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ARTICLES
Be Careful With Bonuses
All internet casinos offer sign-up bonuses. They have to do this to compete in the market. But are players reading the fine print before they deposit their money? No, they are not. Message boards are filled with posts from players who did not read the fine print before they made deposits, and have no recourse when things turn out not to be what they seem.
Players are gamblers, and by definition they want to play NOW!! This is the number one reason for their not taking the time to do their research. If you're buying a CD, you'll search all over for the best deal. The same rules should apply to "buying" a casino bonus.
1. Do a search on the message boards to find out if other players have commented on this casino.
2. Send an email and ask for an explanation for the bonus rules; not only what is required to EARN the bonus, but also what is required to CASHOUT the bonus. Not only will you have something in writing, but you will also find out how responsive the casino is to players. If you don't get a response in a reasonable time, no more than a day, then don't play there. Period. Do you really think they will answer your emails about a problem if they won't answer an email without a problem?
3. Post a question on a few message boards asking if anyone has recent experience with the casino. Use more than one message board, since you want to get a cross-section of responses.
4. ALWAYS read ALL of the "Terms and Conditions", both for the casino, and for the bonus promotion. The "condition" you don't read, is the one that will cost you your money.
5. Make sure they have a toll-free number. This is no guarantee that they will pay you, but it does show they are willing to spend some money on customer service.
6. If the software has a "play mode", use it before you make a deposit. Some software is "offline" in play mode, but at least you will have some idea of how the games are playing. Software that is "online" in play mode, will probably have the same percentage payout as "real money" play.
7. Have you used this software before? Is each casino responsible for itself, or does the software provider take responsibility for assuring that players are paid.
8. Have other casinos using this software gone out of business. If they have, do you know why? Were players paid before the casino folded?
9. What E-Cash provider does the casino use? Are they reliable?
10. DO NOT PLAY EZECASH CASINOS!!
Using the experience of other players is a valuable tool that can save players lots of money and headaches; not to mention heartache. No one know heartache like a player who has a big win, but can't get their money. Arguing with a good casino because their "terms and conditions" were not met is bad enough, but arguing with a disreputable casino because you did not know their history, is even worse.
"A FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE EASILY PARTED"
Some sites that will give good information on "rogue" casinos are: Gamemasterlist.com, Winner On Line Message Board, Gambling Grumbles, and the Online Players Association.
