He started off fast with a couple of quick wins and then went on to play in a progressive jackpot slot machine. After just a few spins, the man hit one of the biggest jackpots in the history of online gambling: £5,100,000. That translates to roughly $8,000,000 in US dollars. Not a bad turnout after a sleepless night if you ask me.

The man won the jackpot at the BetFred.com casino. I don’t know much about this gambling site, but apparently it’s a pretty popular casino site in the UK. The owners of the casino were quick to call the lucky man and congratulate him on the big win. It’s always nice to see online casinos react positively to big wins.

The big jackpot win occurred at the Beach Life slot machine. Beach Life is an online slot game with a jackpot that grows over time. A small percentage of every dollar wagered at the slot machine goes towards the progressive jackpot. If you hit the right combination like this guy did, you’ll be in for a massive payday.

Time to Brag

It’s funny to report on this story after my last blog post talked about the best ways to win big jackpots online. My first recommendation was Bet365 Casino, which also happens to have the same Beach Life slot machine.

Note: CasinoFYI.com is set up to automatically show visitors from the USA a different casino because Bet365 does not accept USA customers.

Dumb luck obviously played a role in that prediction, but hey – it shows that I don’t pick online casinos at random! If you’d like to try your luck next, give Bet365 Casino a try. Just click on the link above and you’ll be there.

Readers from the United States should check out Vegas Casino Online instead. That casino site also has a nice variety of jackpot slot machines and table games. I can’t promise you anything, but I can tell you where to go for the best chances. If you win a big jackpot, just send me an e-mail and I’ll tell you where to send me the “thanks for the tip” commission.

Just kidding.

Kinda.

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The odds are obviously stacked against you, but that doesn’t stop people from trying every day. And it also doesn’t stop people from winning big jackpots every day. If you’re feeling lucky and want to try to win a big jackpot online, consider playing the following casino games.

1. Progressive Jackpot Slots

Progressive jackpot slot machines have the biggest jackpots on the internet. The jackpots get so big at these games because a small portion of every wager placed at that machine automatically goes towards the jackpot. As people from around the world play at these slot machines, the jackpots grow to enormous heights.

I have seen progressive jackpot slots go as high as several million dollars. A lucky spin at one of these games is all it takes to completely change your life. You’ll have to be extremely lucky to win a progressive jackpot, but it does happen. Just ask the 20 year old kid who won a €11,736,228 jackpot last year at an online casino.

Best casino for progressive jackpot slots:

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Vegas Casino Online

125% unlimited deposit bonus

Vegas Casino Online is a highly trusted online casino with a long list of table game and slot machines. The software downloads quickly but Vegas Casino Online also offers an instant play version.

• Lots of slots and progressive jackpots
• High paying table games
• Fast withdrawal times

Not needed

2. Progressive Jackpot Table Games

Progressive jackpot table games can also create some impressive paydays at the right casinos. The progressive jackpots at table games work in much the same way as they do at slot machines. A portion of every wager is added to an ever-growing jackpot. If you get the right combination of cards, you’ll be the latest big winner.

Best casino for progressive jackpot table games:

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Casino Titan

400% up to $3000 Signup Bonus

Casino Titan is a high quality gambling site that accepts players from the United States. A big game selection and positive reputation make this an easy choice for real money gamblers.

• Large progressive jackpots
• Frequent slot tournaments
• Big game variety

Not needed

3. Online Keno

Keno isn’t my favorite casino game because the house advantage is huge and the odds of winning are even lower than other types of jackpots. Even so, plenty of people enjoy Keno because it’s an easy game to play and there are frequent smaller wins. If you don’t mind having the odds stacked against you, Keno is a pretty action-packed game. Lucky players who pick the right numbers at casino can easily win a five or six figure jackpot with no effort.

Best casino for online keno:

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Lucky Red Casino

400% up to $4000 Signup Bonus

Lucky Red Casino is our favorite all-around gambling site. It has a large list of games and quality gaming software. Most importantly, Lucky Red Casino is a trusted online casino.

