Casino Bonuses Explained: Wagering Requirements, Real Value and How to Judge Any Offer

A casino bonus is usually sold on a single number: 100% up to €100, 200 free spins, €500 welcome package. That number is the least useful thing about it. What decides whether an offer is worth taking is everything printed underneath: how many times you must bet the money before you can withdraw it, which games count towards that, how much you may stake per spin while it is active, how long you have, and how much of any winnings you are actually allowed to keep.

Two offers with the same headline can be worth completely different amounts. A €100 bonus with light conditions can be worth something close to €60 to a typical slot player; the same €100 with heavy conditions can be worth less than nothing, because the betting it forces on you costs more than the bonus adds. The difference is not luck or opinion. It is arithmetic, and it is arithmetic you can do yourself.

This guide walks through how casino bonuses work, the main types you will meet, the terms that matter, and a simple formula for putting a rough value on any offer. By the end you should be able to read a bonus page and decide in about two minutes whether it is worth claiming, worth ignoring, or worth avoiding. The examples use euros, but the maths works the same in any currency.

One thing to keep in mind throughout: a bonus is a marketing tool. It exists to bring you to a casino and keep you playing there. Used well, it can stretch your entertainment budget a little further. It is not income, and no bonus changes the fact that the games have a built-in edge in the casino's favour.

How casino bonuses work

Bonus funds and real money

When you claim a bonus, most casinos keep two balances side by side. Your real-money balance is the cash you deposited plus any winnings that are already yours to withdraw. Your bonus balance is money the casino has credited under conditions: you can play with it, but you cannot withdraw it, or anything won with it, until those conditions are met.

Which balance is used first matters more than it sounds. At many casinos your real money is played first and the bonus funds only come into use once the cash is gone. That order protects the casino's conditions, but it also means your own deposit is part of the process from the start. Some casinos do it the other way round, and a few mix the two. The terms will say which applies, and it is worth checking before you play a single spin, because it affects when, and whether, you can walk away with your own money.

What "clearing" a bonus means

Clearing a bonus, also called releasing it or completing the playthrough, means meeting all of its conditions so that the bonus funds, or whatever is left of them, turn into real money you can withdraw. The main condition is almost always a wagering requirement: a total amount you must bet before the bonus is released. On top of that sit time limits, bet limits and rules about which games count.

If you meet every condition in time, the remaining balance becomes withdrawable. If you run out of money first, run out of time, or break one of the rules along the way, the bonus and usually anything won with it are removed. Most bonuses end in one of those two ways, so it helps to know from the outset which outcome is more likely.

Types of casino bonus

Bonuses come in a handful of recurring shapes. Each has its own logic and its own typical catch.

Welcome and deposit-match bonuses

How it works. The casino matches a percentage of your first deposit, up to a cap. With 100% up to €100, a €100 deposit gives you €100 in bonus funds on top; a €50 deposit gives you €50. Larger percentages exist, but the cap limits what you can actually receive. Welcome offers are sometimes split across your first few deposits.

What to check. The wagering requirement and whether it applies to the bonus alone or to deposit plus bonus, the minimum deposit, which games count, the maximum bet, and the expiry.

Typical catch. A generous headline paired with heavy wagering. A large match percentage is easy to advertise; the wagering attached to it is what decides the value.

When a welcome offer is spread over several deposits, treat each part as a separate bonus. Each stage usually has its own minimum deposit, its own wagering and its own expiry, and the headline total assumes you make every deposit. If you would only ever make one or two, only those parts are relevant to you.

No-deposit bonuses

How it works. You receive a small amount of bonus funds, or a few free spins, just for registering or verifying your account, without depositing.

What to check. Wagering, which is often higher than on deposit bonuses, and above all the maximum cashout: the most you can withdraw from the bonus, whatever you win.

Typical catch. A low cap on winnings. If the most you can withdraw is €50 or €100, the offer is a way to try a casino, not a way to win anything meaningful. That is fine, as long as you see it that way.

