Online casino bonuses have requirements that are not stated in upfront. A player must understand the conditions like online casino wagering requirements.
All online casinos offer bonuses to attract clients. The fundamental fact about understanding bonuses is that a bonus is not free cash to take home. A bonus is free chips given to wager several times over before the winnings can be taken home. Understanding bonuses involves understanding five aspects related to bonuses. These are:
The percent figure
The maximum limit
The wagering requirements
The games on which bonuses can be played
The country specific regulations
The Percent Figure
Most bonuses are specified as a percent of some figure, which usually is a deposit made by the player. Suppose the percent figure specified is 50% and the player makes a deposit of $100. Then the bonus amount is half the deposit or $50. Suppose the percent figure specified is 200% and the player makes a deposit of $50. Then the bonus amount is twice the deposit or $100. Usually the deposit is the first deposit made by the player at an online casino. Some casinos give bonuses on certain subsequent deposits as well under special promotional schemes.
The Maximum Limit
Casinos put a limit on the bonuses that can be availed. Suppose a deposit bonus is 200%. This does not necessarily mean that a player can deposit $500 and avail of a bonus of $1000. For casinos bonuses are in the nature of discounts offered on goods in the market. Discounts are offered to attract buyers but they cannot be so large that the goods are sold at a loss. Similarly if online casinos start offering unrestricted bonuses they would make losses. Hence a bonus may be specified as, to cite an example, 200% of the deposit subject to a limit of $600. In this case even if the deposit is greater than $300, the bonus will be restricted to $600.
The Wagering Requirement
It was already mentioned earlier that the bonus is an inducement to wager and not a free take home. Therefore all bonuses have to be wagered a specified number of times before the winnings from the bonus can be taken home. There are two ways of specifying the wagering requirements.
The bonus amount has to be wagered X times
The bonus and deposit amount has to be wagered Y times
Usually when the bonus and deposit amounts are specified the wagering requirements are lower.
The Games on Which Bonuses Can Be Played
Different casino games have different house edges. Games like blackjack have low house edges and games like slots have higher house edges. Usually the bonuses have to be wagered on games like slots. If bonuses are wagered on forbidden games then those wagers will not count for wagering requirements.
The Country Specific Regulations
There are two kinds of country specific requirements.
Players from certain listed countries cannot avail of the bonuses.
Players from certain listed countries are allowed to avail of bonuses but have to meet greater wagering requirements.
Online casinos have found that there are players from certain countries who regularly try to misuse the terms and conditions of the bonuses. Therefore in order to protect their interest they have to penalize players from those countries.