Written by NonStopBonus Editorial
NonStopEditorial offers expert analysis of online gambling, providing reliable insight into casinos, betting strategies, and game mechanics with accuracy and precision to effectively guide players.
Read full bio 
Can Online Casinos Cancel Your Bonus?
By NonStopBonus Editorial
Collaborative Insights, Trusted Expertise
Online casinos give out bonuses easily but they can also cancel them in the blink of an eye. That is why we are here to help answer all your questions.
Keep on reading and find out why a casino may cancel your promotion, how to avoid it, and what to do if you find yourself in this situation!
Can a casino legally cancel my bonus?
Yes, online casinos reserve their right to cancel your bonus at any moment if you breach the Terms and Conditions or the Bonus Rules. They are not allowed to do this without a reason or without informing you.
Gaming sites make their own rules through the Terms and Conditions and the Bonus Rules or Promotional Terms. However, they also follow strict rules imposed by their licensing authorities. Depending on which authorities they own licenses from, some online casinos are more reliable than others.
An online casino site licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority or the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, for example, will follow protocol and bring to your attention any Terms you have breached that caused them to cancel your bonus.
On the other hand, if you choose to play at an unlicensed casino, there is no guarantee that they will be fair or that they will inform you about what happened.
This is one of the many reasons we strongly advise you against trusting an unlicensed casino with your money and personal information!
Top 8 reasons casinos may cancel your bonus
The 8 most common reasons for casino bonus cancellation are:
- You used VPN software;
- You displayed an irregular playing pattern;
- You own multiple accounts with the same casino;
- Suspicious activity was detected on your account;
- You have exploited a technical error;
- The promotion has ended;
- You used inappropriate language;
- You are suspected of bonus abuse.
Using VPN on online gambling sites
The use of VPN software is probably the most common reason why bonuses are canceled.
However, casinos may even resort to temporarily blocking or even closing your account if they repeatedly catch you using this software.
VPN (Virtual Private Network) software allows you to virtually change your location so you may access content destined for other countries. While some may use this to watch movies and TV shows, others try to use it to gamble on offshore online gaming sites that do not accept players from their country.
Because this situation is so common, online casinos have developed and are constantly improving their VPN detection systems.
Therefore, even if you think you have fooled them, they will catch on to it sooner than later. This means that you may be able to sign up and even claim a promotion before they notice.
But we assure you they will, and when they do, your bonus will be canceled and they may even go further and close your account.
Irregular play patterns
An irregular play pattern may differ from one online casino to another. You can find this information in the Terms and Conditions of the website, where they should state all the actions that constitute irregular play.
Along with these, you should also find the consequences of showing signs of irregular play, which usually include but may not be limited to bonus cancellation.
Usually, this happens when the player is uninformed, rather than them trying to cheat the online casino.
That is why we advise you to learn about the irregular play patterns, so you will not have your promotion canceled because of a simple mistake.
Creating multiple accounts with an online casino
You are not allowed to own more than one account per online casino. This is a general rule that all gaming sites have and the consequences are usually similar as well.
If you own multiple accounts on the same gaming site, the consequences you will have to face include:
- Having all your active promotions canceled;
- Having all your duplicate accounts closed;
- Being permanently banned from that casino and all related brands.
Suspicious account activity
If an online casino detects any suspicious activity on your account, you may lose all your bonuses and even have your account temporarily suspended until the situation is clarified. Gaming sites constantly monitor your account activity for both your safety and theirs.
Usually, the following actions are considered suspicious and may attract bonus cancellation:
- Logging in from multiple devices and locations in a short time span – this may look like your account has been hacked. Therefore, it is not unusual for a casino to block your account and reach out to you. Also, it may raise suspicions that you are sharing your account with other people, which is forbidden and comes with even worse consequences such as account termination;
- Making deposits and then cashing out immediately – withdrawing funds you have just deposited without wagering them may look like money laundering. Doing this repeatedly might get you permanently banned from the casino;
- Any form of fraud – this includes providing false information upon sign-up or during the KYC process (link to KYC page), using someone else’s card for payments, and transferring funds from one player account to another. As you may expect, in such situations the active casino bonuses are canceled, the account is blocked, and the operator may even pursue legal action against you;
- Account collusion – account collusion involves a minimum of two players who participate in the same game or tournament and apply strategies, such as stack balancing or chip dumping, to the detriment of other players.