• Reputation for security and safety.
• No maximum cashout.
• Large progressive jackpots.

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Times have changed, though. The internet has opened new ways for you to make money through gambling without owning your own casino. Most online casinos today have affiliate programs in which they will pay you a percentage of all the revenue that they earn off players that you send to those casinos. In this way, you can take a share in gambling revenue without actually being the casino.

The perfect example of this is CasinoFYI.com. Yep, I’m an online gambling affiliate. I get paid for sending players to online casinos. I know this might sound bad, but if you look around CasinoFYI.com a little, I think you’ll see that I actually do care about my visitors. I always try to give the best gambling advice and always make it a point to remind you to keep a close eye on your gambling habits.

How to be a Gambling Affiliate

The cool thing about the gambling affiliate industry is that anyone can give it a shot. It costs nothing to sign up at a casino affiliate program. All you have to do is fill out a couple forms, get your special affiliate links and start sending players to those online casinos. The hard part is building a popular website that actually sends players to your casinos.

The good news is that you can do it all for free. I started this website with a budget of $0 and have turned it into a profitable endeavor by writing hundreds of articles and continually improving the website. It’s now a profitable website and I do spend some money maintaining it, but I started the site with nothing. The point is, anyone can do it with enough hard work.

1. Pick Your Gambling Affiliate Programs

The first step in becoming a gambling affiliate is to find programs that you wish to promote. You need to be careful in this regard because not all affiliate programs are equal. You have to choose programs that meet two requirements:

• They treat players fairly
• They treat affiliates fairly

I hope that you want to choose affiliate programs that treat players fairly because you have a moral compass. There are a lot of shady operations out there that take advantage of unsuspecting gamblers. At the same time, there are even more reputable programs that treat players well. You might as well do the right thing and stick with reputable casino affiliate programs.

Here are a few that I recommend (sub affiliate links included):

• AffiliateEdge
• MainStreet Affiliates
• AffActive
• Bet365 Affiliates

2. Sign Up and Get Your Links

After you have a few casino affiliate programs ready to go, it’s time to sign up for those programs and get your special referral links. Casino affiliate programs cost nothing to join. Just look for the “sign up” link and fill out the requested information. This will create an account in which you can track your progress, see your earnings and withdraw your money.

Next, you can get your links by logging into your affiliate account. These links are the key to making money at your affiliate program. Anyone who clicks on one of your links and visits an online casino is tracked to you. When (and if) your players deposit and lose money, you get paid a percentage of those losses. The average in the industry is around 35%.

It might sound bad to only make money when you visitors lose to the casino, but you have to remember that gambling is a form of entertainment. As long as you are honest with your readers and make it clear that the casino has an advantage in the long run, you’ll be fine. I constantly preach about how the casino has an advantage and I still make plenty of money with this website.

3. Promote Your Links

This is the hard part of being an online gambling affiliate. You have to find a way to get your links in front of lots of eyes. My personal preference is to set up a website like this one and fill it with good content. If you work hard, write well and persist during the tough startup stages, you’ll eventually start making money.

The easiest way to get started is to buy web hosting from someone like BlueHost.com or GoDaddy.com. You can then log in to your web host and install WordPress with a few clicks of the mouse. Once you have WordPress up and running, you can start filling it with content.

Websites aren’t the only way to promote your affiliate links. Some people have had success with offline campaigns. This isn’t my specialty, but I’ve seen people set up casual poker leagues at local bars and connect with potential players in person. As long as you have your affiliate links, the sky is the limit.

I could write a thousand pages on building a website and promoting your links, but I think I’ll set you free at this point. If you guys want me to follow up with more information, just let me know. I’d be happy to write a series on becoming a gambling or poker affiliate.

