JoeFortune.com Review 2023: Legit or shady AU casino site?
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If you're an Australian online casino player, you probably have been finding it difficult to get access to casino games wherever and whenever you like. Aussies have to worry about a limited selection of gaming sites, difficult payment processing, and a host of other woes before getting the opportunity to practice wagering on any form of gambling games for real cash prizes.
Fortunately, there are gambling opportunities as this thorough, no-nonsense Joe Fortune casino review will reveal. It's a real money casino that has been built to provide a safe and secure gambling environment whether you like pokies, keno, video poker, and roulette, or even if you want to face a live dealer while playing at a number of table games such as blackjack or baccarat.
Here we'll review Joe Fortune to deliver our own thoughts around its performance, in combination with evaluations and revelations from other real players reviewers. We'll get the facts on their personal experiences while actually playing at this online casino for Aussies. We'll aim to tease out any form of valid complaint around the software, the games library, the payment options, or indeed any aspect of the operational performance.
Real Player Personal Evaluations Of Joe Fortune
For anyone considering playing at Joe Fortune for the first time. it's going to be useful to see a summary of the good and bad points. Here we've summarised our own experiences while registering an account, depositing, and playing the games with real money. The result? Well, we'll cover that in much more depth further on in the review, but here are the positives and negatives in a simple bullet point list. These are the most obvious pros and cons we noticed as reviewers.
What we like about Joe Fortune Casino
- Oceania customers including Australia accepted
- $5,000 welcome package + 30 free spins
- Mac, PC, Mobile Compatible
- Large menu of gaming titles (300+)
- A significant list of pokies and slot machines✓
- Impressive progressive jackpots
- Enticing live dealer casino games
- Titles from big-name software providers like Real Time Gaming
- Joe's Rewards program
What we don't like about Joe Fortune
- No USA, CAN, or other countries besides AUS
- Limited live chat schedule (8am-midnight)
- No poker or sports betting
Other Real Player Revelations About Joe Fortune
No rating or review of an online casino is complete without listening to real players who have hands-on experience of how the games run, if they are trustworthy, the knowledge and level of skill in customer support, and whether or not payments are processed without hassle. Joe Fortune has had few complaints since it opened its doors in 2016 with almost all of them being resolved amicably and in a timely fashion.
Below you can read a selection of player opinions who reported on the performance of the casino:
Key Performance Indicators
The experiences of our individual reviewers won't necessarily have touched on all of the important factors involved in registering to play, so now let's take a look at a more detailed list of the key performance indicators that will determine overall how you might gauge the value of becoming a player on the site.
- Licensing - Good. Joe Fortune holds a Curacao gaming license.
- Trustworthiness - Excellent. Joe Fortune is one of a number of online casinos owned and run by the Bodog Gaming Group. Other casinos in the group include Bovada, Ignition Casino, Slots.lv, Cafe Casino. In all, this list creates a family that's been well-known among gamblers over a number of years.
- Play for free - Average. Some games can be played for no cost in demo mode, but obviously not for real money. There are ways to pick up free spins on pokies though.
- Bonus offers - Excellent. As is normal with many online casinos, the welcome bonus at JoeFortune is a high-value one.
- Banking options - Excellent. There is a multitude of ways to fund a playing account and also to withdraw winnings. Options range from Mastercard, Visa Debit Card, American Express, and Visa Gift cards to varied cryptocurrency options, including Bitcoin plus altcoins such as BCH, BSV, and Litecoin.
- Payout speed - Average. Money won't be transferred instantly here, you'll likely have to wait a few days for payments to be fully processed. But there are no known examples of players not making withdrawals successfully.
- Country availability - OK. If you're Australian, of course. Some online casinos are built specifically for players for one or a limited number of countries. For anyone not in Australia, there are plenty of other places to play.
- Game variety - Excellent. Pokies are likely to be the main focus of many visiting players, particularly those looking for jackpot wins from slots spins. But the exhaustive list of casino games like table games, blackjack, roulette, video poker, and all the others all have a position in the games library.
- Speed of website & user experience - Good. Based on most real user experiences, the JoeFortunelv site gives players fast gameplay and a high-quality feel overall. All elements of the site operate in the way you would expect. Certainly, there are no known complaints about gaming quality.
Who is Joe Fortune? - In-depth Joe Fortune Casino Review
Joe Fortune Casino was founded in 2016 by a long-established casino group to cater specifically to Australian players. If you're an Australian player seeking fun and fortune from casino gaming, the changes in regulations made it difficult for you to find a trusted online casino where you could play slots and pokies – or any other types of online casino games – in your home currency.
Joe has built a casino not only offers the convenient Bitcoin payment method but also 250+ pokie machines and a large range of table games, keno, bingo, and craps: all combined into a mobile-optimized site that is focused on simplicity and ease-of-use.
