Yup, I finally gave it a try.

Happy Friday, everyone! As I promised in my social casinos vs sweepstakes casinos post, I downloaded Zynga’s Black Diamond Casino app to check it out and give it a whirl for myself.

Before I get into what I thought about my experience with this social casino, I’ll provide a brief Black Diamond Casino review. Basically, I’ll tell you a bit about what it is, how it works, and what you can expect if you should decide to play there.

Black Diamond Casino Review

What is Zynga’s Black Diamond Casino?

Black Diamond Casino is a social casino and social gaming app. This means that you do not play with real money and you do not win real money. The experience is designed to simulate gambling, without any actual gambling occurring.

The app uses software created by Zynga*. Zynga – in case you’re unaware – is an American-based developer that is widely known for its social video game services. The company primarily focuses on games for mobile and social networking platforms, like Facebook. Some of its most popular games include Zynga Poker and the FarmVille series.

Zynga states that Black Diamond Casino is one of its “most elegant social casinos yet”. Though it calls itself a casino, it was designed exclusively for slots players. Slots are the only types of free casino games Black Diamond features.

Black Diamond Casino Games

There are 60+ Black Diamond Casino slots. They include classic 3-reel slots, modern-day video slots, branded slots, and progressive jackpots. There are many themes covered including everything from ancient Egypt to animals, fishing, and fantasy. Examples of some of the slot titles you’ll find include:

• Double Dice
• Relics of Egypt
• Smoothie 7s
• Champagne Affair Jackpot
• Panda Payday
• Elvira’s Movie Macabre
• Fisherman Frenzy
• Queen of Ice

That said, you don’t have access to all the games right off the bat. There are a couple of slots you can play to start, but the rest you need to unlock. To unlock games, you simply need to play.  There is a bar displayed at the bottom of your screen, which shows you what level you are on. For every spin you make, the bar fills up a little more. Once it’s full, you’ll get to the next level.  After unlocking a certain number of levels, you unlock another game to play.

Games can be played from one of three casino lobbies:

• Main (the starting lobby)
• High Roller
• VIP

Each lobby has similar games (and you will need to unlock them). Essentially, the main difference between them is that the High Roller and VIP lobbies are dedicated to more exclusive games with larger bet sizes, and offer players extra perks. For instance, in the High Roller lobby, you can spin to collect High Roller Chips. For every 10 of these chips you collect, you get a spin on the Prize Wheel.

Black Diamond Casino Coins & Promos

To play slots at Black Diamond Casino, you need coins. These are the casino’s virtual currency. When you first sign up, you get a bunch of coins to start. In all honestly, I can’t remember how many I was given, but it was a lot, and I also collected a bonus at the same time too. All in all, I think I started off with 2,331,700,000 coins (that might sound like a lot, but as you’ll see later when I talk about my personal experiences, it’s really not).

How do you get coins?

Aside from what you get when you first, sign up, there are different ways to get coins.

• Promotions – Free coins are given daily, and you can collect bonus chips every 2 hours. Beyond that, there are other promotions that may be offered to you depending on your VIP level, if you’ve got high roller chips, etc.
  
• Play games – The more you play, the more bonus chips you can get. You can also get gems by playing. These gems allow you to get “Magic Spins”, giving you the chance to collect even more coins.

• Land a slot win – Land a winning combo and you’ll get coins, just like when playing a traditional online slot (minus the real money wins, of course). Games that offer the highest payouts are progressive jackpot games.

• Watch an ad – Sometimes you’ll have the option to watch in-app ads and will be rewarded a certain number of coins for watching them through.

• Buy coins – You always have the option to purchase coin packages. Usually, they’re discounted. Also, when you purchase coins, you’ll get Loyalty Level (“LL”) points, which count toward your VIP status (see screenshot below). Available payment options include Facebook, the App Store, Google Pay, etc.

Black Diamond Casino VIP Centre

This is the Black Diamond Casino loyalty program. You’re already a part of it as soon as you sign up. Like many online casino VIP clubs, it’s a multi-level program. You climb levels by playing. The higher you climb, the more perks you earn and enjoy.

There are 11 levels: Sapphire, Emerald, Gold, Platinum, Ruby, Diamond, Black Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Blue Diamond, Pink Diamond, Violent Opal.

