Bonuses play a crucial role in marketing online casinos. It is primarily because of these bonuses that there are so many players gambling online.
Online casinos attract players through bonuses that they offer. Although these bonuses are largely offered everywhere, there are certain occasions when they differ between locations. This is mainly due to restrictions on gambling in certain countries or states, although there are other reasons too.
Because of gambling restrictions, players will do well to check the terms and conditions of every bonus they look to claim. It is likely that there will only be minimal differences based on location, if any, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
Locational Gambling Laws
Locations with relaxed online gambling regulations should present no problems to players claiming casino bonuses from local or offshore casinos. For example, in Canada, online wagering is legal, so access to online casino bonuses in all locations will likely be accessible.
In the US, only six states permit online casino gambling for real money within their state lines. Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia allow online gaming operators. As such, no bonus restrictions for players will likely be in place.
In states like Florida, for example, the status of online gambling is not as well-defined. Laws are currently in place that prohibit online casinos from operating within state lines. A recent ruling by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruling, however, paves the way for legal online sports betting.
Ultimately, this could lead to legal online casino operations sometime soon as well. Until that time, Floridians, and players in other excluded states, have to rely on offshore casinos for online gambling. This gambling solution is somewhat of a grey area in most of these states, but authorities are more lax in enforcing the current laws.
What the lack of true legality does mean is that offshore casino operators might restrict access to certain bonuses. Players from countries where forms of gambling, online or not, is illegal, should resist the urge to use VPNs to access online casinos. Authorities could see claiming bonuses with a VPN as intentionally breaking the law.
Location-based Bonuses
Every online casino operator can choose to offer specific bonuses only to players within their host country. They can also offer bonuses only to specific zones or continents of their choosing. There is no regulation stating that an online casino MUST offer its bonuses to all players from every location.
Some offshore casinos may offer exclusive bonuses to new players that sign up through specific websites. Not only must the sign-up be from the site mentioned, but often the website lists countries or locations excluded from the bonus offer as well.
These location-based bonuses are not common, but they do occur from time to time. For this reason, online casino players should always ensure they are playing from a qualifying region before trying to claim a bonus.
Payment Method Limitations
Many online casinos limit access to player bonuses depending on the payment methods used. Payments via Neteller, Skrill, and certain other e-wallets may disqualify a player from claiming a welcome bonus.
Other offshore casinos don’t accept cryptocurrencies as forms of deposits. They might otherwise exclude them from bonus qualification. Players using cryptocurrencies to gamble should instead identify online crypto casinos. Signing up with these will ensure they qualify for bonuses.
Bonus Limits
An online casino operator or a country’s online casino regulator could enforce a limit on the bonus types and amounts offered to players.
An extreme example of this involves Sweden’s official gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen. This regulator allows the country’s registered online casinos to offer a sign-up bonus to home players only. Thereafter, it permits no further forms of bonuses either.
Through Spelinspektionen, a sign-up bonus cannot be more than 100 Swedish Krona (around $10). As a result, many Swedes choose to make use of offshore and unlicensed casinos for their gambling experiences instead.
Like the Swedish offer, many offshore casinos set restrictions on bonus amounts. They are generally more appealing than those set in Sweden, though. Stipulations may exclude certain regions or currencies from these offers.
In Closing
Players should remember that online casino bonuses are not obligatory. They are instead a marketing tool that casino operators use to attract players. As such, they can vary for locations outside a casino’s target market. Players who are not satisfied with any existing restrictions have the option to find another casino that does cater better to their needs.
