Bonuses - What Are They Intended For?

[AussieDave]

I rarely use bonuses these days.

The times that I do is when I've got limited funds. It's good to extend play, of course there is always the hope that I'lll meet WR and cash out. The later however is a moot point as it rarely happens.

 

[TheBloke]

Any chance you'd share lists of casinos in these groups with the rest of the forum?
I'm sure many players would be very interested!

Although then of course they'll have an influx of bonus players, all playing the same way in order to maximise the bonuses, and the bonuses will stop or change, or the player selection criteria will alter.

Better to share this stuff privately so it remains useful.

 

[vinylweatherman]

Too True

This is true. If a casino realises that players have caught on to how it manipulates them, they will call in the consultants and change the rules.
Casinos that offer more to players who deposit more with or without bonuses are fairly safe from manipulation by bonus players. Casinos that use automation to trigger "welcome back" bonuses that look personalised are very vulnerable indeed. Most of the big groups that are worth playing will take the first path and reward players who play the most. I have found one big group that takes the second path and I have received fairly decent offers after not playing for a month or two, but if I put through $thousands the promised benefits of being a big player never materialise.

There is a third group though, that will give a set bonus to all players which can be predicted from the VIP level. These bonuses will continue until management see that you have won more than a certain amount, and the regular bonuses will be turned off - they are not likely to lure you back with a big offer either, as they are aware that you are likely to beat them yet again.

Unfortunately, as casinos change the rules they allow opportunities for mistakes to creep in that suit the player. This is what leaves them open to the attentions of the pure bonus player. They then make matters worse by pulling the "FU Clause" where they feel a player has been clever enough to spot the error and take advantage. This clause is now being used on players who play very high risk strategies in order to beat WR, such as placing big do or die bets to double their bankroll. This is certainly not a case of not risking own funds, as there is a 50% chance of the player losing everything.
As casinos publically slam another door in the face of the bonus player, their friends are busy looking for the slightly open window

The next slightly open window at present with MG is All Aces VP, and the assumption that doing away with the usual Autoplay is enough to deter the dedicated bonus player. Those who are happy to play $1 Blackjack on a non-autoplay Crypto, RTG or Playtech where still allowed for the bonus will not shy away from the necessary time and dedication required for All Aces if the eventual outcome seems worth it. To give some idea, at the minimum bet of $1.25 per hand and 2% weighting, winning a $10 bonus from EZBonus will take 12,000 hands, with a high risk of ruin. However, over many casinos and a lot of time, just as with the "all on one hand of BJ" method, this presents a win-win opportunity for the player. The comp points from winning the $10 bonus with All Aces play will also yield a further $15, and the expected loss of this long term is $13.5. It's a tiny advantage for the effort required, but it exists nevertheless.

 

[soflat]

The next slightly open window at present with MG is All Aces VP, and the assumption that doing away with the usual Autoplay is enough to deter the dedicated bonus player. Those who are happy to play $1 Blackjack on a non-autoplay Crypto, RTG or Playtech where still allowed for the bonus will not shy away from the necessary time and dedication required for All Aces if the eventual outcome seems worth it.

I got the impression that most $1 BJ bonus players were to wimpy to take these kinds of risks. They play $1 bets because it reduces the variance.

To give some idea, at the minimum bet of $1.25 per hand and 2% weighting, winning a $10 bonus from EZBonus will take 12,000 hands, with a high risk of ruin. However, over many casinos and a lot of time, just as with the "all on one hand of BJ" method, this presents a win-win opportunity for the player. The comp points from winning the $10 bonus with All Aces play will also yield a further $15, and the expected loss of this long term is $13.5. It's a tiny advantage for the effort required, but it exists nevertheless.

12,000 hands of All Aces would take like 20 hours. Nobody's going to play 20 hours to make $15 or $20 are they?

 

[vinylweatherman]

Probably

I got the impression that most $1 BJ bonus players were to wimpy to take these kinds of risks. They play $1 bets because it reduces the variance.



12,000 hands of All Aces would take like 20 hours. Nobody's going to play 20 hours to make $15 or $20 are they?

This is what they are relying on, however, Cryptologic offered a bonus poker game with a similar +EV for the dedicated player (with comps), and this was eventually amended once they found that players were catching on.

The MG solution will probably be to remove All Aces from the comp programs, and a few MG casinos have done so already, such as our old adversaries at Casino Rewards. Many others comp non-slot play at a lower rate of between $25 and $40 of play per point.

Casino Action do not have the same problem due to the structure of the new comp program, however, they have left the catch off on the coalshed door instead

At the Jackpot Factory, someone nicked the coalshed door