The latest changes called for by the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 came into force in September 2017, virtually banning all online casinos from Australia. Popular brands such as 32RED, 888, Videoslots, Casumo, Party Gaming, Vera&John, Guts Casino, and Rizk closed their doors at that time to Australian players, leaving them with few options to enjoy a punt online.
The Joe Fortune Casino is operated by Haydock Sports Limited Casinos, which is linked to the trusted Bodog Group: an organization willing to flout the diktats of power-hungry bureaucrats to deliver the real money excitement users crave. The group has been a trustworthy operator ever since its foundation, offering an extensive choice of games, awesome promotions, professional support, and most importantly, reliable payments.
You may also see the name Ridley Media NV listed as the operator, with this firm also having links to other casinos associated with Bodog. Examples of these might be Slots.lv and Bovada.
One thing that we love about Joe Fortune is that management exhibits a sense of humor. Just check out this section from the casino’s terms of service (yes, this is copied verbatim from the Joe Fortune website):
6.6. Don't be a greedy bastard! You'll get lots of chance for free money with Joe! Players cannot redeem multiple free bonuses consecutively. If you have redeemed one No Deposit bonus a real money deposit needs to have been made in the interim for you to be eligible to redeem a second No Deposit bonus. Redeeming two or more No Deposit bonuses in a row can result in the removal of subsequent winnings.
Website Design
Like many sites nowadays, the operators of JoeFortune have put considerable thought and effort into the website design. It's simple to navigate and cleanly arranged for easy access to whatever you want to get to. In fact, this is one of the most straightforward sites we've seen.
You'll find the games divided into different sections, each with its own tab: Slots, Blackjack, Table Games, Video Poker, and Live Casino. You can either browse through each of them or use the Search function to find a game by putting in the game name.
The top of the page shows your current balance and a hamburger menu on the right-hand side gives you another way to navigate the categories of games in addition to accessing the cashier, promotions, and your account profile.
The bottom of your browser provides access to various parts of the website, such as the About Us page, the FAQ, and the terms and conditions.
As a whole, the Joe Fortune website is intuitively laid out, with all key features available within a few clicks. The games themselves load rapidly in your browser window without any noticeable lag or delays.
Website Performance Testing
The website design review above has shown us that the site is intuitively laid out. But what about its performance? Speed is an important element of user experience. Of course, speed times will partly depend on the quality of your own broadband connection, but still, there are some tests that can be run on any website that will give an indication as to how it's likely to perform.
We use two test tools: GTMetrix and Google Page Speed.
On a WebPageTest.org website performance test run from a server in Sydney, Australia, it scored a whole bunch of A's or B's, which equates to a very good level of speed performance overall.
On Google's Pagespeed Insights performance measurement tool, it scored a 52/100 on mobile and 76/100 on the desktop on a single test. This tool is always more critical than others, and while those scores do not look great, the reality is they don't highlight any real major problems. You're unlikely to experience any issues unless you're either using a very old device or are using a poor broadband connection.
Licensing
Haydock runs under a Curacao eGaming license, which we were able to confirm in January 2021. Curacao is a popular licensing jurisdiction not only for online casinos but sportsbooks and poker rooms as well.
Reliability, Reputation,& Trust
We already noted that JoeFortune is inextricably linked with the Bodog gaming group. This is a solid marker of good reliability and the group has always held a strong reputation in the gambling industry.
So can you put your trust in them?
We think so. In combination with those of other real players of casino games, our direct experiences have pretty much proved it. In stark contrast to some other online casinos that we could mention, Joe Fortune and all the other members of the Bodog group of gambling establishments meet the criteria for being labeled as reputable, trustworthy, and reliable.
Safety & Security
The safety and security factors that are so crucial in all forms of casino gambling are all covered well by Joe Fortune. They seem to be fully aware that adequate protections are in place for your own safety, that of your money, your personal details, also for any minors that may be enticed to try out some form of gambling.
On the JoeFortune site, SMS message validation is in place which enables a good level of player and account security. The use of 4-digit PINs adds an additional security layer. The website has SSL encryption deployed, and any registered devices will get warning alerts if there should be any breach of security.
In addition, the website is protected from spam and abuse by the use of Google reCAPTCHA.
We checked the site using website scanning software. This test did not identify any obvious security issues. We performed another test using the Google Safe Browsing site status checker, and this test revealed no indications of unsafe content. Norton SafeWeb also showed a safe status.
For protection from underage gambling, the website is 18+ certified and displays links to age verification organizations such as Net Nanny, Cybersitter, and Solid Oak.
