Poker Bonuses and 'Big Brother' Credit Card Companies
How credit card companies are trying to stop you being able to gamble online
THORNY QUESTION Here’s a question I hear a lot from would-be online poker players. Q: With all the big sites offering a join bonus does it mean I can withdraw that bonus as soon as the site gives it to me? The answer to that question, as we live in a world which Alan Titchmarsh can prove is made of mud and people who plant things in it, rather than candy floss and Jordan’s lumps, is a loud N-O! BUT! Most of the major sites will allow you to withdraw whatever is on your account once you’ve wagered the “bonus amount” a pre-agreed number of times. It varies slightly from site to site often depending on the generosity of the brand concerned. A site like 888 for example will give you a 100% bonus if you deposit up to $200 and the cash is yours to withdraw after ten wagers of the bonus amount given. The bonus has a real cash value to you in that you can play with it as a genuine add-on to whatever you have initially deposited.
THERE ARE CONDITIONS The sites are simply insisting you spend what they’ve given you with them in an attempt, obviously, to make a permanent customer out of you. Shop around. See how they compare. A more important issue when selecting which site to play on is the quality of the experience, how quickly you are offered a seat at the table of your choice, the seamless operation of the software, the speed with which complaints are dealt with and generally the way they treat you. For example when you deposit money for the first time with a big site you can use your credit card BUT the site is not allowed to credit your winnings back to you via your credit card. This is not because the sites don’t want to, it’s because the big brother credit card companies have decided they don’t want you to have the freedom to gamble or play poker with your own money if you want to.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE DENIED Your Plastic Parents , in their infinite wisdom, are going to influence that decision for you by making your financial freedom as difficult as possible. Fortunately, the web is used to monopolies moralising to Joe Public, and it’s easy to have your money credited back to you by excellent, trustworthy and secure services like e-wallet or Neteller, who are doing a great job of showing Visa and MasterCard that customer money does not belong to credit card companies nor is their opinion on how it should be spent or received required.
