Land-Based vs. Online Casino Loyalty Programs Compared
Walk into any casino, and if you aren’t already brandishing a
rewards card, you’ll be urged to sign up for whatever player’s
club program they have on offer. Logging into an online casino comes
with the same consideration. You’ll either be signed up for the
rewards plan automatically, or strongly encouraged to join.
These programs are designed with several purposes in mind, benefiting
both the players and the casinos. Players receive various types of
rewards base don their game play, and casinos are able to collect all
sorts of marketing data to better their game selection. They are also
able to design targeted promotions for individual members based on
their past gaming history. Realistically, it’s a win-win for
everyone.
Land-based casinos tend to deliver very similar rewards packages as
their fellow land-based rivals. Likewise, online casinos mimic their
internet competitors in most ways. However, there are significant
differences between the way walk-in and log-in casinos reward their
loyal players.
Land-Based vs. Online Casino Loyalty Programs
To answer the most obvious question – Which is more
rewarding? – I’ll start by saying the land-based variety
are a lot more versatile. You may be offered anything from free
credits, to free food, to free hotel rooms. Online casinos are more
conservative, delivering bonus credits more than anything else. Then
again, the amount of bonus credits from online casinos greatly
outweighs the number of free credits any land-based establishment
would be willing to offer.
So which is best? It honestly depends on what you want out of your
experience. Check out the comp comparisons below and decide for
yourself which would benefit you the most.
Free Bonus Credits
This is where online casinos shine. They have consistent bonus
promotions to take advantage of. Whether you’re high-rolling VIP or
not, you’ll get regular deposit bonus offers. On top of that,
you’ll earn comp points for every dollar you wager. Those comps
convert back to cash at a rate of $1 per 1,000 points. Higher VIP
levels usually get an accelerated points rate of up to +25%.
Land-based casinos will offer small bonuses every once in a while,
but unless you’re an upper echelon VIP member, don’t expect too
much. Land-based casinos prefer to deliver their comps in the form of
goods and services, as opposed to free bets or cash.
Comped Goods & Services
At a land-based casino, comps are most often provided as free goods
and services, such as free beverages and meal vouchers, or tickets to
a live show. If you’re spending enough money, the casino might put
you up in their hotel. Their biggest spenders may be offered
everything from limo rides to shuttle service via the casino’s
private jet.
It’s rare for an online casino to supply physical goods or
services. They do not host restaurants, hotel chains or concerts.
However, some have been known to promote real-life experiences, such
as Caribbean cruises, Vegas getaways, etc. Some have been known to
allow players to trade comps for physical merchandise, like
electronics or apparel. Again, these are rare perks, but it has been
done before.
Ask and Ye Shall Receive
Walk-in casino guests have more leverage here. You can approach the
concierge desk and request pretty much anything. The more you play –
and more importantly, the higher your wagers – the more likely you
are to receive exceptional requests. But in general, casino hosts are
paid to keep guests happy. Asking for a free meal might only get you
a free drink, but that’s still a free drink. Or, you may get that
meal. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.
Online casino loyalty programs offer their highest level VIPs a
dedicated account manager. You can ask this person for anything you
want, just like in a land-based casino. Again, your request may or
may not be fulfilled, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. You won’t
likely be given anything substantial, like plane tickets or hotel
stays. More realistic requests would be a refined bonus offer or
faster withdrawal times.
Ontario is raising the stakes w/ a PlayOLG welcome bonus package
worth up to $300 in free casino credits.
I remember it
wasn’t all that long ago that I was reporting on the lack of
promotional offerings at any of Canada’s provincially regulated
online casinos. The laws were defined in such a way that incentives
were unlawful, making it impossible for these operator’s to compete
with their internationally-regulated rivals overseas. That is clearly
no longer the case.
Provincial
governments soon discovered that, without a promotional package,
their own citizens had no interest in partaking in the meager
offerings of home-grown iGaming sites like Ontario’s PlayOLG.
