Understanding casino bonus terms and conditions
Terms and conditions aren’t exclusive to casinos, you’ll find them everywhere. But, they do seem a good bit longer and a lot more important if you’re claiming casino bonuses. When you sign up to a Netflix subscription, or an online newspaper, you barely glance at the T&Cs, but for a casino bonus? You should make it a habit to read them.
You’ll generally find the T&Cs (or a link to them) displayed under a casino bonus. It’s so important to read casino bonus T&Cs because they genuinely affect how you can use the bonus. It’s easy to be caught out, or run into problems when trying to withdraw your winnings, but it’s equally easy to read the terms and avoid that altogether!
If you’re keen to tell your wagering requirement from your win cap then we’ve got all you need to know about casino bonus terms right here.
Promotion codes
Promo codes can give you access to exclusive bonuses, or just let you be absolutely sure you claim the bonus that you want. Casinos use them to see where customers are coming from and to help them to differentiate between bonuses that have the same deposit requirements.
Be sure to copy and paste the code to avoid any typos!
Wagering requirements
Wagering requirements refer to how many times you’ll need to bet the bonus amount (or free spins winnings) before you can withdraw what you won. You’ll see them referred to as ‘35x’ or ‘10x’. To work them out, multiply your bonus amount or free spins winnings by whatever the number is before the x.
Types of bonuses
From free spins to deposit match bonuses, cashback to reload promos, there’s a wide variety in terms of the bonuses you can get. For full details check out Slot site bonuses & free spins – explained. It’s a full guide on all of the available bonus types, so that you can confidently choose the one that’s right for you.
Minimum deposit requirements
Most bonuses need you to make a deposit in order to claim them. For these types of bonuses there’s a minimum deposit requirement, sometimes called a minimum qualifying deposit. You need to deposit at least this much in order to claim your bonus.
Game restrictions, eligibility, exclusions and contributions
These terms are perhaps the ones that differ the most between different bonuses and different casinos.
Game Restrictions: If a game is on the list of game restrictions, you can’t play it using that bonus. If you do, it could wipe your bonus entirely, regardless of how much wagering you’ve completed. So, read the game restrictions list very carefully.
Eligibility: Some bonuses can only be used on certain games, or certain types of games. For example a free spins bonus is often only eligible for use on one specified slot game, or a small choice of slots.
For some bonuses you need to wager a certain amount to unlock them, for example bet €/$10 on slots to get 300 free spins. For this type of bonus only wagers placed on slots will unlock the bonus.
Game Contributions: At almost all casinos, you’ll find that not all games contribute equally to wagering requirements. If you’re a fan of slots then you’re usually in the clear, as slots tend to count 100%. Table games and live dealer games can contribute anything from 0% right up to 100%.
This is an incredibly important term to check, as if you’re playing table games to complete a wagering requirement and they only contribute 10%, you’ll need to wager 10x as much money!
Time limits and expiry dates for bonuses and free spins
All bonuses come with a set amount of time in which you need to use them. For deposit match bonuses it’s usually a little longer (around 14 to 30 days) for free spins it’s much shorter (usually between 24 hours and 7 days). Remember that you need to use the whole bonus and complete any wagering requirements within this time.
Bet limits during bonus play
Almost all bonuses come with bet limits that you have to stick to during bonus play. For free spins it’s easy, they come with a predetermined value that you couldn’t change even if you wanted to.
For deposit match bonuses it’s a little trickier. You’ll usually have a maximum bet limit (most often €/$2 to €/$5 per spin or round). If you bet beyond this then at worst you could forfeit your bonus and/or winnings, at best you won’t contribute to wagering.
Maximum winnings on free spins and bonuses
A bonus is sort of only as good as its max win. After all, if you claimed a €/$100 deposit match bonus and could only withdraw €/$20 in winnings, it wouldn’t be up to much! Below is how win caps work.
Multiplier-based withdrawal limit
For deposit match bonuses, you’ll often find a multiplier-based withdrawal limit. It’ll usually be something like 5x the bonus amount. This means if you claim a 100% deposit match bonus to the tune of €/$100, you’d be able to withdraw a maximum of €/$500.
Fixed amount withdrawal limit
Fixed amount withdrawal limits are more common for free spins bonuses. These win caps tell you the maximum amount you can withdraw in cash. For example, if you claim 50 free spins you might have a max win of €/$75.
Percentage-based withdrawal limit
A percentage-based withdrawal limit works very similarly to a multiplier-based one. Here, you’re told what percentage of your bonus amount you can withdraw. For example, a €/$100 deposit match bonus with a 300% withdrawal limit would let you win €/$300 in total.
These limits are usually considerably above 100% but do watch out for unscrupulous sites that offer you less than 100%.
Progressive-based withdrawal limit
This type of limit is more unusual. It increases depending on your total deposit amount or loyalty level. For example, a site might let ‘standard’ players withdraw up to 5x their bonus, while VIPs can unlock higher win caps, like 10x or even unlimited. It’s pretty unusual to see these, but in sites with particularly good loyalty programmes they do still exist.
Bonus abuse, multiple accounts
All sites have terms to protect themselves from bonus abuse. This is where players make multiple accounts and claim bonuses just to withdraw them and move on. If you already have an account at a site then you know you’re not entitled to make another account and claim the welcome bonus again!
This kind of bonus abuse is not looked upon kindly and almost certainly that casino will close the offending account. Additionally you might be risking closure of your accounts at sister sites.
Deposit method restrictions
If you need to make a deposit to claim your bonus then you should check if there are any payment method restrictions. These usually apply to e-wallet providers, in particular Neteller and Skrill, but some casinos extend them to other payment providers too.
Your rights
As with any contract, it’s there to protect you, the consumer, just as much as it’s there to protect the casino. However, with a lot of small print and T&Cs to navigate it’s important you're aware of what to do if something goes wrong. Have a look at this how to guide: Resolving disputes and making complaints
Final words...
Bonus T&Cs aren’t there to misguide or trick you, they’re there to help you understand how to use the bonus and get to withdraw your winnings. By taking the time to properly understand them, you can play for longer on the same bankroll, increase your chances of taking home a nice win – and save yourself a headache too!