FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Introduction
This page answers some of the questions that I've received by email. Most of these questions have been asked multiple times. I plan to add to this page over time.
General Questions
Which bonuses should I choose?
Which version of blackjack should I play?
What is the difference between house edge "per initial bet" and "per unit wagered"?
How much money can I expect to make?
What is the probability of ... (card outcome, series of roulette/slot spins, etc.)?
I guess it's over for the Clearplays? ... Casino now requires you to complete the playthrough.
I'm afraid that I'll lose if I play. Can you play for me?
Website Questions
How do I get access to the private forum?
One of the bonuses seems to be different from what is listed on the site?
How often do you update the bonus lists?
Is there a group named "Independent" or does it mean that it doesn't belong to any group?
Why do some of the bonuses have two currencies listed, for example, "$100 (£50)"?
What are some of the good bonuses that you do not list because of their affiliate program?
Why do you list rogue casinos?
Casino Problems
I have a problem at ... Casino. Can you help?
Can you check the chance of my game results occurring?
How much do I have to wager for the bonus ban at Casino Rewards to be removed?
Personal Questions
Can you send me more pictures of Ice Cream (your dog)?
Casino
& Webmaster Questions
Will you add a link to my site?
Why is our casino ranked so low? Will you move it to the top of the best bonus list?
Which bonuses should I choose?
I recommend that new players start with the first 5 casinos list. After those five, I recommend choosing bonuses towards the top of the best bonus list.
The bonus lists have a suggested game for each casino. However, there are many alternative choices. I recommend first looking over the T&C to determine allowed games. From a mathematical perspective, the best choice is a game with a low expected loss per unit wagered (not the same as house edge per initial bet) and a variance that fits your risk tolerance and bet size. This information is on the software pages and games list. When allowed, the best choice is usually blackjack or blackjack variations. Other common choices include multi-hand video poker, texas hold'em bonus, casino hold'em, 3-card poker, and French roulette. Ignoring the math, you may prefer to simply choose whatever game you enjoy playing.
Which version of blackjack should I play?
In general, I'd recommend whatever allowed version has the lowest house edge. The blackjack page lists the house edge of available blackjack games by software.
What is the difference between house edge "per initial bet" and "per unit wagered"?
House edge is defined in terms of initial bet. A 1% house edge means you are expected to lose $1 for each $100 of initial bets. Some games permit raises, so the final bet size may not be the same as the initial bet. For example, in the game Texas Hold'em Bonus, the average final bet is nearly 4x the size of the initial ante bet. The house edge of Texas Hold'em Bonus is 2.04%, and the expected loss per unit wagered is nearly 4x lower at 0.53%. The latter value is more appropriate for estimating loss while completing a wagering requirement. For simplicity, I sometimes list two house edge columns -- one per initial bet and one per unit wagered. However, the per unit wagered value is technically not a "house edge." It is the expected loss per unit wagered. Wizard of Odds calls this value "element of risk."
How much money can I expect to make?
The bonus lists have "Bonus EV" column. EV stands for Expected Value. This is the average gain with typical game choice and strategy. You can crudely estimate average gain by summing these values for all played bonuses. This includes monthly and reload bonuses, as well as sign-up bonuses. You may make more or less than this average gain. The amount of variance in return depends on game choice and bet size. See the return & variance calc for estimated range of return calculations.
I have a problem at ... Casino. Can you help?
I recommend first contacting support. If they cannot help, I may be able to assist using affiliate connections. I have a success rate of >50% for such issues. Note that these affiliate connections relate to issues with referred players who signed up through the links of this site. Be sure to give me your casino username when contacting me. Other useful resources for disputes are listed on the contact page.
I believe the vast majority of casinos listed on this site are indeed fair. Most of the larger softwares are regularly audited to confirm random play. The most likely explanation for not winning is simply bad luck. You can check if your results were within normal statistical expectations using the "Are my results fair?" calc. If your results fall within the listed 2 standard deviation range of return, then the results are within normal variance. Sometimes you win more than expected, and sometimes you lose more than expected.
The problematic casinos tend to be ones with small, lesser known softwares. A summary of higher risk softwares is below. This list is in alphabetical order, not in order of severity. If you'd like me to add a warning about possible unfair software, it is helpful to provide supporting numerical data. This could be in the form of net win/loss over an amount wagered, dealer bust rate with a given upcard, frequency of dealer upcards, winning none of a large number of hands multi-play video poker, etc.
AST Gaming -- High probability of non-random software. See the summary.
B3W -- Past issue that B3W claims to have corrected. Many players have reported issues. See the summary.
Casino 770 -- One player provided numerical data showing odd results. Note that this player made a good-sized net gain, as have many others. See the summary.
Casino Lobby (Total E Soft) -- Past issue that Total E Soft claims to have corrected. See the summary.
Casinova -- High probability of non-random software. See the summary.
COA -- Wizard of Odds showed a high probability of unfair software in 2002. They claim to have corrected this issue. COA casinos are not listed on the site.
iXEnt / Start Your Own Casino -- Software advertised to be non-random to potential buyers. These casinos are not listed on the site.
Progressive Gaming -- Several players have reported abnormal results.
ThrillX -- High probability of non-random software. See the summary.
Wager21 -- High probability of non-random software. See the summary.
