Guru Play
Young men stuck in a small town pining for a genuine casino experience need look no further than Guru Play. Aimed squarely at the Loaded generation, this site offers everything a boy could want after the pubs shut no matter where he lives, with live hosted table games, instant play games and multiplayer poker.
Jurisdiction & Eligibility
Guru Play is brought to you by Smart Gaming Group, who offer identical games via their own Smart Live Casino. They are a UK-based company, fully regulated by the Gambling Commission and OFCOM.
Players residing in Hungary, Portugal, Turkey or anywhere within the US are not permitted an account.
Software and Graphics
This is a Flash-based site with optional download, and the instant play games are all provided by the peerless Net Entertainment. Two great plus points, but what really sets Guru apart is its high loading speeds and the mobile gambling it offers via any Android device installed with Adobe Flash or Air.
Visually, it’s a proverbial Friday night out with the boys: Black backgrounds with alluring females abound (although in all fairness the croupiers are not exclusively girls…) Despite this it’s not tacky-looking and doesn’t patronise its target audience irrespective of their age or background.
Games
The instant play games are of superlative quality as we’d expect from Net Entertainment, although over half a dozen of Net’s more recent five reel slot games were missing. The full range of table games is all present and correct however, along with the obligatory Keno and virtual racing. We did, though, feel that the bingo and scratchcard games are unlikely to impress the vibrant young dudes that Guru Play are trying to attract.
Live, hosted blackjack, roulette and baccarat from a London studio run consistently, and as with the instant play games you can play for free before taking the plunge. The croupiers are fully trained , and also regale us with banter during the lengthy gaps whilst bets are being laid – which being off the cuff is sometimes unintentionally amusing and somehow actually adds something to the experience.
What really makes Guru Play stand out, though, is the addition of multiplayer poker: Stud, Texas and Omaha are available in cash and tournament format without having to log on to a dedicated poker site, which is highly unusual yet makes perfect sense – so top marks to Guru Play for this.
Bonuses and Promotions
All manner of bonuses apply to the live casino games, with high wagering requirements: For example a £20 deposit receives a welcome bonus of £20, but a wagering requirement multiple of 40 means you’ll need to bet £1600 before withdrawal. We’d prefer to see a more straightforward scheme with a more realistic chance of withdrawal.
Poker players also get a complex deal with various schemes that use a system of Player Points, which is arguably harder to figure out than calculating pot odds in your head.
The slots offer a straightforward welcome bonus of 100% up to £150 subject to a wagering requirement multiple of 30. There’s also a 10% loyalty bonus for every £10 played on two selected games.
Payment Options
All major credit cards are accepted along with Moneybookers, Eco, ClickPay, Ukash, Paysafe card Neteller and Entropay. Withdrawal takes a maximum of 5 working days.
Customer Support
Email assistance is offered at support@guruplay.com, and there’s 24-hour UK-based support on 0207 747 5201. The FAQs are comprehensive, and offer help with Windows and browser-related problems, which we’d like to see more of on other sites.
Don’t be in any doubt: Guru Play is a boy’s club, but it’s a well-executed one: The software games are the best on the market, the croupiers are real, and there’s proper, big-boys poker. What more could an aspiring James Bond wish for?