Free spins

How it works. You get a set number of spins on specific slots at a fixed value per spin, for example 50 spins at €0.10 each. You cannot change the stake or the game.

What to check. The value per spin, which games are included, whether winnings are paid as cash or as bonus funds, any wagering on those winnings, the winnings cap and how long the spins stay valid.

Typical catch. The winnings arrive as bonus funds with their own wagering requirement, so "200 free spins" can mean a small amount of money that you then have to bet many times over.

No-wagering and wager-free offers

How it works. Winnings from the spins or bonus are paid as real money, with no wagering requirement. What you win is yours to withdraw, subject to normal account checks.

What to check. The spin value, the eligible games, the expiry and whether a winnings cap still applies.

Typical catch. They are usually smaller than wagering offers. That is the trade: a smaller headline in exchange for conditions that do not eat the value. Like for like, a wager-free offer is often worth more than a bigger one with heavy wagering.

Reload bonuses

How it works. A deposit match for existing customers, offered on later deposits, often weekly or tied to a particular day.

What to check. The same things as a welcome bonus: percentage, cap, wagering, contribution, maximum bet and expiry.

Typical catch. Reloads are designed to prompt a deposit you might not otherwise make. If you were not planning to deposit, the bonus is not a reason to start.

Cashback

How it works. The casino returns a percentage of your net losses over a period, for example 10% of what you lost last week.

What to check. Whether it is calculated on net losses (deposits minus withdrawals and balance) or something narrower, whether it is paid as cash or as bonus funds, and any wagering on it.

Typical catch. "Cashback" paid as bonus funds with wagering attached. Cash cashback is simple: it is money back. Bonus-funds cashback is worth a little less, and sometimes a lot less, depending on its conditions.

Rakeback, VIP and loyalty rewards

How it works. Instead of one large offer, the casino returns a share of the money it expects to make from your play. Every bet carries a house edge, the casino's built-in average margin; rakeback pays you a percentage of that edge on the bets you place, which is a percentage of your theoretical loss. VIP and loyalty schemes often bundle rakeback with level-up rewards and periodic bonuses.

What to check. How the percentage is calculated, how often it is paid, whether it carries any wagering (usually none or very little), and what you must wager to reach each level.

Typical catch. Rewards scale with how much you bet. That makes them easy to overvalue: the reward is a small refund on the cost of play, and chasing a higher tier means betting more.

Tournaments and prize drops

How it works. Casinos and game providers run leaderboards and random prize drops on selected games, with prizes paid as cash or bonus funds.

What to check. Entry conditions, the minimum bet to qualify, how prizes are paid and whether they carry wagering.

Typical catch. Qualifying often requires a minimum stake or a high volume of spins. Treat prizes as a pleasant extra on play you would have done anyway, never as a reason to play more.

Wagering requirements in depth

The basic formula

A wagering requirement tells you how much you must bet in total before a bonus becomes withdrawable. It is written as a multiplier, such as 35x, and the formula is simple:

required wagering = base × multiplier

The base is the amount the multiplier applies to. Wagering counts the total of your bets, not your losses: if you bet €1 a spin, every spin adds €1 towards the requirement, whether it wins or loses.

Bonus-only or deposit plus bonus

The single most important detail in any wagering clause is what the base is. On a bonus-only requirement, the multiplier applies to the bonus amount. On a deposit-plus-bonus requirement, it applies to your deposit and the bonus added together, which doubles the wagering on a 100% match.

Here is what a €100 bonus requires at common multipliers:

Base	Multiplier	Wagering required
€100 bonus only	10x	€1,000
€100 bonus only	25x	€2,500
€100 bonus only	35x	€3,500
€100 bonus only	50x	€5,000
€100 deposit + €100 bonus	35x	€7,000

The last line is the one to remember. "35x" sounds the same whichever base it uses, but on deposit plus bonus it asks for twice as much betting as 35x on the bonus alone. When you compare offers, always convert the requirement into a euro figure first.

