Online casinos offer bonuses as a way to draw new customers and retain existing players. They’re fine with offering an opportunity to win free money as long as they benefit from the deal. Here we will talk about bonus abuse at online casinos.
What casinos don’t want people who sign up at their casino for the only purpose of receiving bonuses? They call players who’ll do anything to profit from their deals “online gambling bonus abusers.”
Bonus abuse casino sites close bonus abusers’ accounts and, potentially, cease their funds. Therefore, you definitely don’t want to fall into this league.
But do you know what is bonus abuse and how do you avoid it? Here are different types of bonus abuse and how you can stay on the right side of real money online casinos.
Different types of Bonus Abuse at Online Casinos
It is a term that doesn’t specifically relate to one action. Here are the different types of bonus abuses:
1. Signing up for multiple accounts
Every online casino limits players to one account. By disapproving people from opening multiple accounts, they keep players from getting the same bonuses again and again.
Casinos request a lot of information to help ensure that gamblers don’t open multiple accounts (a.k.a. multi-accounting). Nevertheless, some players find ways to bypass this precaution and take the benefits of multiple bonuses.
2. Placing large bets just to satisfy playthrough
Casinos require you to meet playthroughs before withdrawing bonus funds. They use this requirement to force you to get a bonus rather than cashing it out immediately.
Here’s an example of how playthrough works.
- You qualify for a $100 deposit bonus.
- Playthrough is 3x.
- 100 × 30 = $3,000
- $3k seems like a lot when you’re making $5 or $10 bets. Although, it becomes much easier to manage when you’re wagering between $100 and $1,000 per round.
Online casinos offer bonuses to attract new players and retain their play. They don’t appreciate you making the largest wagers possible just to quickly cash out bonuses.
3. Playing high paying games combined with low rollover
You can earn the bonus system by choosing slots or table games with high return to player (RTP). You’ll particularly improve your chances of profiting from bonuses by combining high RTP with the low playthrough.
Here’s how your profit potential improves through this combination:
- You qualify for a $100 bonus.
- You choose a slot with 98% RTP.
- Playthrough is 30x.
- 100 x 30 = $3,000 must be wagered
- 3,000 x 0.98 = $2,840 in winnings (or $160 in losses)
Nevertheless, a casino may claim bonus abuse if you select games with the highest RTP and quickly withdraw winnings. It’s not like you’re breaking the law here, but you should still be aware of the situation.
How do online casinos fight bonus abuse?
Rather than get into messy disputes over bonuses, gaming sites like to prevent such situations ahead of time. Below, you can see the main ways that casinos stop casino bonus hunters before it happens.
1. Monitor players’ IP addresses
Technically, a gambler can create more than one account and grab several bonuses without repercussion assuming the casino doesn’t track anything, they could be duped into continually giving the same player bonuses again and again.
But gaming sites prevent this from happening by tracking gamblers’ IP addresses. An IP address refers to the numerical label assigned to every internet-capable device.
By tracking a player, the casinos can automatically know determine if one has already signed up with them. If so, the casino can inform the gambler that they’ve already registered and can stop giving them another welcome bonus.
2. Ban some countries from qualifying for offers
Some countries are notorious for taking benefits of casino bonuses. Most notably, they’ll multi-account so that they can continue trying to win money through no deposit bonuses.
Gaming sites keep a good record of which nations are the worst about abusing bonus terms. They solve this issue by excluding entire countries from qualifying for bonuses.
3. Limit which deposit options qualify for bonuses
One key aspect to abusing a bonus involves cashing out quickly. A fast withdrawal allows a bonus abuser to get their money quickly and move on to the next site.
Therefore, many internet casinos don’t allow Skrill and Neteller depositors to qualify for bonuses. After all, Skrill and Neteller are some of the fastest ways to cash out in the gaming world.
You can typically look forward to receiving your funds within less than 24 hours using these e-wallets. Therefore, many casinos disqualify Neteller and Skrill deposits so they have more time to review suspicious bonus wins.
How can you avoid being a bonus abuser?
It seems like you must toe the line when using bonuses to avoid the abuser classification. However, you can easily get rid of this problem by following the tips below.
1. Take benefit of bonuses at different casinos
Almost every gaming site offers bonuses. Therefore, you won’t experience any trouble finding deals.
