We all love a good bonus from our online casinos. Bonuses are often the key draw that acquire players as foot through the casino doors. The truth, however, is that not all casinos are so forth coming with the terms and conditions of these bonuses. How many times have you found your bonus winning tied up in minimum play through requirements?

To avoid being confused in the mess that online casino bonuses may bring, let’s look at how you can effectively understand the key factors of the small prints when searching for casino bonuses.

If you want to understand what types of casinos bonuses are out there click here.

Have A Look At The Wagering Setup

The first thing to check when vetting an online casino bonus is the wagering requirement. Essentially the wagering requirement is the amount of times a player must play through either the deposit or the deposit plus bonus. These values generally run from 15 times to 40 times, represented as 15x – 40x. Bonuses with requirements more than 40x are not really worth the effort as most casino players would deem it. Deposits less than 15x are few and far between but can prove to be quite lucrative.

It is important to check whether the wagering bonus is applied to just the bonus or the deposit and bonus. For a comparison, a 20x wagering requirement on a £40 deposit with a £20 bonus would require a wagering value of £400 on just the deposit but a whopping £1200 when applied on the deposit and wage. To complicate matters, some casinos only count a certain percentage of every bet towards the playthrough requirement.

Understand The  T’s and C’s

For the most part, the terms and conditions of most online casinos and their respective bonuses follow a general structure, although players should be weary of lurking loopholes that make it harder to actually benefit from the bonus. First and most common are the wagering requirements as mentioned earlier. Read these stipulations carefully to avoid any negative surprises.

Then there is a distinction between cash bonus and play bonuses. The name makes it pretty clear, cash bonuses can be drawn as actual cash once the play through requirements have been met. Play bonuses are just play credits that cannot actually be converted to real money. Cash bonuses may be preferred by players, so make sure you understand which bonus is on offer.

A stipulation that has grown in popularity recently is game weighting and game restrictions being placed on bonuses. Essentially this limits the amount of games that the play through requirements can be completed on. This is used to drum up attention for new games or revitalise aged games.

Keep an alert eye out for regulations regarding stake sizes. These often catch unsuspecting players and can very quickly deplete a bankroll. These are basically the limitations set on the size of stakes per bet. These limits can be on both sides and can cause players, especially new players, to lose their bankroll with bigger than planned bets. Conversely some bonuses have maximize stake stipulations which mean that overzealous players can lose their bonuses by betting too high. Watch out.

Another one I found particularly important is the time requirement applied to bonuses. Some casinos have decided that the bonuses they offer, and the attached wagering requirements, will have to be used within a week or a month or whichever time they decree. The more prestigious casinos might not apply these restrictions but there are dodgy ones out there that really take the fun out of the bonuses with unreasonable time restraints. In the future some casinos may not limit players, an example can be seen with PlayOJO online casino which has no wagering requirements on anything.

Know How Much You Can Cash Out

There is no real way to guarantee that bonuses can be cashed out. The best approach is simply to fully read and understand all the terms and conditions. If you want to be able to cash out instantly after any win it is better to avoid making use of sign up bonuses and offers. If you instead choose to enjoy the bonuses then understanding the wagering requirements, time restraints and associated percentages are key. The best idea is to just go for gold with the bonus, there’s no real need to save them or stretch them as they can’t be cashed out or saved past the expiration time. By being aggressive you’re more likely to achieve the play through needed to unlock the cash out and actually benefit from the bonus. With that said, don’t let the rush compel you to steam roll through your bankroll, that’s not a healthy idea.

Look At The Minimum Betting Requirements

This is another aspect of online casino gaming that is heavily dependent on the casino in question. Given the sheer number of casinos available online, from those seedy looking ones to the globally recognized brands, they range of required deposits is very large. I’ve seen several accredited and fully licensed casinos requiring as little as £1, while others aimed at the high rollers need minimum deposits to the tune of £1000. In fact, while most welcome bonuses are unlocked from £10 up, some casinos offer an awesome £20 bonus on just a £1 deposit. So yes, there are deposits available no matter what your financial situation.

Search For The Game Contributions

This is an important one that is often overlooked by new players, and then often bites them in the behind. Most online casinos have a system of percentages applied to each game that limits their specific contributions to the wagering requirements. For example, if Blackjack has a 10% contribution then every £100 wagered on Blackjack will count £10 towards the wagering requirements. Slots are usually counted as 100% contributors but table games and other games that lower the house edge carry lower contributions. Casinos do this to maintain their edge and to prevent skilled players from benefiting a little too much from the bonuses.

My Thoughts?

In the end it is important to accept casino bonuses for what they are. Essentially, they are tools used by casinos to attract players. Casinos are, after all businesses, and while they claim to offer these bonuses in order to make players win more, they are still trying to make a profit. For every one player that cashes out from the deposit, there are dozens who don’t. Still, it’s always fun to win a little more than you otherwise would have and bonuses, when used right and combined with a little bit of luck, are the best way to do just that.

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I do hope that you enjoyed my personal approach to understanding the small prints when searching for casino bonuses.! As an avid online casino player, I am on a serious mission to review every strategy to get the most out of your online casino adventures within UK! Help me on my journey by testing these tips, rating the casinos and by sharing your good and bad news with me! This way you’ll also be supporting this blog to continue serving you with the best tips, strategies and reviews.

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