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There are three tournaments in particular that you’ll want to watch out for this month:

• $10,000 Guarantee: February 13^th
• $10,000 Guarantee: February 24^th
• $10,000 Guarantee: March 6th

Each of these tournaments has a guaranteed prize pool of $10,000. You can buy in directly to these tournaments or qualify via heads up challenges and any one of 360 freeroll satellites that Bet365 will be hosting this month.

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Bet365 Poker

200% up to $1000 Signup Bonus

Bet365 Poker is a large online poker site with a perfect reputation. A large signup bonus and lots of tables make it one of the best poker sites in the world.

• Generous welcome bonus
• Large player base and lots of tables
• Fast withdrawals

None Needed

You have 10 days to qualify before each of the three events listed above. I know I’m a few days late on the first event, but you still have plenty of time to qualify for that event plus the remaining two. If you don’t qualify, you can buy in directly before the tournament begins. There will be a variety of freeroll qualifiers and heads-up qualifiers that cost just 375 Merit Points to enter.

Speaking of which, Bet365 is bumping up the number of Merit Points that you earn during this promotion. Instead of earning the usual 15 Merit Points per dollar paid in tournament fees, you will now earn 20 Merit Points per dollar paid in tournament fees. These Merit Points are a part of the VIP program and you can use them to join tournaments for free and redeem other prizes at Bet365.

And that about covers everything for this promotion. Three big tournaments are coming up and there will be lots of qualifying events throughout the rest of this month and into March. Good luck tournament players!

Click here to visit Bet365 Poker

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From February 7^th to February 9^th, Lucky Red Casino is giving 20% cashback on all net losses in the casino. This means that if you have a bad run during that time, you’ll get 20% of those losses returned to your account. So let’s say you lose $200 in the casino, Lucky Red will give you $40 back on Friday.

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Lucky Red Casino

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Lucky Red Casino is our favorite all-around gambling site. It has a large list of games and quality gaming software. Most importantly, Lucky Red Casino is a trusted online casino.

• Reputation for security and safety.
• No maximum cashout.
• Large progressive jackpots.

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I’m not a big math person, but you can look at this as significantly lowering the house advantage on all casino games. I’m not sure if this equates exactly to a 20% reduction in the house advantage, but it definitely helps.

If you were planning on doing some high stakes gambling any time soon, I recommend that you schedule it for Tuesday through Thursday of next week. The time window isn’t that long, but you don’t see these kind of promotions very often. Take advantage of it while it lasts.

You can claim this bonus on Friday the 10^th by sending an e-mail to promotions@luckyredcasino.com

Click here to visit Lucky Red Casino

Deposit Bonuses

Lucky Red Casino has a standard casino bonus for all new players plus a couple of other bonuses for current players. If you need to make a deposit to take advantage of the cashback promo, make sure to get a little extra bonus money while you’re at it:

New Player Bonus:

400% Deposit Bonus for up to $4,000 extra

Use bonus code: LUCKYRED400

Permanent Bonuses:

65% Unlimited Bonus for Slots Keno and Scratch Cards

Use bonus code: SLOTS65

55% Unlimited Bonus for Blackjack, Video Poker and All Table Games

Use bonus code: OTHERGAMES55

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Playing at home, the New England Patriots are favored by a touchdown. The real question in this game is whether or not the Ravens can find a way to defend all of the Patriots offensive playmakers. The Patriots have destroyed teams by getting the ball to Wes Welker and their talented TE’s in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Ravens are likely to double Gronkowski and put more pressure on the line of scrimmage. The problem is, Brady gets rid of the ball fast which means we might see him go after his WR’s more often than usual.

