Legal Online Casinos Manipulate Players. Here Are 16 Proven Tactics

A report from the Dutch regulator exposes manipulative design tricks in legal casinos

Everyone knows casinos use tricks to keep people gambling longer. In land-based casinos, there are no windows or clocks, so you lose track of time. Online casinos have their own version of this playbook.

A recent report on the Dutch regulated market analyzed 21 platforms and 35 games to identify manipulative design elements. Offshore casinos, without oversight, go even further — but even in “legal” settings the findings are disturbing.

Researchers identified 16 systematic tactics used to push players to deposit more, play longer, and make it harder to quit.

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How you’re pushed to deposit more

Preset high deposit amounts

When you load your account, you’re shown default options — usually big numbers. The minimum amount is hidden or requires extra clicks. The easiest choice is to deposit far more than you intended.

Bonuses only above the minimum

Deposit bonuses are structured to make larger deposits look “smart.” Technically you can deposit the bare minimum, but the way the offers are framed makes that option look unattractive. Two-thirds of the casinos in the study did this directly on the deposit screen.

Hiding the minimum deposit

The minimum amount (often €5–10) is rarely shown upfront. It only appears after you try to deposit less than the hidden threshold.

Bypassing your own limits in 3 seconds

Set yourself a €100 monthly deposit cap? The report found you could raise it to €700 by clicking “yes” three times in a chatbot. No waiting period, no cooling-off time, no pause for reflection.

Blocking withdrawals if you have an active bonus

Illegal under Dutch law — but casinos still do it. If you have any bonus attached to your account, even if you didn’t claim it, withdrawals are locked until you meet the wagering requirement.

These five tricks all work the same way: make it easy to put money in, and painful to take money out.