It wasn’t until amendments to the law gave these online casinos the
option to promote welcome bonuses and other incentives that players
began taking notice. Now, the promotions are so attractive, they
easily rival those of offshore operations.
PlayOLG Welcome Bonus Package Worth $300
PlayOLG, the
iGaming platform of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp (OLG),
has a lofty newcomer bonus on its menu. First-time depositors are
invited to take advantage of three consecutive deposit bonuses, each
delivering a 100% match of up to $100.
Each offer may be
redeemed by entering the corresponding bonus code:
First
Deposit earns 100% up to $100 bonus match with promo code: first
Second
Deposit earns 100% up to $100 bonus match with promo code:
second
Third Deposit earns 100% up to $100 bonus match with promo
code: third
Promotional Terms To Be Considered
As always there are certain conditions attached to the redemption of
a bonus, and the fulfillment of wagering requirements before any
winnings can be cashed out. In this case, PlayOLG has attached the
following terms:
Minimum qualifying deposit to receive a bonus is $15.
Minimum deposit to receive the full $100 bonus is $100.
Only residents of Ontario who are 19 or older are eligible to redeem
a welcome bonus at PlayOLG.
The player’s cash deposit will be credited to their “cash
balance” account.
The player’s bonus will be credited to their “bonus balance”
account.
The combined total of the “cash” and “bonus” balances shall
be displayed as the “total balance” while playing eligible games
(see Eligible Games and Wagering Requirements below).
The welcome package promotion detailed above expires on January 31,
2020.
Eligible Games and Wagering Requirements
PlayOLG’s new player bonuses come with some of the most generous
wagering requirements (WR) the industry has ever seen. Players are
only required to complete WR of 10x the bonus amount. If the full
$100 bonus is claimed, 10x WR would require play through of $1,000 in
bets.
That’s far more attractive than the average 40x play through of a
deposit and bonus combined. However, there is a 30 day
expiration period. WR must be completed within the 30 days or the
entire bonus will be forfeit. The same forfeiture applies if the
player attempts to request a cashout before completing WR.
Long story short, these are the easiest wagering requirements you’ll
come across – don’t mess it up!
Eligible games, and their percentage-based contribution towards WR,
are as follows:
PlayOLG Games
WR %
Slot Machines
100%
Instant Win Games (Casino)
100%
Fast Poker
50%
Blackjack Games
10%
Texas Hold’em Games
10%
Let It Ride
10%
Sic Bo
10%
Three Card Poker
10%
War
10%
Baccarat Games*
0%
Roulette Games*
0%
Video Poker Games*
0%
Lottery Games*
0%
*Only funds available in the player’s “cash balance” will
appear as their “total balance” when playing any game that counts
0% towards WR contribution.
For the complete PlayOLG welcome bonus rules, please visit the
website directly.
Upgrade to free mobile casino games app tells real-money casinos all about the behaviors of social gamers.
If you haven’t
heard of PLAYSTUDIOS, odds are you’ve heard of some of their
mobile gaming apps. PLAYSTUDIOS is the proud creator of social casino
games like myVEGAS Slots, myVEGAS Blackjack,
myKONAMI Slots, and POP! Slots. These
Android and iOS apps took the free-play gaming world by storm a few
years back, and continue to attract more and more players with each
passing day. The company boasts over 90 million downloads, with 5
million active daily players.
These are free to play casino games, mind you. The slot machines, the table games, and everything in between, cost nothing to play. Users can collect free chips every day, if not every hour, and are never obligated to purchase anything. It is an option, of course, but not required. What sets PLAYSTUDIOS’ free slots apps apart from the hundreds of other mobile gaming labs that create them is the unique rewards system.
Building the Most Popular Free Mobile Casino App
Prior to launch, PLAYSTUDIOS pitched a wild idea to major casino corporations like MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment; the respective owners of major gambling destinations like The Bellagio, Luxor, MGM Grand, Bally’s, Harrah’s, The Rio, and so many more. The company partnered with these brand, giving them the opportunity to attract players by offering real-life rewards to their players.