Any account holder wishing to self-exclude can do so easily via the in-house self-exclusion policy, while there is valuable contact information published detailing contacts for problem gambling support organizations such as Gamblers Anonymous, Gambling Therapy, and NCP Gambling.
How to create an account
Creating an account is straightforward. Just hit the sign-up button wherever you see it, and it'll take you to a page where you can enter the standard types of registration details. It's all fairly easy to do, and arguably the only part that may be slightly complicated is in choosing which bonus to take, and how much deposit to make to get the best value out of it.
Welcome Bonus
Joe is a generous bloke and likes to welcome his new mates in style. Everyone signing up at the casino will benefit from bonuses on the first three deposits, and he’ll even throw 30 free spins in for good measure on selected pokies.
To claim your welcome bonus or any other promotional offer, simply visit your banking lobby and select the applicable Joe Fortune code from the drop-down menu. Then make your deposit and the bonus will be instantly added to your balance.
- First Deposit (crypto-currency): Get a 150% deposit match bonus up to $2,000 and 30 free spins
- First Deposit (non-crypto): Get a 100% deposit match bonus up to $2,000 and 30 free spins
- Second Deposit: Get a 75% reload bonus up to $1,000
- Third Deposit: Get a 120% reload bonus up to $2,000
As long as you make a deposit of at least $20 each time, you can qualify for all three bonuses. On your first deposit, along with your bonus of up to $2000, you will receive 30 free spins, which you can use on either “A Night With Cleo” or “Fairy Wins.” You then have to wager through the deposit plus bonus amount 50 times before your free bonus will transform into withdrawable cash.
Within an hour after making your initial deposit, your second deposit bonus will be added to your account, but it won't become active until you go ahead and make your second deposit. You must do so within seven days of your first deposit. Similarly, after you make your second deposit, the third deposit bonus will be waiting for you to claim within seven days. Both of these reloads carry a 50x wagering requirement on the sum of your deposit and bonus, similar to the first deposit bonus.
Wagering Requirement
To convert your bonus and associated winnings into cash, you simply have to wager on the casino games. A total of 50x your deposit and bonus amount is the required rollover before you are allowed to withdraw the bonus amount or anything you've won. It is important to remember that not all games contribute fully to the wagering requirement:
- 100% - All Slots, Specialty Games
- 20% - Table Games with some exceptions
- 10% - Video Poker (All types), Blackjack (unless stated otherwise)
- 5% - Single Deck & Double Deck Blackjack, Roulette, Sic Bo, Baccarat
- 0% - Craps, Live Dealer Games
As an example, wagering $1,000 on slots only will reduce the outstanding wagering requirement by the full $1,000; however, wagering the same amount on Roulette will reduce it by $50 only.
Other Bonus Rules
Joe Fortune does not allow the mixing of no-deposit bonuses and cash deposits. Always make sure to clear your bonus by either completing the wagering requirements or zeroing out your balance.
You can always forfeit a bonus, but please note that associated winnings will be also removed, leaving you with the value of your cash balance only. Each bonus (first deposit and reload) can only be claimed once.
It is vital to familiarise yourself with the full bonus terms and conditions to make sure you understand all details and avoid any issues.
Joe Fortune Promotions + Other Perks for Players
Joe’s generosity does not stop with his outstanding Welcome Package as a visit to the Promotions page will show you. It is packed to the brim with special deposit offers and loyalty rewards. And that is still not the end because Joe will send you regular emails with a range of personalized promo deals. To claim a bonus, just select the respective code in the banking lobby.
Here are some of the specials that you're entitled to as a Joe Fortune customer:
Everyday Deposit Bonus:
Available for all players. Joe will match the first two deposits of the day with a 100% bonus, up to $50 each. The wagering requirement is 30x deposit and bonus, subject to the Joe Fortune Casino bonus terms and conditions.
Weekly Deposit Bonus
Available for Gold members and above in the Joe's Rewards system (see below). A 100% deposit bonus of up to $150 can be claimed once every week without compromising your ability to claim the everyday deposit bonuses too. The wagering requirement is 30x deposit and bonus, subject to the Joe Fortune Casino bonus terms and conditions.
Casino Points
With every wager you make, you'll earn casino points. The rate of point accrual is 15 casino points per dollar bet in specialty games, 5 points for every dollar wagered on slots, and 1 single point for each dollar risked in video poker and table games.
Once you collect enough casino points, you can trade them in for bonuses. Each bonus acquired in this manner comes with a 10x wagering requirement. The number of points you need to get $1 of bonus money depends on your placement in the Joe's Rewards program (see below).
Joe’s Rewards Program
All players at Joe Fortune Casino are enrolled in the Joe’s Rewards loyalty program which comes with five VIP levels. Everyone starts on Level 1, Member, and can progress up to Level 5, Black, by playing the games at the casino.
