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And a word of caution, never ever play any game that is mentioned as "does not count towards wagering requirements" if you are playing with bonus funds. It's too vague and can be read different ways, and many casinos will snatch your winnings if you do so. Always check before-hand and get everything in writing.
I cannot agree more with Casinomeister on this point. I manage Gambling Grumbles and have found that most of the complaints that players have concern bonuses, and they are often the result of not understanding the restrictions.
I just had one grumble about the Slots Oasis Casino in which the player had won over $50,000 but the casino refused to pay him because his first bet was on roulette, which was not permitted under the T&Cs of the bonus.
I would like to repost here the last few paragraphs of that report:
This gets us back to what I said in the beginning -- always make certain that you read and completely understand all of the Terms and Conditions before you play. Even the best On Line casinos, like insurance companies, review everything about your account before making any payouts, especially large ones, and the slightest violation of the T&Cs will mean that you will wind up with nothing.
Remember what I said about "this doesn't mean that there is nothing wrong with those norms"?
Here is what I meant: They establish a "You can lose, but you can't win" situation. I have never heard of a casino contacting a player who had lost to tell him, "your bets were in violation of our Terms and Conditions, so we are refunding your losses." I am 100% certain that if Wolf had picked the wrong number with that initial bet and lost everything, he would never have heard word about it from Slots Oasis (or from any other on line casino).
If you play at a land casino, be it in Vegas, Monte Carlo, or anywhere else, they also have their rules. They might, for example, set a $1000 table limit for roulette bets. If you try to bet more, the croupier will refuse the bet -- or else call the pit boss or even someone higher to get permission to accept it. Under any circumstances, however, if the casino accepts the bet it will pay off if you win.
On line, however, casinos accept the bets and only object if you win -- never if you lose.
This is an easy enough problem to fix. Each promotion has a code and it is entered when you accept the bonus. The software could be programmed to refuse any bet which is in violation of the promo. If that had happened, Wolf would not have been able to make that first roulette bet and he never would have had his grumble.
That is the way that on line casinos should work, but it is not the way they do work. So, unless and until this ever comes about, it is the player's responsibility to make certain he is betting completely within the T&Cs. If he is not, neither Gambling Grumbles nor any other mediator will be able to help him.
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