How long wagering takes in practice

A euro figure is easier to picture as a number of spins. At €1 a spin, €3,500 of wagering is 3,500 spins; at €0.50 a spin it is 7,000. If you play briskly, at roughly one spin every five seconds, that is around 720 spins an hour, so 3,500 spins is about five hours of continuous play, and 7,000 spins is nearly ten. The deposit-plus-bonus version in the table, €7,000 of wagering, doubles those figures again.

This is worth doing before you claim, because it turns an abstract multiplier into something you can compare with your normal habits. If you usually play for an hour or two a week, a requirement that needs ten hours inside a seven-day window is not a bonus that fits the way you play. Raising your stake to get through it faster makes the result swingier and brings you closer to the maximum-bet limit, which is the opposite of what a bonus should do.

Wagering on free-spin winnings

Free spins often carry wagering on whatever they win, not on the spins themselves. If 50 spins win €4.80 and those winnings carry 35x wagering, you must bet €168 before the €4.80, or what is left of it, can be withdrawn. The requirement is only known once the spins are played, and it scales with how much they won.

Tracking your progress

Most casinos show a progress bar or a "wagering remaining" figure in your account. Check it as you play: it confirms which bets are counting, and at what rate, which is the quickest way to spot that a game you assumed would count does not. If the casino shows no progress figure, keep a rough note of your total bets yourself.

Game contribution: why not every bet counts the same

Casinos do not let every game count equally towards wagering. Each game type has a contribution rate, also called a weighting: the percentage of each bet that counts towards the requirement.

The reason is the house edge. Games with a low edge, such as blackjack played well, cost the player less per euro bet. If every euro on blackjack counted in full, clearing a bonus would be much cheaper, so casinos reduce or remove the contribution of low-edge games.

Typical ranges look like this, though every casino sets its own:

Game type	Typical contribution
Most slots	100%
Table games (blackjack, roulette, baccarat)	often 0–20%
Live casino games	often 0–20%
Some slots (e.g. high-RTP or jackpot games)	often excluded (0%)

A low contribution rate multiplies the betting you need. At 10% contribution, only a tenth of each bet counts, so a €1,000 requirement needs €10,000 of real bets to clear. Always read the contribution table before you choose where to play a bonus, and remember that a game at 0% does nothing for your wagering, however much you bet on it. Our live casino guide explains why table and live games are so often weighted low.

Reading a contribution table

Contribution rules are usually in the bonus terms rather than on the promotion page, and they are often set out as a list of game categories with a percentage next to each, followed by a list of individual games that are excluded or restricted. Read both parts. A category can be listed at 100% while several of its most popular games are excluded by name, and live versions of table games are sometimes weighted differently from their digital equivalents.

Two practical habits help. First, check the contribution of the specific games you intend to play, not the category in general. Second, watch the wagering progress figure for the first few bets: if it moves by less than you expected, or not at all, stop and check the terms before you play any further. It is much easier to correct course after five spins than after five hundred.

The small print that decides everything

The wagering requirement gets most of the attention, but the smaller terms are where most bonuses are actually won or lost. These are the ones to check every time.

Maximum bet while a bonus is active

Most bonuses cap the stake per spin or per hand while bonus funds are in play, often at around €5. The rule exists to stop players from making a few very large bets with bonus money. Breaking it, even once and even by accident, can give the casino grounds to remove the bonus and any winnings made while it was active. Set your stake below the limit before you start, and double-check it when a game offers a feature that raises the bet.

Expiry and time limits

Bonuses expire, commonly somewhere between 7 and 30 days after they are credited, and free spins can expire even faster. The time limit matters most when the wagering is high: €3,500 of betting in seven days is a lot of play for most people. If meeting the requirement would mean playing more, or faster, than you normally would, the bonus is not a good fit.