Can you check the chance of my game results occurring?
Most general calculations can be done with the "Are my results fair?" calc.
What is the probability of ... (card outcome, series of roulette/slot spins, etc.)?
The probability of a series of events P1 to Pn is P1*P2*P3... For example, the probability of getting three sequential reds in single-zero roulette is (18/37)^3 = 0.115. If you have hold 4 to a flush in 10-play video poker, the probability of not getting a flush in any of the 10 hands is (39/48)^10 = 0.125. The probability of three dealer blackjacks in a row is ~(8/169)^3 = 1 in 10,000. Unfortunately, specific calculations vary too much to be summarized here.
One of the bonuses seems to be different from what is listed on the site?
I confirm the listed bonuses are accurate on a regular basis. I usually go through the best bonus and monthly list once per month. Casino affiliate programs often send emails and let me know when their bonuses change. However, sometimes there are changes that I am not aware of. Please let me know about any incorrect or outdated information on the site.
How do I get access to the private forum?
I review accounts once per week and manually give posters access. If you regularly post quality messages on the public forums, you will quickly get access to the private forum. Alternatively, you can get access by signing up at casinos through affiliate links on this site and emailing me your usernames at those casinos.
How often do you update the bonus lists?
I go through all links in the best bonus list once per month to confirm accurate information. I usually do this near the start of the month since bonuses tend to change at the start of the month. I make updates later in the month whenever I learn about a change, usually a few changes per week. I go through the monthly bonus list on the 1st or 2nd of each month. Most changes to the monthly list occur in the first few days of the month. Changes trickle on as the month progresses. I periodically confirm the remaining casinos, which are not on the best bonus or monthly list. The rate and time of updates varies by software.
I received an email about a casino offering a great bonus that isn't on the site. All the links on their site download a casino. This sounds shady. Have you heard of them?
At least one affiliate is making doorway sites like this, then sending spam promoting the doorway as a new casino. All of the links on the site cause the casino to download. The casino that downloads has a different name than what is listed on the doorway webpage. The bonus often has different terms as well.
Is there a group named "Independent" or does it mean that it doesn't belong to any group?
"Independent" means it is not associated with a group of casinos.
Why do some of the bonuses have two currencies, for example, "$100 (£50)"?
All of the "Max Bonus" and "Bonus EV" values are converted to a common currency to make accurate comparisons between bonuses. I use dollars for this common currency because dollars are usually the default currency on casino websites. When two values are listed, it means the default currency is not dollars. The default currency is the one listed in parenthesis, and that value is converted to dollars for comparison purposes. A bonus listed as "$100 (£50)" means the bonus is £50, and when converted into dollars, the bonus is equivalent to $100.
What are some of the good bonuses that you do not list because of their affiliate program?
I list all quality bonuses I am aware of, regardless of whether there is an affiliate program.
Why do you list rogue casinos?
Rather than pretend these casinos don't exist, I choose to provide warnings about the potential hazards, so readers can make an informed decision. Some may feel that the bonus or other benefit is worth the additional risk, and some may be disagree with the warning.
As I understand it, casinos pay affiliates based on a % of their referred players' losses. I expect to win over time and may be costing you money. Should I still sign up through the website links?
Some affiliate programs pay by percentage of net casino win. Some do not. Rather than concern yourself with which earning model is used for which link, I prefer that site visitors do not clear affiliate tags from their browser when signing up, even persons who expect to win over time. Not going through affiliate links may make it difficult to assist players using affiliate connections. For a few casinos, it may also interfere with crediting bonuses.
In a review you said craps was allowed, but "low risk wagers" on craps were not allowed. What is a "low risk wager"?
A "low risk wager" is a simultaneous bet on both winning and losing outcomes. For example betting on both pass and don't pass in craps, or betting on both red and black in roulette.
How much do I have to wager for the bonus ban at Casino Rewards to be removed?
I believe the system is automated, but I'm not certain how much wagering is required. For some players, it was removed after wagering hundreds. While others wagered thousands without change.
I guess it's over for the Clearplays? ... Casino now requires you to complete the playthrough.
Most Clearplay bonuses have a required playthrough. Some do not. The first number in the wager column of bonus indicates the minimum playthrough. If this value is 0xB, then you are allowed to cash out your winnings at any time. If this value is 30xB, then you are required to complete the full playthrough. Depending on game weightings, you may be expected to make a gain while completing a required playthrough. If this is the case, then the required playthrough may have little impact. See the Clearplay page for more detail.
I'm afraid that I'll lose if I play. Can you play for me?
I do not play for anyone else, and if I did, I doubt that I would have different results than you. If you want to minimize risk of a loss, I recommend a small bet size to reduce variance. Note that automated play is available at Microgaming casinos.
See the bio page for more detail.
Can you send me more pictures of Ice Cream (your dog)?
I don't send out additional pictures often. If I know you, then maybe.
Will you add a link to my site?
I dismiss most of these emails as spam and do not reply back to them. However, if you offer a quality, relevant site; then I will likely be interested. Contact me for details.
Why is our casino ranked so low? Will you move it to the top of the best bonus list?
The best bonus list relates to the quality of bonuses. You may offer a great casino, but it won't be ranked well on the best bonus list, if the sign-up bonus is worse than other casinos on the list.
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