When you first start playing, you’ll be in the Sapphire tier. To reach the next level – Emerald – you’ll need 2,000 points. You get points by playing games and from buying coins. To reach the top Violet Opal VIP level, you’ll need 70,000,000 points. Every level opens up new benefits (e.g., access to more games in the VIP lobby, bonus games, daily/hourly bonuses, extra coins with a coins purchase, etc.) The highest tiers (Ruby – Violet Opal) also come with Regular Mystery Gifts.

Black Diamond Casino Support & Security

Customer support

You can find basic answers to common questions (e.g., how to play, account settings, etc.) in the app’s “Help Center”. If that doesn’t cut it, you can send an email to customer support. If you’re one of the top tier VIP’s (as mentioned above), you can get in touch with someone immediately for help.

Security

Black Diamond Casino is a secure app.  Any data you provide is transferred over a secure connection and you can request that your data be deleted. To learn more about the Black Diamond Casino privacy policy and the data safety they employ, you can read about it in the app’s “Menu” section.

Additionally, Black Diamond social casino provides players with “Self Suspension” options, including:

• Monitor and set time limits for your gameplay
• Restrict and set limits on your purchases
• Disable notifications
• Suspend all gameplay on your account
• Suspend all payments on your account

Black Diamond Casino is a Mobile Experience

Black Diamond Casino was created for mobile. You can download the Black Diamond Casino app for free from the App Store or Google Play.

I got it from the App Store (since I recently bought an iPhone). I had no trouble getting the app or using it, and found it ran perfectly on my phone (which runs iOS 17.3.1.).

Some people also say that you can play it via your laptop or desktop computer through facebook…but I haven’t been able to do that. For me, it’s just been a mobile-only experience. 🤷‍♀️

In regard to Facebook and Black Diamond Casino, as far as I can tell, you can:

• Follow the Black Diamond Casino page on Facebook.
• Share your overall progress and winnings via the social media platform.
• Invite/refer friends to use the app, which can get you perks from the casino.
• Make payments (buy coins, etc.) via your Facebook account.

Full disclosure, I didn’t do any of those Facebook things, and I don’t plan on doing any of them either. Personally, I don’t buy anything through Facebook, and I’m not interested in sharing my progress or inviting others to play the app.

What other mobile players think of it

Based on the reviews I saw (when I played) from other players and the popularity of the Black Diamond Casino app (App Store – 4.6 rating from 31,961 reviews / Google Play – 4.5 rating from 108,733 review) it seems to be well liked by social casino players – especially slots fans.

My Thoughts on My Black Diamond Casino Experience

As I’d assumed, playing at Black Diamond Casino isn’t my idea of a good time. It’s not because it sucks, it’s because social casinos don’t interest me. I only played once, but I did give it a fair shot and played with an open mind. Surprisingly, the experience left a bad taste in my mouth for reasons I wasn’t expecting. Here’s why.

Remember when I said that when I first signed up, I had 2,331,700,000 coins? While that sounds like a lot, turns out you can fly through those virtual coins quickly, even when playing the lowest numbers of coins per game.

During my first (and only) experience at Black Diamond Casino, I played three games:

Relics of Egypt (Played in Main Lobby)

This was the first game I took for a spin. I’ll admit, when it loaded, I was impressed with how interactive it was. The sounds and graphics are really good, and it’s just like playing a real money slot. It has an ancient Egypt treasure hunter theme, with 40 paylines, and features like value collect, free spins, and a sphinx riddle picking bonus game.

I decided I’d “bet” the lowest amount to make my coins last as long as possible. The lowest bet for this game (when I played) is 100,000,000 coins, while the max is 400,000,000,000. See what I mean by how it’s easy to burn through coins quickly?

Smoothie 7s (Played in Main Lobby)

After playing Relics of Egypt for a few spins, I leveled up and unlocked a new game, Smoothie 7’s, so I decided to give it a spin.

This one is more like a classic slot. It’s got 3 reels, 5 paylines, and 7s, fruits, and bar symbols, as well as an upbeat soundtrack. The main feature is free spins.

I also bet the lowest amount on this game (50,000,000) with the highest being 180,000,000).

Champagne Affair Jackpot (Played in High Roller Lobby)

After playing the two games in the main lobby, I decided to check out the other two lobbies to see what they looked like and if there were any games I could play. Although I could access the VIP Lobby, I couldn’t play any of the games because I didn’t have any Emeralds. So, I headed to the high roller lobby and discovered there was one game I could play – Champagne Affair Jackpots.

