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Getting Started with Online Casinos
Introduction
For many years until just prior to the September 2014 sale of this website, and the associated Forums, WizardofVegas.com to lcb.org, the exclusive advertiser and affiliate casino to this site was Bovada.
This site now features several advertisers, many of which carry the "Wizard of Odds Approved" seal. For you, the player, this endorsement means that these casinos uphold the same high standards of quality, fairness, customer service, and integrity that Wizard guaranteed with Bovada Casino, our former exclusive advertiser and a brand we continue to promote.
Wizard Advertising Policy: "With any casino we promote, if you click through an ad on this site, which leads to opening an account, as evidenced by an affiliate code in the link to the casino, then we will stand behind you. If you ever have a dispute with a casino and are a confirmed "Wizard" player, then we will try to help. We do ask that you try to work out the problem yourself first, and only request assistance from us as a last resort."
Although many casinos are now advertised, the Wizard's strict criteria for being "Approved" remain as high as those applied to our previous exclusive advertiser. If you're considering online gambling and have concerns about the quality or service of a casino, we strongly recommend starting with our "Approved" casinos. If you're looking to explore other casinos for any reason, we suggest visiting our parent site, lcb.org. While many of the affiliate casinos there may not carry the Wizard's Seal of Approval, you'll find a comprehensive review list of online casinos and an active forum where you can read firsthand experiences from their members about various online casinos.
Wizard of Odds approved casinos
Promotions:
Many of the casinos in Las Vegas and, indeed, around the world compete with one another by offering attractive rooms, concert events, elaborate shows, new player promotions and free drinks. Casinos need to set themselves apart from the competition in one way or another. One of the most significant ways to do so is by earning the coveted "Wizard of Odds Approved" status. However, even casinos without this prestigious distinction often attract players through aggressive promotions for both new and returning customers. It’s highly recommended that online players take advantage of these promotions, particularly the new member offers, while looking for an online casino that they like.
At the time of this writing, for example, Wizard of Odds Approved Vegas Casino Online is offering an exclusive 100% Deposit Bonus for new players who use our affiliate link. What that means is that players will be able to deposit up to $11,000 and will be given an additional 100% of that amount to play. The Terms of this promotion state that the games are limited to Slots, Dragon Tiger, and Parlor Games and 44% of wagers on Classic Blackjack, Blackjack and Video Poker and that you must wager the sum of the deposit and bonuses 40x before you may cashout.
Sometimes the Rules of promotions can be ambiguous, however, if you do not understand the terms of a promotion, most casinos have a, "Live Chat," for which you can request a transcript, and any reputable casino will honor what their agent said. For the purposes of this writing, I asked some questions of a friendly, courteous and professional Slots Plus Casino representative, and the live chat is as follows:
- Hello there! Need help? Reach out to us right here, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!
- 🧙(Me): Hi, can you tell me about the 400% Welcome bonus? Can existing players claim it?
- Sebastian: Hello and Welcome!
- 🧙: Hello
- Sebastian: Kindly note the 400Bonus is our welcome deposit bonus, with a minimum deposit of $25 you can receive 400% of the deposit. This is available only for playing slots
- 🧙: Can existing players claim it?
- Sebastian: Sure, our customers can redeem this bonus. The bonus can be redeemed only one time per account
- 🧙: What is the max amount I can deposit?
- Sebastian: The maximum amount to make a deposit is $500
- 🧙: And what is the max bet on this bonus?
- Sebastian: The maximum bet amount with a bonus is $20
- 🧙: And the wagering requirements?
- Sebastian: The deposit and bonus must be wagered fifty (50) times before a cashout is permitted.
- 🧙: One last question, what is the min/max withdrawal?
- Sebastian: Maximum Allowed Cash out is $2,000. All balances exceeding the maximum cash out (MCO) will be voided and deducted from the player's account. Once the wagering requirements have been met a player may request their funds. If the player continues to play at any point prior to their cash out any additional winnings, will be voided and forfeit. The minimum withdrawal amount of the casino is $150
- 🧙: Thank you! you have been most helpful
- Sebastian: You are welcome! Let me know if I could help you with anything else
The first thing I want to point out is that I did not, "Cherry-Pick," this chat and Slots Plus Casino had no idea I was chatting with them for this purpose.
The second thing I really liked about this chat was that Sebastian made it quite clear the cashout process, particularly withdrawing before the wagering requirements were met.
I wouldn't necessarily want to claim the 400% promotion because it is only good on Slots. For a $100 deposit with a 400% bonus and a 50x playthrough requirement, you would need to wager $25,000 before you can cash out. If the playthrough only applies to the bonus, the calculation would be: 400×50=20,000400 \times 50 = 20,000 400×50=20,000.
However, we strongly recommend that, if you are interested in getting started with online gambling, that you start out at one of our, "Wizard of Odds Approved" casinos, and then, when you're familiar with the process, perhaps branch out onto lcb.org and see if there are any casinos listed on that site that appear to be reputable and may have a bonus you would like to try.