Casino bonuses can seem extremely generous at first glance. Many online gambling sites offer 100%, 200% or even 300% deposit matches along with dozens, if not hundreds of free spins. However, while these offers certainly provide value to new and returning customers, they come with strings attached. Players need to fulfill certain wagering requirements and other terms and conditions before they can withdraw any bonus funds or winnings generated from free spins. Otherwise, the casino reserves the right to void any winnings and remove the remaining bonus balance.
What Terms You Should Understand
We take a close look at the fine print behind common casino bonuses offered by Sky Crown online and other sites to give you a better sense of their true value. Key factors we cover include:
Wagering Requirements
The most crucial condition attached to bonuses, wagering requirements dictates how much you need to bet before cashing out. They can range from 10x to 50x or even higher.
Eligible Games
Casinos specify which games count fully, partially or not at all for meeting playthrough. Slots usually contribute 100% while table games have lower percentages.
Time Limits
You only have a certain number of days to fulfill wagering requirements before the bonus and any unused funds are revoked.
Maximum Bet Sizes
To limit bonus abuse, casinos cap the amount players can wager per spin or hand while clearing requirements.
Understanding these and other stipulations is key to determining if a bonus is worth claiming and using strategically to actually withdraw your winnings in the end.
Wagering Requirements Breakdown
Here’s a detailed look at how wagering works along with average requirements across different casino game types:
Game | Contribution Percentage | Average Wagering Requirement |
Slots | 100% | 30x – 50x |
Roulette | 10% – 20% | 60x – 100x |
Blackjack | 10% | 60x – 100x |
Video Poker | 5% – 20% | 75x – 200x |
Craps | 0% – 20% | 60x – 200x |
Baccarat | 0% – 10% | 80x – 500x |
As you can see, slot games have by far the lowest playthrough thanks to their 100% contribution rate. Table games not only count significantly less (if anything) towards bonus wagering, but also have very high requirements even with their reduced percentages.
So essentially, casinos make it extremely hard and in most cases near impossible to clear bonuses when playing anything other than online slots.
Other Key Fine Print Terms
In addition to wagering requirements, you should understand these other vital terms attached to casino bonuses:
Game Restrictions
While all slots count fully for meeting playthrough, casinos specify particular titles that are completely exempt. These are usually slots with high payout percentages (96%+).
Maximum Bet Size
To ensure you don’t try to abuse bonuses, casinos cap the amount you can wager per spin or hand. This is usually €5/£5 or lower.
Time Limits
You only have a specific timeframe to meet wagering requirements, ranging from 24 hours up to 90 days. Failing to finish in time results in all bonus funds and related winnings being voided.
Country Limitations
Not all players globally can claim or use bonuses. Terms often exclude certain countries and jurisdictions with stricter gambling regulations.
Assessing True Bonus Value When determining if a casino bonus is worth claiming, the most important factor is calculating its true expected value by accounting for attached terms like wagering.
For example, a 100% match up to €100 with 40x playthrough may seem great. However, the expected return considering average slot house edges means you’ll likely walk away with only around €10–25 in actual withdrawable funds.
Final Thoughts
Before jumping to claim an eye-popping casino deposit match or set of free spins, be sure to closely review all associated fine print first. Key conditions like wagering requirements, game contributions, time limits and bet caps can greatly reduce the appeal of these offers. While bonuses do have some value, it’s rarely as much as advertised upfront before considering the attached strings.