Online casinos have very detailed terms of use, and you accept all of them when you sign up. Among these terms, the most strict and difficult to understand may be the “bonus abuse” clause. The language used in this clause is often vague, and this alone can be unsettling for casual players. However, the purpose of this clause is to protect the casino from coordinated exploits: there is no reason for casual players to be concerned.
Nevertheless, it is important to know what bonus abuse is at online casinos like Fortunica, why it exists, and exactly what it covers. Here, we will explain what it entails and what you need to know about this clause.
What Is Bonus Abuse?
Bonus abuse refers to the misuse of a bonus offered by an online casino through various means. Its primary purpose is to prevent fraud and arbitrage, as players can exploit almost any type of promotion by working together in a coordinated manner. To better understand what this clause entails, let’s look at some examples:
- Attempting to claim the same bonus using multiple accounts. For example, consider a no deposit bonus: let’s say the casino gives 20 free spins to every player who opens a new account. A player could open 100 different new accounts using different credentials and claim this offer 100 times. Each time, they would get 20 free spins and could get a total of 2,000 spins.
- Playing using bots. This means placing low-risk bets using software bots to complete the wagering requirements, which we will explain below. The bot selects the bets with the highest probability of winning (for example, even money bets in roulette) and plays non-stop to complete the wagering process in the shortest possible time with minimum risk.
- Attempting to guarantee profit with coordinated bets. This involves multiple players betting simultaneously on sports bets that offer only two outcomes (e.g., win or lose), with each player selecting a different outcome. So, one player bets on “win,” the other on “lose.” By adjusting the bet amount according to the odds offered, they guarantee a certain profit regardless of the outcome.
This clause is not limited to these examples; they are merely the most common ones. In general, any behaviour that results in the bonus being used for purposes other than its intended purpose is considered abuse.
Why Casinos Use Bonus Abuse Clauses
Contrary to popular belief, online casinos operate with very low profit margins, and the misuse of promotions, which are used as a marketing tool, can cause them significant financial damage. Like any business, they try to protect themselves from exploitation, so the abuse clause is normal, and players who use promotions as intended are not affected by it.
It is also normal for things considered abuse to be described in vague terms, because casinos do not want to clearly state what will be detected to malicious individuals. If you prepare a detailed list such as “the following will be considered bonus abuse” and describe each action in detail, a malicious player will find another method that is not listed.
The Parts of a Bonus Terms Page That Matter Most
To understand what constitutes abuse, you also need to be familiar with other and general bonus terms. Although they vary from casino to casino, most promotions use the following terms, which are defined as follows:
| TERM | EXPLANATION | EXAMPLE |
| Wagering Requirement | Let’s say you win 1,000 GBP using your bonus. You cannot withdraw this immediately: first, you must play with your own money until you reach a total amount determined by the wagering rate at that casino. For example, if this rate is 20x, the total amount will be 20,000 GBP (20 x 1000). | “Bonus and free spin winnings must be wagered 40 times.” |
| Game Contribution | When working on wagering requirements, the amount of your wagers that contribute varies depending on the game type. Generally, wagers on slot machines contribute 1 to 1, but in other games this ratio can be much lower. | “Slots contribute 100%, table games contribute 5%.” |
| Max. Bet Limit | It means there will be an upper limit on the bets you can place in the games until the wagering requirement is completed. | “Maximum bet that can be placed is 6 GBP.” |
| Withdrawal Limit | You could be lucky enough to win £100,000 with a £100 bonus, but you cannot withdraw all of it. The maximum amount that can be withdrawn is limited to a certain multiple of the bonus. | “You cannot withdraw more than 5x the bonus.” |
| Restricted Countries | The bonus can only be claimed by players in certain countries. | “Players from the following countries are not eligible for this bonus:” |
Abuse Phrases You Should Know
The following phrases are frequently used in bonus abuse clauses, and it is important to understand what they mean.
| PHRASE | MEANING |
| “Irregular betting patterns” | Betting on multiple outcomes for the same match at the same time, no pattern in bet amounts (such as suddenly switching from small amounts to large amounts) |
| “Low risk strategies” | Any strategy that reduces risk for the player, such as only betting on red or black in roulette |
| “At our sole discretion” | “If we suspect abuse, we will ban your account without being limited to the examples listed here.” |
How to Protect Yourself
If you are a player who uses promotions as intended, the likelihood of being mistakenly labelled as an “abuser” is extremely low. However, if you want to further reduce this possibility, we recommend paying attention to the following:
- While an active wagering requirement is in place, do not attempt to place bets exceeding the maximum limit in games. Repeatedly doing so may raise suspicion.
- Do not use a VPN. VPN services change your location and IP address. This is a tactic frequently used by players attempting to claim the same bonus multiple times. Country restrictions are also often bypassed this way. Even if that is not your intention, using a VPN can lead to you being flagged as suspicious.
- If you forget your password, do not create a new account; instead of resetting it. This is perceived as attempting to use multiple accounts, and sometimes all your accounts may be closed without even asking why.
- During the wagering process, only play games with a 100% contribution rate. These are mostly slot machines and crash games. Even if you don’t like these games, continue playing them until the wagering requirement is completed. Frequently changing games and choosing games with a low contribution rate during this process may be flagged as suspicious behaviour.
- Learn everything that is expected of you as a player during the wagering requirement process. You can learn this simply by reading the bonus terms & conditions. If the casino wants you to play certain games and behave in a certain way, comply with these.
Our final piece of advice is to ask the casino’s customer service if you are unsure about anything. Prefer the email channel, so you have a written statement in your hands. If you are concerned that a behaviour may be considered abuse, ask the support team clearly and wait for the answer. To reiterate, the likelihood of triggering the bonus abuse clause is already very low for regular players, but by following these tips, you can have a much safer and more reliable experience.
