Silly Bonus of the Month - April

[KasinoKing]

I'm thinking about starting a monthly thread for silly bonuses!

This idea came to me when I got a 10% bonus offer from Colosseum.
I don't normally give anything below 50% a second glance, but I was bored so checked it out.

Deposit $100 for example, and get $10 free! The WR was OK (D+Bx6 I think?), but you had to double the bonus amount to withdraw ANYTHING.
In other words, unless you can get your bank balance above $120 after wagering $660, you are trapped into wagering your $100 until it is all gone!

If you take this offer - you are CRAZY!

(Now I can see why some punters never take bonuses! )

No doubt there are many other silly ones out there which people will tell us about...

[Vesuvio]

Casino Del Rio and Europa probably deserve a thread of their own, not so much for the bonuses being bad as for the comically blatant lies - e.g. this e-mail with the subject: "Risk-free Blackjack"

"Enjoy 24 hours of risk-free blackjack at Casino Del Rio!

Simply deposit at least £100, and earn 150 comps on blackjack. If you end the day with less than 100% payouts, we'll kick-back 25% of the dealer's take!"

So how does that work out as risk-free?

Though they've got competition from this Casino Fortune offer:

"No RISKS JUST TREATS!

Start Date: 14th April 05 - End Date: 20th April 05 at 12 midnight!
Risk 100 Get Treated to 125, it's that simple."

Tip for all casino PR staff: if you're going to contradict yourself, try and at least leave a bit of a gap between the contradictory statements!

[Gluten]

Hehe, that sure is some juicy promotions! I don't get why some casinos will risk their "hard earned" reputation by conjuring up these silly moneytraps.
I had a look see at other "bonus offers" colosseum is making. This is from their new customer sign up:

To WITHDRAW your original deposit and bonus you need to fulfill the following two requirements:

   1. YOU MUST WITHDRAW at least the original amount deposited plus double the bonus - Please note that you cannot double the bonus by playing the following games: Roulette, Baccarat, Craps, Blackjack, Red Dog, Sic Bo, Video Poker, Table Poker and all variations of these games.
      Exp.$/£€ 100 deposit PLUS 2 x 100 PLUS 2 x $/£/€15 PLUS 2 x $/£/€20 Neteller/Firepay = $/£/€370 in your account.
   2. YOU MUST WAGER an amount equal to the deposit PLUS 5 times the amount of the Bonus – Please note that you cannot wager the bonus by playing the following games: Roulette, Baccarat, Craps, Blackjack, Red Dog, Sic Bo, Video Poker, Table Poker and all variations of these games.
      Exp.$/£/€ 100 deposited PLUS 5 x $/£/€ 100 bonus PLUS 5 x 15 Sign in Bonus PLUS 5 x 20 Neteller/Firepay = $/£/€ 775 wagered.

In other words you're only allowed to play slots. And if you do you will bust out 99% of the times trying to double your money!
We hope you had as much fun as we did con'ing your money from you

I mean come on. Why not just cancel these kinds of "promotions" - the only thing you're "promoting" is your lust for more money.
If you're so scared of bonus-hunters - don't do moronic sign-up bonuses. Do some wicked comp program instead!

[Petunia]

** In order for you to withdraw the bonus and the winnings gained, you must wager the bonus at least once. Moreover, you must have in your account at least the amount you originally deposited plus double the bonus amount.

All games fulfil the wagering requirements for this promotion.
This promotion does not overlap with any other promotion.

This promotion is only for the members of our mailing list

--- are we talking the same promo here? This is the Loyalty promo I got from colo over the weekend.... I don't use bonusses, but surely we cannot be talking about the same thing if what gluten is saying is true?!! Gluten what colo promo are you talking about? **

[Gluten]

I'm sorry. I was looking at their new customer sign-up bonus. I have edited my post to reflect this.

[KasinoKing]

In other words you're only allowed to play slots. And if you do you will bust out 99% of the times trying to double your money!

Well actually I took up the Colosseum sign-up bonus in March - deposited $100, got $120 bonus.
Had to wager $775 & get bank to $370 to withdraw - slots only.
And I did it! So I must be the 1%

But this so-called 'loyalty bonus' is total pants!

