Online casinos are always offering bonuses as a way to improve their relationship with the players. These free bonuses can help new players get a head start without losing any of their funds or they can keep the players loyal.
However, it’s important to note that bonuses are free money and they come with wagering requirements. This casino policy is often overlooked by novice players and that can end up in confusion and sometimes even losing some of the funds.
What’s A Wagering Requirement
Most online casino wagering requirements attach the amount you need to get to the bonus. This means that you can’t simply withdraw the winnings you’ve made from a bonus. Instead, a player needs to add a certain amount of their own fund to the deposit before they can withdraw the winnings.
This is put in place so that the bonuses aren’t used as free money but as an incentive that needs to be backed up by the players themselves. It’s outlined in the policy guides and the players should familiarize themselves with it. That way you’ll know how much you need to wager.
Wagering Requirements on Free Spins
Sometimes bonuses come in the form of free spins. This seems as a better option for players as they are able to use the spins right away and win as much as they can. However, this doesn’t mean that you can withdraw the winnings you’ve made this way.
An amount is assigned to the bonus spin and therefore you need to complete the wagering requirement in order to be able to use the winnings that you’ve made. This comes as even more of a surprise since the spins are marketed as free.
How High Are The Requirements
There are different policies set by different casinos. In most cases, they are set up as a percentage of the bonus or of the winnings that you’ve made. If the wagering requirement is 200 percent, you’ll need to spend 200 percent of the amount you’ve got before you’re able to withdraw the funds.
In some cases, this means that you’ll need to add 200 percent of the amount you’ve won with the bonus as your basis. This needs to be spelled out by the casino before you start to play and in most cases, it is.
Should You Give Up On a Bonus
Simply put – yes, there are instances when you should give up on a bonus and not use it even though it’s presented as free and a gift from the casino. The wagering requirements may be too high for a player to cover and when that’s the case, you should simply refuse the bonus which is always an option.
This is often seen as a strange thing to do, for a novice player that wants to take advantage of all the features casinos are offering to them. It’s a sign of maturity when you go in-depth and make your call based on research.
Special Promotions
There are special promotions provided by the casinos. These are usually issued when the casino is new or when it’s celebrating a milestone. Those offers are better than the ones you would get during the rest of the year.
Keep in mind that offers such as those are time-sensitive and that the casinos won’t keep them for a long time. The players should take advantage of the time window but they should also be clear that the time window closes at some point and that the policy will return to normal.
How to Learn About Rules
The casinos themselves will provide you with the rules and let you know what is expected from you when it comes to bonuses and how you can use them. Many players tend to ignore these and decide to simply use the bonus without going through the regulations. It’s a mistake to do so.
There are also online reviews that compare and contrast different casinos and their policies and let you know which casinos have what kind of wagering requirements. You should take a close look at these before choosing a casino for you.
When Not to Use The Bonus?
The best way to beat the wagering requirement is not to use the bonus when it’s presented to you. This means that you won’t need to add any of your own funds since there will be no bonus to build upon. Many players hesitate to do so since it seems they are giving up on free money.
In some cases, the wagering equipment can be 300 or 400 percent of the amount you’ve won. This is too much and you shouldn’t use the bonus with that kind of wagering requirement.
Conclusion
Wagering requirements are a part of the bonuses that are provided by the casino and that many players find to be the main reason to gamble. The bonuses are often presented as free money given to the players so that they can try their luck and learn about the game.
Wagering requirements are the amount that you need to bet in order to be able to withdraw the funds you’ve won from a bonus. That way you can’t just use the bonus and sing out of the casino without having your own stake in the game. Sometimes, it’s best not to use the bonus at all.