Any acquired VIP level is kept for the running year and the year after, meaning that once qualified you can enjoy all the extra benefits for up to two full years. There is no need to re-qualify every month or to wager a required amount every week to stay on your level.
The advantages of achieving a higher ranking within the system include better rates of comp point redemption. Those at Gold and higher also benefit from being able to claim the weekly deposit bonus twice per week.
Tier Casino Points REQUIRED Points per AU$1 Bonus Member 0 2,500 Silver 10,000 2,000 Gold 150,000 1,500 Platinum 1,000,000 1,000 Black 2,500,000 1,000 Refer a Friend
Refer a friend promotions are normally long-lasting and can sometimes be worth noting. In the joe fortune referral offer, you and your referred friend will both get $50 provided they sign up and make a deposit.
Software and Game Providers
Joe Fortune is a modern online casino with a mobile-optimized site that is focused on fast-loading games and seamless play. Their operating platform supports games from multiple providers, allowing them to offer you a wide range of games. Most are equally available on desktop and mobile with only some rare exceptions being restricted to desktop PCs.
The reason Joe can achieve such cross-platform compatibility lies in the web-based nature of the software. Because it opens up right in customers’ browsers, there’s no need to download anything, and any system that can display modern web graphics should have no trouble at all running the games here.
Currently, Joe Fortune Casino lists 300+ games, including creations from the iSoftBet, Rival, and Real Time Gaming (RTG) software studios. They also offer a good range of exclusive games, which are available at the group’s casino brands only and supplied by their own in-house studio Bovada Gaming as well as Makitone Gaming and Revolver Gaming.
Games at Joe Fortune
Loading the casino's home page will open a wealth of casino games and pokies to choose from. A range of tabs gives you direct access to each category – Exclusives, All Pokies, Jackpots, Blackjack, Live Casino, Baccarat, Roulette, Video Poker, Keno, Bingo, Specialty, and Craps.
Exclusives
While having an extensive choice of pokies from mainstream developers, Joe Fortune Casino and its sister brands are known for their proprietary and exclusive games that are not available for play at any other casinos yet add more flavor to your gaming session. These are creations from their own in-house studio as well as Revolver Gaming and industry newcomer Makitone Gaming.
A good range of these pokies come with a progressive jackpot that often delivers huge wins going into high 5-figure and even 6-figure sums. Among them are Gold Rush Gus, A Night With Cleo, and 777 Deluxe.
Pokies / Slot Machines
+ List of Pokies at Joe Fortune
After browsing through the exclusive games, there are another 200+ pokies waiting to be taken for a spin under the All Pokies tab. Here, Joe Fortune bundles the slots that are supplied by iSoftBet, Rival Gaming, and Real Time Gaming (RTG).
In fact, there are so many that you can use a range of sub-tabs to get directly to your desired category. Some games will appear in multiple categories; however, overall you can choose from around 250 pokies and slot machines.
- i-Slots: 20+ pokies from Rival’s special series of interactive slots that includes player favorites such as As The Reels Turn 1, 2 and 3
- Reel Series: 15 RTG games, each with a dedicated progressive jackpot
- Video Slots: 200+ pokies and slot machines from Rival, RTG, and iSoftBet
- 3D Slots: 10+ true 3D slots and pokies
- Progressives: 50+ jackpot slots with 4-, 5-, and 6-figure progressive jackpots
- Rival Games: The complete catalog of 100+ Rival pokies and slot machines
- Classic 3-Reel Slots: If you are a fan of classic pokies, this is the place to find them
- Video 5-Reel Slots: All 5-reel pokies can be found in this category
Table Games – Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette, Craps
+ List of Table Games at Joe Fortune
These categories are for our table game enthusiasts where they can indulge in the thrills of 20+ titles, including different variants of Roulette, Baccarat, Craps, and Blackjack. Among them are Classic Craps, European Roulette, and Double Deck Blackjack.
Live Casino
+ List of Live Casino Games at Joe Fortune
Are table games your passion but do you prefer to play on live tables with real dealers? Then the Live Casino section is your place to be. All the games in this category are streamed live from dedicated studios while you can place your chips from the comfort of your home.
Joe Fortune Casino offers five live tables with Blackjack, Baccarat, Early Payout Blackjack, Super 6, and Roulette.
Video Poker
+ List of Video Poker Machines at Joe Fortune
An oldie but a goldie, video poker was one of the first casino games to be offered at online casinos as it didn’t require high internet speeds nor did it have fancy graphics. This type of amusement is simple but extremely popular up to the present day.
At Joe Fortune Casino, you can pick from 15+ video poker games that include variants such as Loose Deuces, Jacks or Better, and Double Jackpot Poker. Some titles in this selection permit you to play multiple hands at the same time, up to 52.