[thelawnet]

I'm thinking about starting a monthly thread for silly bonuses!

how about this one, from UK Casino Club. They might be accredited, but their bonus policies are impossible to understand, and they seem to have some unwritten rules as well.

Very poor show.

Here's the t&cs they have on their promotions page

Bonus Transfer
As you play games with the Bonus Account your betting turnover increases thus fulfils the minimum level of play for this promotion in the Bonus Account.

All winnings accrued (less the bonus amount) are available to transfer immediately following the completion of the minimum level of play requirement.

Wagering on Deposit
Your Play on most Games require a minimum wagered amount of 15 times your initial deposit. The only exceptions are:

Your Play on Craps, Baccarat and Vegas Strip Blackjack is not counted towards in the Minimum Level of Play requirement.

If you play any of the Blackjack (except Vegas Strip Blackjack), Roulette, and all Poker games you are required to play 45 times the bonus amount credited to your Bonus Account.
Wagering on Transferred Amounts
Your Play on most Games require a minimum wagered amount of 15 times the amount you transfer from your Bonus Account to your Real Account. The only exceptions are:

Your Play on Craps, Baccarat and Vegas Strip Blackjack is not counted towards in the Minimum Level of Play requirement.

If you play any of the Blackjack (except Vegas Strip Blackjack), Roulette, and all Poker games you are required to play 45 times the amount you transfer from your Bonus Account to your Real Account

Confused, I sought out the help to explain things to me.

Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Timothy'
Timothy: Hello, how may I help you today?
you: hi
you: i am struggling to understand your promotion rules
you: can you explain something
you: If I deposit £125
Timothy: Sure.
you: and get £125 in bonus
you: I then have to wager 45x that £125 on blackjack
you: and then the bonus amount is transferred to my regular acocunt
you: where I must wager 45x again
you: what about my winnings?
Timothy: Yes. You will need to wager 45 times the amount that you transfer in your real account.
you: if I win, does tha tget added to my bonus account?
Timothy: You will also need to wager 45 times in your real account on the deposit that you made.
you: so do winnings get added/taken away from my bonus account
you: or from my real account?
Timothy: You can transfer the winings from your bonus account to your real account.
you: ok
Timothy: This can be done once you have met the wagering in your bonus account.
you: put it this way
you: I deposit £125
you: I have £125 in real, £125 in bonus
you: I then wager £5 on blackjack
you: my wager wins
you: do I now have £130 in real
you: or £130 in bonus?
Timothy: If you win in your bonus account, the funds stay in your bonus account until you transfer them to your real account.
you: ok
you: and if I lost that wager my bonus account will fall to £120 as well?
Timothy: I'm sorry but could you please clarify your query for me?
you: if I bet £5 and I lose
you: does that come from my bonus or my real account
Timothy: Please understand that your bonus account is different to your account.
Timothy: If you are playing in your bonus account, then the funds that you are playing with are bonus credits and not the funds that you have deposited.
you: so first thing I will be playing with the bonus money
you: until I have met the requirements
Timothy: Yes.
you: so if I lose money in meeting the 45x, then it is that amount that will get transferred
you: I might end up transferring only £100
Timothy: If you loose your bonus money, then you can not transfer anything to your real acocunt.
you: even though the original bonus was £125?
Timothy: You can not transfer the bonus to your real account
Timothy: You can only transfer the bonus winings to the real account
you: so if I had not come out ahead in meeting the bonus requirements, that's it
you: no more wagering required?
Timothy: If you loose your bonus in your bonus account then yes, you do not have any more wagering in your bonus account. However, you will still need to met the wagering in your real account on the deposit that you make
Timothy: Your are required to met the wagering requirements on any deposits that you make where you receive a bonus from us.
you: so first of all am I playing with the bonus?
you: or with the real account?
Timothy: You are required to met the wagering requirements in your bonus account and in your real account.
you: right, but when I sign up and start playing
you: do I play with the bonus account first, or the real account?
Timothy: That decision is up to you which account you would like to play in first.
you: and just to clarify finally, if I have less than £125 in the bonus account, I cannot withdraw anything
you: the amount I can withdraw is the bonus amount - £125?
you: minus £125 that is
Timothy: No. You can only transfer your bonus account winings. So anything over the bonus that you receive.
you: thanks, I understand now
Timothy: Not a problem
Timothy: Is there anything else I can help you with?
you: that will be all thanks

