Casino Terms & Conditions: Staying in your Online Casino's Good Books

Whether they're referred to as 'Terms and Conditions', 'Terms of Use', 'Terms of Service' or some other name, all online casinos have them, and they're important. The reason is that violating one or more 'terms' is not difficult, and you may do it without even knowing.

Remember that casinos have seen it all and know all the ways that players can violate terms. Many of the most common violations are uncovered during routine money laundering checks to verify your identity. It can be both a legitimate, albeit opportunistic, reason not to process your cashout request.

The operator won't care about whether it was by accident or on purpose. You could lose your winnings, have your transactions voided, lose your deposit and/or be blocked, depending on severity. There is a chance of being refunded, but that's up to the discretion of the operator. Some casinos also reserve the right to demand that cashed out winnings be returned in addition to paying a penalty fee.

We take you through some of the more critical points to stay in the casino's good books and not risk jeopardising your fun – or winnings or winnings, so take a look at our guide to help you with understanding some of the most important terms of online casinos.

Underage Gambling

In most countries, the legal age of gambling is 18 years of age, although it may differ in your country. When registering a new casino player account, you will need to enter your age. Never lie about your age as this is a material breach of the casino terms.

Prohibited Jurisdictions for Gambling

Responsible online gambling can be a great deal of fun. However, it's not legal in every country, or it can be heavily restricted.

For example, countries such as the United States have complex online gambling laws because each state determines its own laws. No reputable offshore licensed online casino will risk accepting players from America.

Another example is Australia, which restricts offshore operators from targeting Australian players.

The term will always contain a list of prohibited jurisdiction, and it's your responsibility to ensure that your country is not one of them.

Lying about your Personal Details

The operator will ask for your personal details, including your contact number, home address and email address including country.

Always fill in the requested information truthfully and accurately. Do not try to deceive the casino by lying. For example, some players in prohibited jurisdictions may try to lie about their country of residence.

Registering more than one Casino Player Account

Under no circumstances should you register more than one account at an online casino. If you accidentally do this, then let the casino customer support know right away.

Registering more than one Casino Player Account per Household/IP

All casinos will only allow one player signup per household or IP address. The reason is to reduce the risk of bonus abuse from players trying to claim a welcome bonus more than once.

Another reason is to reduce the risk of cheating at particular casino games such as live casino poker. In the past, some players would conspire to cheat the house by communicating with each other during rounds.

Sharing Login Details

Another material breach of terms is sharing login and password details with others. Only the player on whom the account is registered may login to the account.

Playing with Money that's Not Yours

Never play with money that's not yours and/or obtained by illegal means. Payment methods such as credit cards must be valid and lawfully yours.

Why you should never use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A virtual private network (VPN) is a server located in another country which you connect to, usually to conceal your real IP address (geolocation). IP addresses can be used by the casino to identify the jurisdiction that you're coming from to decide if it's prohibited.

Some players may use a VPN to fool the operator. This action allows them to register, make a fiat or cryptocurrency deposit, and play slots or other casino games for real money. At first, this might work, but you'll inevitably be caught when the online casino performs an identity verification on you.

Arguably unfair, you could lose all your money playing and not get around to completing your identity verification. However, before withdrawing your winnings, the online casino will look at you and your activities closely.

If you haven't verified your account, then you won't be getting your USD, EUR, CAD, BTC or other currency back. The casino will not process a withdrawal request until it is satisfied that no terms were breached.

Casino Players that remain Inactive

An inactivity fee may be applied to player accounts that have been such for an extended time. For example, a casino may apply a maintenance fee of €2/month for every inactive month starting on the 13th month. If the account is dormant for longer, then the casino may have a policy to refund the balance, donate it or keep it.

Real Money Casino Deposit Requirements

When making an online casino deposit, some casinos may require KYC information for money laundering purposes. All online and mobile casinos have minimum deposit requirements using an accepted casino payment method by the casino.