It was an instant
success. When the first free casino app, myVEGAS, launched in 2013,
it skyrocketed onto the 100k+ downloads list, soon hitting the 1+
million mark. Players loved the idea of earning free rewards points,
known as V-coins, that could be redeemed for real rewards,
such as hotel stays, meals, show tickets and other perks from Las
Vegas resorts. However, according to the latest news reports, the
company may be collecting a bit too much information about their
players.
Upgrade to Free Vegas Apps Divulges “Real-Time Behaviors”
According to a press release from PLAYSTUDIOS, the latest upgrade to their free mobile gaming suite is loaded with perks – not necessarily for their players, but for their casino corporation partners. The missive reads:
“The award-winning game developer’s newly-redesigned playAWARDS platform introduces a groundbreaking suite of B2B tools that connect partners and players while providing unprecedented insight into today’s mobile and social casino gamers.
“playAWARDS offers partners improved data security, workflow, and monitoring of their rewards portfolios, with advanced performance metrics that capture the real-time behaviors of PLAYSTUDIOS’ global gaming audience.”
PLAYSTUDIOS goes
on to boast its partnership with “more than 70 iconic brands”,
including Canada’s largest gaming group, Gateway Casinos &
Entertainment. For these companies, the new playAWARDS platform is
said to be an “essential tool” for reaching “mass audiences of
potential customers worldwide.”
What the company
neglects to state is exactly what “real-time behaviors” their app
intends to monitor and share with all those casino corporations. That
could be a huge issue for players, who are already disappointed in
the upgraded rewards system. They already seem to be losing interest
as it is.
Players Say Awards Have “Gone Downhill”
The most recent
reviews on Google Play aren’t good. In the last week, numerous
long-time users say their opinion of the games has diminished
greatly. Just this week, a reviewer of the POP! Slots app said she’s
played the game for more than a year, but that “echoing other
reviews, it has gone downhill”. She was particularly disappointed
by the new rewards system, complaining that it now offers just 10
points per V-coin balloon pop.
I haven’t played
this game in a few months, but it’s still on my mobile phone, so I
launched it and decided to see for myself. I do remember that the
V-coins were previously doled out in higher increments, and that –
like others have complained about – the wins come so infrequently
that you run out of chips long before another bonus is paid (i.e. if
you don’t pay for chips, you cant play much). What I found was even
more disappointing…
It used to be that
the balloons popped in cycles – or it least they seemed to. You’d
get free casino chips, XP, and V-coins, on a rotating cycle. If you
missed a balloon, you missed what was in it. Sadly, after playing for
more than half an hour, popping every balloon that came up, I was
never once given V-coins. Almost all of them were XP, with a few
casino chip bonuses in the mix.
If there’s one
thing I can say, it’s that PLAYSTUDIOS founder, chairman and chief,
Andrew Pascal, wasn’t lying when he said, “We’ve taken a very
different, approach to promoting all that our partners have to
offer.”
Five fast ways to ruin your chance of winning video poker.
Did you know that video poker is one of the very rare gems at a casino that can afford a house edge of less than 0.5%? That’s a theoretical return to player (RPT) of 99.5% or better! Find the right rules and pay table, and that could rise to 99.92%. Even a perfect blackjack strategy can’t harvest that kind of RTP – not without a precision card counting team.
That 99.92% RTP is about the best you’ll find online (Microgaming’s
All Aces VP), but a few land-based casinos do still offer
machines that pay over 100%. The highest I’ve seen is 100.76%.
They are insanely rare, but they’re out there.
5 Ways to Ruin Your Chances of Winning Video
Poker
As generous as some of these games can be, it’s very much possible to
win at video poker. Even online, all you’ll need is a smidgen of luck
to beat those odds. That is, if you don’t make these common
mistakes… The following is a list of 5 easy ways to ensure you
will not win playing video poker.
#1 Overlook Pay Table Value
The pay table in a video poker machine is the most important piece of
information for players. It holds two key things to look for.
First are the payouts for a Full House and Flush. A Full House should
pay 9, and a Flush 6/ This is called a 9/6 Full Pay.