So that didn't help me too much, so half an hour later, still scratching my head I try again:

Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Kaicee'
Kaicee: Hello, how may I help you today?
you: hi
you: I need a little clarification about your bonus account
you: if I get a £125 bonus
you: and I win £200 more in my bonus account
you: giving me £325
you: when I transfer to my real account, I can transfer £200
you: but is the £125 then removed?
you: or can I continue to try and win more
Kaicee: You can transfer the entire balance over to your real account or leave some in your bonus account. You just need to meet the wagering requirements in your bonus account before you can transfer over to the real account. You will see these requirements when you log in
Kaicee: to the bonus account
you: ok
you: my understanding is that first I meet the requirements in my real account
you: which would be 15 or 45x the deposit
you: and then if I play in my bonus account
you: any winnings there can be transferred to my real account
you: and then I have to wager 15 or 45x the transferred amount in my real account
you: is that correct?
you: does the wager requirement on the bonus account winnings take place in the real account?
Kaicee: You have a wagering requirement in your bonus account that you need to meet before you can transfer
Kaicee: then need to wager the transferred amount in the real account
Kaicee: and meet all requirements in the real account before cashining in
you: I am very confused
you: what is my wagering requirement in my bonus account?
you: it says Your Play on most Games require a minimum wagered amount of 15 times your initial deposit. The only exceptions are: If you play any of the Blackjack (except Vegas Strip Blackjack), Roulette, and all Poker games you are required to play 45 times the bonus amount credited to your Bonus Account.
you: so in the first sentence it talks about 15 x my deposit
you: and in the second it is 45x the BONUS
you: and secondly in which account do I have to meet that wagering requirement?
you: is it in the bonus account or in the real account or both?
Kaicee: It is the same wagering as set for the real account to cashin
you: let me get this straight. I have £125 deposit
you: £125 in bonus account, £125 in real account
you: I play blackjack in real account for 45 x £125
you: I then wager maybe £300 in the bonus account, and I win £50
you: can I transfer that £50 to my real account?
you: and then wager 45x £50 in my real account?
Kaicee: Once the wagering is met in the bonus account you can transfer any amount over �50
you: so what wagering do I have to meet in the bonus account, assuming I play blackjack and deposit £125?
Kaicee: �5625
Kaicee: Given it is not vegas strip blackjack
you: so I have to wager £5625 in the bonus account
you: and then £5625 in the real account as well?
Kaicee: Yes
Kaicee: as well as 45x (if you are playing blackjack) on any amount you transfer
you: and the minimum amount to transfer is £50
you: is that right?
Kaicee: Yes
you: one final thing then
you: if I have £175 in my bonus account
you: I can transfer only £50 out of there?
Kaicee: No, there is no limit
you: It says 'All winnings accrued (less the bonus amount) are available to transfer immediately following the completion of the minimum level of play requirement.'
you: doesn't less the bonus amount mean I can only transfer £175 minus the original £125 bonus?
you: which would be £50
Kaicee: I apologize, You are correct, I was not aware of this change to the wagering
you: ok
you: so if I transferred £50 out of there
you: would the remaining £125 be removed?
Kaicee: No
you: so I can still continue to win more with that remaining money?


The interesting thing in their terms is

'Your Play on most Games require a minimum wagered amount of 15 times your initial deposit.
...
If you play any of the Blackjack (except Vegas Strip Blackjack), Roulette, and all Poker games you are required to play 45 times the bonus amount credited to your Bonus Account.'

First of all you must play 15x the deposit amount.

But if you play blackjack, roulette or poker, you must play 45 times the BONUS amount.

So given that they have separate real and bonus accounts, 15x deposit seems to refer to wagering in the real account, and 45x to wagering in the bonus account.

From what I was told by the first rep it appeared that you have to meet only 45x wagering in the real account, and then whatever you win in the bonus account (which from what I was told didn't appear to have any wagering requirements) over the original bonus amount can be transferred, and you must then wager it 45x in the real account. But the terms and conditions mention 45x wagering the BONUS.

