Bonus abuse
Bonus abuse is a casino's term for claiming or playing bonuses in ways its rules forbid, such as opening more than one account.
Also called promotion abuse, promo abuse
Casino terms let the casino cancel a bonus and its winnings if it decides you abused the offer. The usual list includes:
- more than one account per person, household or device
- using a VPN to claim an offer meant for another country
- betting above the maximum bet or playing excluded games
- low-risk betting, such as covering both red and black at roulette
Example. Two flatmates sign up on the same wifi and each claim a welcome bonus. The terms allow one bonus per household. When one of them withdraws, the casino links the accounts and cancels both bonuses and the winnings.
What people get wrong. People think bonus abuse means fraud, so it cannot apply to them. In practice the term is as wide as the casino writes it, and you can break a rule without meaning to. Some terms are vague, such as a ban on "irregular play" with no definition. That is a warning sign, because a vague rule can be used to refuse almost any win.
The UK's competition authority has acted against gambling firms over unclear rules of this kind. Keep to one account, your real details and the written rules.
Related terms
- Maximum bet rule
A maximum bet rule is a bonus term that caps how much you may stake on a single bet or spin while a bonus is active.
- Game weighting
Game weighting is the share of each bet that counts towards a bonus wagering requirement, which differs by game and is often less than 100%.
- No-deposit bonus
A no-deposit bonus is a small amount of bonus money or free spins that a casino gives you for signing up, without you paying anything in first.
- KYC (know your customer)
KYC (know your customer) is the identity check where a casino asks for documents such as a passport and proof of address, often before it pays a withdrawal.