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JustBet Sportsbook

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• Clean betting interface
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CasinoFYI

For the Baltimore Ravens to win this game, Joe Flacco might have to play the best he’s ever played. He’ll need to record TD’s in the red zone, have limited 3 & outs, and keep from turning the ball over. The Patriots defense picked off 23 passes this year, and they’re likely to create points off of turnovers. The Ravens will also need to get their running game going, which shouldn’t be a problem with Ray Rice carrying the ball. If Rice can be his usual self, he can eat valuable time off the clock, keeping Brady off the field. Here are the latest Patriots vs. Ravens betting odds for the spread, money line, and over/under:

Betting on the Ravens/Patriots Point Spread

The point spread on this game has fluctuated between 7 and 7.5 points since it opened. Once the weekend gets here, we should see more movement on the spread.

The odds below are based on Thursday night at 8:00pm ET. For the latest Ravens Patriots line, click on any of the links below.

Best Ravens Point Spread: +7 (-105) at 5Dimes.com and JustBet.cx

Best Patriots Point Spread: -7 (-105) at 5Dimes

Ravens vs. Patriots Money Line Odds

Considering the Patriots 23-1 home record over the last three regular seasons, it’s tough to bet against them on the money line. Currently listed at -320, this is one of my favorite bets of the weekend. Remember, in money line bets it’s all about value. If you feel that one team will win more often than the odds reflect, then the line is showing value.

Best Ravens Money Line Odds: +275 at 5Dimes

Best Patriots Money Line Odds: -305 at 5Dimes

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots Total Odds

I’m picking the over in this game, expecting the Patriots to get their typical 30+, and the Ravens offense to put some points on the board as well. Ray Rice could eat up a lot of yards in this game, making it more difficult for the Patriots secondary to pick off Flacco. If the Ravens keep the turnover ratio equal or win it, they should be able to put up 20+ points. If they lose this battle, the Patriots offense is likely to generate points from turnovers, which could make up for lost points by the Ravens.

Best Odds for the Over: 50 (-110) at JustBet, or 50.5 (-102) at 5Dimes

Best Odds for the Under: 50.5 (-108) at 5Dimes

Ravens – Patriots Expert Predictions

Be careful of the so called ‘experts’ you hear on ESPN and talk radio. If you watch any of the NFL pre-game shows, you’re certain to hear about how terrible the Patriots defense is, and how they’ve given up the 2nd-most yards this year. Games aren’t decided by how many yards a team puts up, it’s about points. While they ranked 31st in the NFL in yards allowed, the Patriots ranked 15th in points allowed. Better yet, they only gave up 19.3 point per game at home during the regular season.

The Patriots are almost unstoppable at home, and the Ravens have a huge battle in front of them. Personally, I think the Ravens offense can be effective in this game, but it’ll be tough for them to outscore the Pat’s. I’m predicting a final score in the range of 31-20 up to 35-24.

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I don’t understand how exactly all this world web nonsense works, but I know we need to start blocking them intertubes and watching what our citizens view. This is especially the case with online gambling. It’s a dirty business on the same level as brothels and crack dens.

1. Because online gambling is the devil

It’s a moral issue. Gambling is evil and any upstanding citizen would reasonably equate online gambling with devil worship. And we also know that the US government was created to not only protect life, liberty and property, but to also legislate morality according to some religions but not others.

It doesn’t matter if you or your religion has no problem with online gambling; the government knows the difference between right and wrong better than you do. Look at all the good things our government has done for us in the past. And you actually think you can determine right from wrong by yourself? Please.

Even the billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson is morally opposed to online gambling. This guy has made literally billions of dollars serving casino games to gambling degenerates around the world and even HE knows how evil online gambling is.

2. Prohibition is highly effective

Anyone who knows a little history knows that prohibition works every time. The prohibition of online gambling is sure to work. People will not find ways to gamble, rogue companies will not set up shop overseas and we will not have to worry about some sort of black market opening up for online gambling. This has never happened in the past.

Also, look at what prohibition did for drugs and alcohol. Remember Al Capone? Well, I don’t see him around anymore. And look at how many people we have in prison today thanks to drug prohibition. Looks like we’re catching all the bad guys if you ask me.

