Interesting topic and discussion.
Personally I like casino bonsues. They are an additional tool to help us generate sales. Bonuses provide an incentive for a player to try out a new casino or switch from one they are already playing at. With so many casinos offering the exact same games we need incentives to attract new players.
That being said you dont want to target “Bonus Hunters” or “Bonus Abusers” with your marketing. Those types of players are not profitable for anyone.
As long as we dont blur the image of what bonuses are and how to promote them I think they are a good thing. I can tell you MANY larger affiliates DO promote bonuses to their players and do VERY WELL financially each month.
It’s funny, but I still remember a conversation that paralleled this in Miami a couple of years ago. One affiliate was speaking to a friend of mine who is wildly successful online and is a Super Affiliate, he swore to my friend that targeting players with bonuses or using the word “Free” would never earn anyone a dime. He sincerely believed this and probably still does. The guy he was talking to explained that “Free” was the most popular term in retail advertising and it’s what brick and mortar businesses use to attract clients. Since my friend had been involved in retail sales for years he applied that knowledge to his gambling portals and like I said is now rolling in money.
That’s my two cents.