The Great Casino Bonus Swindle
By : Jim Haines
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We’ve all seen these tempting offers at just about every online casino we’ve ever visited, right? Free cash. What could be better?
The thing is, though, that for the new online gambler, these casino bonuses are a minefield best left un walked.
In fact, even experienced players are frequently tripped up by the terms and conditions attached to accepting bonuses at online casinos.
In fact, if you read through casino player forums – the main source of complaint about online casinos relates to bonuses.
So, What’s The Problem?
The problem is that all of these bonuses come with ‘wagering requirements’. That is you must wager a certain number of times your combined deposit and bonus before you can cash out any of your winnings.
Combine this with the fact that some games are excluded from these wagering requirements and you have a recipe for confusion, anger and mis-trust.
Wagering Requirements – How It Works
If you are even considering using a bonus at an online casino, check out the wagering requirements for each bonus before you use it.
Often you will have to wager up to 40x your deposit and bonus before you can cash out.
Let’s do some simple maths. Let’s say you deposit £50 and get a £50 bonus. Let’s also say that the wagering requirements are 40x deposit and bonus.
That means you will have to wager a total of £4000 before you can even cash out your winnings! By which time, of course, the casino is hoping that there won’t actually be any winnings.
These wagering requirements only benefit the casino, not the player. They’re just there to keep you playing.
And What About Excluded Games
Even worse, pretty much all online casinos exclude certain games from the wagering requirements. Unsurprisingly, these are usually games where the margin for the online casino is low – such as roulette or blackjack.
Got a Calculator To Hand…You’re Going To Need It !
So, let’s say you have your £50 deposit and £50 bonus and you’re playing slots but are getting bored, so you switch to blackjack and wager a £100 or so there.
Well, because blackjack is excluded from the wagering requirements, the £100 you wagered there doesn’t count towards cashing out. So, even if you win at the blackjack, you still won’t be able to cashout until you have met the requirements of the bonus.
By this time, of course, you’ve completely lost track of how much you’ve wagered at games that count towards the bonus and how much you’ve wagered on those that don’t.
So, Which Games Are Excluded Again?
Sorry, if you’re looking for a comprehensive list of games that are excluded from casino bonus wagering requirements, you won’t find it here. Or anywhere else. Because, well, the excluded games change from casino to casino and from bonus to bonus.
DO YOU REALLY NEED THAT BONUS CASH
Ask yourself honestly – do you really need the bonus cash that online casinos are offering? Because, in my opinion and the opinion of the Gambling Source crew, it’s best to ignore casino bonuses.
Even if you do understand the wagering requirements, know which games you can play and have calculated how much you need to wager, it’s just possible that your interpretation of the rules and that of the online casino differs.
AVOID, AVOID, AVOID
We strongly suggest you avoid online casinos that instantly credit you with a bonus as soon as you deposit.
I believe it should be solely the player’s choice to choose whether or not to use a bonus.
IF NOT CASINO BONUSES, THEN WHAT ?
Casinos that reward players who stay with them via loyalty bonuses, giveaways and VIP clubs are what you should be looking for.
For example, The InterCasino Cashback Club is one of the best points based casino loyalty systems, while Gaming Club, Jackpot City and others have a points and auction based loyalty scheme.
Once you have got sufficient points, you can use these to bid on entertainment systems, holidays, merchandise, free casino spins and other great prizes.
Gaming Club
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