Live Casino Bonuses Terms and Conditions
You might feel tempted to skip over the terms and conditions when you’re claiming a live casino bonus, but it’s essential you read them. They contain important information dictating use of the bonus, and you might be caught out if you’re not aware of the requirements beforehand. Terms will vary with each offer, and we’ve explained some of them for you below.
Wagering Requirements
When you claim a bonus, it will likely have wagering requirements attached. These mean any winnings resulting from the bonus can only be withdrawn once the player has wagered the value of the bonus a certain number of times. They’re put in place by casino operators because they’d stand to lose a lot of money if every awarded bonus had to be paid out.
Imagine a $10 bonus has a 25x wagering requirement: with this offer, you’d have to stake $250 in total (10 x 25) before you could withdraw any bonus funds. You’ll frequently find wagering requirements tied to matched deposits and free spins bonuses; regarding free spins, requirements here will be applied to any winnings generated by the spins. Wagering requirements can make offers seem less valuable to players if they’re difficult to meet — you might want to opt for a no wagering bonus instead, or choose to access only a portion of the bonus in order to target smaller requirements.
Game Weighting Restrictions
Game weighting restrictions, sometimes called bonus playthrough percent, are an extra layer on top of wagering requirements. Take the example of a 10x wagering requirement on a $50 bonus. In order to withdraw any bonus funds, you’ll have to stake a total of $500 first. Before you go about meeting this requirement, check for any weighting restrictions on your chosen game. If they do apply, bets placed on that particular game may not count in their entirety towards the wagering requirements.
Imagine a bonus where the terms and conditions state that roulette bets have a 50% weighting restriction. That means only 50% of each bet’s value goes towards meeting the wagering requirements; in other words, a $10 bet will only contribute $5 against your $500 wagering requirement target.
The reason casinos enforce these restrictions is because playing games with high return to player (RTP) percentages makes it much easier to meet the wagering requirements. At the end of the day, casino operators are businesses, so it’s not in their financial interest for players to withdraw a bonus. That’s why you’ll often see weighting restrictions on blackjack sites and baccarat games ‒ where the house edge can be as minimal as 1% ‒ as savvier players would be able to play through the wagering requirements with less risk of losing money.
Game Exclusions
When it comes to using your bonus, not all games will be eligible to play. Always check for any exclusions before claiming the offer, especially if you’re planning to use the bonus for a specific game. For example, you might have some bonus funds from a matched deposit offer which you’d like to use on blackjack, but you can’t if it’s an excluded game.
Game exclusions typically apply to games with a higher RTP because they allow the possibility of gambling with minimum risk. Blackjack and baccarat are common examples, as are slots with a high RTP.
You might also see game exclusions in the context of wagering requirements. This means any bets made on that particular game won’t count towards the wagering requirements of the bonus.
Maximum Winnings Caps
Maximum winnings caps are one of the most important conditions to be aware of. Imagine how frustrated you’d be if you won a huge jackpot on the slots using a free spin, only to find out your winnings were capped at $50.
Put simply, you won’t be able to use or withdraw any winnings over the cap. While we never recommend using bonuses with the intention of making financial gains, you should always check if a limit applies when you claim the offer to prevent disappointment.
Maximum winnings caps are seen frequently with free spins bonuses, but you could find them with other offers as well.
Banking Type Exclusions
If a bonus is contingent on making a deposit into your casino account, it’s imperative you know which payment methods are eligible in order to receive the bonus. Because casino offers are usually limited to one per player or household, e-wallets such as Neteller and Skrill are often excluded because they make it easier for players to circumvent a casino’s identity checks. Players who deposit using bank cards are usually fine, but you should always scrutinize the T&Cs to make sure.
Time Limits
Most bonuses are subject to a period of time in which they must be used. It’s usually around 30 days, but could be shorter or longer. Check the wording around when the timer starts — it could be from when you make a qualifying deposit rather than when the bonus is actually credited to your account. We suggest making a note of when the bonus funds will expire when you claim the offer. If you don’t use them, you’ll lose them.
