Casino Bonuses Explained

Once you join the world of online gambling, get ready to be showered by various promotional offers provided by every single online casino out there. Welcome treats for new players, deposit and no-deposit bonuses, free spins, reloads, cashbacks… it just goes on and on, with promises of mega awards spelled out in flashing capitals across online casino sites. But before you get seduced by these luring lights, make sure you’re well acquainted with strings attached. The fine print will often influence your decision on which casino to join and whether to claim their attractive offers or not.

Cashable vs Sticky Bonus

Some casinos will offer you a bonus which you can withdraw together with your winnings, provided you meet the stated wagering requirements. Others will allow you to bet the amount awarded but not to cash it out, and this is what is called a “sticky” bonus. Once you claim it, it will be added to your deposit and you’ll be able to bet with it and play. However, when you request a withdrawal, bonus amount will be deducted from your balance. Less often, it will remain on your account and you’ll be able to continue playing with it. The best casino bonuses are the cashable once, others are kind of a honey trap for players which are seduced by high “%” numbers. Of course, we are referring only to match bonuses. When it comes to free chips or free spins no deposit – the bonus money is never cashable but that’s not a problem here since you didn’t have to deposit any money.

Bonus Wagering Requirements

While there are some rare birds out there offering no-strings-attached gifts, 99% of online casino bonuses come with wagering requirements. They will require you to play through the value of bonus + deposit or bonus alone X amount of times, before you’ll be able to make a withdrawal. Different types of games will contribute to these requirements in different amounts, so it’s highly advisable to check T&C before you proceed. When it comes to cashable bonuses, as a rule you will not be able to complete wagering requirements by playing games which allow simultaneous bets on winning and losing outcomes, such as Roulette, Baccarat, Craps, and a few more. In most cases, regardless of the bonus type, only slot machines will provide 100% contribution to your play-through requirements, while other games deliver as little as 10%, and some even won’t contribute at all.

Maximum Cashout Limits

Few online casinos have a “no max cash-out” offers, especially when it comes to no-deposit bonuses. This restriction is in place to protect the casino from big losses they’d suffer should you be lucky enough to hit a massive jackpot win. So while the free cash offer may look generous at first, check to see if there is a cap to the amount you can withdraw using this bonus.

Other Important Facts

Many online casinos limit your bet size when you accept their free money offer. Sometimes it’s expressed as a percentage of the bonus amount while in other cases a fixed max amount is set. Make sure to check the particulars of the one you’re thinking of claiming, as exceeding the max bet size will jeopardize your withdrawal. Less often, you’ll come across bonuses with game restrictions. This basically means you can use bonus money to play only some the games on offer. Some casinos will, for example, offer 2 welcome bonuses, one which can be used for playing slots and the other to bet on table games. Some also feature offers with country restrictions, either making the bonus available to residents of several specified countries, or alternatively listing those who cannot claim it. Banking method used to make your deposit can also make you non-eligible, as is sometimes the case with Skrill and Neteller. Overall, it’s important to keep in mind the free money is never really free. While you can still profit from many of the attractive offers out there, before you say “yes”, make sure to read the fine print. It could save you a lot of grief, frustrated communication with the casino support staff and angry posts on review sites.