Monthly Archives: November 2012

Are no deposit online casino bonuses on the decline?

If you’re a veteran online casino player you may have noticed (to your dismay) that very few online casinos offer no deposit bonuses these days. You may too have wondered why this has happened, after all, these bonuses were very prolific for a number of years and really went a long way in helping you to test out a new casino or casino software platform and even enjoy a few free rounds on your favourite casino game.

The main reason why few online casinos offer no deposit bonuses can largely be attributed to the sheer number of bonus abuse and fraud cases that they had to contend with over the years and the countless man hours that were invested in resolving these.

Another reason that we have seen a decline in no deposit bonuses can also be attributed to the fact that the industry is maturing and many players have realised that no deposit bonuses often carry complex wagering requirements, with many ultimately requiring a deposit to withdraw funds over a certain amount. This makes genuine deposit offers with more favourable wagering requirements a far better option for serious players. The new generation multi-deposit bonus offers are even more attractive as casinos move towards rewarding repeat and loyal casino players.

As the industry has matured, online casino offerings have also evolved with “Free Spins” and “Free Credits” offers now being the most common replacement for no deposit bonuses. Essentially they are very similar but many do require a deposit to cashout or transfer winnings to a real player account so essentially they are not free.

While we may have seen a decline in the completely no strings attached no deposit bonuses, some casinos do still offer them, but for the most part it is better in the long term to make a small deposit when trying out a new online casinos, especially for testing purposes and if you win you’ll be assured of cashout once the wagering requirements are met, with no need for additional funds to be deposited.

Another great way to try out a new online casino is to make use of the “Free Play” function. While you may not win anything, you also won’t lose anything, and if your motives are purely “testing” out the software, this can be very effective and highly enjoyable – for the short term anyway.

What Recourse do Players have when Online Casinos don’t Pay?

What recourse do player have when online casinos don’t pay? This is question that we often get asked and that also appears on various player forums around the net. The answer is not really a simple one, but it does require some examination of the situation surround the lack of payment as there are both legitimate and unjustified reasons for a situation like this to arise.

Legitimate reasons for an online casino not paying out are usually attributed to the lack of compliance on the player’s part when it comes to the terms and conditions of the online casino in general or with regard to the bonus terms and conditions. If a player has not met the wagering requirements or has displayed any conduct that seems suspicious or indicative of bonus abuse, then the casino has a legitimate reason to withhold payment. Over the years we have found that when trusted online casinos do not pay, it is usually for a very good reason.

As a player, if you are having issues regarding payout with what is generally accepted as a “legitimate” or “white-listed” casino, the following recourse is advised:

Contact the online casino’s customer support team and discuss the reason as to lack of payment. Generally you will not need to proceed further than this step and any online casino worth its salt will resolve the issue with you in a professional and legitimate manner.
Should the situation arise that the issue is not resolved to your satisfaction you may contact the casino’s regulatory body which should be published on its site, for example eCogra who will investigate on your behalf should they be satisfied that you have a legitimate case.

There are however cases where rogue and generally blacklisted online casinos do not pay out and over the years it has been established that many of these casinos withhold payments without justification and as such should be avoided at all costs.

This offers little respite for players who have been unwittingly duped by such shady organisations and the following course of action can be taken:

Contact player support to establish the justification for lack of payment and to broker a resolution.
If this does not resolve your issue, you can contact the casino’s regulatory body – that is, if they are registered with one.
If no regulatory body exists, contact the licensing body under which it is licensed and regulated. Again this may not offer a successful solution as many dodgy casinos are not really licensed or regulated and operate from undisclosed locations.
Report the issue on a player forum, occasionally forum owners and moderators have “ins” at online casinos and can cause a great deal of damage to reputations if they do not receive satisfactory solutions.

With rogue casinos, the above steps do not guarantee any form of resolution, so you may have to write your losses off and mark them down to experience. Thereafter, it is essential to always ensure that you only play at recommended and trusted online casinos in future, so rather invest some time in research before spending your hard earned money.

Are Online Casinos Increasing Bonus Offers as Generous as they seem?

