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Joining The Fight Against Predatory Terms

Published

7 years ago

October 31, 2017

The UK online gambling industry is being dealt a series of powerful blows following findings by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Gambling Commission.

The investigation concluded that players may be losing out due to “inadequate or unclear information about the restrictions and conditions that apply to the promotion before sign-up” and “restrictions on their right to withdraw winnings…unless they meet extensive wagering requirements”.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements associated with casino bonuses have been in existence for years, at least since crafty players realised they could profit from the bonuses with little or no risk. Nevertheless, they have sat quietly hidden away in the terms and conditions of online casino websites, with few genuine players being aware of their existence.

The terms protect online casinos from bonus abuse by requiring that players wager a bonus several times over before they can become eligible to withdraw it or any winnings won from it. Whilst wagering requirements are necessary in their own right to prevent abuse, casinos have taken the terms to the extreme and in many cases impose excessive wagering requirements making it impossible for players to withdraw legitimate winnings.

Furthermore, the investigation raised concerns that wagering requirements force players to “play for longer than they had bargained for before they can withdraw money” and “players may not be able to withdraw what remains of their deposit, and any winnings, when they want to stop playing”.

Consequently, wagering requirements can not only be used to confiscate winnings unfairly, but could also be a contributing factor towards irresponsible gambling – the very issue the Gambling Commission exists to prevent.

Enforcement Action

Since 2015 UK license holders have been required to include in their promotions any significant terms and conditions to avoid misleading players. Largely unfazed by the guidelines it was business as normal for online casinos, until May 2017 when BGO Entertainment were fined £300,000 over misleading advertising on its own and its affiliates’ websites.

The fine was followed up by a warning from the Gambling Commission over unfair practices and promotions surrounding wagering requirements and restrictive terms. Together, they sent shockwaves through the industry and led to a flurry of operators promptly displaying the significant terms of their bonuses prominently across their websites. Additionally, affiliates were also ordered to comply else have their agreements and commissions terminated.

To top it off, August 2017 saw 888 being fined a record-breaking £7.8million as a result of “serious failings in its handling of vulnerable customers”, reiterating the Gambling Commission’s stance on non-compliance.

Transparency

Today, players don’t have to look hard to notice the effort made by operators and their affiliates to prominently display significant exclusions and limitations of promotions. It seems that casinos can be transparent about their terms and conditions after all.

However, as a result of this increase in transparency, it has become more apparent just how predatory and unfair the small-print terms have been for all this time, and in most cases, the terms remain unchanged.

The more savvy players will think twice about claiming bonuses or entering promotions with excessive wagering requirements or limitations. For others however, the term “wagering requirement” and the conditions associated with them remain meaningless.

Going “Wager Free”

The confusion surrounding wagering requirements was enough to lead BGO into adopting a “no wagering” model with its promotions. This October they announced that they were going “wager free” and would have no wagering requirements on any of their bonuses, free spins, or promotions.

Although few and far between, wager-free bonuses and free spins are nothing new to the industry, but this is the first time a leading brand has announced they are making the switch entirely.

The commotion has also seen the launch of NoWagering – a website dedicated to casinos with no wagering requirements. Their aim is to make players realise they do have a choice of where to play and to favour casinos with fair wagering terms.

NoWagering’s founder Pavlos Sideris stated “We hope the move taken by BGO to go wager-free will resonate throughout the industry” and that “we could be witnessing an industry-wide trend where casinos compete on favourable terms rather than the size of their bonus”.

With a growing number of casinos shouting about their “wager free bonuses” it would certainly appear that there is somewhat of a trend taking place; and with new “no wagering” casino PlayOJO winning “Rising Star of the Year” award at the EGR Operator Awards 2017, it would also appear that so too is their popularity.

George Miller

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Online Casino in Canada

Published

4 years ago

October 27, 2020

George Miller

Online Casino in Canada

The online casino market in Canada is saturated with thousands of online casinos. When looking for an online casino in Canada to use, you can find Canadian online casinos on Casinobernie.

This website carefully vets the thousands of available casinos in Canada to come up with a sizable list of only the best casinos. You can save yourself money and time by following their simple recommendation.

Here is a list of top online casinos in Canada.

1. Dunder

The Dunder Casino is great for gamers who love playing different casino games and do not have a certain favorite. It is a unique platform with a classy user-friendly interface that whets the appetite of gamers. There are over hundreds of games available on the site from top gaming software providers. The loading time speed of the website is fast and it offers progressive jackpots.

The welcome bonus is equally attractive. After successfully opening an account with Dunder Casino, you get 20 free spins. You also get a deposit bonus of 180 free spins and 100% up to $600. The wagering requirement is 25X.

2. Lucky Days

Lucky Days Casino is one of the best online casinos in Canada. There are excellent games selection available for players, different games to suit all player’s playstyles. The website has a cool design that is markedly different from other online casinos.

It is easy to navigate the site. It uses a filter to make the game search easy and quick. Some of the gams include table games, live casino games, and slot machines with huge jackpots. It also offers some big bonuses.

Lucky Days does not have any bonus without a deposit. It does however have a cool deposit bonus. On your deposits, you can get bonuses such as 100% up to $1500 and 100 free spins. The wagering requirement is 30X.