Maximum cashout and winnings caps

A maximum cashout limits how much you can withdraw from a bonus, however much you win with it. It is common on no-deposit bonuses and free spins, and rarer, but not unknown, on deposit bonuses. Anything above the cap is removed when the bonus is released. A cap on a deposit bonus is a warning sign, because it removes most of the upside you are taking the risk for.

Excluded games

Some games cannot be played with bonus funds at all, or contribute nothing. Progressive jackpots are often excluded, as are some high-RTP slots and, on some sites, bonus-buy features. Playing an excluded game can void the bonus, so check the list rather than assuming.

Minimum deposit and excluded payment methods

Deposit bonuses require a minimum deposit, and some payment methods do not qualify. E-wallets and certain prepaid methods are common exclusions. A deposit that is too small, or made with an ineligible method, may not trigger the bonus at all, and you usually cannot claim it afterwards.

Sticky and non-sticky bonuses

With a non-sticky bonus, sometimes called cashable or parachute, your real money is kept separate from the bonus. If you win with your own money before touching the bonus, you can usually withdraw and give up the bonus. With a sticky bonus, the bonus amount can never be withdrawn: it is removed from your balance when you cash out, even after the wagering is complete. Non-sticky bonuses are generally more flexible for the player. In practice, the difference shows up at the end of the playthrough: with a sticky bonus you finish with your balance minus the bonus amount, as worked through in example E further down, while with a non-sticky bonus the whole balance you are left with is yours once the conditions are met.

Withdrawing before you have cleared the bonus

Requesting a withdrawal while a bonus is still active normally forfeits the bonus and any winnings attached to it. At casinos that play bonus funds before real money, or mix the two, this can also affect money you think of as your own. Know the rule before you deposit.

Opting out and cancelling

A good casino lets you decline a bonus when you deposit and cancel an active one later. Cancelling usually removes the bonus and its winnings but frees your real-money balance. Be wary of bonuses that are added automatically with no clear way to opt out.

One bonus per person, household or device

Welcome bonuses are almost always limited to one per person, and often one per household, address, payment method, device or IP address. Opening extra accounts to claim an offer again breaks the terms, and the usual result is that every account involved has its bonuses and winnings cancelled.

Identity checks before you withdraw

Licensed casinos must verify who you are, usually with photo ID and proof of address, and sometimes with proof of how you funded your deposits. Checks often happen at your first withdrawal. Having your documents ready avoids delays, and the details you register with must match them.

"Irregular play" clauses

Most bonus terms include a clause on irregular or abusive play. It typically covers things like placing large bets to build a balance and then switching to minimum stakes, betting on both sides of a game to guarantee turnover, switching games to exploit contribution rules, or taking advantage of a technical fault. These are breaches of the terms, and they are among the most common reasons bonuses and winnings are voided. The wording is often vague, which is itself worth noting: the clearer a casino is about what it counts as irregular play, the easier it is to stay within the rules.

Working out the real value of a bonus

A simple formula

You can put a rough value on most bonuses with one line of arithmetic:

value ≈ bonus − (total wagering × house edge of the games you will play)

The house edge is the casino's average margin: 100% minus the game's RTP (return to player). A slot with 96% RTP has a 4% edge, meaning that over a very large number of spins it keeps about 4% of what is bet. The total wagering you must do, multiplied by that edge, is roughly what the playthrough is expected to cost you on average. Subtract that from the bonus and you have a rough value. Our guide to RTP and volatility explains house edge, RTP versions and variance in more detail.

RTP is not fixed for a game name. Many slots come in several versions with different RTPs, and the casino chooses which to run; our Le Bandit review shows one game with four official versions ranging from 96.34% down to 88.36%. Use the RTP shown in the game's info panel at your casino, not the highest figure published elsewhere.

This is a rough estimate. It ignores variance, the chance of running out of money before you finish (bust-out), and any caps on winnings.

