Original Release: Seminole Hard Rock Digital, 2018, iOS / Android / Web Browser
The Hard Rock casino chain lets you earn free rooms and free play and such with its social casino, but with some significant restrictions
Hard Rock Jackpot Casino (Web Browser, Seminole Hard Rock, 2018)
Where to Buy: Free-to-play here
How to Emulate: Android Emulation Guide
Review by: C. M0use
Apparently made by the same developer that did the Foxwoods social casino (which we’ve looked at previously), the experience with Hard Rock Jackpot is extremely similar: you can log in through a web browser or download an iOS/Android app, you start out with a selection of just three slots (and about a dozen table games) and have to level up to unlock more, it even has very similar jazz music loops in between games. I did like the classy ambience those lent to the Foxwoods game, with most social casinos being spartan affairs, but you’d think Hard Rock would want to go for a more rock/pop oriented brand … oh well.
The experience is so similar that honestly you might as well just read our Foxwoods review, it’s fundamentally the same experience. The one big difference is the prizes on offer. You would initially think there was some promise here, as Hard Rock has casino locations scattered all about the United States: California (LA and Sacramento), Biloxi, Tampa, Cincinnati, Atlantic City, and soon to be Vegas once again (slated to replace the current Mirage on the Strip by 2025 at the latest, pending deal finalization in late 2022).
Here’s the problem, though: you gotta link a Hard Rock players card (obtained by visiting one of these properties) to the game to unlock the property rewards like free play and free rooms … you also seem to be locked to your “home” casino and can’t cash in rewards at others in other localities! I may be missing something here, but it seems you’re stuck with just one choice (and I’m not sure if it has to be the one you signed up at). Hard Rock has non-casino hotel properties in even more locations, but those also seem to be off the table … if you want hotel rooms keep in mind the one in Cincinnati doesn’t have a hotel and the one in Vegas may not be up and running for two years or so.
Until and unless you link up a player’s card, you have a real gimped assortment of prizes … Moar Coins for gambling, temporary passes to access the “High Roller” game collection, and your choice of either a vintage Hard Rock T-shirt or some lava-themed drumsticks. And as with the Foxwoods social casino, loyalty points come not from wagers but instead are doled out at fixed intervals from level-ups … as to how many I could not tell you, because I got to level 5 testing the place out and still had not been given nary a one! Of course, the other (encouraged) means to get loyalty points is to pay real money to buy more virtual coins to spin with.
One other limitation to note (not present at other social casinos) is that your loyalty points expire six months from being earned if they aren’t cashed in. And looking at the app store page, I see they have periodic contests and giveaways (currently one offering a two-day trip to one of their properties) but I saw nothing of this mentioned in-game anywhere.
I’d be interested in taking a second look at this if they ever loosen up the rules about how you can cash in reward points at real world casinos, and maybe improve in-game documentation and communication … at this point I’m scared to link a card because the whole system is kind of opaque and I don’t know if I’ll be locked to a property that isn’t really useful to me!
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