3. Live Casino

Live Casino offers top-quality casino gaming options. It is the number one feature that separates it from other online casinos. There is virtually no game you want to play that Live casino doesn’t have in a satisfactory format. If you want to play table games, classic or modern slots, or live dealer games, this casino will satisfy your craving instantly.

Live Casino from its name boasts of having one of the largest gaming collections of live casino games in Canada. It makes use of popular payment options to make it easy for customers to process payments (withdrawals and deposits).

It has a casino license that helps remove all doubts about its legitimacy. The customer support is top-notch, reliable, and responsive to customer complaints. Want to use your mobile phones? It is compatible with mobile devices.

Although it does not have any bonus, you can trust the quality and fairness of its services. It is a great pick for punters.

4. Casino Days

If you want to enjoy an amazing casino experience, Casino Days is an excellent choice. It has a great number of games selections from top gaming software providers available on its site. The interface is aesthetic and pleasant to use.

The customer support system is excellent and responsive. It is easy to navigate and offers excellent payment options.

It does not offer any bonus without a deposit. However, it offers up to 100% up to $500 bonus with no free spin. The wagering requirement is 35X.

The gaming providers for Casino Days include Booming Games, Elk Studios, NetEnt, Playson, Thunderkick, Push Gaming, Quickspin, Habanero, Pragmatic Play, and Red Tiger.

5. 24Bettle

24Bettle is another great casino that has a professionally designed platform. It is more than a typical online casino website; it also offers a sports’ bet section. The arrangement of the site with its color themes and neatly layered tabs and buttons allow for easy navigation. You can easily switch between different gaming options thanks to the simple layout. It has a wide range of games available on the site.

24Bettle is the best casinos in terms of the organization in Canada. The excellent work put in to make their website convenient and user-friendly also reflects in the quality of its games.

You enjoy a 100% bonus on deposit up to $480 with no free spins. The wagering requirement is 30X.

Some of the game providers for 24Bettle include 2 by 2 Gaming, Booming Games. Elk Studios, iSoftBet, Hacksaw Gaming, 1x2Games, Microgaming, Gameburger, NetEnt, Thunderkick, Play n’ Go, Quickspin, and Triple Edge Studios.

Conclusion

There are hundreds of online casinos in Canada available for players. However, not all are quality and offer excellent gaming experiences. Some of the best online casinos in Canada are Dunder, Lucky Days. Live Casino, Casino Days, and 24Bettle.

casino

OneTouch unveils new Russian Poker release

Published

7 years ago

February 5, 2018

George Miller

Single-touch ergonomics make it perfect for on-the-go betting

Monday, 5th February 2018 – Premium games developer OneTouch will arrive at ICE 2018 armed with Russian Poker – it’s latest industry-leading online table game.

Russian Poker offers a unique version of player vs house poker, where the player is dealt five cards and is offered the chance to exchange cards or buy an additional card to make two five-card hands.

Players can also take insurance and buy the dealer a card if they don’t qualify with their opening five cards. This exciting version of casino poker is sure to be an online hit in Eastern European markets where the game had a large and loyal following in land-based casinos.

Matthew Rochman, Head of OneTouch, added: “We’re always looking to add a modern flair to traditional table games and that’s exactly what we have done with Russian Poker.

“The game is hugely popular in Eastern Europe and we are confident players will love our crystal-clear graphics and mobile-first approach as we bid to make it a modern-day classic.

“We believe we are the first company to deliver a state-of-the-art mobile version of Russian Poker and operators who have received been given a sneak preview of this games are excited and keen to add it to their portfolio in 2018.”

OneTouch prides itself on providing an intuitive user experience across all of its titles via a single touch on all modern handheld devices thanks to its cutting-edge JavaScript framework and mobile-first approach to layout design.

The decks are also shuffled using a Provably Fair RNG, allowing players to verify the integrity of the shuffling and cards dealt to them, creating a gaming experience which is both exciting, enjoyable and fair.

OneTouch’s full portfolio of titles, which also includes roulette, blackjack and baccarat, will all be available to demo on Stand S9-112 at ICE 2018.

About OneTouch

Isle of Man-based OneTouch Technology Ltd develops premium table games for online casinos worldwide by combining innovative mobile-first designs with sharp single-touch interactivity to deliver a superior online gambling experience on both desktop and hand-held devices.

For more information, please visit www.onetouch.io

casino

Greek Casinos Could Start Giving Loans

Published

7 years ago

January 18, 2018

George Miller

A new bill tabled in the Greek parliament on Monday could allow casinos to lend money to reliable customers to gamble.

In an omnibus bill being voted on Monday amid strikes and protests, there is a provision which will enable casinos to lend over 50,000 euros to select customers to continue playing if they need to, a Greek finance ministry source said.

This new law is aimed at foreign customers, to facilitate more spending in Greek casinos. The idea behind the bill is that studies show many gamblers decide on the place where they will spend their holidays on the presence of casinos where lines of credit are available.

These loans will not involve cash but special chips to be used exclusively inside a particular casino. To convert these special chips into money, any casino loan must have been repaid in full.

Chips will be counted as casino revenue, meaning gambling loans will be taxed, the finance ministry source added.

Plans to expand the availability of gambling in Greece have met opposition, with the local authorities in the Greek islands of Santorini and Crete recently hitting out at government plans to allow casinos to open on the popular tourist destinations.

Media reports from Crete say that local councils in the island are also preparing to launch a campaign against the casinos.