Second is the progressive value of a Royal Flush per coin wagered.
Betting 5 coins should offer a payout higher than the 5x multiple of
a 1 coin payout. (Hint: Bet
all 5 coins!)
The image above shows a 5-coin wager is worth 4,000 coins, as opposed
to an even multiple of 1,250. If the payout is 1,250 for a Royal
Flush, or the Full House/Flush pays are anything less than 9/6, do
not play the game… unless it’s got wild cards (see below).
#2 Only Play Jacks or Better
Despite popular belief, Jacks or Better isn’t the only good video
poker game on the casino floor. In fact, with the right pay table,
Deuces Wild, Joker Wild, Aces & Eights and
Double Bonus machines can all pay over 100% RTP. And, as I
mentioned earlier, the best online video poker game is All Aces
by Microgaming.
#3 Ignore Video Poker Strategy
There are three basic ways to play video poker.
1) You can randomly click cards to hold. 2) You can rely on your
gut instinct to decide what card to hold. 3) You can employ a
video poker strategy that determines exactly what cards to hold for
the highest possible odds of winning.
If you want to win, the third option is the only way to go. There are
some really good hand calculator apps out there for VP strategy, too.
Find one that offers the same rules/pay table as your machine, input
each hand as it’s drawn, and the app will tell you exactly how to
proceed. It really is that easy.
#4 Not Knowing Where to Play
Visit a casino often enough, and you’ll realize the layout rarely
changes. Be extremely observant, and you’ll notice that, despite the
unchanging layout, the machines themselves tend to move. The most
popular games move the most, which means that video poker machine you
found last month that paid so well, probably won’t be in the same
spot next time you go.
Thankfully, there’s this amazing website called www.vpFREE2.com.
This website provides a searchable list of casinos all over North
America. It lists the video poker machines they offer, including
their RTP and exact location in the casino! It’s updated daily by
actual players who visit these casinos and play the games. Pretty
amazing, right? You’re welcome 🙂
#5 Don’t Use a Player’s Club Card
To get the maximum value out of any casino experience, you have to
join the rewards club. At online casinos, it’s usually automatic.
Land-based casinos, however, require a bit of work on your part.
You’ll have to visit the Player’s Club desk and give them your basic
info to receive a card. Swipe this card in every machine you play
before inserting money, and the casino will track your play. Doing so
will earn you casino comps – everything from a free meal to a
weekend stay in the penthouse suite!
How to understand online casino bonus rules & requisites.
I’ve visited this topic before, but it’s been a few years. Times have changed a lot since then, and immensely since the birth of the online gambling industry. Most of those changes have been for the better, but not all.
The most positive change has been a legal shift in which transparency
of online casino bonus terms I now mandated by reputable regulators.
Ambiguous, misleading or otherwise convoluted rules are no longer
permissible, and could get an operator in hot water with licensing
authorities.
Conversely, some of the more alluring casino bonuses of yesteryear
are just that – a thing of the past. Gone are the free play time
bonuses that gave players a huge chunk of chips and an hour to spend
them, keeping the profits if the right conditions were met. You can
hardly even find a small no-deposit bonus anymore, thanks to rules
surrounding pre-authorization through ID verification.
Nevertheless, the bonuses that are available are certainly worth
taking advantage of. The key is to understand what you’re getting
into, and to know what to look for when reading the fine print.
Bonus terms can be very long-winded, even in today’s age of
obligatory transparency. Somewhere within all that confusing text are
four key elements to look for. They include:
Wagering Requirements (WR, aka Play
Through)
Eligible
Games
Qualifications
Expiration
Wagering Requirement / Play Through
Every bonus comes with wagering requirements (WR), which relate to the amount of play through you must conduct before you get to keep any of that money for yourself. It only makes sense that WR would be required. Without it, any new player could claim a bonus, withdraw it as cash and walk away. Online casinos will go to great lengths to compete for players, but they are not in the business of throwing away money.
