By Mitch Rice
Being in a situation in which you need to balance entertainment with abiding by the rules may feel a bit awkward. However, any type of fun activity that also involves consistent expenditures will come with a few caveats. This is where we find ourselves with online gambling.
Given how vast, interesting, and outstanding these opportunities can be at times, it’s no wonder that knowing how to traverse your options can feel a bit overwhelming at times. However, things tend to appear more complicated than they are, making the process of having this kind of fun quite easy-hearted.
At the same time, there are circumstances when mistakes and blatant abuses can derail your fun and turn digital gambling into an overly complicated mess. This is why an article like this can clear the waters on one of the most popular circumstances in online gaming: the usage of the no deposit bonus.
With a well-established reputation as the alpha bonus offer in this industry, it’s easy to see why it has such a strong pull for players of all levels of experience. However, using it properly requires a bit of prior knowledge, especially if you’re not too keen on analysing fine print.
In this article, we will bring forth the most common mistakes that you can make with your no deposit offers, but will also highlight some fundamental strategies that can help you succeed going forward!
1. Multi-Account Usage
This is as simple as it gets: it’s a blatant violation of any online casino’s rules to have more than just one account. It does not matter if you create one accidentally in cases like forgetting that you’ve already created an account with a different email/phone number or doing so in order to benefit from the bonus multiple times.
As such, intention is in the same category as an honest mistake. You need to be careful about which online casino you join without taking a look at its bonuses. Once you become a funded player (you have at least one deposit made), you will lose eligibility for this category of bonus, which may turn you towards multi-account strategies.
The truth is that it is perfectly possible to create multiple accounts, especially if you have multiple phone numbers and emails. However, getting paid will always require you to prove your identity, and this is when the casino will catch you red-handed.
Consequently, you don’t want to make such a mistake, especially if you’re doing it deliberately. It’ll get you banned from the casino’s digital premises, not to mention losing your bonus!
2. Collusion
This is much harder to implement in the world of online casino gameplay. It is so for multiple reasons.
One would be the fact that many online casinos provide no deposit advantages for slot gaming only, which is a single-player-only game type. Another one would be the fact that no deposit bonuses yield too little money to split with your co-conspirator.
Since this type of strategy requires the idea of colluding with someone else to create controlled outcomes, some players do it in games like poker because it allows them to go through a wagering requirement in an easier manner.
It is safe to say that online casinos detect this kind of strategy quite easily because their pattern recognition systems are top-notch. Moreover, they are not the type to bank too much on ideas like provable cause. If they feel like they have conclusive evidence of collusion, they will take unilateral action, annul any bonus you have, and ban you for life.
3. VPN Usage for Strictly Restricted Jurisdiction
This may sound harmless, but forcing your way into playing at an online casino that is not supposed to accept your registration is a bad decision going forward. These online casinos must be strict about their clientele for one simple reason: legislation demands it.
Some online gambling authorities from markets like the UK, specific American states (where digital gambling is legal), and even some offshore regulators ask that player bases are from specific countries. Local legislation regarding online gambling is what tends to inform this kind of decision-making.
As a result, VPN usage is strictly forbidden. You may think that the casino has no idea that you’re from a restricted nation, but eventually, it can find out. That would be because you’d have to use a verifiable phone number or, eventually, tie a payment method that is in your name – a payment method that is registered in a restricted country.
In fact, there are more tech-driven methods of finding out your IP, as shown by an article on the use of an API for address leaks.
Since your home jurisdiction will eventually become visible, VPN usage to access the site, register, and redeem a bonus would quickly become futile. Like the case of multiple accounts, the casino will eventually realise that you’re breaking its rules.
4. Incorrect Bet Usage
This is a very straightforward case: you need to play the no deposit bonus as intended. If the casino demands that every hand you play must be worth $0.1, you are not to override this decision.
Any different bet used with the house’s money will mean that the house will retract its bonus by nullifying it.
Please note that this is applicable to the rules regarding its wagering process. In general, the biggest mistake would be to try to cash out on the bonus before completing the wagering process. However, using incorrect bet values during this process can also have the same bonus-annulling effects.
5. Simultaneous Bonus Activation
This is yet another simple situation that will lead to bonus annulment unless the casino specifically permits it.
We’re talking about the situation in which you activate two bonuses at a time. If you’re currently playing with a no deposit bonus, just know that the online casino will nullify it if they see that you’re trying to stack a deposit bonus on top of it.
In fact, you’re likely going to see a notification that tells you that you have another bonus in progress and that activating another one would lead to forfeiting the current one. Make sure you complete your bonuses by one in order to extract full value from all of them.
Best Practices for Proper Usage
As promised, we return with some clear advice regarding how you should play your online casino offers that require no deposit. Please note that these are standard tips that should be helpful, especially if you’re new to online gambling and its incentivisation protocols!
- Use the bonus as intended — it doesn’t get as simple as that! Each online casino bonus will come with a set of instructions (rules) mentioned in its terms and conditions. A good practice would be to also check with the overall bonus policy in order to make sure that you’re not missing rules that apply to every no deposit bonus provided by that casino. Simply put, there is no workaround for these demands, so respect them to the tee!
- Keep your bets consistent — both in the gameplay and the wagering process, it would be a good idea to stick to a strategy that is within the rules. This strategy means consistency, which is always good if you just want to complete a formality. We are not trying to cramp your style – we just want you to remember that playing it safe is a good choice
- Take care with the wagering requirements — the rollover, otherwise known as the wagering requirements, is a fail-proof protocol for a casino to avoid paying for the winnings that you receive by playing for free. It’s as simple as that. However, they are still possible to complete, which should inform your decision to complete them in games that have as much contribution as possible (100% for slots, in most cases). Make your life easier!
Conclusion
Now that we’ve reached the conclusion of this article, there is yet another optimal practice that we need to mention: play responsibly! A no deposit bonus can kickstart your knack for online gambling, which can turn into a case of addiction if left unattended.
Please understand that the psychology of gambling addiction is a slippery slope, so gamble as responsibly as possible!