Casino bonuses have become a popular marketing tool used by casinos across the iGaming industry. They are designed for both new players and existing casino users, with each type being easily accessible to anyone interested in discovering them.
Even if these incentives are easy to reach, claiming them is an entirely different matter that the gambler must be careful about. Seeing a bonus doesn’t automatically mean that it will work for the bettor. There are various reasons why promotions might not function when one tries to activate them.
This article will explore the factors that influence a player’s eligibility for bonus codes for online casinos. They range from licensing to geographical aspects and others. The material will outline the consequences of using a VPN and why a player might wish to steer clear of it.
Geo-detection
Trustworthy casinos operate under licenses that ensure they comply with regulations designed to protect players. Depending on the license, operators may be available in certain jurisdictions but not in others. This affects the player’s ability to claim location-based offers.
Betting sites analyze your IP address when you try to enter, using special software to discern whether you are in an eligible place to gamble on the platform. If you are in an ineligible place, the casino will restrict your access to the site.Â
There are cases in which bonuses are targeted for certain countries, which means that you may use them only from those jurisdictions. Any attempt to activate them from elsewhere will cause the offer to fail.Â
Other eligibility aspects
In case the bonus is eligible in the gambler’s country, but still doesn’t work, there are several other possible causes. Let’s take the most commonly encountered ones and explain them:
- New customer exclusives
Many casino promotions serve to attract new players, which is why they are only available to them. In this case, only newly registered users will be able to claim them, while the existing gamblers with accounts are ineligible.Â
- Single-use offers
A majority of bonuses are single-use, meaning that once the player uses them, there is no chance of claiming them again. The bettor must pay attention to the offers he uses and keep count of them in order to avoid this issue. When one tries to claim a single-use promo code a second time, it may not work or appear unavailable.
- One-per-household rules
While single-use promotions work because casinos track each individual account, one-per-household bonuses depend on the player’s IP address. If more gamblers share an IP and one has already claimed it, the others might be ineligible. The betting site includes such conditions in its general bonus terms, which is why it is important to read them.
- Excluded payment methods
There are bonus codes that require deposits, which only work with certain payment methods. Usually, the operator mentions this in the offer description, clearly stating which methods are ineligible. Even if the player can use them on normal deposits, using them to activate the bonus will result in a failed attempt.
- Expired bonus
One of the most common problems that a bettor can encounter is an expired bonus deal. In this case, it’s less an issue of eligibility, but one of timing. Operators state the expiry date in the promotion’s description. Once the date has passed, the promo code won’t work for anyone trying to trigger it.
Why VPNs are not the solution
Many bettors seem to think that the solution to the geo-blocking issue is to use a Virtual Private Network (better known as a VPN). This security technology hides a player’s IP and encrypts their online traffic, helping bypass geo-restrictions.
Although the gambler can use the promotion, the VPN only artificially fixes the issue. Most bettors forget to take into account that the IP address is not the only way of discovering one’s location. Since gambling sites require payments, they can identify the country of the player’s payment method.
In addition, KYC verification is a requirement for initiating withdrawals at casinos (in some cases, it is mandatory to complete it to activate the offer). To validate the gambler’s account, they must provide their address and confirm it with an official document. This gives the operator the information needed to discern that the user may not be eligible for an offer.
In these cases, the casino will void the winnings and restrict or even close the account. This is why VPNs are not the solution, since their use will most likely result in a ban from the platform, leaving the player unable to sign up for another account.
Final thoughts
Reading a promotion’s terms is the easiest way for players to determine whether they are eligible to use it. This is an essential step toward responsible gambling. Since betting is an activity that can lead to addiction, it is best to be careful.
Gamblers should respect a casino’s policy regarding bonus eligibility. Promotion hunting is a forbidden practice that can become dangerous, so players should seek professional help (from organizations like Gamblers Anonymous) if they feel they are losing control over their betting behavior.
