Nowadays online casino bonuses have become a tricky deal for players these days because there are so many terms and conditions and the biggest complaint that I usually hear is where the player has broken the terms and conditions, this usually because they played a game not allowed, and then went on to finish the requirements but because they didnt stick to the letter of the law, they lost any chance of being able to cash out.
If youre going to accept bonuses you must learn how to read the terms and conditions, and make sure you have read them all.
Often there will be two T&Cs, one that is the general and the second which will be specific for that deal you are entering into an agreement.
Any time youre not sure, contact support, and when possible, keep a copy of your conversation (just in case). I would also suggest to save time that you provide the support with the urls (the address of the pages) so they can eliminate them from possible pages you may have missed.
Are Casino Bonuses a Good Deal for Players
There is considerable argument over whether casino bonuses are a good deal for players when you take into consideration that even if the play-thru requirements are reasonable that from the perspective the casino counts profit, they increase their profit margin considerably if the player takes the bonus and the conditions that come with it. So if that is the case, then how can the bonuses be good for the player?
First please understand that casinos count their money from the point of view of how much money is wagered in period of time. For instance, if a slot machine is returning 95% then the casino earns 5% of all money wagered. So if you were to bet a dollar then youd get ninety-five cents back although we all know it doesnt work that way, but it does average out that way.
What if the casino could get you to wager that dollar using this equation.
2 (this figure on a 100% match bonus, it could be higher) x (amount of times you must play-thru the bet according to terms and conditions for accepting the bonus: this number will be at least 20 Id estimate) and usually there are certain games that you can play, usually only slots. Just figuring 2 x 20 = 40, the casino by getting the player to accept the bonus which doubles the amount of money the player starts with, is then multiplied to the amount of times the money must be wagered before it is eligible to withdraw, assures the casino will earn a hefty 40 times what the player would have earned them, if the player had come in and only wagered their money over one time.
While it is unlikely a player would wager their money over only one time under any circumstances, I will use this example to show you how the casino is assuring itself it will make a set amount of income off any player who accepts the bonus offer that is an extremely nice number. Forty to one at the least.
Entertainment Value Of Gambling
That understood, there are other tangibles which should fall into consideration such as why you came to the casino in the first place? These days it is hopefully understood (and I think it is) that gambling is an affordable means of entertainment when approached in a correct manner meaning you should never be gambling money you cannot easily afford to lose because that is just likely what will happen.
You might win too. Something no other means of entertainment can offer, short of perhaps going on a game show and winning prizes. The player can actually go and be entertained for a reasonable amount of time and in some cases actually walk away from gambling while ahead, or very far ahead, and of course have received all that time of entertainment for free. What a great deal!
So if youre gambling in a healthy manner then you are going to want to have some time in the casino playing their games which means that just like if you had chosen to race miniature cars or go to a movie, that the time you spend in the casino is expected to cost something but it doesnt have to be expensive as long as the player gambles within their means.
Most the casinos accepting USA players have slot machine games which can be played for as little as 5 or 10 cent credit values. That allows for a lot of time spent gambling if you stay at the lower stakes.
What’s Best For You
In the end my advice would be that if youre going into the casino to get some play time, then go ahead and take the bonus with the understanding that you must gamble a set number of times. Or if that is not a comfortable situation then pass on the bonus.
If youre all about hitting the casino for some quick cash then I would say your best bet is one of exposing yourself to the house edge, as little as possible, which of course means not playing a long time. Actually in this case your best approach would be to put all your money on baccarat (pick a side, either way its about a 50/50 shot, the odds slightly favoring the banker) or one of the other small house edge table games such as blackjack (probably a little less than a 50/50 chance with BJ) or roulette (red or black, get the single 0 game).