Keno and Bingo
+ List of Keno & Bingo Games at Joe Fortune
Good news! Keno and Bingo fans can play their preferred games at Joe Fortune Casino. There are more than a dozen varieties of these two popular games of chance, so you can pick your numbers and win big.
Specialty
+ List of Specialty Games at Joe Fortune
Lastly, the Specialty category waits with 20+ separate games that include Sudoku and scratch cards as well as some all-time hits that don't seem to belong anywhere else, such as Caribbean Stud Poker, Let 'Em Ride, and Tri Card Poker.
Joe Fortune Mobile Casino
Mobile gaming has evolved with lightning speed over the past decade. Today we can confidently say that everyone with a smartphone is virtually carrying a casino in his pocket.
Players can now spin the reels or place chips on black or red anywhere as long as they have an internet connection. After the introduction of the latest HTML5 standard, developers and casino operators have gone to great lengths to make sure that most of their games are available on mobile devices, on any OS platform, including iOS and Android.
Joe Fortune has jumped fully aboard with this development. Management has set up a dedicated mobile site that loads automatically when you access the casino via a smartphone or tablet. In most cases, the graphics and layout are pretty much identical to the desktop versions of the games, providing a rich experience to users of tablets and phones.
Joe Fortune Cashier - Deposits & Withdrawals
Smooth deposits and timely withdrawals play a major role when we look for a new online casino account. We all want a good range of secure deposit methods when we are ready to play as well as reliable payments when we withdraw our winnings. Considering the challenging circumstances, Joe Fortune still offers a good range for both.
Before processing withdrawals, Joe Fortune may ask you to verify your identity and payment method. You will need to send in copies of an accepted government-issued photo ID and any cards used for depositing at the casino as well as the completed Credit Card Verification Form. Exact instructions can be found on their Help pages.
Deposits
After the changes in regulations and laws, Australian players have limited deposit options but the good news is that they are easy to set up and use. VIP players can contact support to agree to higher deposit limits. All deposits are free, although your card provider might charge additional fees.
- Credit Cards: MasterCard, Visa – minimum $20, maximum $1,000
- Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin – minimum $10, maximum $5,000
- Ethereum – minimum $50, maximum $10,000
- NeoSurf – minimum $15, maximum $1,000
- Flexepin - minimum $30, maximum $350
Withdrawals
Had some big wins and now looking forward to withdrawing and enjoying the spoils? Joe Fortune has assembled a range of withdrawal options that you can use at any time if you do not have a bonus active on your account.
All withdrawals are subject to a 72-hour pending period; however, the casino is known to process them expeditiously once they are out of pending status. Payments to Bitcoin accounts are naturally the fastest way to get your winnings while transfers and cheques can take up to 10 business days. Joe Fortune Casino has limits on the number of withdrawals you can submit in any given period as well as the amounts you can request for payouts. Any amounts exceeding the limits will be returned to your account. VIP players can apply for higher limits.
- Wire Transfer: 1 withdrawal per 7 days - minimum $1,500, maximum $9,500
- Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin: 1 withdrawal per 3 days - minimum $20, maximum $10,000
- Ethereum: - 1 withdrawal per 3 days - minimum $60, maximum $10,000
- Cheque by Courier: 1 withdrawal per 7 days - minimum $20, maximum $3,000
Crypto-currency withdrawals are always free while a fee of $50 will be charged for Wire Transfers and Courier Cheques. All withdrawals can be partially or entirely cancelled as long as they are in pending.
We’re glad to see that Joe Fortune has decided to support crypto-currency because we encourage all our readers to transact using this innovative financial tech. If you’ve yet to enjoy the benefits of digital currency, then you can get started by reading our step-by-step guide to Bitcoin and online poker. Be aware, though, that although we recommend Coinbase as a crypto exchange in our guide, it only allows Australians to purchase BTC; selling and withdrawing the proceeds back to your bank account is not supported for Aussies at this time. Therefore, you may wish to consider an alternate exchange that’s focused on the Australian market instead, like CoinJar.
Other Gambling Products
Though Joe Fortune certainly enjoys a flutter, he has opted to confine himself to just casino gaming, leaving poker and sports betting to one side. While a desire to focus on one product and do it exceptionally well is commendable, this does leave fans of multiple types of wagering a bit disappointed. Fortunately, there are a number of sister sites of JF that do allow you to bet on other things.
If you’re an Australian who appreciates a game of multiplayer poker every now and again, then we urge you to consider Ignition Casino Poker, which – as its name suggests – dabbles in both the casino and poker arts. For more peer-to-peer card gaming sites, you can take a look at our guide to internet poker for Australian punters.