To find the wagering requirements in the terms, search within the
text (Find in Page) for the terms “wager”, “require” or ,
“WR”. One of these, if not all, will hit the right section of the
fine print, wherein you’ll discover a number associated with WR. It’s
probably going to be listed as 30x, 35x,
40x, etc. This number denotes the number of times
you’ll have to play through the bonus., or the deposit
+ bonus combined.
So you’re looking for two elements; the WR number and its multiple of
the bonus, or deposit + bonus.
Deposit of $100 grants a bonus of $100. Therefore deposit + bonus = $200. At 35x WR, the total play through is 35*200 = $7,000 in wagers.
Eligible Games
Some online casino bonus terms will limit game eligibility, such as
“Slots Only” bonuses. These are very common. Some will
even limit you to one or a few slot machines the operator is trying
to promote. Others will cater to game play on all sorts of gambling.
When all (or most) games are eligible, not all will count 100%
towards WR. Those that do count 100% are slot machines, and sometimes
specialty games like keno, bingo, and scratch cards. Table games like
blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat usually generate a smaller
percentage, ranging anywhere from 10-50%. Games with the absolute
lowest house edge, such as favorable blackjack rules (classic
blackjack, single deck blackjack, etc) and video poker, may not
contribute to WR at all. If they do, it will only be 1-10% at most.
Search
for the terms “games”, “eligible” or “eligibility” within
the online casino bonus fine print to discover what games you can
play, and what contribution rate they accumulate towards WR.
Also note that offsetting wagers will not be permitted! You can’t
wager on Red and Black in Roulette to clear a bonus. If you do, and
the casino catches you (and they will because it’s all electronic),
at best you’ll forfeit the bonus and winnings you may have derived
from it. At worst, your account may be closed and your deposit
returned – or not. This is why reading the fine print matters!
Qualification
This section is pretty simple. The terms will identify who will and
won’t qualify for a casino bonus. Many bonuses are designated for
“new players only” making a “first deposit”. If you’re not
new and/or have already deposited, you can’t claim that bonus.
Others may restrict players from certain countries where such bonuses
are illegal. Look for the terms “qualify” or “eligible” to
find any such stipulations.
Expiration
This is pretty self-explanatory. Browse through the rules to see if
there are any time restrictions on the bonus. Look for the terms
“expire”, “expiration” or “days” (i.e. you have 90
days to complete WR) within the text.
Exploit your swag to fleece extra casino comps in Las Vegas.
Earning casino comps doesn’t have to be a long, tedious or costly process. Sometimes, playing the part of a high-roller is all it takes to generate VIP treatment. You won’t have to rob a bank to pull it off either.
Flashing just enough cash can do the trick, but only if you bring the
entire package. A full high-roller ensemble includes fancy attire and
a trendy hair do to match. Keep reading to learn how a sharp dressed
man, or woman, can have the casinos eating out of the palm of their
hand!
Fleece Your Swag to Earn Extra Casino Comps
There’s an age-old adage that says, “The clothes make the man”.
If you want to get a good job, you don’t walk into an interview in
jeans and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt. If you want to impress a girl on
your first date, you don’t wear socks with sandals. And if you want
to attract the attention of the VIP managers in Las Vegas, you never,
ever show up in a polo.
If you’ve ever caught a glimpse of the usual Las Vegas tourist scene,
it’s surprising how many people think quarter-button down shirts and
khakis are “cool”. Maybe if you’re heading to the miniature golf
course, but the Bellagio? Not even close.
The better dressed you are, the more heads you’re going to turn. You
don’t even have to be a good actor. As it turns out, simply dressing
in formal attire has the ability to provide you with all the swag
you’ll ever need.
Don’t believe me? It’s a scientific fact!
The Science of Formal Attire
In 2015, research was conducted by Columbia University Professor of
Psychology Michael Slepian. The study revolved around the impact of
dressing sharply, both on the mental and physical prowess of the
wearer, and his impression upon those he interacts with. The study
culminated into a research paper titled The
Cognitive Consequences of Formal Clothing, published in SAGE
Journal’s Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Dr. Slepian found that “wearing formal clothing enhances abstract
cognitive processing.” He conducted five separate studies,
concluding the donning of fancy, formal attire could be associated
with…
Study 1: …higher action identification level.
