Casino Bonuses
Most internet casinos offer bonuses and promotions to attract new players. The amount and type of these bonuses vary greatly between casinos. To protect themselves from bonus abusers, casinos attach strict rules to the bonuses. These rules are generally found in the “Terms and Conditions” and can range from the simple to the very complicated. The most basic and widespread of these rules is that a certain amount must be wagered on particular games before a withdrawal is allowed. However, if you do not want to be bothered with rules you may opt out of the bonus and withdraw your winnings whenever you wish.* If you would like to play with a bonus but do not want to sort through too many terms, we recommend that you sign up with our 5-potato rated casinos. These casinos have simple terms and will not maliciously interpret ambiguous wording to confiscate your winnings. If you receive a bonus from a casino with a less than stellar rating, please read the terms carefully before playing as not only the bonus is in jeopardy but your winnings as well!
The purpose of this section is to introduce you to the various terms used by the casinos and to explain the most common types of bonuses. Although the wording may seem rather intimidating at first, you will generally find that the same wording is repeated among many casinos. Before you begin playing, please read the items on the following checklist along with their explanations to know what to look for in a casino’s Terms and Conditions.
*Some casinos may require you to wager your deposit once before withdrawing even if you do not play with a bonus.
Checklist
1) Cashable/Non-Cashable
2) Restricted Games
3) Restricted Countries
4) Restricted Currencies
5) Up-Front/Reward/Cashback
6) Wagering Requirements
Cashable/Non-Cashable (sticky, play bonus)
Bonuses can be either:
a) Cashable – bonus can be withdrawn along with winnings and deposit or,
b) Non-cashable – bonus cannot be withdrawn.
A non-cashable bonus may be one of the following three types.
· Sticky 1: bonus cannot be cashed out and disappears from casino balance upon withdrawal.
· Sticky 2: bonus cannot be cashed out but remains in casino balance and can still be played.
· Sticky 3: bonus is converted to cash if it is wagered and winnings are produced. If the casino balance never drops below the bonus amount, the bonus is not converted to cash and cannot be withdrawn.
Example 1: Playing with a Sticky 3 bonus
Step 1: deposit 100 and receive a 100 bonus.
Step 2: casino balance consists of 100 in cash account and 100 in bonus account.
Step 2a: wager 100 on blackjack…
Example 1(a): Bonus converted to cash
LOSE 100!…
Step 3a: wager remaining 100 on blackjack, WIN 100!
Step 4: casino balance now consists of 200 in cash and 0 bonus.
Example 1(b): Bonus not converted to cash
WIN 100!...
Step 3b: wager another 100 on blackjack, WIN 100!
Step 4b: casino balance now consists of 300 in cash and 100 in bonus.
Restricted Games
Often the most popular games such as craps, baccarat, roulette, and blackjack are restricted to prevent advantage players from abusing bonuses. If you only wish to play these games, please make sure to carefully read the terms.
Prohibited vs. Non-Qualifying
If a game is prohibited or excluded, any winnings (while playing with a bonus) can be confiscated. If the game is merely non-qualifying, you may play but must complete the required wagering on qualifying games before cashing out. Sometimes the wording between these two terms is ambiguous and, to be safe, we recommend not playing restricted games at all regardless of what the terms say. If a particular game is non-qualifying,
a) wagering requirements may increase or decrease depending on the games played or,
b) the game may only be allowed to satisfy part of the total wagering requirement.
Restricted Countries
Casinos typically use a clause such as: “players from countries x, y, and z are excluded from/required to...” This clause generally means that players are restricted according to their country of residence. A trustworthy casino will usually not deny your winnings if you are a citizen of one of the restricted countries, but you can expect a less trustworthy one to claim the ambiguous wording and exclude you after confiscating your winnings! Depending on the casino, if you are a resident of a restricted country, you may expect to be:
a) excluded from playing at the casino – a non-reputable casino might allow you to play anyway and deny winnings upon cashing out,
b) excluded from receiving the bonus – a non-reputable casino might issue the bonus anyway and deny winnings upon cashing out,
c) subject to increased wagering requirements or,
d) entitled to a different bonus amount.
Restricted Currencies
Bonuses issued in Euros or Great British Pounds (GBP) are often larger than those in United States Dollars (USD). Beware if you open your account in a foreign, non-USD currency and receive a bonus. Disreputable casinos may issue a bonus and later confiscate winnings because your account was opened in a foreign, non-USD currency. The following list outlines three possible consequences of opening an account in a foreign, non-USD currency.
· Home Currency – players who do not reside in Europe or the United Kingdom (UK) and open an account in Euros or GBP will often be denied a bonus.
· Different Wagering Requirements – play in GBP or Euros is often subject to increased wagering requirements.
· Currency Equivalent – occasionally, the same bonus value is given based on the currency exchange market.
Up-Front (Match)/Reward/Cashback
Bonuses are generally issued in one of the following ways.
· Up-Front (Match) – bonus is given up-front and matches the deposit at a certain percentage and up to a certain maximum amount.
· Reward – bonus is given after a certain amount has been wagered.
· Cashback* – bonus given when the player’s deposit is lost.
* Note that although the bonus is termed “cashback” it may be a non-cashable bonus.
Hybrid types
· Bonus is given after a wagering requirement or if the player’s balance has been lost.
· Part of the bonus is given up-front and part as cashback.
Wager Requirements (WR, playthrough)
If you make a deposit but do not opt to receive a bonus, a casino will usually only require the deposit to be wagered once before withdrawing. However, if a bonus was credited you will be required to wager much more. Aside from non-qualifying games, every bet you make, regardless of win or loss, contributes to the total amount wagered. If you submit a withdrawal before having completed the wagering requirements, one of the following three outcomes may occur.
a) Winnings voided – some casinos will void winnings if a withdrawal request is made before wager requirements have been met. It is best to verify with their customer support before withdrawing if they have this clause.
b) Withdrawal returned – reputable casinos will simply redeposit your cashout request back into your account to allow you to finish the required playthrough.
c) Bonus lost – casino will process your withdrawal for winnings plus deposit but you will forfeit the bonus.