Worked examples

A) A typical welcome bonus. €100 bonus, 35x on the bonus only, played on a 96% RTP slot (4% edge). Wagering is €100 × 35 = €3,500. Expected cost: €3,500 × 4% = €140. Value: €100 − €140 ≈ −€40. On average, the playthrough costs more than the bonus is worth.

B) The same bonus with light wagering. €100 bonus at 10x. Wagering is €1,000. Expected cost: €1,000 × 4% = €40. Value: €100 − €40 ≈ +€60. Same headline, very different offer.

C) Deposit plus bonus. €100 deposit plus €100 bonus, 35x on both. Wagering is €200 × 35 = €7,000. Expected cost: €7,000 × 4% = €280. Value: €100 − €280 ≈ −€180.

D) A low-edge game with low contribution. €100 bonus at 10x, so a €1,000 requirement, played on blackjack at a 0.5% edge but with 10% contribution. Only a tenth of each bet counts, so you need €10,000 of real bets. Expected cost: €10,000 × 0.5% = €50. Value: €100 − €50 ≈ +€50. Compare that with playing the same bonus on a 4%-edge slot at 100% contribution: €1,000 × 4% = €40, a value of about +€60. Blackjack's much lower edge is cancelled out, and then some, by the weighting. The lesson: always factor in contribution before assuming a low-edge game is the cheaper way to clear a bonus.

E) A sticky bonus. You deposit €100 and receive a €100 sticky bonus. You complete the wagering and finish with €260 in your balance. Because the bonus is sticky, the €100 bonus is removed when you withdraw, leaving €160 withdrawable. A sticky bonus helps you play longer; it is never part of what you take home.

F) Free spins. 50 spins at €0.10 each have a nominal value of €5. At 96% RTP, the expected winnings are about €4.80. If the spins are wager-free, they are worth about €4.80. If the winnings carry 35x wagering, you must bet €4.80 × 35 = €168, which at a 4% edge has an expected cost of about €6.72. On paper that is more than the €4.80 you are playing with, but since you are only playing with the spin winnings, the realistic value is close to zero. A €50 maximum cashout would also cap the rare good outcome.

G) Cashback. 10% cashback on €200 of net losses is €20. Paid as cash, it is worth €20. Paid as bonus funds with 1x wagering on a 4%-edge slot, you must bet €20, with an expected cost of €0.80, so it is worth about €19.20.

H) Rakeback. You wager €10,000 on 96% RTP slots. Your theoretical loss is €10,000 × 4% = €400. With 5% rakeback, you receive about €20. That lowers the cost of your play; it does not make play profitable.

Summary

Example	Key terms	Wagering / bets	Expected cost or value	Rough value
A	€100 bonus, 35x bonus-only, 4% edge	€3,500	€140 cost	≈ −€40
B	€100 bonus, 10x bonus-only, 4% edge	€1,000	€40 cost	≈ +€60
C	€100 + €100, 35x deposit + bonus, 4% edge	€7,000	€280 cost	≈ −€180
D	€100 bonus, 10x, blackjack 0.5% edge, 10% contribution	€10,000 real bets	€50 cost	≈ +€50 (vs +€60 on a slot)
E	€100 deposit + €100 sticky bonus, finish on €260	—	bonus removed	€160 withdrawable
F	50 × €0.10 free spins, 96% RTP	€168 if 35x	€4.80 expected winnings; €6.72 cost if 35x	≈ €4.80 wager-free; ≈ zero at 35x
G	10% cashback on €200 net loss	€20 at 1x	€0.80 cost if bonus funds	€20 cash; ≈ €19.20 as bonus
H	5% rakeback on €10,000 wagered, 4% edge	€10,000	€400 theoretical loss	≈ €20 back

Doing it in two minutes

Here is the whole process applied to example A, the kind of offer you will see most often:

1. Find the base and the multiplier. €100 bonus, 35x, bonus only.
2. Convert it to euros. €100 × 35 = €3,500 of wagering.
3. Check contribution for your games. You play slots at 100%, so €3,500 of real bets.
4. Find the house edge. The info panel shows 96% RTP, so a 4% edge.
5. Multiply. €3,500 × 4% = €140 expected cost.
6. Subtract. €100 − €140 ≈ −€40.
7. Check the deal-breakers. Maximum bet, expiry, maximum cashout, sticky or not.