Study 2: …greater category inclusiveness.
Study 3: …greater category inclusiveness.
Study 4: …global processing advantage.
Study 5: association between clothing formality and abstract
processing was mediated by felt power.
According to Slepian:
“The findings demonstrate that the nature of an everyday and ecologically valid experience, the clothing worn, influences cognition broadly, impacting the processing style that changes how objects, people, and events are construed.”
Clothing, Confidence, Cognition & Coinage
Once you’ve got the clothing, all you need is the confidence
of a high roller, the cognition of a strategic gambler, and
the coinage to back it up. Two of these should come naturally,
as Dr. Slepian points out. The right attire gives a person
confidence, and that confidence equates to higher mental capacity.
The thing it won’t give you – quite the opposite if you have to pay
an arm and a leg for the clothes – is money.
As I said, you won’t need to rob a bank, but you should save up a
decent size bankroll before attempting to exploit the casino. You
can’t possibly pull off the persona buying in for anything less than
$1,000. This doesn’t mean you have to wager the whole 4-figures. You
just have to look like you’re ready to do so.
Take a leisurely stroll across the casino floor. Check out the
tables. Spend a few moments observing the action at various mid- to
high-stakes tables, but steer clear of the VIP room. Let them feel
like you’re thinking about playing, but shrug it off as something a
bit too boring for you taste and keep on walking. Before long,
someone should take notice and approach you. They may ask if you’re
looking for something in particular, or if you’ve considered
partaking in their VIP games. This is your moment!
Act interested, but disconnected. Tell them you were about to play
one game or another, but you haven’t eaten yet and your throat is
parched! If you can pull off the debonair of James Bond or one of his
seductive lady friends, you’ll be dining free of charge before you
can say “Hit me!”
The trials and tribulations of online casino multi-accounting.
Since the dawn of the internet, players have tried to find ways to cheat online casinos. One of the most common ways is to open multiple accounts. Doing so will, theoretically, give players access to more than one new player welcome bonus—historically the most generous bonus offer any online casino will present.
Offering to double, triple, even quadruple a new member’s first deposit is a very attractive promotion. Many player’s hope to hit a big win on that bonus, completing the wagering requirements and cashing out for a tidy sum. Unfortunately, the odds are rarely in the player’s favor. And when things don’t work out, some are tempted to sign up another account, and take another shot at it.
No ifs, ands, or buts about it—account cloning at online casinos is a bad idea!
Why Online Casino Multi-Accounting is a No-No
There’s one very simple answer… multi-accounting is illegal. There’s no real money casino site on the face of the planet that allows players to sign up more than one account. Those who are caught doing it could get in quite a bit of trouble, depending on how serious the operator takes it.
Within the terms and conditions of every online casino website is a clause that states a player may only have one account. In fact, in order to better detect and prevent multi-account violations, only one account per house-hold (physical address) may be opened. And, only one person is eligible to use the account.
So if your spouse or roommate wants to do some online gambling of their own, they’ll need to find some other casino website to do it at. If two people with the same address sign up to the same casino, the second account will probably be denied registration. If the registration succeeds, both accounts risk closure.
Consequences for Account Cloning at Online Casinos
The consequences for violating this rule can be anything from a slap on the wrist, to time behind bars. Yes, jail is an option, if the casino wants to pursue charges.
A slap on the wrist would be nothing more than immediate account closure, with the player’s funds returned to them. It’s up to the operator whether they want to return those funds, though. If they have any reason to believe you opened multiple account for the purpose of bonus abuse (claiming multiple welcome bonuses), they won’t likely return your balance. If they believe it was an innocent mistake (two people in the same house), you might get off easy.
Most gaming regulators provide operators with the right to press charges in serious cases. If a player is suspected of bonus abuse, the penalty could be a substantial fine and/or jail time.
