How to detect bonus abuse in igaming

Online gaming platforms face a constant balancing act: attracting new players with enticing promotions while keeping fraudsters from exploiting those very offers. Bonus abuse, where illegitimate users manipulate welcome bonuses, referral incentives, and reload deals, remains one of the most persistent and costly challenges for fraud teams. 

The impact goes far beyond lost revenue. When bonus abuse happens, it undermines fair play, distorts campaign data, and erodes trust among genuine players. And as fraudsters refine their tactics, we’ve seen that keeping bonus abuse in check is increasingly requiring smarter, adaptive technology.

Why bonus abuse is a persistent headache in igaming

Bonus abuse isn’t just a matter of a few players bending the rules. Fraudsters often create multiple accounts to claim the same bonus repeatedly, manipulate referral programs with fabricated sign-ups, or use bots to automate these schemes. These tactics skew the competitive landscape, discouraging real players and diminishing the quality of the igaming experience. And when left unchecked, it can compromise the entire foundation of trust and fairness that igaming platforms strive to create. 

The business consequences are equally significant. Every fraudulent bonus claim eats into marketing budgets that should be driving real growth. Meanwhile, bonus abuse muddies the data analysts depend on to measure campaign effectiveness. When fraud teams can’t distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate activity, it becomes nearly impossible to optimize promotions or understand what’s truly resonating with players. The pressure mounts when abuse attempts multiply, making it vital for teams to spot and address abuse before it spirals out of control.

How to detect bonus abuse

One of the clearest indicators of bonus abuse is when a cluster of new accounts register from the same device or network in a short period of time. Multi-accounting, where a single device is used to create multiple player profiles, is a classic bonus abuse tactic that can slip past basic defenses.

You can also look out for repeated use of similar user details across accounts (like names, emails, or payment credentials) with only minor variations. Another red flag is a pattern of rapid bonus claims followed by immediate withdrawals and subsequent account inactivity. This behavior often signals users who are only interested in extracting value from promotions, not genuine engagement.

Geolocation mismatches are another key indicator. When a user’s registration location doesn’t line up with their payment method or gameplay region, it suggests attempts to bypass regional restrictions. Consistent use of virtual private networks (VPNs), proxies, or other anonymizing tools during sign-up or play sessions is also a strong sign that someone is trying to conceal their true identity or location. These patterns, when viewed together, help zero in on abuse attempts that might otherwise blend in with legitimate activity.

Why traditional detection methods fall short

Many igaming platforms have relied on familiar tools and methods, like cookies, IP address checks, and manual reviews, to catch bonus abuse. While these approaches might catch the most obvious cases, they’re easily sidestepped by determined fraudsters. Cookies can be cleared or bypassed and IP addresses are easily masked or rotated using VPNs and proxies. Fraudsters exploit these gaps to present themselves as new users each time they attempt to claim a bonus.

Manual reviews, though sometimes effective, become unsustainable as platforms grow and the volume of abuse attempts increases. Reviewing every suspicious account manually is time-consuming and prone to human error. As a result, fraudulent accounts often slip through, while legitimate players may be wrongly flagged or experience unnecessary delays. The limitations of these legacy methods make it clear that something more robust is needed to keep up with the evolving tactics of bonus abusers.

How device intelligence changes the game

Device intelligence offers a fundamentally different approach, giving fraud teams the tools to see beyond easily manipulated signals. Rather than relying on cookies or IP addresses, device intelligence solutions collect a wide range of device, browser, and network attributes to create a unique identifier for each visitor.

At Fingerprint, we use 100+ signals — including hardware characteristics, browser configurations, and behavioral patterns — to generate a persistent identifier for every visitor. This visitor ID remains stable even when fraudsters clear cookies, switch browsers, or use privacy modes. This level of detail allows us to spot when the same device is used to register multiple accounts or redeem bonuses in suspicious ways.

But we don’t stop at identification. Fingerprint provides over 20 Smart Signals, giving instant context on each visitor to expose risks like bot activity, browser tampering, VPN usage, and more. For example, our Bot Detection Smart Signal works quietly in the background to reveal automated sign-up attempts, while VPN Detection and Geolocation Spoofing Detection surfaces efforts to bypass regional restrictions. By surfacing these signals in real time, we empower fraud teams to block suspicious activity before it impacts promotional budgets or the player experience.

Take control of bonus abuse before it impacts your bottom line

Bonus abuse is a challenge that no igaming platform can afford to ignore. By providing real-time risk signals, Fingerprint helps platforms protect their promotional investments and deliver a fair experience for genuine players. 

If you’re ready to see how Fingerprint’s Smart Signals and persistent visitor identification can transform your bonus abuse prevention strategy, you can start a free trial or reach out to us to discuss your needs and see our technology in action.