Even though the idea of a good juicy bonus might bring about the same feelings of happiness generally associated with hugs and pizza, there’s always that one individual that’s bound to ruin the party. In this case, it’s a whole group of people who actively engage in bonus fraud with the intention of claiming special bonuses and promotions more than once.

A Girl Pointing Her Finger

Simply put, you shouldn’t be greedy! Nor should you expect to find loopholes in the T&Cs clearly stipulated on the casino’s site. Nevertheless, players can become bonus abusers inadvertently, so not all abusers are consciously trying to cheat the system. It’d be worthwhile to read this useful article by AussieCodes.com that discusses the hidden dangers of bonus abuse.

Table of Contents

Is It Worth the Risk?

The idea of being able to claim a substantial bonus more than once has crossed players’ minds at least once throughout their casino journey, but is it worth the risk? In the manic online casino world we inhabit today, operators consistently outdo themselves when it comes to promotions, both in the form of acquisition bonuses like welcome bonuses for instance, as well as retention bonuses which could include cashbacks or deposit bonuses amongst others.

As a general rule, welcome bonuses are usually the most substantial, and that’s because the main idea here is to attract new players to the casino or sportsbook. The temptation to claim a no deposit bonus multiple times is always going to be there, however, you’re also going to want to keep in mind that anything online leaves a digital trail, and you are sharing very specific information with the casino which you would be required to verify should you wish to request a withdrawal. Caught cheating? Boom, there’s a chance you’re going to get blacklisted forever.

Understanding Casino Bonuses

Now before we get into the different ways that a bonus abuser could commit online fraud, it’s important that you understand what you’re signing up for when opting in for a new online promotion. Keep in mind that casino bonuses are often created with the intention of bringing in new players, with new deposits to the casinos, so if the promotion you’ve been eyeing seems too good to be true, chances are it isn’t. With that in mind, once you’ve covered the basics in the T&Cs there are also several benefits associated with bonuses, which include allowing you to play new games for free, or perhaps taking slightly higher risks than you might usually. Popular online casino promotions include:

  • Welcome bonus – available to first-time subscribers and typically requires a minimum deposit and includes a bonus and free spins.
  • No deposit bonus – does not require any financial commitment, and funds are transferred directly to your casino account.
  • Cashback bonus – a percentage of house wins are returned at the end of the week.
  • Deposit-match bonus – the casino will match your original deposit, automatically doubling your bankroll.
  • Reload bonus – available to returning players that have already made a deposit in the past.
  • Free spins – a number of spins are allocated on a particular game allowing you to play for free.
  • Loyalty points – the casino will allocate points for various activities such as playing games or claiming promotions which can be collected and exchanged for various gifts.
  • Referral programs – some casinos offer a cash drop whenever you refer a friend.

Bonus Fraud Red Flags

Operators are aware that there are always going to be players who sign up with malicious intentions, but of course there are also a number of ways to spot them. As a matter of fact, online casinos will generally employ a team of people whose job it is to prevent such fraud. Common signs to look out for include:

  • Short Timelines – whenever a fake or multiple account is created, there’s usually a shorter period recorded between chip dumping or requesting a withdrawal. Red flags are also raised when a player completes his or her registration in a very short time, indicating that they may have already done this before.
  • Game Patterns – there are some games that generally have a higher appeal to fraudsters than others. These include table games like poker, which has always notoriously attracted cheaters.
  • Suspicious Tracking – another interesting way of nipping casino abuse in the bud is when casinos look at the digital history data associated with each account, even when VPN or Proxy Servers are used. Two important things to keep in mind here are that both the ISP as well as the hardware/software configuration data should be unique for each account.

Necessary Steps for Prevention

There are also a few steps operators can put into place that should result in lower bonus abuse. So, is there a way to stop a bonus fraudster in his or her tracks? While not completely foolproof, here are a couple of ideas that would help in this situation.

  • Geo Restrictions – even though this might sound unfair, because yes, of course, there are good and not-so-good people everywhere, statistically speaking, there are certain geographical regions that register substantially higher numbers linked to bonus fraud and abuse.
  • Creating More Rules – another method used by casino includes adding on to the complexity of bonus terms and conditions. This is done by increasing withdrawal and wagering requirements for example.
  • Lower Payouts – of course, the lower the bonus the lower the risk, which could protect the casino from bleeding out too much should the worst occur.
  • KYC – referring to ‘know your client’ this onboarding process allows casinos to verify player accounts by crosschecking personal information with official documents amongst others.