Alternatives to JoeFortune.lv & Competitor Comparisons
The main competitors facing JoeFortune.lv are those casinos that also welcome Australian players and can supply equally high-quality real money casino gambling options.
We're not too confident in the ability of some operators to deliver at the quality necessary, but Juicy Stakes, Ignition Casino, and Nitrogen Casino are three names that can be relied upon to do so. So for the purposes of this comparison exercise, let's see how the four online casinos stack up against each other.
Before we head into the comparison, you'll find full details in our detailed reviews of each of the three JoeFortune competitors.
Joe Fortune Casino vs Competitors – How Do They Compare in the Key Performance Indicators?
Let's take a look at the performance of our four protagonists in some of the main areas that will be important to any prospective customer:
Trust
Some reliable indicators of trust are often found in genuine real player reviews and, to some extent, something more tangible like the holding of a recognised license. Each of our casinos does well on both counts. Comments from real users about each of them are mainly positive, with any negatives either questionable on whether they are accurate or occasionally based on a misunderstanding.
Joefortune, Ignition, and Juicy Stakes all hold Curacao licenses while Nitrogen is licensed in Costa Rica.
Game Variety
It's highly unlikely you'll find a lack of game variety in any online casino. It's what they do, provide games! Normally if there is any lack of variety it's more around what other betting options are on offer. In our case, Juicy Stakes, Nitrogen, and Ignition provide poker, and Nitrogen additionally offers sports betting, whereas JoeFortune focuses solely on casino gambling and games.
For casino games specifically, each of our four competing operators offers standard favourites like table games, slots/pokies, roulette, and blackjack. That's a list that anyone who plays in a casino online would expect to see in any portfolio, although the list doesn't end there with any of the names in the competition.
Joe Fortune, perhaps because it doesn't transact in the United States like the other companies do, is able to offer an extended menu of gaming delights, including more than 300 different pokie machines. Juicy Stakes, with games from four different software providers, is second in terms of number of games available. Ignition is in third place while Nitrogen brings up the rear with but 40 titles in its casino.
Bonuses & Promotions
It's safe to say that bonuses and promotional offers always make up one of the key areas that a prospective player will take into consideration when deciding whether to register or not.
Between our four competitors, there are some noticeable differences in how they handle these factors. Of them all, Joe Fortune provides the highest welcome bonus of up to $5,000 for newcomers. Ignition's offer is more modest at just $1,500 though it does have unlimited BTC casino reloads of 25% up to $1,000. Juicy Stakes only grants 25 free spins to new players, but it maintains robust monthly calendars of tournaments, reload bonus codes, lossback, and other casino promos. Nitrogen has neither a casino welcome bonus nor very many promotions for its casino division as it is primarily a bookmaking organisation.
Payout Speed
These four brands all do well with payout speeds. Nitrogen is the fastest, often taking only an hour or two for users to receive their money. Juicy Stakes is the slowest although its two- to three-day cashout speeds are still pretty good. Joe Fortune and Ignition are in the middle with withdrawals taking 1-2 days on average.
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
There are many things online casinos do well, and giving a suitably exhaustive list of deposit and withdrawal options is generally one of them. Nitrogen has the skimpiest payout menu because it transacts only in Bitcoin. Juicy Stakes adds checks and bank transfers to this list. Ignition and Joe Fortune are better still with multiple cryptos supported, and JF even includes a couple of Aussie-specific payment processors, like NeoSurf.
Speed, Software & User Experience
All of our four competing providers have had plenty of time to make their sites, software, and games run in a fast and smooth fashion. That said, there is evidence of some players experiencing problems such as excessive freezing on casino games at Juicy Stakes. There are also occasional issues with the Ignition Poker software. Nitrogen and Joe Fortune tend to have fast-running games without very many slowdowns or periods of outage.
Customer Support
Joe Fortune Casino prides itself in offering professional player support via Live Chat and Email. While the former is open during the daytime only, you can expect an answer to emails within 24 hours. An extensive Help section should answer most of your questions and also assist you in solving some issues. Simply go to the Help page and type related words into the search field.
To access the options for getting in touch with customer service personnel, go to the Help page and click on one subject. At the bottom, you will be asked whether your question was answered. Click on ‘NO’ to have the contact options displayed.
- Live Chat: open from 08:00 – 00:00 AEST
- Phone: +1 – 800 – 837 129
- Email: Complete the email form onsite, the reply will be made within 24 hours
Responsible Gaming
In line with the group’s policy, Joe Fortune Casino has dedicated an entire section on their site to Responsible Gambling. To prevent underage gambling, the casino will accept registrations from people who are 18 years of age or older. Trained customer support agents are standing by should you want to limit your gambling, take a break, or self-exclude.
How has Joe Fortune Evolved?