A negative result does not mean you will lose €40; it means that, on average, clearing this bonus costs more than the bonus is worth. Most of the time, the sensible answer to an offer like this is to decline it and play with your own money, which you can withdraw whenever you like.

When the formula misleads

The formula is a starting point, not a verdict. It can flatter an offer when the terms cap your winnings, because the average includes rare large wins that a maximum cashout would cut off. It can also make an offer look worse than it really is when the wagering is very high, because in practice many players run out of bonus money long before the requirement is met, and a bust-out simply ends the bonus rather than costing you the full theoretical amount. That is exactly why the free-spins figure in example F comes out close to zero rather than negative: you are only playing with money the casino gave you.

What the formula does reliably is rank offers against each other. If one bonus comes out at +€60 and another at −€40 on the same assumptions, the first is the better deal, whatever their headlines say.

Variance: why the average is not the whole story

These figures are averages over a very large amount of play. Your own result will almost certainly differ, sometimes a lot. High-volatility slots, such as Gates of Olympus, pay out in fewer, larger wins, which makes clearing a bonus much less predictable: you might finish well ahead, or lose the whole balance long before the wagering is done. Running out of money early (a bust-out) simply ends the bonus.

Bet size affects how long a balance lasts: smaller stakes relative to your balance make it more likely you will reach the end of the playthrough, and larger stakes make the outcome swingier. That is about survival, not about beating the maths. No betting pattern, game choice or strategy removes the house edge, and a bonus does not change that.

Is a bonus worth it? A two-minute checklist

Before you claim any offer, run through these questions:

1. What is the wagering, in euros? Convert the multiplier into a total. On a bonus-only basis, around 20x or less is on the fairer side; 10x or wager-free is best.
2. Bonus only, or deposit plus bonus? Deposit plus bonus doubles the betting on a 100% match.
3. Do the games you actually play count? Check the contribution table for those games, not the casino's favourite examples.
4. What is the maximum bet? Make sure it is comfortably above the stake you normally play.
5. Is the time limit realistic? Compare the wagering with how much you usually play in that period.
6. Is there a maximum cashout? A cap on a deposit bonus is a bad sign.
7. Sticky or non-sticky? Non-sticky lets you walk away with your own winnings more easily.
8. Does your payment method qualify, and do you meet the minimum deposit?
9. Are your identity documents ready? Withdrawals often wait on them.
10. What does the formula say? Bonus minus wagering × house edge: if the result is negative, the offer costs you on average.

Declining a bonus is often the right choice. If you want to be able to withdraw at any time, if you prefer table or live games that barely count, or if the terms would push you to play more than you planned, playing without a bonus is simpler and often better value.

Red flags

Be cautious when an offer has any of these:

• Wagering on deposit plus bonus rather than the bonus alone.
• 40x or more on the bonus alone.
• A very low maximum bet combined with high wagering.
• A cap on winnings from a deposit bonus.
• A bonus added to your account automatically, with no clear way to opt out.
• Vague "irregular play" wording that could cover almost any style of play.
• A short expiry for a large requirement.

Regulation is moving towards simpler offers

Regulators have been tightening the rules on bonuses, and the direction is towards simpler, more transparent offers. In Great Britain, for example, since 19 January 2026 wagering requirements have been capped at 10 times the bonus, and promotions that mix products, such as a sports bet that unlocks casino spins, have been banned. Other regulators restrict bonuses in different ways, and the rules can change, so always read the terms that apply to you; availability varies by jurisdiction.