This is a jackpot slot with a US-inspired roaring 20’s theme, including flapper dancer symbols and a jazzy soundtrack. Its main features are 5 jackpots and re-triggering free spins. Being in the high roller lobby, this game’s bet range is much higher: 1,350,000,000 for the lowest bet and 21,600,000,000 for the highest.

My entire Black Diamond Casino playing experience lasted 10 minutes. This included me perusing what they had to offer and playing those three games. Of those 10 minutes, it took less than 5 for me to lose all the coins, and I was not making maximum bets. The games were cute and well made, but there was zero thrill factor for me, especially considering how quickly I ran out of coins.

I don’t like microtransactions.

The major turn off for me with this app (and social casinos, in general) is the microtransactions. As soon as I was out of coins, an ad to buy more immediately popped up on my screen (I could spend as little as $1.99 or as much as $99.99!). I didn’t buy more coins. Instead, this ad zapped any potential good feelings I might have developed for social casinos.

Honestly, while I didn’t deposit and gamble real money at this casino, the number of “buy coins” ads that were thrown in my face within 10 minutes was a little much. Not only can you “Buy” coins any time directly within the game you’re playing, but once you run out of coins to play, you’re invited to buy back the coins you lost!

To me, the fact that you can buy coins (and are encouraged to buy coins) in so many ways (and so easily) in a gaming app designed to simulate gambling, is pushing the line a little bit. For instance:

Online gambling – Deposit (spend money) and risk money on games you play for the chance to win money or a prize you can withdraw.

VS.

Social Casinos – Buy coins (spend money) and play coins on games for a chance to win more coins to play with and to unlock perks.

Obviously, the major difference is you don’t have to spend to play at social casinos while you do with real money gambling. However, without buying coins, you run out of them quickly and it will take you a long time to accumulate perks, unlock games, and advance VIP Levels. This may be fine for some players, but others will lack the patience required to take the free route (and I believe the app developers are counting on this to make money).

And sure, even if you buy coins, you can get a lot of them for supercheap, like $1.99; a price far less than the (typical) minimum $10 you need to deposit in order to play at an online casino. Maybe so, but how often are you spending $1.99 to get coins? And are you ever buying the bigger packages for $99.99?

Please know, I’m not arguing that a person should choose online casinos over social casinos or that social casinos are the same as real money gambling. They are different. I simply feel that – just like gambling – those who choose a social casino for entertainment should play responsibly. Microtransactions could be a serious problem for people who like to/want to win. Setting playing limits and creating a budget if you choose to buy coins might be a good idea.

Would I play at Black Diamond Casino again?

No. As I’ve stated, social casinos really aren’t my thing. There isn’t any thrill for me in playing casino games – particularly slots – without the chance to win real money. For me, the experience feels pointless. I’d rather play free game apps that have nothing to do with casino games…or at the very least, a card game where at least there is some strategy/challenge involved.

On a positive note, I am surprised at how interactive the social casino slots games are. I’m also impressed with the sound effects, music, and graphics. I find that they perfectly emulate a traditional online slots experience. Heck, visually, I think some of them even give some real money slots a run for their money.

Still, the lack of real-money thrill factor for me and the good game visuals aside, I don’t like how regularly I was encouraged to buy more coins for the short time I played at Black Diamond Casino. I can see how the frequent ads to buy coins could be problematic for someone who wants to keep playing and/or feels the need to win. As such, I think social casinos are a bad idea for anyone who is concerned about their gambling behaviours or who struggles with gambling addiction. They simulate a gambling experience far too well (including high roller and VIP perks) and make it far too easy and attractive to spend regularly.

Bottom line, I’m glad I tried Black Diamond Casino and got to see first-hand what this type of social casino experience is like. That said, it is likely my first and last experience…I’ve already deleted this app off my phone. 🤣

Next, I’ll be checking out the sweepstakes casino, Chumba Casino, and will let you know my thoughts on that experience in comparison to this one. So, stay tuned for that in coming weeks.

Are you a fan?

What about you? Have you played at Zynga’s Black Diamond Casino or another social casino? Do you like it, or do you share my opinion?

Until next time, good luck and have fun.

Mia 👩‍💻

*I am not affiliated with Zynga.

**All links and images in this post are for informational purposes only.