You can find a list of all accepted online casino payment methods to make deposits and withdrawals in the cashier/payments section of the casino after you've logged in. Some casino may apply a deposit fee, often specified in the T&Cs.

Transactions are usually capped at a maximum. Deposit cancellations, charge-backs and reversals are all typical breaches of the terms and conditions – so avoid them!

Real Money Casino Withdrawal Requirements

Provided that you've verified your identity, you may withdraw your account balance. Some casinos will require you to turnover your balance at least 1x. Other casinos may charge a fee for any money not gambled to cover costs and/or request KYC documents. Additionally, an applicable withdrawal fee may be applied depending on the casino.

Cashouts may have withdrawal limits that are daily, weekly and/or monthly. Some casinos have no withdrawal limits whatsoever. These tend to be bigger and more established operators. If you're a high roller VIP, then the cashout limits are higher.

Progressive jackpot wins also have no limit because the software provider pays them.
For example, Mega Moolah and Mega Moolah Isis progressive jackpots from Microgaming pays out millions each year from the developer.

A common requirement is that players use the same deposit method and withdrawal method. Let's say you made an Indian rupee Ecobanq deposit or Canadian dollar Interac online deposit. Then, you would need to make an Indian rupee Ecobanq withdrawal or Canadian dollar Interac online withdrawal using the same method, respectively.

Some deposit methods such as voucher payments like ecoVoucher, Paysafecard and AstroPay do not have withdrawal capabilities. In cases like these, the casino will choose a method such as a bank transfer to honour your request.

Bonus Money Requirements

Remember that bonus money from promotions such as a cashback bonus, reload bonus, deposit bonus or a no deposit bonus is not real money. This explains why bonus money is held separate from a real money player account.

Bonus money only becomes real money after all the bonus wagering conditions have been satisfied. You forfeit your right to bonus winnings if you try to withdraw it without fulfilling the wagering terms.

Being Verbally Abusive at Online Casinos

It is sad to have to mention, but many casinos have policies concerning the treatment of staff, and others added to the T&Cs. Sexist, racist, defamatory or anything falling under the heading of abusive is prohibited.

It's easy to get frustrated sometimes with casino customer support but remember they are following procedures, so be patient.

Perhaps, nowhere is verbal abuse more flagrant than at live casino tables. Games like live roulette, live blackjack, live poker, Monopoly Live, and more have player live chat functions. These chats are visible to all players and the host. These live dealers (hosts) are trained to deal with harassing players and often ignore or laugh off comments.

Still, telling a female dealer that you 'love her' or calling a male dealer 'an idiot' is not appropriate and can get you removed from a game.

Risks of Unlicensed Casinos or Licensed Casinos in Weak Jurisdictions

While not a hard rule, it is no coincidence that the incidence of stalling tactics and cashout refusals are more frequent at unlicensed casinos and those licensed in weak jurisdictions.

This is not a surprise, really if you think about it. Licensed and regulated casinos like those by the UKGC, MGA or Spelinspektionen must comply with strict regulations for player safety, transparency, fairness and more.

Unlicensed casinos have no regulatory oversight, which means they can get away with more. Rogue casinos have in the past refused payouts by quoting a breach of one or more T&Cs. Sometimes they can be vague and open to interpretations. Many casino terms and condition reserve the right to disable, terminate or suspend a player account at its discretion.

Online casinos licensed in weak jurisdictions such as Costa Rica are not any better. This is why you're better off sticking to European-licensed casinos.

Conclusion

Casino T&Cs are meant to be read – so read them! They can change from time to time, so make sure you review them periodically. You'll usually be notified of any updates.

Responsible online gambling can be fun, and withdrawing some winnings can be the cherry on the cake, so the last thing you want is to be refused your cashout! While some players try to exploit loopholes probably deserve this, honest players may breach a T&C without even knowing it. Since ignorance is no excuse, stay informed to maximise your gaming experience.