3. We have to protect the kids

Underage gambling has become a huge problem in countries that have legalized and regulated online gambling. Look at the UK. Did you see all those riots over there last summer? My guess is it was all the kids going crazy and needing their gambling fix.

Online banking, online credit card applications, online shopping, online horse race betting and online pornography are all legally available in the US, but online gambling is a whole other story. Kids are going to flock to it and there is no way gambling sites can verify identities, ask for driver’s licenses, require banking information, enable parents to block their kids or anything else of that nature.

4. Everyone is going to become a gambling addicted psycho

Do you really want to live in a society where the only thing someone needs to do to gamble is turn on their computer? No, of course not. We need to at least make these people drive 30 miles to the casino, get free drinks all night and then drive home again. The computer just makes it too easy for addicts to get their fix.

Just look at what happened in the UK after they legalized online gambling in 2006. That country’s economy is in the shitter. I keep hearing about how bankers have been making bad “bets” that got them and all their neighbors into financial trouble lately. Online gambling has nearly ruined the UK. It is impossible for online casinos to allow self-exclusion programs or monitor customer accounts for signs of problem gambling.

5. We have plenty of extra money to spend on gambling enforcement

The United States has an unlimited supply of money that it pulls out of thin air. This means we have plenty of money to spend on keeping these gambling crooks off our streets. We can either take FBI agents away from murder cases and have them investigate gambling or we can hire a bunch of new agents to keep track of online gambling in the US.

Both options are fine with me. As long as we keep these psychos locked up for a long time, I’m happy. The last thing we need is a bunch of online gamblers running loose.

6. We do not need the tax benefit of online gambling

Did you even read #5? We have plenty of money in the US. We do not need any more tax revenue. It has been estimated that if taxed, online gambling could bring in up to $42 billion for the US government over the next 10 years. But don’t let those big numbers fool you ; the US has plenty of money to pay for all of its obligations. This is just overkill.

Plus, it is estimated that more than 30,000 new jobs would be created if online gambling was legalized in the United States. Can you imagine what it would be like to have another 30,000 gambling fiends running around, working and having money to spend on whatever they want? It would be chaos.

7. We need to give other countries a chance

Other countries aren’t very smart. We need to give them a chance. Hundreds of billions of dollars in online poker and gambling income flows to other countries right now. If we were to open competition here in the United States, our superior online casinos would take all that profit. Then what would those other people do? Sell bananas on the side of the road?

Besides, we don’t really need that kind of money here in the United States. We have everything we need right here. And if you ever run out of something, our government will take care of it for you. There’s a reason we have subprime mortgages, welfare, social security and some kind of fancy new universal healthcare plan.

8. Online gambling exploits stupid people

In 2009, Chad Hills from Focus on the Family said that online gambling exploits the weaknesses of others. He also worried that online gambling would make it too easy for gamblers to develop an addiction and go into bankruptcy. He didn’t have any research on hand and he didn’t cite any sources for this information, but I believe him. He’s from a cuddly sounding group that focuses on the family, so he can’t be wrong.

The fact is, most people are lucky just to get their shoes on the right feet. They will just log on, deposit all their money and go bankrupt. “Click your mouse, lose your house” as the old saying goes. With all the illegal online poker and gambling going on in the USA already, look at how many people have lost their houses. I remember reading a while back that home foreclosures were at all-time highs across the nation. Why? Gambling.

9. Online gambling funds terrorism

Online gambling is a great way to launder money and fund terrorism. If Osama Bin Laden’s nephew (or whoever is in charge now) needs to send a couple million over to his associate in Yemen, all he needs to do is log onto PokerStars, purposely lose money to his buddy in Yemen, avoid PokerStars’ collusion detection systems and bam, his friend now has a couple million ready to blow shit up.

If we legalized and regulated online gambling, it would be impossible for the banking industry or poker sites to know their customers, notice suspicious activity or report large deposits and withdrawals. None of that stuff happens in other industries that involve large sums of money, and it definitely doesn’t happen in live casinos.

