Introduction

[onlinecasinooptions]

Hello all.

Quick intro — I'm James, based in England. I spent a number of years working around bookmakers before moving over to the online side, which has left me with a fairly cynical view of how bonuses get marketed.

The thing I've become slightly obsessed with is wagering requirements, and I'll happily die on this hill: the industry standard 35x is basically a fiction. A £100 bonus at 35x means staking £3,500 to unlock it. Most players never get there, and the operators know that. It's a number designed for an advert, not for a player.

Which is why I think the zero-wagering casinos are doing something genuinely different rather than just marketing differently. 50 free spins you actually keep beats £200 you'll never withdraw. The maths isn't close, and the industry relies on people not doing it.

Anyway — here to learn as much as contribute. Interested in what this lot make of the no-wagering trend. Genuine shift, or just a smaller hook dressed up as generosity?

Cheers,
James

[Afi4wins]

@onlinecasinooptions Hi there and welcome to the forum.

Unfortunately for me, my country is forever restricted from anything wager-free, so I can only watch and weep! 

[Blackjax]

1 hour ago, onlinecasinooptions said:

Hello all.

Quick intro — I'm James, based in England. I spent a number of years working around bookmakers before moving over to the online side, which has left me with a fairly cynical view of how bonuses get marketed.

The thing I've become slightly obsessed with is wagering requirements, and I'll happily die on this hill: the industry standard 35x is basically a fiction. A £100 bonus at 35x means staking £3,500 to unlock it. Most players never get there, and the operators know that. It's a number designed for an advert, not for a player.

Which is why I think the zero-wagering casinos are doing something genuinely different rather than just marketing differently. 50 free spins you actually keep beats £200 you'll never withdraw. The maths isn't close, and the industry relies on people not doing it.

Anyway — here to learn as much as contribute. Interested in what this lot make of the no-wagering trend. Genuine shift, or just a smaller hook dressed up as generosity?

Cheers,
James

You may not have to wager the winnings from free spins but you still have to wager the initial deposit 3x or even 5x. And chances are you will lose some. Also lots of casinos are now fixing minimum withdrawal amount to €50 or higher so even if you get these 50 free spins from €20 deposit you have to still play your initial deposit. 

[marius1978]

Wagering a bonus 30-40x sounds a lot harder than it actually is. I know, because I do this successfully on a weekly basis and have been for years. Not every time, of course, but enough times to make it all worthwhile. The casinos, too, know well it puts them at a disadvantage and that's why their bonus rules tend to be so strict and why they won't let you take too many bonuses.

[Icy]

Welcome @onlinecasinooptions! You sound like the James Bond of wagering requirements!

Yes 35x - 45x is a repeated grind especially after much efforts to try completing them! While wager free spins are nice if you get something from them, the casinos would add resistance to your cash out being that the wagers required for anti money laundering are still in place. Wager it 3x - 5x. Hope you enjoy this forum.

By the way, beware of spamming/posting links and most importantly that Malaysian moderator. That dude is quite scary! He's mad with power and slightly crazy

The Welsh mod however is quite transcendingly beautiful, a bit tough but very 

You'll love it here as much as I do!

[loceff13]

7 hours ago, marius1978 said:

Wagering a bonus 30-40x sounds a lot harder than it actually is. I know, because I do this successfully on a weekly basis and have been for years. Not every time, of course, but enough times to make it all worthwhile. The casinos, too, know well it puts them at a disadvantage and that's why their bonus rules tend to be so strict and why they won't let you take too many bonuses.

Nothing sweeter than hitting a big win and picking a good RTP slot with low max win and grinding out a cashout and beating the casino :D.