UNITED STATES—Online betting companies have not usually been associated with acts of generosity There is no more well worn phrase than, the house always wins. You also learn from a very young age that nothing in life is free and that you need to beware of people bearing gifts. It is so tough now to find a deal that is actually a good deal.

For example, so many people see buy one get one free as a superb way to save some money and to bag yourself a real bargain. However research has shown that many people are suckered in by deals that look great on paper but when you actually do the maths they turn out to not be good deals at all.

People then can often be wary when they see casinos, be they online or offline, offer deals and introductory offers. Often something will flash up when you first visit an online casino that says something like free spins no deposit bonus and when you read the deal you realize it looks great. Online casinos are literally offering you the chance to spin on slots for free. You don’t need to put any money in your account, you don’t need to register card details, you simply create an account and you are away. It seems like you are getting something for nothing.

Roulette table.

But what is the catch, surely there is a catch. Well, in this case there really is not and there is a reason why online casinos feel that they have to give you something without you parting with your hard earned cash. The issue for them, in this modern and internet connected age, is the fact that their customers always have the option to find a new place to gamble.

In the day before online casinos, if you wanted to change the place that you played casino games there were not that many options, especially if you lived away from a city. The only way to switch was to find a new place and that meant searching, driving and then signing up to the casino in order to get a membership card you would always lose.

Now, it takes a click of a mouse and a quick google search and you can find a new place to play. Companies then need to attract you, there are hundreds of options out there so they need something to stand out from one of the most busy crowds on the internet. This is why they feel they need to offer you something, a gift to show that they appreciate your custom and the fact that you have decided to use their online casino.

Of course the long term aim is to keep you coming back, the offer aims to entice you, but if you want you can just use the offer and move on with no need to spend actual money. If you just want to try out a slots game or play for fun then it is perfect. Suddenly casinos need to chase us rather than the other way round and we should enjoy it.