When online casinos first came into being back in 1994 terms and conditions of use were a simple 5 line deal. You signed up at the casino, agreed to honour their rules regarding game play and payouts and that was about it. No match deposit bonuses, welcome bonuses and promotional offers existed so there were simply no terms and conditions to worry about. Can you imagine the online casino world without Terms and Conditions? Sounds like heaven but back then players didn’t realise how lucky they were!

Jump forward a mere 18 years and online casino, bonus and promotional terms and conditions have reached epic proportions. In an environment where online casinos are governed and regulated by various countries and associated bodies they are more accessible to the public, with listed physical address and contacts and some even being publicly traded on international stock exchanges. This has made it imperative for their holding companies to ensure that there is sufficient legal garb to cover every aspect of their operations.

Not only are there general terms and conditions regarding use of online casinos, but the various types of bonuses and promotions each warrant their own special explanations and legal coverage to protect both the online casino and the players.

Wading through the seemingly endless pages of terms and conditions can be a player nightmare, and most people just accept these without reading them, often to their detriment, especially when dealing with a rogue online casino operation. Even the most honest of online casinos may have terms and conditions that you don’t agree with or feel are right for you. If you’ve read these you will be able to opt out of receiving a specific promotion or bonus, but if you accept the T&C’s without reading them, there will be precious little you can do about it going forward. So always make the time to do so.

The evolution of online casino terms and conditions is one that may not be seen in a very positive light by many, but they do show just how far online casinos have come and also how much more they offer players now than in their earlier days. It is just unfortunate that with greater rewards comes greater responsibility by the player to know and read about all of the ins and outs.