Many online casinos will evolve over time as they more completely identify the gaming preferences of their players. To some extent, Joefortune will have done the same and introduced some cosmetic changes. These will only have been cosmetic though, given the knowledge and experience of the operating group behind them. The Bodog group will have been well clued up on how Joefortune.lv should present itself.
One area which will have seen fairly important change is that of deposits and withdrawals, where the growth in cryptocurrency use will have been significant in its impact. Plus, the gaining of a Curacao gaming license is also worthy of mention.
When you consider what's really important to players - the games, of course - the changes come in the form of new titles to play. For Aussies, in particular, this will mean the pokies. All fans of slot machines know that new video slots titles can spice up the fun a bit, and JoeFortune regularly introduces new themed pokies to keep the fans happy.
Positives | Benefits | Pros
We're nearly at the final point of this review, so this is a great place to pull all of the pros and cons together in one place and look at each in a little more detail.
- For players from Australie, JoeFortune.lv is a top-tier choice. The backers behind this site know exactly what an Australian casino player needs from their gaming and works hard to deliver precisely what's wanted.
- Joe Fortune welcome bonuses offer strong value and will build up any depositing player's bankroll to great effect, and irrelevant of whether the opening or reload deposits are made using AUD or a cryptocurrency. There are even occasional free chip offers that effectively make up a no deposit bonus
- The website and games can be accessed and played on multiple devices, from Windows or Mac PCs, through to anything that runs on iOS or Android.
- The games portfolio is a suitably broad one, containing all of the favorites you would expect to see in any online casino, some fascinating exclusive games, and, of course, a list of pokies that's one of the most extensive you're likely to find.
- Joe Fortune's loyalty program offers significant player benefits, and promos are varied and plentiful.
- For a player seeking that often elusive big win, there are many options to play jackpot games & progressive slots. Someone has to win, right!
- Free play offers are often complimented with free spins offers.
- You won't need huge sums just to make a deposit, with amounts from as low as $10 accepted.
- There are realistic maximum cashout rules in place.
Negatives | Cons | Drawbacks
The negatives of the Joe Fortune casino are few and far between:
- You can't play on a download version of the casino. At some points in the past, this might have been a problem. Not now, since the games can all be played in the browser.
- There is no sportsbook or poker room. Again, no big deal. There are plenty of alternative options for playing poker or having a bet on a sporting event.
- You'll have to keep a watch on your bankroll, but that's the same with any casino. They're built to take your money and are very good at it. In return, you'll get plenty of fun and the chance of winning some cash.
Joe Fortune Review Summary
Whenever we review a gaming hangout like Joe Fortune, we have to take into account the challenging conditions under which these casinos operate. Considering that, our conclusion is that Joe Fortune has proved to be a revelation with an extensive game choice, awesome promotions, solid support, and an appropriate payment speed.
Any Aussie player is going to have their pick of casino games that run on high-powered software delivered by the leaders in gambling games - names like RealTime Gaming, or RTG. Those games include an extensive list of pokies and other video slot machines that would make any other Australia-focused online casino envious.
The games portfolio doesn't end there, with evergreen favorites that include poker, keno, and, video poker all in the library, alongside popular table games like baccarat and blackjack. To round off that impressive list, we also need to mention live dealer options where you can face the dealer as if you were really there in a live casino.
There are great ongoing promotional offers, generous deposit bonuses, and reliable banking methods for getting your winnings into your bank account or cryptocurrency wallet. For deposits or payments, you'll have the choice of using Bitcoin, other cryptocurrency options, or more traditional banking methods such as a debit card or credit card.
On top of all this, many of the slot machines offer the chance of playing for valuable progressive jackpots and winning significantly sized cash prizes.
To sum it all up, we don’t hesitate in recommending Joe Fortune to anybody in Australia who is looking for an online casino to call home. Enjoy your gaming, be careful with your gambling, and here's hoping you end up celebrating with a big-money jackpot win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now we've concluded our review, it's possible there may be some unanswered questions. You'll find an extensive list of FAQs in the Help Center on the Joe Fortune website, but here are some of the most common questions that anyone considering whether to sign up and play the games will be asking:
JoeFortune is most definitely real and is what's known as a real money online casino. That means you play real casino games with real money, and when you win it sure is real too. If you make a valid withdrawal request, you will be paid real cash.
There is a range of withdrawal options that you can use at any time, as long as you do not have an active bonus applied to your account:
- Wire Transfer: 1 withdrawal per 7 days - minimum $1,500, maximum $9,500
- Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin: 1 withdrawal per 3 days - minimum $20, maximum $10,000
- Ethereum: - 1 withdrawal per 3 days - minimum $60, maximum $10,000
- Cheque by Courier: 1 withdrawal per 7 days - minimum $20, maximum $3,000
The amount of time to receive your payout following its approval varies based on the withdrawal method selected. Some requests take as little as 15 minutes and most are within 4-7 business days. Full details are on the JoeFortune website and explain how long each different type of withdrawal method should take.