As the online casino industry expands and becomes progressively more competitive and online casinos are forced to vie for new players’ attention in an increasingly cluttered online market space.

As such, in recent years we have seen many amazing online casino bonuses emerging in an attempt to attract attention and entice new players into visiting the casino. While this may seem great as a player, there is something that should be kept in mind – the terms and conditions behind the bonus offering!

While the bonuses may seem to be increasing in generosity on an on-going basis, what we’ve noticed most recently is that the wagering and/or play through requirements at many casinos have increased in proportion to their offerings. Some that once had wagering requirements of 25x the bonus plus deposit now carry a requirement of 35x or 40x these.

This means that ultimately you may not be receiving more at a casino with a huge bonus offering than you are at one with a smaller offering that carries lower wagering requirements.

It is therefore more important than ever to read through the terms and conditions that apply before playing at an online casino, especially if you are making your decision based primarily on their bonus offering.

Fortune Lounge Cruise Extravaganza

The Fortune Lounge Group of Online Casinos which consists of popular player favourites like Royal Vegas and Platinum Play casinos never misses a beat when it comes to monthly promotions and their calendar is action packed all year long.

November is no different and marks the start of a four month long Fortune Lounge Cruise Extravaganza which is their 6th cruise event, showing just how popular these promotions have become.

It also means that from the 1st of November until the 28th of February they’ll be giving away 50 double luxury Caribbean cruise packages and €100,000 worth of final on-board cash prizes.

There will also be weekly giveaways to the total value of €150,000, so this is definitely a promotion you don’t want to miss.

Each month has its own specific title, for example November is entitled “Cruise Card – Earn chips to win” and to take part all you have to do is the following:

Each week for the month of November you’ll receive a new card to complete.
Depending on the week, you will be able to earn chips either for depositing or the wagers that you make.
You will be required to earn a chip for each block on the card in order to complete it.
Once you have completed each row on the card, you will be entered into a lucky draw for the prize indicated at the end of that specific row.
Some of the cards will offer free chips to assist you in completing the card faster.
You have one week (7 days) to complete a card.
Once you have completed Row 4, you will gain entry into the lucky draw which offers you the opportunity to win a double ticket for The Fortune Lounge Cruise.
If you complete the card before the 7 days are up, you will get an additional card.
Each additional completed card will earn you extra entries to win more prizes.
You will receive a new card every Thursday, starting from the 1st of November.

The other months also have their own unique games, there is the Pick-A-Gift on Festive Beach promotion in December, in January Spin-To-Win on the Island Style reel and keep a lookout for February’s Mystery Promotion.

In addition to the grand prizes of the 50 double luxury Caribbean cruise packages, other prizes that are up for grabs in the coming months include Fashion accessories and Watches, iPads, potentially lucrative Free Spins, casino credits, Rewards points and deposit match bonuses.

There is a whole lot of winning to be done in the next 4 months, so don’t delay, get on over to Platinum Play or Royal Vegas online casinos now and you could be the next lucky winner!

Golden Riviera Casino ups November Tournament Pot

Golden Riviera Online Casino has long enjoyed a favourable reputation with players who enjoy an exciting gambling experience that is backed by a solid group offering not only a huge variety of casino games but also good customer service and a safe, secure online environment.

Golden Riviera is always looking for ways to please its players and this month has really upped its game by increasing its regular €10,000 monthly slots tournament pot to a guaranteed prize pool of €15,000!

The popularity and success of the previous monthly tournaments has inspired the increase and now players have the opportunity to enjoy the excitement of the usual slots tournaments with even more rewards.

The new €15,000 tournament is a freeroll which means that you don’t have to pay to enter. All you have to do to take part is register on the 5th of November 2012. The tournament will then run from the 9th until the 19th of November 2012. The selected game for this month’s tournament is the ever popular Thunderstruck II online video slot and the player who comes out top on the leaderboard at the end of the tournament will walk away with the lion’s share of the increased jackpot prize.

So whether you’re a new or existing player at this casino, make sure you don’t miss out on the exciting slots tournament action in November at Golden Riviera Casino.