In the online gaming world, a bonus is given to attract more customers and keep the current employees happy. These bonuses allow gamblers to try the casinos and games without any obligation.
However, in many cases, these bonuses encourage gamblers to bet their own money. In most cases, it benefits both parties—the players get free wagering funds and the casino sites can have more paying customers.
Nevertheless, problems arise within this system when players try to scam the casinos. In such cases, fraudsters attempt to create multiple accounts with fake identities or stolen identities to receive bonuses reserved for newbie players.
While most casino players remain honest, there is a percentage of punters who exploit the bonuses and try to make maximum profits by not abiding by the rules of bonuses. This leads to violation of online casino policies, which may end up in getting the accounts locked, funds confiscated, or even legal action.
Bonus Abuse at Online Casinos
Bonus Abuse at online casinos mostly refers to the illegal acquisition of slots with bonuses and redeeming them multiple times without fulfilling the casino’s requirements. Such gamblers who engage in bonus abuse will be on a hunt for casinos that offer the latest signup/welcome promotion by creating multiple fake identities.
Most bonus abusers usually target the casinos with zero no deposit bonuses which does not require back details. On the other hand, more daring fraudsters might create fake identities, stolen identities, or even VPNs, Tor browsers, and even malicious tools like app cloners, emulators, or GPS spoofers to get access to the casino operator’s policies and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.
There are several methods to carry out bonus abuse fraud. Some of them include:
Bonus hunting: This method involves leveraging bonuses and promotions to gain profits by taking advantage of multiple terms and conditions. For instance, They might take advantage of minimal wagering requirements or pleasant bonuses compared to the deposit amount.
Cross-betting: In this method, the fraudsters bid on the opposite outcomes as well, in the same event from different accounts. For instance, in a football match, one account can be used to bet on team A and the other account can be used to bet on team B. In this way, the fraudsters can use different platforms to place the best if the terms and conditions of the bonuses do not allow using the same platform.
Collusion: This method involves players working together to manipulate games and maximizing bonus benefits. They might also share information in poker to increase their chances of winning as well maximizing the benefits obtained from bonuses.
How to Avoid Bonus Abuse while Gambling
The increasing combinations of technologies and tools to hide real identities and the different methods to execute bonus abuse attacks have made the prevention of this type of fraud a major challenge.
Measures to Avoid Bonus Abuse while Gambling
While most gamblers and bonus abusers might be aware of the possible risks of bonus abuse, there is a chance that some might not be aware at all. In such situations, one can avoid the casino flagging by avoiding the following actions:
Large bidding with bonus money: It is safer not to make big wagers on games that may be contributing to the casino bonus. Even though it is not legally wrong to make such volatile games to win big, most casinos do not like players wagering with the bonus money.
Entering the online gambling site twice: The second entry is strictly restricted if there is only permission to have one account with a specific online casino. The only option that a player is allowed multiple times is when the player sets up an account on multiple sites rather than making multiple accounts on one site.
Failing to check the terms and conditions: Thoroughly reading and understanding the terms and conditions of the casino is the best way to avoid any casino bonus misunderstandings. The terms and conditions page is where one can find information on bonus restrictions and rules.
Playing irregularly: It is highly recommended to understand the casino’s position on betting irregularities in order to avoid flagging by the casinos for strange betting patterns. Being flagged for strange betting patterns and wagering might lead to the casino site not paying the bonus money.
Failing to understand the wagering requirements: Wagering requirements are one of the essential parts of the bonus terms and conditions. The wagering requirements of the casino’s terms and conditions specify in detail the number of times one must wager the bonus before it is eligible for withdrawal. It is necessary to read those carefully and understand them.
Only making deposits with bonuses: In case one is a serious and intending customer of a casino, make sure not to condition the deposits on bonuses alone as it may flay them as a bonus hunter. The casinos are likely to contact you to offer generous bonuses to reward the loyalty, once they notice the regular deposits.
Conclusion
Alongside the growing iGaming industry, the number of fraudsters also increase. These fraudsters always look forward to exploiting the system of gambling and bonuses just for their illicit interests. As bonus abuse is increasing day by day, there is a high chance of getting wrongly accused of bonus abuse.
In such cases, one should always remember to always play at a licensed casino. Such misunderstandings are less likely to happen in a fully regulated casino licensed by a body like the UKGC.
Even then if you feel like the accusation against you is unjustified, you can always reach out to eCOGRA or other independent governing and arbitration bodies that ought to protect the rights of online casino players.
Read More: Who Regulates Online Casinos? Various Casino Regulating Authorities and What They Do
