The Structure of Online Casino Bonuses

When looking at online casino bonuses at a majority of online casinos, most players tend to overlook the terms and conditions of those offers. This is such a common occurrence that some online casino regulators have set new standards for these bonuses. We will talk about those standards in a bit.

For now, we will look at the standard structure of a bonus. Let’s assume you sign up for a Welcome Bonus at an online casino with a match bonus of 100% and 50 free spins. On the surface, it seems that you will get matching funds and free spins, and you can play as you’d like.

What is a “Playthrough” Requirement

The playthrough requirement is the amount of times that you must play through your bonus in order to cash it out. For example, if you get a 100% match bonus and deposit $100, you will get $100 in bonus funds. Those funds must then be wagered a pre-determined number of times before you can withdraw it.

Typically, the playthrough is 25x to 40x of your bonus. In our earlier example, you will have to wager between $2,500 to $4,000 in order to cash out. Some casinos may require you playthrough both the bonus and your initial deposit, meaning you’d have to wager between $5,000 and $8,000 before you can cash out.

What is the Wagering Requirement

If you bet $100 on blackjack, you’d expect $100 to go towards your playthrough. That’s not the case with online casinos. Each game has a different percentage that it contributes towards the playthrough. This is the wagering requirement.

The percentage that each game contributes towards the playthrough can vary from casino to casino but most follow a fairly standard format. The only games contributing 100% to the playthrough are online slots, Keno, and scratch cards.

Free Spins Also Have Limits

Most free spin bonuses also come with limits similar to that of match bonuses. Often, they come with their own playthrough requirement on earnings that’s separate from the match bonus. If you win $50 on free spins that have a 30x playthrough, you must wager $1,500 in addition to the match bonus playthrough in order to cash out.