Almost every ad for an online casino screams
with an offer of some kind of "free bonus
money". Probably followed by a "click here
now!". While many of them are enticing,
not enough of them are explained properly.
As a player it's too easy at cash-out time
to find that you've accidentally violated
the terms and conditions of the bonus. And
now there are problems.
The easy way around that scenerio is
to read. Read the fine print in the Terms
and Conditions of the promotion before
you make a deposit at the casino.
In the T&C you will find several things.
One is a wagering requirement. No casino
just gives you money you can walk away
with. They all require players to wager
bonus money a certain amount of times
before withdrawing it. The amount of times
varies greatly from casino to casino,
so a little bit of shopping might be in
order before you make a deposit at a casino.
Another thing you'll find is a list
of excluded games. On several casino games
it is possible to make no-risk wagers.
Well placed bets on a roulette table,
for example, allow a player to wager thousands
of dollars on a spin, without ever risking
a dime. Because of situations like this,
casinos began listing games that would
not count towards the wagering requirement.
Now that list has expanded to often include
games like Video Poker and Blackjack as
well. If your favorite game is on the
excluded games list, perhaps it is best
to pass on the bonus, or even that casino.
Also be aware that sometimes the casino
will simply not count play on an "excluded
game" towards your wagering requirement.
Other times play on an excluded game will
VOID your bonus, and that could be a very
unpleasant surprise.
Sometimes casinos have a time requirement
built into the terms. Many casinos only
offer a bonus if players make a deposit
within 72 hours of opening an account.
That means if you open an account Tuesday
afternoon, but do not deposit until Friday
night, you've lost your claim to a bonus.
Withdrawal clauses are also very important.
While most casinos allow you to withdraw
any bonus you've earned, some do not.
These bonuses are known as sticky bonuses,
and always remain in your player account
at the casino. You can use them to wager
with, and you can keep any winnings they
produce, but the bonus itself remains
in your account until it is lost completely.
Here's an example of a sticky bonus
in action. I deposit $100, and it is matched
with a sticky bonus of $100. So I take
$200 to the slots. If I spend $125 in
the slots, now I can no longer cash out.
I can only wager the last $75 hoping to
win. Suppose on my last dollar I hit big
on the slots, and win $10,000. Now I can
cash out $9,900. The bonus is the last
$100 in my account, and it stays there
until I lose it.
Every casino has it's own set of rules
regarding their bonuses. Before you deposit
anywhere, please read over their rules
paying attention to the clauses I've mentioned.
This way you'll have a good idea of what
they are offering exactly, and whether
that offer is really for you.
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