So believe me when I tell you, online casino multi-accounting is not something you want to be accused of, or worse, convicted of. Online or on land, gambling is big business, and they take their services seriously. They won’t look kindly upon anyone attempting to cheat them out of money.
What’s the deal with online casino zero wager free spins bonuses?
Ever since the online casino industry first took off in the 1990s, these websites have been enticing new players to sign-up with special promotional offers. They haven’t changed much in that time. You have your percentage-match deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses, and the occasional free spins bonus.
What they all have in common is wagering requirements, or WR for short. For a deposit bonus, you can expect to wager 30x to 40x the amount of the total deposit plus bonus. No deposit bonuses have much higher WR, often 60-75x, because there’s no deposit required to get them. The same goes for free spins bonuses that do not require a deposit.
Just recently, a new promotional offer has been emerging. Online casinos call them “zero wager spins”.
Online Casino Zero Wager Free Spins Bonuses
These promotions give players an opportunity to spin the reels for free, with no (zero) wagering requirements attached. Players get to keep any winnings derived from the free spins, up to a certain amount.
Being so new, a lot of players are wondering if these bonuses are better than the typical free spins bonuses they’ve been claiming for years. And if so, what’s so great about them? Let’s do a little comparison of the two.
Free Spins Bonuses w/ WR
Free spins bonuses with WR attached do have their benefits. The most notable is that you don’t generally need to make any deposit to claim them. They give players a free, no-risk opportunity to try out the games, and possibly win some money along the way.
As I mentioned above, these free spins will come with lofty WR, often as high as 75x. This means users must play-through any amount they win 2while using free spins 75 times over. If the player wins $20, they would need to place $1,500 in wagers before they could withdrawal the winnings. Plus, those winnings will come with a cap, usually between $100 and $200. So if you win $1,000, you only get to keep $100-$200 of it.
Zero Wager Spins w/o WR
These are similar to the spins above, except for two major aspects. First, there’s no WR attached. Players do get to keep the winnings. However, like the bonuses described above, they also come with a cap, usually set at $200.
Secondly – and this is a big one – zero wager slots bonuses always come attached to a new player first-time deposit bonus. That means they’re for new members only, and you cannot claim a zero wager spins bonus without making a deposit.
Online casinos aren’t so willing to give away something for absolutely nothing in return. So, while the spins themselves don’t come with WR, that deposit bonus will.
There may be some other differences you come across as well. You’ll probably be restricted to playing just one online slots game, of the casino’s choice. Plus, the bet size will be set at a fixed amount. You can’t alter it to increase (or decrease) the number of spins. And for now, they are still on the rare side. I suspect we’ll soon see a lot more zero wager spins at online casinos in the near future.
So there you have it. Online casino zero wager free spins bonuses do have some distinct advantages, but also some drawbacks compared to traditional free spins bonuses. Which is best? That’s up to you to decide.
Promotions are at the marketing core of every online casino. No deposit bonuses, first-time deposit bonuses, reload bonuses, free spins – these are all common methods used to attract new players and retain the loyalty of existing ones. Sometimes, casinos will offer a little something extra.
Every once in awhile, an internet gambling site will promote what’s known as a cashback promotion. Not all cashback incentives work the same way. As always, read the fine print to see what it’s really about. Today, we’ll be talking about the standard variety of casino cashback promos.
What Is Cashback at Online Casinos?
Generally speaking, the term cashback is loosely defined as getting a portion of the cash you spend paid back to you. Credit cards that earn cash back might give you 1%, 3%, maybe even 5% back on qualifying purchases. This is precisely what it means at online casinos, as well, but in this case, it refers to the amount of cash you’ve lost.
Perhaps you’ve lost $100 playing the slot machines in the last week. If the online casino is running a 10% cashback promo, you would get $10 back. And because it’s a “cash” reward, there are no wagering requirements attached to it. The cashback you receive is real money. It can be played or withdrawn from your account at any time.