Loyalty programmes at crypto casinos

Many crypto casinos lean less on large welcome matches and more on ongoing loyalty programmes. A typical structure is a VIP ladder with tiers based on how much you wager, with rakeback, reload bonuses, weekly or monthly bonuses and level-up rewards. The value of these rewards depends on your wagering volume and the house edge of the games you play, and they usually carry little or no wagering of their own. Our guide to crypto casinos covers how these sites work more broadly, from payments to provably fair games.

Our Stake review is one example: it describes a VIP ladder with rakeback, reload bonuses and weekly and monthly bonuses, and it also notes a demanding wagering requirement on the welcome bonus. By the maths above, a welcome bonus with heavy wagering on deposit plus bonus is expensive to clear, even at a casino with an extensive loyalty programme. As with rakeback, loyalty rewards are a partial refund on the cost of play. Betting more to reach a higher tier costs more than the extra rewards return.

How we assess bonuses at NextCasinoScout

When we review a bonus, we look past the headline to the terms that decide its value: the wagering multiplier and its base, game contribution, the maximum bet, the time limit, any maximum cashout, whether the bonus is sticky, minimum deposit and excluded payment methods, and how clearly the casino states its rules. We apply the same rough value calculation described above and we always show a bonus headline together with its key conditions, never on its own. You can read more about our approach on the About page and browse current offers on our bonuses page.

Play responsibly

Bonuses are designed to extend play, which is exactly why they need care. Set a deposit limit and a time limit before you start, and stick to them whether or not a bonus is active. Never deposit more, or bet faster, to clear a wagering requirement: chasing losses to unlock a bonus is how a promotion turns into a problem. If playing stops being fun, stop. Most licensed casinos offer tools such as deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion, and support services are available wherever you live; see our responsible gambling page for general guidance. 18+ only. Terms apply to every offer, and availability varies by jurisdiction.

Casino bonus FAQ

What is a wagering requirement?

The total amount you must bet before a bonus, and any winnings from it, can be withdrawn. It is calculated as the base (usually the bonus, sometimes the deposit plus the bonus) multiplied by the stated multiplier, so a €100 bonus at 35x requires €3,500 of bets.

Is a 100% match bonus good?

It depends entirely on the conditions. A 100% match with 10x wagering on the bonus alone can be reasonable value; the same match with 35x on deposit plus bonus usually costs more to clear than it is worth. Judge the wagering, not the percentage.

What is the difference between sticky and non-sticky bonuses?

A sticky bonus can never be withdrawn and is removed when you cash out. A non-sticky bonus keeps your real money separate, so you can usually withdraw winnings made with your own money and give up the bonus.

Do table games count towards wagering?

Often only partly, or not at all. Table and live games commonly contribute between 0% and 20%, so a much larger amount of betting is needed to clear the same requirement. Check the contribution table.

Can I withdraw before I have cleared a bonus?

Usually you can, but doing so normally forfeits the bonus and any winnings attached to it. Check the terms first, because at some casinos this also affects the order in which your balances are used.

What happens if I break the maximum bet rule?

The casino may remove the bonus and any winnings made while it was active, even for a single bet over the limit. Set your stake below the limit before you play.

Are no-deposit bonuses worth it?

They are a low-risk way to try a casino, but usually small, with higher wagering and a low cap on how much you can withdraw. Treat them as a trial, not a way to win meaningful amounts.

What is rakeback?

A reward that returns a percentage of the house edge on your bets, in other words a share of your theoretical loss. It lowers the cost of play but does not make play profitable.

Are wager-free spins really free?

They cost you no deposit in the moment and their winnings are paid as real money, which makes them one of the fairest offer types. They still come with conditions, such as eligible games, expiry and sometimes a winnings cap, and they are usually part of a deposit offer.

Can I refuse a bonus?

Yes. Most casinos let you opt out when you deposit or cancel an active bonus later. Playing without a bonus is often the better choice if you want to be free to withdraw at any time.