Best to play with bonus? Or without?

[threescatters]

Hi Guys,

I am just wondering what your views are on this. I love to play slots (dont really play table games) - and usually I like to have a bonus when I play, but this can bring problems. I see a lot of complaints/issues arising with online casinos, mostly it seems to do with bonuses. The terms and conditions can be very complex sometimes and you get tied to a large amount that you have to gamble sometimes - a bit of a pain in the ass, especially if you win at the start then think damn I wish I didnt have this bonus. On the other hand I (and everyone else I guess!) loves that feeling of being looked after and getting something for nothing etc, its fun to chase bonuses and you feel rewarded as a player by the casino and stuff. I guess its better value for money to play with bonuses as well.

Personally I used to always try and have a bonus when I played, I play at a few different places and it wasnt very often I would play without one although sometimes I would give in to temptation. I had some problems sometimes, I couldnt always understand the terms properly and also one place sent me an email saying I couldnt have ANY more bonuses as I only ever played with one!!! Whats the point in offering me them? On the other hand I was made a VIP at another casino which is my fave and I couldnt keep up with the offers I had. Nowadays I tend to think its too much hassle and just play without them, but I was wondering what you all thought. Personally I dont think I won so much at the one place that it was fair to ban me but then again nor do I think I bet enough to be considered a vip at the other but thats whats happened, really weird.

Sorry for long post, ill try and put a poll up.

[Wildfire7]

I too am less keen to take a bonus these days, due to the almost prohibitive restrictions imposed upon them. So I voted for sometimes take a bonus.

Mostly just take the monthly reload bonues and then only if its 100% match.
Theres nothing worse than these lousy 25% bonuses which still require you to wager 100% x WR of your own deposit.

As for playthrough then this is the major factor, anything more than x20 D+B is a no no. Usually go for the x15 D+B.

I've noticed more and more casinos now allow all games to be played but weighted. This is far better than the old days where you daren't even venture outside of playing slots for fear of being disqualified, and even then you had to double check if progressives were allowed.

All bonues lock your money up until you have met WR, which means you are forced to play longer and we know the longer you play the more likely you will lose. Generally speaking I have found if you can treble your initial deposit + bonus then you have a very good chance of meeting WR upto a x20.

If your objective is to play for a larger sum then taking a bonus does you no harm as you have a higher starting bankroll. However if your aim is just to double your desposit then taking a bonus would be poor value.

Mike

[ionutd]

In my opinion, it's worth taking the bonus if you're going to play slots mostly, because it counts as 100% for the wr. It's a good idea to email, chat or call a casino representative to make sure you fully understand all their t&r's. I wish they'd apply to me as well but I happen to live in country blacklisted by the biggest casinos so I either can't participate in promotions or get a 200x wr. Couple that with only playing games like BJ Switch and Craps (10-20% or excluded) and ...you get the picture .

I say don't take bonuses when playing at your favorite casino(s) to avoid any trouble and go for it when playing somewhere else. If they exclude you, who cares, that place is more likely to cause other headaches anyway. Just my 2 cents, I am by no means an experienced player, just thought it made sense. Good luck and all the best.

[winbig]

If my BR is limited, I'll take a bonus as long it's somewhat favorable for me to do so in regards to WR's, % of bonus, etc.

On the flipside, I love not taking a bonus, because most of the time the WR's are almost impossible to meet (unless you get really lucky), and to clear them (and not have the HA catch up to you) you need to be spinning those reels for much higher stakes. I know for me, I either crush the WR's or fail miserably (1-5% into meeting them). There's no in between.

It'd be interesting to see how many people posted some great winning SS's but ended up going bust before clearing the WR...(myself included )

[Richard]

Bonuses with 10X or greater is a suckers bet. NEVER let the casino control your money. By accepting these bonuses you are giving them full rights over your deposit. More people bust out trying to met wagering. Then if they would have deposited their own money. If your just playing for fun bonuses are ok. Anything else that is greater then 10X is a waste. You can't count the number of post. Where someone hit a nice win and busted out trying to complete a bonus. I have seen times I took a bonus. And when I got near completion the casino just wins every hand or spin. Then Im left with a few dollars. Believe it or not. Bonuses are the way casinos make most of their money. They know chances are you will not make 25X on slots only. Its like giving them your money. And coming on here and complaining how tight the games are.

RTG and Rival are the worst to take bonuses. They tend to make them 25X are greater. NON Cashable and a fixed amount you may cashout. I wished there was a casino players union. And the players will agree to follow suit. We could cut alot of this mess out in a short period of time. Imagine Bonuses of 5X any game, fully cashable. This can be the norm if players will stick together and make demands.

[Simmo!]

I see signup bonuses as an obstacle. I never take one. If its credited automatically, I deposit the minimum £10 first off, take it and get rid of it on a couple of big spins (on the basis if i win big then great, otherwise so what), then deposit a decent amount and play properly.

Sometimes I take the odd loyalty bonus but only if it suits me and normally just to pad out a session.

[winbig]

If its credited automatically, I deposit the minimum £10 first off,

Why would you, of all people, play at any casino that strictly enforces players to take the SUB? Any reputable casino will waive this bonus if you contact support before making a deposit.

There was a huge thread (or more) on that same subject, but I'm too lazy to look for it right now.

[Roanan]

The question I have for you is:

Are you playing the slots for entertainment, spending your money for X hours of entertainment similar to how you'd pay for hockey games, or in a video games arcade, etc., or are you playing because you want a big win, or at least some profit and are probably using a betting strategy, or picking different variance?

If it's for entertainment, go ahead and take the bonus.
You're just having fun so why not double or triple the length of time you get to play.

If profit is what you are after, do not take a bonus.
Instead contact support or management directly and request a user specific bonus that is 'instant' and does not have any restrictions attached to it.
You'll probably get only 10% or maybe the absolute maximum of 20%, but withdrawal restrictions are such a pain in the ass, avoiding them is always the best option.

[zippedup]

Bonuses Issue

I am a craps and roulette player and therefore never take bonuses because:

1. Some casinos(depending on terms and conditions) may confiscate your winnings because they they don't allow table games to qualify for bonus use. These idiots let you play--- then after the fact tell you OH I am so sorry you played illegal games therefore you lose all the winnings you have made on them!

2 For some of the casinos that do let you use bonus money for table games I have found the combination of play thru requirements plus the amount your table games count toward reducing the play thru requirement causes them to be a very bad arrangement. Some casinos only will allow your bets at table games to yield 5% toward play thru reduction---ridiculous!!

Lastly the casinos do a crappy job of telling you how much play thru you have yet to make up. Many times you have to call them to find out and sometimes I have gotten three different answers on the same day!

I think the only way taking bonuses might make sense is if you are a slot player and 100% of your bets qualify toward play thru reduction. But even then it depends on the playthru required since most likely you will lose your ass playing slots in about 10 minutes!

Worlds worst bonus that I know of is at GOLDEN ARCH CASINO
Table games do qualify
But.......
Bonus amount cannot even be used to play any games till after you play thru 15x of the bonus using the funds you deposit.
Once you achieve that it then goes to your account as extra chips yet when you withdraw your funds they reduce the withdrawl by a % of the bouns money in your account till its all used up. Net effect ...there is no bonus! The only thing you get is extra chips with which to play.
These jackasses are so crooked they do not list terms and conditions on their site.

[zap987]

The only way to make any profit in the long run on games with a house advantage is to use a bonus. If you're playing for entertainment and hoping for a big win it's fine to do it without a bonus but you will always lose in the long run. It's quite possible to have a positive EV on almost any kind of bonus offered even with very high WR but without it you will always lose in the long run.