Cashback is only paid on a player’s net losses, not the total amount wagered. If you wager $200, and lose $100, you only receive cashback on the $100 lost. Bonuses are also subtracted from total losses, so if you claim any bonus credits during the promotional period, it could reduce the amount you earn in cashback.
Online Casino Cashback Promotions
As I said before, not all cashback programs are created equal. There could be underlying terms that effect how beneficial they are, like eligible games and promotional period dates. Always read over the terms of any promotion so you know exactly how it works.
The first thing you’ll need to find is what games are eligible for the promotion. It could be the casino only awards cashback on slot machine play. Maybe the campaign is geared towards live dealer games, or roulette tables. If so, losses on eligible games are the only ones that will award cashback.
Unfortunately, these types of promos aren’t as common as they used to be. Online casinos rarely host them year round. Not only will you have to find an online casino that’s offering a current cashback promo, you’ll want to see when it expires. It might be a month long deal, a one week deal, or even just a single day. Only losses incurred during the promotional period will count.
In some cases, there may be a minimum loss requirement to qualify for cashback. If the minimum is $20, and you only lose $10, you won’t earn any cashback.
All in all, online casino cashback promotions are are just another great way internet operators reward their players for their patronage. And if you don’t qualify for a cashback reward, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It either means you won money, or you didn’t lose very much, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
Learn why online casino bonuses should be a strategic priority, adding value to an otherwise expected negative return on your bankroll.
It’s been said a million times – gambling should be enjoyed for entertainment purposes. It’s a simple matter of logistics. Every casino game in which you play against the house (i.e. everything but poker) has a negative probability. The house edge always favors the casino, no matter what strategy is applied. In the long term, the casino always wins.
Yes, you can get lucky. You can walk away with a huge profit. Or, you may break even after hours of gameplay (usually the best case scenario). This can happen, but it’s no too common.
Maybe you have a good friend who frequents the casino. They told you they won $1,000 playing the slots. That’s great! But did you bother to ask them how much money they’ve won/lost over all the years they’ve been playing? Chances are that $1,000 didn’t put them ahead. And if it did, odds are they’ll be back in the negative after a few more trips.
Casinos are designed this way. There are lucky players, and their are unlucky players. But in the end, 99.99% of players who keep on playing will end up in the latter column. It won’t hurt if you manage your bankroll properly. And if you combine that with one additional strategy, you can actually turn the tides in your favor.
Basics of Bankroll Management
Every good casino strategy talks about bankroll management. Only bring what you can afford to lose. Never go back to the ATM (or a friend) for more money. Only spend a percentage of your bankroll per day on a Vegas vacation. Yada, yada, yada… That’s all good advice.
The reason behind this is the house edge. Probabilities in the house edge state exactly what you can expect to lose over time.
Let’s look at the even-money bets on a European roulette game. Red, black, even, odd, high, low – these all carry a 2.70% house edge. I’ll even increase this, for the sake of argument and easier mathematics, to a 3% edge.
Okay, your bankroll is $100. You play 100 rounds, placing a $1 bet on red every time. With a 3% house edge, probabilities say you will win 48.5% of those bets, and lose 51.5%. After 100 bets, you should have $97 left. The 3% house edge has cost you $3.
Honestly, that’s a cheap price to pay for 100 bets worth of entertainment. But what if you had a little extra money to work with? Free money that didn’t come from your pocket.
Online Casino Bonuses and Promotions
The online casino business is so competitive, that they are all too happy to hand out free promotional money to new players. It could be a deposit bonus (ex: deposit $100, get $100), a few free credits (ex: $10 no deposit bonus), or a some free spins on the slot machines (ex: 20 free spins for new players). Either way, it’s adding value to your bankroll.
If you claim a $10 online casino bonus, it can drastically alter the probable outcome. Now, after placing 100 $1 bets against a 3% house edge, you should expect to end with $107. That’s a profit on your original $100.
Promotions like this are offered all the time at online casinos. Luck still plays a part, of course. As I said, the house edge has a long-term effect. You may win more, you may lose more. But this can be an effective strategy, and should be a priority when playing at casinos.
