ChopleyIOM:521642 said:
I don't understand post-wager bonuses at all, for example I'm taking a look at the SUB for the Virgin Casino, 100% up to £100 on a 25xWR, pretty standard stuff except......
What I actually have to do is deposit £100 of real money, receive no bonus, then wager £2500 off that deposit (and subsequent deposits if required), at which point I'll be given a £100 bonus.
Now I appreciate that the £100 bonus is immediately cashable (or at least, I assume it is), but surely the whole point of bonuses is to boost one's bankroll at the present time, not at some unspecified point in the future?
On a bad run it could take £500 of deposits (or more!) to unlock a £100 bonus, which is crazy stuff.
Am I missing something here? This is not the first time I've mooched on over to the Virgin Casino site, and ended up going somewhere else without depositing because I don't see the point of a post-wager bonus.
If I want to play bonus-free, I'll just straight deposit and play bonus free, simple as that. If I want to play with a bonus, then I want it now!
I quite like them. If I get bored of playing slots & want to play something different it doesn't void my winnings. I always hate that about bonuses being told what I can & cannot play. At least this way there's no harm in playing a bit of video poker or blackjack, & if you win & want to cash it out, you can. Each time you play an eligible game it goes towards the bonus & eventually when you reach the target you get the bonus, with no strings attached when you get it.
I can understand your point of view as well. And if you want that extra hit on your first deposit to increase playing time on slots it isn't quite as appealing.
Maybe what Virgin should do is have two different bonus welcome codes. One for post wagering bonus & the other for the familiar instant bonus added to your balance there and then. That way both types of player are kept happy
Personally I really don't like bonuses, seem to cause more trouble than they're worth. I also think by now the different casino softwares online, should be advanced enough to detect if you have a bonus, and only allow you to play games and bet sizes you're allowed as part of the wagering requirements. I mean it is nearly 2013 and this still hasn't happened?
If the software automatically only allows play on eligible games and to place the bet sizes in the terms & disables autoplay etc there's no more confusion for players and no more of this voiding of winnings and stealing players deposits, for breaking some bullshit terms like 'Irregular playing patterns? Hedge betting, Not being in the spirit of the bonus? (The spirit being to lose I suppose) Use of autoplay, playing of non-allowed games.
Brand new players can't be expected to understand these difficult terms and IMO are falling into a trap.
Perhaps it's time to stop bonuses. Or at least have alternatives available which are just as appealing but don't involve brutal dictator like terms and conditions attached to them. Keep the bonuses for players who want them and fully understand what they're getting into.
But it really is time to move on and come up with other options as well. I don't know, how about gift vouchers, free booze vouchers (they give you free drinks in some land casinos, why not give you free vouchers to spend in your local wine metchants.) Free credit for your phone, prize draws for smartphones, free clothes, caps. Concert tickets, free music downloads, video games, travel etc. These are just off the top of my head. Obviously you only get the more expensive gifts for higher deposits, but for deposits of say £10 you get two free beer vouchers or a bottle of wine, and for Evey tenner spent get an extra beer voucher, no wagering, (you don't have to meet wagering requirements for free drinks in land based casinos.)
Not saying these are particularly good ideas of mine, they are just off the top of my head, I'm sure good marketing people could come up with better ideas that would work and don't make the player feel uncomfortable with bizarre unfair wagering requirements & not open to abuse.
Another long post sorry