A Guide to Bonus Abuse: Examples & Consequences
Casino bonuses were introduced in a bid to attract more gamers to casinos. However, many gamers have been taking advantage of these bonuses, engaging in acts that are generally against casino rules. This can result in temporary suspension or a permanent ban from the casino network.
The exploitation of casino bonuses has been in existence from times past, literally since casino bonuses were introduced. As a result, casinos would usually experience huge losses. Therefore, online casinos also moved to place some requirements on bonuses. This now ensures that gamers would have to play a certain number of times before they can cash out their winnings.
That being said, let’s define what casino bonus abuse is.
What is Casino Bonus Abuse?
Simply put, Casino bonus abuse is about getting a new user bonus and using this bonus several times rather than once. A new user bonus is meant to be enjoyed just once at an online casino; however, some users enjoy this bonus more than once at the same casino. Casino bonus abuse has a lot of names; it may be called bonus whoring, casino hunting, promo abuse, whatnots, and multi-accounting.
Most times, fraudsters would need to create several new accounts through fake or stolen IDs and prepaid cards. With these, they can easily escape KYC security checks. Advanced fraudsters may even create new IP addresses or virtual mobile networks to achieve their fraudulent activities. However, we can’t just classify all casino bonus abuse as fraud or illegal, yet, it goes against the standard casino rules.
Examples of Casino Bonus Abuse
The following are a few forms of casino bonus abuse that are common in New Zealand casinos.
1. Multiple Accounts
Most of the time, an individual is supposed to enjoy a casino bonus once. However, in a bid to get around this rule, casino bonus abusers may create several accounts with several email addresses to enjoy the casino bonus more than once. This act is illegal; at least, it is against the casino rules, and the casino may resort to taking action against such an act.
2. Bonus Hunting
Some users try to make big wins from highly volatile games while also fulfilling the wagering requirements. This set of users move in search of another casino that offers another bonus as soon as they lose out at the previous casino. This is called bonus hunting, and the user may likely face a ban also if caught.
3. Saving bonuses
Some accumulate bonuses in order to increase their chances of winning. Casinos are against this, and they expect that you use your bonus as soon as you get them.
4. Breaking Through Restrictions
Online Casino bonuses are usually restricted to specific categories of games. But because these games have low chances of winning, some users still find a way to break through these restrictions. This act can also be penalized if caught.
The Consequences of Online Casino Abuse
Consequences are imminent, as long as it is illegal. There are quite some consequences that follow online casino bonus abuse, and unfortunately, not only to the casino but also to users. We will discuss the key casino bonus abuse consequence that affects both the online casino and the users (the abuser and intending new users).
Generally, casino bonus abuse results in a massive loss for online casinos. This may then force online casinos to resort to reducing their bonus offerings, or at worse, stop offering such bonuses. They do this in a bid to discourage casino bonus abuse because, when the rewards are not lucrative, users won’t even bother looting the online casino. However, the casino may not be able to attract as many new users as compared to when the bonus is being offered.
On the other hand, the abusers have also cut off the chance for new intending users to enjoy such a bonus.
To keep existing users and lure new users, online casinos have then offered loyalty bonuses (for players that have played for a certain period), free spins, and other bonuses that can not be withdrawn quickly. Apart from the fact that these bonuses can not be withdrawn quickly, they are also not as lucrative as new user bonuses; hence, they are less prone to casino bonus abuse.
Final Words on Casino Bonus Abuse
Casino bonus abuse comes in various forms; however, the prevalent method is creating multiple accounts to enjoy bonuses. One thing to also bear in mind is that some casinos also take advantage of you, but you can avoid that rather than being a victim. However, it is not advisable to engage in illegal acts whatsoever against casinos as the consequences may not be worth it.
Noah is the senior content editor at CasinoCrawlers and a writer with many iGaming articles under his portfolio. Therefore, he is skilled at writing bonus guidelines, gambling strategies, and casino reviews. During his spare time, he enjoys playing Call of Duty and is a huge rugby fan.
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