The magnetic properties of the word ‘free’ have been known for decades. The modern history of free promos goes back to 1887 when Coca-Cola started to distribute first coupons for a glass of free Coke that could be claimed in apothecaries in Atlanta. At that time, however, no one could realize the full potential of free promo offers. It took about a hundred years for gratis perks to evolve to well-calculated marketing mechanisms that exclude any possibility of abuse by customers, avoiding bonus hunters the way Neo avoids bullets, preserve the brand’s identity and integrity, and encourage new customers to try the brand even though they would never do it outside of the bargain. And it’s especially true for casinos – real gurus of turning strangers into loyal gamblers and sometimes, unfortunately, even addicts. So what may be hidden behind an eye-catching ad banner urging you to claim your free spins? Heads-up – we’re going to reveal the hidden dangers right away!
#1 Obscure Terms & Conditions
The easiest trick casinos occasionally pull is a complex language making bonus terms & conditions unclear and ambiguous. Even though most jurisdictions establish the boundaries for representing bonus offers & promotions – for example, UK Gambling Commission and the Gambling Act 2014 in particular states that all marketing incentives should be provided to customers transparently and at the point of sale – not all gambling venues, even accredited, comply with the legal nuances of their jurisdictions. All in all, if something is unclear, it’s better to avoid the casino at all, especially if customer support can’t give any reasonable comments on the issue.
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#2 Wagering Requirements
The other obvious hiccup with free bonuses is wagering requirements, which are the amount of money you are obliged to spend on specific casino games to unlock the bonus. As a rule, it works as follows: after depositing real money into your casino account you get the due amount of free credits that can be cashed out only after your amount of total bet on specific casino games exceeds the predefined sum. For example, to unlock a $100 bonus with 40x wagering you have to bet at least $4000 on the eligible casino games, the list of which can be found in the bonus T&Cs. How to deal with it? Well, the recent intentions of some European governments to tighten social responsibility controls on licensed gambling operators led to the fact the number of online casino operators with low or no wagering requirements has significantly increased and therefore you do have some room for maneuver – just pick casinos with no wagering, that’s it.
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#3 Pie in the Sky
The most frustrating scenario is for sure when you’ve played your ass out to get the deserved bonus and…it just doesn’t come. Unfortunately, that happens, especially with punters from gray zones and/or in unlicensed casinos. As bitter as it is, there’s no solution except to pick a worthwhile gambling venue in the first place.
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#4 Addiction
Last but not least, don’t rush to enter the promo code to claim your bonus if you cannot stop at the right time. Once you are hooked, it may be impossible to stop. Gambling addiction is one of the most vicious phenomena to stumble upon in your life. Not for nothing 3 to 5 percent of gamblers struggle with a gambling problem while over 80% of American adults gamble at least once a year. Worse comes to worst, half the addicted commit crimes to support their gambling addiction.
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To Play, or Not to Play?
That’s out of the question if you are not prone to gambling addiction and well-aware of the pitfalls that await irresponsible gamblers down the road. As long as you take gambling as a refreshing activity and do not aim for huge monetary gains in the first place, you are on the safe side of the fence. Just don’t lose your mind and may lady luck smile on you on an everyday basis!
