Bonuses, rewards, and loyalty programs have become almost synonymous with online casinos. Regular gamblers are used to receiving weekly notifications about new bonus offers or campaigns, whereas new players can’t almost imagine opening an account without an extra incentive. It’s no secret that bonuses have become something of a backbone of the online gambling industry – all due to vast competition.
While there’s undoubtedly an important place for casino bonuses, not all players may want to jump on the opportunity. In fact, there are many gamblers who would argue that it may even be better to start a gambling journey without using any bonuses at all. Below, we’ll uncover a few reasons why players may want to consider playing at their chosen casino without grabbing any offered bonuses or campaigns.
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No Need to Follow Wagering Requirements
The main reason why gamblers may want to opt out of casino promotions lies in wagering requirements. Almost all online casino bonuses come with wagering requirements which set some rules and conditions on using the bonus money.
What makes wagering requirements especially tricky is their complexity and variety. Every online casino has different rules: some may have smaller requirements, and some may be stricter. The higher the restriction, the tougher it is on the player since it requires more betting to release the bonus cash.
If there’s no bonus activated on the players’ account, there’s no need to worry about additional requirements or checking the balance every minute to see whether wagering has progressed.
No Withdrawal Caps
Many casino bonuses come with a restriction no gambler wants to face: a withdrawal limit. As long as the bonus hasn’t been wagered through, it’s possible the gambler can’t withdraw amounts beyond a certain limit.
Even more: some bonuses may apply withdrawal limits on bonus winnings. The player may win 1000 dollars, but if the withdrawal cap is set at 500 dollars, the rest of the balance will be lost.
Withdrawal caps and restrictions can be tricky, but if there’s no active bonus, there’s no need to worry about having withdrawals or winnings limited. Every single win can be withdrawn without additional restrictions, other than the regular limit placed by the chosen payment method.
Unrestricted Game Selection
In most cases, casino bonuses come with certain game restrictions. Sometimes, bonuses can only be wagered when placing bets in specific games or game types, or specific provider’s selection. Often, casino games with lower house edge are excluded (especially games like blackjack or roulette).
This may create a troublesome situation where the unsuspecting player is happily betting in roulette, without even realizing that the game doesn’t count towards the wagering requirement.
It may be fun exploring new casino games, but it also creates a situation where players have to play specific games just to fulfill their wagering requirements, even if they don’t really enjoy the chosen title.
Less Stress
Using a casino bonus can be likened to having a small extra job or a task to do before the fun can even begin. If there’s a casino bonus to be aware of, players have to read through a long list of requirements and make sure they tick every box ideally, otherwise, they risk losing the bonus and related winnings altogether.
Depending on the casino, this list of requirements may be as long as a book chapter. Following such a stringent regimen can cause extra stress which could be avoided by simply not using bonuses – then there are no extra rules to follow and no need to worry about potentially losing any winnings.
No Pressure for Subsequent Deposits
One of the most essential rules of gambling involves keeping track of deposits and never going overboard with spending. However, one of the most significant downsides of casino bonuses is the slight pressure it may give players who are trying to wager through the bonus.
If the bonus hasn’t been unlocked yet, players may be inclined to make new deposits to add funds to their balance and finally hit the wagering requirement fully. This behavior may lead to reckless spending that may drive the player into serious financial trouble.
Without having a pending unwagered bonus, there’s no such spending pressure. The player can just use the funds on the balance without feeling as if there’s a need for new deposits just to unlock the initial bonus.
Final Thoughts
Casino bonuses have their uses, but they also have their time and place – and every bonus is not suitable for every type of gambler. Shiny banners offering hundreds of free spins may be lucrative, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the player should immediately take up on the offer.
Every gambler should practice a responsible and balanced approach in their gambling sessions and consider the offered bonus carefully. Not every bonus is equal and some may come with strict requirements that may even be unachievable for some players. Sometimes, declining even a seemingly good offer is the wisest thing to do.