Games software at JoeFortune is provided by three firms that are among the highest-rated studios in the casino gambling industry:
- Real Time Gaming (RTG)
- iSoftBet
- Rival Gaming
You'll also find titles that run on software supplied by Makitone Gaming and Revolver Gaming, and given that JoeFortune is part of the Bodog Group you will also have access to proprietary games supplied internally by Bovada Gaming.
They also offer a good range of exclusive games, which are available at the group’s casino brands only and supplied by their own in-house studio Bovada Gaming as well as Makitone Gaming and Revolver Gaming.
There are over 250 different pokies on offer at JoeFortune.lv. These contribute to a grand total of over 300 different types of casino games.
There's always a risk of losing money if you play in any online casino, and JoeFortune is no different. Fortunately, there's also the chance of winning, and that's what keeps players coming back.
Aside from this, and the inherent risks that are posed by gambling in any form, there are no obvious other risks in signing up, depositing some starting cash, picking up the attached bonus if you want to, and diving straight in to enjoy the games library.
There are some play-money casinos and plenty of real money casinos. JoeFortune falls into the latter bracket, and as a real money online casino, it does offer players a chance to win real cash.
Of course, to win that cash you have to play the games successfully. Some casino games give better chances of doing this than others. So the best ways to win are by focusing on those games where the statistical edge is more in favor of the player. Determine what these games are, and you'll have at least improved your winning chances.
If you just want to trust pure luck, then sure go ahead and sign up. Whatever money you do win will be real.
There are many trusted online casinos. To single any one of them out and say it's more trusted than others would be an error. What we can say is that JoeFortune has earned a place on any list of most trusted casinos, and especially for Australian players.
No mobile app is needed to sign up and play games at JoeFortune. The software that runs the games is designed to work effectively and responsively on various forms of mobile devices as well as it does on desktops.
As regards you, the individual player, Australian gambling law is clear: There are zero penalties attached to personally engaging in online wagering yourself. It's solely the organizations that provide the games that are subject to enforcement actions.
This means that playing at JoeFortune is not expressly illegal for you, although JoeFortune and other online casinos based outside of Australia do need to consider any potential impacts on them from delivering services.
Any online casino operates with an in-built statistical advantage in favor of the house. That's how casino games operate. JoeFortune is no different, and playing the games there will always result in the casino winning overall. But aside from this, there is no known evidence of any games being rigged to give an extra advantage to the casino over that which they inherently enjoy.
We've seen throughout the body of this review many indicators that JoeFortune.lv is a safe and secure place for players, either from the perspective of personal information and for your money. For added conviction, you can take note of the fact that it's got close associations with the well-known Bodog group that also runs Bovada Casino. In other words, this is no shoddy organization that'll run off into the sunset with your cash. They've been a trusted operator in the gambling industry for many years.
Currently, the casino accepts players from Australia only.
The casino accepts Australian Dollars as well as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin, and Ethereum. Cryptocurrencies will be converted into account currency at the current rate.
Go to ‘My Rewards/Active Bonuses’ to see the playthrough progress at the bottom. Hovering over the progress bar will show the remaining wagering requirement.
You can send scanned pictures of the required documents – completed Credit Card Verification Form (download from the Help Centre), copy of a government-issued ID, the front and back of any used credit cards – to the dedicated email address: verification[at]joefortune.com. The documents have to be in either JPEG or PDF format. The verification is usually completed within 24 to 48 hours.
.lv is what's known as a top-level domain. Kind of like a .com. So the lv may make you think of associations with Las Vegas, right? That's not really the case. It's actually the country code domain for Latvia. Some gambling operators choose to use it because it does make you think of that association with Vegas, the gambling capital of the world.
Joefortune is an online casino, so its base as such is clearly the internet. The Bodog group, of which Joefortune is a member, is based in Costa Rica. And the license held is a Curacao license.
In order to provide the best possible experience for its Australian customers, Joe Fortune has elected to refuse sign-ups from elsewhere. Nevertheless, it's possible to partake in similar gaming excitement from one of JF's partners that does serve your geographic region:
Take a look at our reviews of these fine gaming sites, and then follow the instructions to sign up for the one that's appropriate for you:
- Ignition Casino (Casino + Poker room that serves the USA and Australia)
- Bovada (Casino, Sportsbook, and Poker for United States residents)
- Bodog (Casino, Sportsbook, and Poker for Canadians and Latin Americans)
- Slots.lv (Casino for Americans and Canadians only)
- Cafe Casino (Casino for Americans)