10. We need more laws on the books

Only 40,000 new state laws were introduced to the American public at the beginning of 2012. Why do you think we are enacting so many new laws at such a fast rate? It’s because we are short on laws. I don’t know who was asleep at the wheel lately, but it’s clear we are playing catch-up here.

If states are that low on laws, just imagine how bad it looks at the federal level. We need to pass more laws and restrict citizens even more. Most people do not know how to act in an intelligent, self-serving manner. We have to tell them how to act and keep them in line. That’s how it’s been since the beginning of civilization and that’s how it always will be.

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The simplest bonus is a weekly cash giveaway in which Sun Palace gives $100 to 10 different players at random. You do not have to make a deposit or do anything special to qualify for this cash. Just opt-in to the promotion at the Sun Palace website and look for your name in the weekly newsletter. This isn’t life changing money, but I like the fact that it comes with no strings attached.

If you have an account at Sun Palace Casino, there is no reason to pass on this promotion. A new drawing is held every week, so you actually have a decent chance of winning at some point. An extra $100 is always useful no matter how big your bankroll is.

Click here to visit Sun Palace Casino

The second free cash promotion is hosted as a part of the Sun Palace VIP program. Any time you play in real money games at Sun Palace Casino, you earn frequent player points. You can redeem these points at the end of each month for a quick cash bonus. Here’s a quick look at the rewards:

• Earn 200-499 comp points: $25 cash
• Earn 500-999 comp points: $50 cash
• Earn 1000 or more comp points: $75 cash

In addition to the above cash prizes, Sun Palace Casino hosts a drawing each month for the players who earned any of the above bonuses. Five players will be selected at random to receive an extra $50 on top of the above cash prizes.

I’ll admit that you can find bigger bonuses elsewhere, but these bonuses are simple and easy to earn. You don’t have to jump through a bunch of hoops to get your money. I also have a lot of trust in Sun Palace. It’s operated by a great company that consistently impresses me with its cashouts and overall quality experience.

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Best No-Deposit Casino Bonus

Casino Titan has a free $7 bonus that you can get if you use the coupon code TITAN7 when you sign up for an account. This casino is open to players from the US and around the world.

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Casino Titan

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• Large progressive jackpots
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Getting No-Deposit Bonuses

No-deposit bonuses are offered by select online casinos. The first step in getting a no-deposit casino bonus is finding a gambling site that is offering one. We recommend the casino recommended above because it has just such a promotion and is highly regarded by real money players.

Once you have a casino in mind, you can get your no-deposit bonus by signing up for an account. Sometimes you will need to use a bonus code of some sort and sometimes you will get the bonus automatically. Once you complete the signup process, the bonus money will be waiting in your account.

The Pros of No-Deposit Bonuses

The biggest benefit of getting a no-deposit bonus is that you do not have to make a deposit to get it. Most gambling bonuses require you to make a deposit. If you are short on money or simply want to test the waters first, a no-deposit bonus is a great way to get started at any online casino.

You start using the bonus right way to play casino games and win real money. You do not need to fund your account or even provide a credit card number. Just make an account and you can get started right away.

The Cons of No-Deposit Bonuses

No-deposit gambling bonuses come with restrictive terms and conditions. The greatest disadvantage of such a bonus is that you will eventually need to make a deposit before you can withdraw any winnings that you earn with the free money. So although you don’t need to deposit to get the bonus, you will need to deposit before you can cash out your winnings.

Secondly, the bonus money itself cannot be withdrawn. The only thing you can withdraw is any money that you win by wagering the deposit bonus. This is an important thing to notice because it throws many players off. Some players may even feel scammed when they try to withdraw their bonus money and then realize that only the winnings can be withdrawn.

