Casino Bonus Issue, Help Needed

[clinton lewis]

Hi All.  Bit of help please. I have been playing casinos for many years and have  been watching videos on Youtube.  I have just signed up with a casino and deposited $100 and received $150 bonus.

The $100 showed up in My account as real money and the $150 as Bonus money. I have always played blackjack with the real money and then play the bonus money on slots. The terms state that when the bonus money is in play that I cannot bet more than $5.  I was under the impression that the bonus money was only in play when the real money was gone and the bonus money was being used.

To cut a long story short. I bet $50 in blackjack twice lost my real money balance. I then played slots with the bonus money and didnt bet more than $5 per hand.  I won $5000 and played through the wager and withdrew but now they have confiscated my winning saying that I bet higher than $5.  I interpreted the WHEN THE BONUS MONEY IS IN PLAY as when the bonus money is used. This casino did not allow me to take my bonus money to the blackjack table.  Please advise

[ValDes]

Hello there and welcome to AskGamblers. 

Unfortunately, no definite answer and advice could be given without knowing all the relevant bonus terms. Feel free to provide more details to receive adequate assistance from our community. 

Thanks. 

[clinton lewis]

Does this help? 

The only time I exceeded the $5 max bet is when I used my real money balance at the start on blackjack. Their blacjack does not contribute to wagering requirements. When I started betting with the bonus money I had zero per cent contribution to my wagering requirement.

Below is the clause they are saying I breached.

[pinnit2015]

I have raised this before in a thread because of the ambiguity of this term ‘in play’. Some casinos take it as bonus money in account and some only if you use it : Redbet, I can play DOA with bonus money in account as it doesn’t show.

Some sites will say you cannot play with bonus funds in account. That’s pretty clear - don’t play restricted games even if bonus money not touched.

For me in play means you’re in it. Any reasonable person I think would say that. At your point in betting, with real cash, it can’t be in play because it’s not being used: providing it works like that.

It isn’t clear to me - I can see a bit how you could say the bonus is in play by virtue of it being in your account but yeah...

Thats why I always check with the casino before that happens. 

The term in play is an idiom - meaning in action. Not using it, can’t be in action

I’d like to see cases like this in front of a contract lawyer: pretty sure it’d find in favour of the player if you never touched it.

[Fiekie247]

Basically as Mr Pinnit has advised, he is correct and accurate. "Ïn Play" can be very tricky you know. So in order to fights, it will be a battle lol. Back and forth between the casinos.

 

Now most sites do have real cash balance and bonus cash balance. Although the amounts are separate it still classified as bonus funds, as you cannot withdraw without completing wagering requirements, or cancel the bonus and all winnings are lost and you only left with your deposit even though you win money with your real cash first.

Now there are exceptions, like redbet, slotsmillion, fruity casa, winning room etcand the likes where you real cash are in fact your real cash and if you place bets with your real cash, no matter the bet size, then you can withdraw whenever you win big. Normally with these type of casinos, you will find that wagering only starts when your real money is finished and you start using your bonus funds.

So don't confuse yourself. Some casinos give you this illusion that its real and bonus separate, because remember all winnings from real cash sometimes goes to the bonus balance as well.

 

Now in order to tell you whether you have a case or not...

 

What is the name of the casino?

[Afi4wins]

Nowadays, at almost all casinos, if a bonus is claimed and is in the Bonus account, then the max bet ruling comes into play, even though you may only be playing with your cash money first. This is ambiguity in the casino's favour...more like a trap for us players...hence it is always best to deposit and not take any deposit bonus or free spins offers. No bonus taken, no free spins waiting to be played, means no restrictions at all.

But of course, there is always a recourse for salvation, but it's usually a long and winding road...best to be avoided in the first instance, if possible.

[TheAverageGuy]

While better wording may be "while the welcome bonus is active" I've always read it and presumed that was the case, especially on direx sites where a bonus is either waiting to be activated, active or resolved either through completing wagering, losing the bonus, expiration or cancellation. So, in this case as I've always accepted the terms once the welcome bonus was added to the account, it became in play.

 

jmho

[pinnit2015]

47 minutes ago, TheAverageGuy said:

While better wording may be "while the welcome bonus is active" I've always read it and presumed that was the case, especially on direx sites where a bonus is either waiting to be activated, active or resolved either through completing wagering, losing the bonus, expiration or cancellation. So, in this case as I've always accepted the terms once the welcome bonus was added to the account, it became in play.

 

jmho

And there's the problem....running with presumptions; something you should never have to do when reading t's and c's. 

2 casinos used exactly the same phraseology and when i asked them if i could play DOA with the bonus money untouched; one said yes as long as i didn't go in it and one said no.

Even better would be something like 'you cannot PLACE BETS with bonus money on these slots'  or, if they don't even want you to play restricted games even if the bonus is not touched, 'These games cannot be played when bonus funds are present in the players account, whether the player places bets with them, or not, during the course of play'.

PS - if you play at Ikibu, a truly awful casino for bonus players,  you'll have about 3 slots to play: their list of restricted games reads like a Bible - they even put Bonanza at 50% towards wagering and 90X the wagering. So, in effect, 180X. 

Regardless, best check with CS before you spin (but again, why should you need to if the terms are clear. Spoiler - you shouldn't have to :-p)