You’ll be privy to no deposit, deposit, free spin, and cashback bonuses throughout the industry. Due to this, you don’t have to sign up for multiple accounts at the same casino.
2. Read at length the terms & conditions
You don’t want any surprises when trying to win a casino bonus. Reading through the terms and conditions is a good way to ward of any surprises.
Common terms and conditions behind bonuses include:
- Bonus code: You often need to enter a bonus code to qualify for a bonus.
- Playthrough: Once you’ve activated a bonus, you’ll need to earn it by meeting playthrough.
- Claim the bonus: You must claim a bonus from your account before it’s active.
- Minimum cashout: Casinos require you to meet the minimum withdrawal on bonus funds.
- Game prohibitions: Some games with high RTP are restricted from qualifying for playthrough.
You must satisfy every term within a bonus deal before cashing it out. That said, you should always closely read the T&C’s.
3. Don’t finesse terms & conditions
You can improve your chances of profiting from bonus deals by choosing games with the highest payback. The highest RTP decreases the chances of you losing money while meeting playthrough.
Nothing is inherently wrong with doing your best to win money from bonus offers. However, some casinos take exception when you choose games with the highest RTP and withdraw money ASAP.
You may be able to get away with doing this at some gaming sites. However, you should be aware that others might consider this practice to be bonus abuse.
4. Not every casino is honest regarding bonus abusers
Not every internet casino has your best intentions in mind.
The same gaming sites have a different view of bonus abusers. Rather than accusing you of abuse for legitimate reasons, they’ll just cry foul anytime you earn a large reward.
Therefore, you should be careful about which casinos you sign up and deposit at. Some are much less forgiving when it comes to bonus abuse and you will be in trouble.
How to avoid being taken advantage of by casinos
Online casino reviews are the key to avoid this cheating out of bonus funds. Most reviews discuss casinos’ reputations and histories.
You can also find reputable casinos that involve checking out their terms and conditions. You want to ensure that none of the terms are ambiguous.
Unclear T&Cs increase the chances that a casino will cheat you. After all, they can simply point to an undecipherable term as “evidence” that you didn’t earn a bonus.
Synopsis
Online casinos provide bonuses to entice you to keep playing with them. Most have no problem if you legitimately profit from a bonus. However, gaming sites get annoyed when you or anybody else deliberately tries to gain benefits with bonuses.
You’re not quite wrong for exploiting loopholes to profit. But not all online casino is happy when you use any means necessary to win.
That being said, bonus abuse online gambling can be a murky thing. For the most part, though, gaming sites only cry abuse under legitimate circumstances.
FAQs
1. What is a welcome bonus/sign-up bonus?
Bonuses of this type are provided to new players signing up at a betting site. They’re typically credited when the first deposit is made, and they come in a variety of different formats. Free bets and free-play betting credits are the most common.
2. What other types of bonuses and rewards are there?
Betting sites offer you all kinds of bonuses and rewards. Here are some examples of the types we see most often.
- Cashback on losses
- Enhanced odds
- Reload bonuses
- Risk-free wagers
- Refunds on losing parlays
- Wagering leaderboards
3. Why do casinos offer bonuses and rewards?
As they want more customers. It’s quite simple strategy. They help betting sites attract new customers, as they’re a good incentive to sign up and deposit. They also help sites retain their existing customers too.
4. How do I claim my bonuses and rewards?
It depends on various situations and casinos. Some bonuses and rewards are automatic, so you don’t have to do anything at all. Sometimes you’ll have to enter a code when depositing or send an email to customer support. Often you’ll have to meet specific requirements, and will only be credited once you’ve met them.
Each site handles bonuses and rewards in its own way, and the process for claiming them will also differ and depends on the nature of the offer.
So the best thing to do is read the terms and conditions carefully. These will usually explain what you need to do. If you’re still not sure, just get in touch with customer support. They’ll definitely be able to help.
5. Which sites offer the best bonuses and rewards?
Most betting sites are quite generous when it comes to bonuses and rewards. This is a result of the online betting industry being so competitive. There are so many sites to choose from, that they have to offer us some extra value or we’ll simply visit and bet somewhere else.
With that being said, some sites are known for their generosity.