Exploiting technical errors when gambling online
Whether you have come across a technical error in a game or when browsing the gaming site, exploiting it will only lead to the cancellation of your current promotions.
Remember
Regardless of the type of error you encounter, be it related to your account, your balance, or your wagers, using it to your advantage always brings consequences.
The promotion has ended
Casino bonuses are usually available for a set period of time.
For no deposit bonuses it may range from 24 hours to 14 days, while for promotions awarded upon deposit it can be longer. If you claim multiple bonuses in a short time, you may forget to check the availability and some of them may end before you are done using them.
In this case, the casino will void both your promotion and the funds obtained from it from your account.
Using inappropriate language on online casinos
It is forbidden to use inappropriate language in-game chats or when communicating with the support team on any gaming site.
Doing so will attract consequences such as having your promotions canceled, being temporarily banned from the chat, and even from playing on the platform.
Inappropriate language does not only refer to curse words or racial slurs, but also includes mocking other people, sending angry messages, or harassing a player or a staff member in any way.
Casino bonus abuse
Hunting for bonuses or abusing bonuses is a behavior that casino operators do not tolerate. It may be considered bonus abuse when:
- you stack promotions and use them in conjunction with others;
- you try to create multiple accounts to claim a sign-up offer;
- you register for the free deal, use it, then only come back for other no deposit offers when they are available.
Another situation in which they may label you as a bonus abuser is if you manage to claim a promotion twice. This is usually impossible, but as we stated above, you may encounter technical errors that allow you to do this.
If the casino staff investigates your case and concludes that you have indeed been abusing their promotions, you will not only have all current deals canceled but also your account closed.
Simple guide to avoid casino bonus cancellation
To be able to fully use and enjoy your casino promotions, follow these 5 simple steps:
- Read the Terms and Conditions and Bonus Terms;
- Use your real information during registration and KYC;
- Report any technical errors you encounter;
- Use the promotions you claim and do not cash out funds right after depositing them;
- Be polite when interacting with players or the staff.
While these are all important, the essential thing to remember is to always be informed. Make sure you pay attention to the Terms and Promotional Rules and apply them as you play.
Since some casinos are stricter than others, you may find different activities to be forbidden from one platform to another. It is best to know what they do not tolerate and avoid it.
What you can do if a casino cancels your bonus
If a gaming site cancels your current promotion, here are your options:
- Go through the rules again – read the Terms and Conditions as well as the Bonus Terms again and look for anything you may have done during your gaming sessions that goes against these.
- Contact customer support – start by reaching out to the support team and find out what happened. If the platform is a fair one, they will take the time to let you know why they cancelled your deal and if it was an error, they will fix it. However, if you do not receive a reply or you conclude that the casino wrongfully terminated your bonus, there are other actions you can take;
- Look for a forum to mediate this – there are many online forums that can mediate this type of issue, especially thanks to casino representatives being active. They reply to players’ complaints and are able to fix a variety of problems. These sites usually also come with ratings and player reviews, which means that casinos are highly interested in solving these public complaints, as they may affect how potential customers view them;
- Make a complaint with the licensing authority – if everything else fails, and you still consider the gaming site took away your promotion for no reason, you may contact their licensing authority. If you decide to do so, make sure you explain the entire situation in a clear manner and provide them with any proof you may have.
Please note
None of these actions are guaranteed to fix your problem, bring you your promotion back, or offer you any form of compensation.
Casino promotions are surely a lot of fun and playing games would not be the same without them. That is why it is essential for you to know how to claim, keep, and take advantage of your offers. Use our guide to avoid having a casino cancel your bonus.
We give you all the insights you need for a great start, but do not forget to always read the rules yourself and, most importantly, do not forget to follow them!
Was this article helpful?
100% found this helpful
Already voted!