The second rep indicated to me that you have to in fact wager 45x in the real account, 45x in the bonus account and 45x transferred amount.

This is certainly not made clear in the casino's promotion page, which are unnecessarily complex and in my view designed to deceive the unsuspecting with '£125 match bonus', which in my view has conditions that few people would describe as a 'bonus'. In fact I am still not convinced that what I was told was correct, given that she told me at first that the bonus was not sticky, and didn't realize the bonus policy had changed. In addition, the £50 minimum transfer rule is not stated - again it might be a rule that has changed, but it all reeks of sharp practice, and not something I think casinomeister should be endorsing.

They look like a decent casino, but the bonus is designed to confuse - if you visit the site, http://www.ukcasinoclub.co.uk, it says in HUGE letters, £125 bonus, play now.

Clicking on the promotions page, you get http://www.ukcasinoclub.co.uk/promotions.asp, and under tell me more, the following page http://www.ukcasinoclub.co.uk/matchplay.asp.

It then says * See Terms and Conditions for details relating to this promotion., which links directly to the terms I quoted above.

So you would reasonably assume that clicking on that link would give you the terms associated with the offer. The page is http://www.ukcasinoclub.co.uk/matchplay_terms.asp, which is what I have quoted above.

After my questioning the CS, who seemed to have half a dozen rules that I didn't see posted on the site, I found that in fact they have more terms, buried several levels deep into the site under the contact us page, http://www.ukcasinoclub.co.uk/terms.asp, which is NOT linked or alluded to from the promotions the page above. This page describes the terms and conditions much better, and includes the £50 rule, which casino rep #1 did not bother to tell me about.

In fact the terms here, while labyrinthine and designed to trick people into thinking that their £125 bonus is of value, are reasonably clear, and are as follows:

1. You must wager 15x the deposit amount in the real account, or 45x if playing blackjack, poker or roulette
2. You must wager 15x the bonus amount in the bonus account, or 45x if playing blackjack, poker or roulette
3. You can only TRANSFER any NET (the final balance less the original balance) profits from the bonus account, and the minimum amount to transfer is £50.
4. Having jumped through so many hoops already, you must finally wager the transferred amount 15 times, or 45 times if playing blackjack, poker or roulette, in the real account.

But there would be no way to divine this out from their promotions page, which is deceitful at best, in not making it clear the requirements imposed upon it.

These guys have to take the prize for worst bonus, with most complex rules and most misleading promotions t&cs page. Poor stuff indeed.

Bonus? More like a Trojan Horse.

[Thatchatch]

"...more like a trojan horse"

Good comparison.

I made a deposit at BetRoyal, just before the proverbial hit the fan there with their gangsters approach. I was told that bonuses were 'expired' and now that I had deposited I had to roll over 3X my deposit - without a bonus - before considering any withdrawal!

Unflippin' real.

Regards.

Thatch

[Vesuvio]

Thelawnet, for once I felt sorry for the CS! It's really not that complicated a bonus, though I agree it can be confusing at first and they should do a better job explaining it on their website.

The money in the bonus account is sticky and you need a minimum of £50 above your starting amount to transfer it, but the bonus remains after that and you can keep trying to transfer more. So potentially you can gamble to high stakes at no risk in the bonus account and transfer a lot of money.

For that reason a few months ago this group of casinos had easily the best Microgaming bonuses around. I made £4000 from them, as did others. Now that they've upped the wagering requirements and forced you to wager transferred funds again it's much, much less appealing, but the bonus system itself isn't really the problem. I don't think this group of casinos is any more deceitful than other casino groups that advertise sign-up bonuses you usually need to wager on slots.

[Vesuvio]

It all sounds complicated until you've played at one of these casinos. Then if you're in the bonus account (not hard to recognise as you enter a different account number to access it) and click on the "Casino Action" button it tells you the wr remaining and the available amount to transfer. If you choose to transfer anything it tells you your new balance in the real account. It's actually a model of clarity, which does make you wonder why they couldn't pay someone competent $100 to write an explanation for their website!