit and place a bet within 14 days. There are a few terms and conditions. We found the rules pretty easy to stick to for this promotion, but there are some points to remember about your qualifying bet:

• The bet needs to be a real money wager.
• System bets don’t count
• If the bet is cashed out or voided, it won’t trigger the promotion

For the free bet, it’s awarded within 24 hours of the qualifying wager being settled and that starts the clock with seven days to use it. When you spend the free bet, it can be on any sport but has to be a mobile or in-play wager and you can’t split it over several bets. The payout won’t include the original free bet stake, but it does go to your cash balance, so can be withdrawn.

Since Royal Panda doesn’t have a bingo section, it doesn’t provide bonuses or promotions for this game.

Royal Panda delivers exclusive perks and offers through its Loyalty Club. Every player can become a Loyal Panda. As soon as you sign up, you get default bronze status, and from there, players can climb to silver, gold or diamond levels by earning points.

Points are earned by playing, and they don’t just determine your level in the VIP programme. You can redeem them in the Loyal Panda shop for free spins, bonuses, and free bets for sports. There are also prizes, trips and high-value goods, like smartphones.

Perks include advanced access to new casino games, prioritised withdrawals and a personal VIP manager. The higher your status, the better your perks: at the gold or diamond levels, the bonuses from the loyalty store don’t have any wagering requirements.

All games and sports bets earn you loyalty points. However, they contribute different amounts, so you’ll need to bet more on roulette, live games, table games and video poker to earn the same points that you would for free online pokies, sports bets, and scratchcards.

The sheer number of game categories is an excellent indicator of the variety you can expect to find. The casino works with the top providers, such as NetEnt, Pragmatic Play and Microgaming, which is another sign of the quality of the casino that players will enjoy.

There are 13 titles in the table games section; it seems like a small amount, but it’s because the casino focuses more on the live casino when it comes to the classics. If you prefer to play without the live dealer or croupier, some of the table games include:

There are over 1500 video pokies to try, and new games are added regularly. If you’re unsure what to pick, you can narrow down the selection by browsing progressive jackpots, daily jackpot pokies, and new and popular titles. With so many options, every feature and theme is covered.

Some of the top pokies we found on the site are:

• The Dog House Megaways
• Money Train 2
• Dragon King: Legend of the Seas
• Fire Joker
• Book of Dead

The live casino section is where Royal Panda shines. There are more than 60 options, including game shows, blackjack, roulette, casino poker, baccarat, craps, and dice. On top of that, there are VIP games and other variations of the most popular games.

The live streams are good quality, and crucially, the croupiers and live dealers are professional and keep the atmosphere light and fun. Most games have a wide bet range, so there are opportunities for low stake players and high rollers alike.

All of the games are grouped under the live casino category. You have to click ‘load more’ to browse all the titles, but they are neatly arranged in colourful tiles. There’s also a search function to help you find what you want even faster. There are some exclusive branded live titles, as well as options like Deal or No Deal Live from well-known software provider Evolution Gaming.

Royal Panda is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) with the licence number MGA/CRP/237/2013. It’s one of the strictest gaming bodies in the industry, which shows that it meets high standards.

The operator carries out a know your customer (KYC) process. It’s used to confirm the identity of New Zealand players through supporting documents, such as a passport, government-issued identification cards, or a tax form.

Customer details that are used and stored by the operator are protected using encryption, and the site’s privacy policy sets out how information is handled. The casino uses a random number generator (RNG) and the games are independently tested.

There’s a dedicated responsible gaming page, which has advice, support information and tools. The controls for player accounts include limits for sessions, deposits, losses and wagers. Plus, players can temporarily suspend their accounts.

For support, customers can use the help centre to get information and answers to common questions. Alternatively, you can pose your query to a member of the team via live chat or email, which are available 24/7. We found that responses are generally prompt and friendly.

One feature that makes Royal Panda stand out is that the mobile casino experience is just as flawless as the desktop one. There aren’t specific apps for NZ players to download. Instead, you can play via your browser. Everything is optimised for the smaller screen to work just like the best-rated casino apps, and you can access the casino, live games, and sports betting all through the same account. It is a must-try for all mobile casino fans.

The loyalty programme and overall care and commitment to users impressed us while playing at the casino and using the sports site. It comes across in the customer service and effective navigation and menus, which puts it ahead of most other sites we’ve seen.

The casino payment solutions are broad enough to mean most players will find something convenient, although we’ve certainly seen operators with more extensive lists. The number of software providers is impressive, with big names like NetEnt and smaller studios such as Rabcat and Wazdan.