No-deposit bonuses also come with win caps. This means that you can only win so much money with the free cash that you start out with. This cap is usually set at around $100 to $200. Anything you win above that amount is not going to do you any good. So if you sign up and win a million dollar jackpot, don’t get too excited; you’re only going to get about $100 of that money.

The final disadvantage of no-deposit bonuses is that they come with wagering requirements just like regular bonuses. Every no-deposit bonus on the internet requires you to wager a certain amount of money before you can withdraw any of your winnings. So if your first bet results in a $100 win, you’re still going to have to keep betting before you can withdraw the winnings.

Think About it Like This

The list of cons is clearly longer than the list of pros, but that does not mean no-deposit bonuses are a bad deal. The best way to think about no-deposit bonuses is as a small bonus that you can use to try the software and maybe win a little money. You do not want to look at no-deposit bonuses as a chance to get lucky and win a million dollars.

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Now, let’s get on to today’s topic: the hazards of casino bonuses.

Online casino bonuses offer certain advantages, but you should be aware of a couple of hazards before you get them. This is not an article that denounces casino bonuses (I love casino bonuses); it’s an article that will help you make the most of casino bonuses and avoid any unpleasant surprises.

1. Most casino bonuses are not cashable

The vast majority of casino bonuses cannot be withdrawn. This is especially surprising for poker players who switch over to casino games. Not all is bad though; casino bonuses can be used to win real money that you can cash out. You can cash out anything that you win by wagering the bonus, but you cannot cash out the bonus money itself.

If you know this going in, it’s not such a big deal. You have extra opportunities to spin the reels and win money. However, it can be a nasty surprise if you went in thinking you were going to get to cash out the bonus right away. Online casinos do not go out of their way to clue you in on this restriction, but you can find it by reading the terms and conditions of any bonus.

2. All casino bonuses have clearing requirements

Online casinos require you to wager a certain amount of money before you can withdraw the winnings that you earn from the bonus. In many cases, casinos will say something like “you must wager 20 times the bonus amount before withdrawing your winnings.” This means that if you get a $200 bonus, you will have to wager a total of $4,000 before you can withdraw any winnings earned with the bonus money.

That might sound like a lot of money, but wagering requirements aren’t too difficult to meet. The high payout rates of online casinos make it possible for you to place a large number of bets without losing a lot of money. Plus, you always have the chance to win a bunch of money while you clear the bonus.

If you do not meet the clearing requirements and then you try to make a cash out, you will automatically lose any winnings that you earned with the bonus money. Your initial deposit is always safe, but any winnings that you collected with the bonus money are gone. This can be a huge negative surprise to new casino players.

3. Restrictions apply to clearing bonuses

Some games do not count towards meeting the wagering requirements. Even money games such as blackjack, craps and roulette are often restricted from counting towards meeting the wagering requirements that I mentioned in point number two above. You can find out which games do not count by reading the terms and conditions of any bonus offer.

Going even further, some online casinos will void your winnings if you even place a single bet on the restricted games. I’m fine with everything else so far, but this just strikes me as dishonest. I don’t see any harm in placing a few bets on blackjack while you work on clearing a bonus. The simple act of betting on restricted games should not be grounds for losing an entire bonus.

How You Should Think of Bonuses

Casino bonuses should not be thought of as cash infusions for your bankroll. Poker bonuses are great for building a bankroll, but casino bonuses aren’t the best. Yes, you can earn a lot of money with casino bonuses, but the above restrictions limit their usefulness.

I would recommend casino bonuses for people that want to play games like slot machines and table card games. Online casinos allow you to clear bonuses with those games and the extra money will give you extra chances to win. I would not recommend casino bonuses for people who like to play low house advantage games such as blackjack, craps and roulette.

If you decide you do not want to get a signup bonus, you can e-mail the casino before you deposit and decline the bonus. From there, you can just wager and play like normal without having to worry about all the above restrictions. Casino bonuses do have some advantages, but they are definitely not for everyone.

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