When you sign up to any new online casino, you will always get a nice welcome offer to thank you for signing up and welcoming you. Below is an explanation of what a Casino Bonus is, what types are available and what to keep an eye on when playing with a bonus.

Casino bonus

Casino Bonuses Explained

Why and what kind of different types of bonuses are available? Below is a comprehensive guide on all the different types that are available. We will also go through which ones are best and all the differences between them.

  • Sticky: This type of bonus it the most common one. A sticky bonus is a bonus that needs to be wagered through (see wagering requirement for more) before the bonus funds and the qualifying deposit made can be released. Until then all funds are locked and cannot be withdrawn!
  • No-Sticky: This type of bonus it the most desirable one. A no-sticky bonus is a bonus, where your qualifying deposit and bonus amount are separated, and played through separately. This means that with a No-Sticky bonus you can ALWAYS withdraw your cash balance at ANY TIME and drop the bonus if you win big, before hitting bonus balance. This type of bonus is also called a Parachute bonus in some casinos. You will always start playing with your cash balance when playing with this bonus type. When you hit bonus balance, you will start the wagering requirement, and need to complete it before you can cash out.
  • Non-Cashable: This type of bonus can be the best one. A Non-cashable bonus is a bonus, where your qualifying deposit and bonus amount are separated. The difference between this and the other bonuses is, the bonus balance can never be withdrawn. So, what is the point then? Well, everything you can generate with the bonus balance and qualifying deposit can be withdrawn, immediately! This bonus is most of the time restricted with a small playthrough requirement and sometimes also has a max cashout.
  • Cashback: This type of bonus is getting more common. A cashback bonus is not really tied to a single deposit, but is rewarded after a set amount of time (normally each week). The Cashback bonus is a set percentage of your losses from a set amount of time. This type of bonuses differs a lot for each site. Some sites have wagering requirements on cashback bonuses, others do not. If you like playing raw, but want some loyalty, cashback bonuses are what you should look for.
  • Freespins: Freespins bonuses are also available on many sites. These bonuses are usually a set number of spins either at one time or over a set number of days. Freespins bonuses can be both Sticky and No-Sticky in nature.
  • Wager-Free: These are rare to come by and in general, as they are the best from a player’s perspective. You do not need to playthrough anything, besides your own deposit, which is 1x. There are always some specific terms attached to them, so carefully read it, before you deposit.

These are the most common bonuses available on most online casinos today. Some casinos might have other variants of the above-mentioned ones, so remember to check bonus terms, to determine which type you are taking, before depositing.

Casino Bonus Restrictions Explained

When taking a casino bonus (see our article on the different bonuses here), one important rule before taking any bonuses at all, is to always familiarize yourself with its restrictions, if there are any. In this article we will look at some common restrictions, that are usually always present in the bonus terms.

Casino Bonus Restrictions

Game restrictions: You will almost always have a set list of restricted casino games, in the bonus terms. Usually these are games that have a high RTP/Potential (fx. Dead or Alive 2 or Wishmaster, both from Netent to name a couple) (See article on RTP here), or a collect feature of some sort (fx. Lil’ Devil from Big Time Gaming, which has a Heart Collect bonus feature). Some casinos will have an autoblock on those games when you have an active bonus (fx. Betroom24 or King Billy), but some you need to manually check and keep track of it (fx. Rant Casino or Mad Money). ALWAYS keep a close eye on these games! Table games are always NOT allowed with a bonus, UNLESS it is a dedicated Live Casino bonus. In some cases, a selection of games will count less towards wagering requirements than others.

Maximum Bet Rule: When playing with a bonus, there is usually a Max bet rule in place, that you can bet, from start to finish. This bet varies a lot from site to site but is usually between €2-€5. Unfortunately, it is not easy to implement a blocking feature for the casinos, so it autoblocks any bet over the max. For each casino. So, keep an extra eye on the bet size, before pressing spin.

Wagering Requirement: This is always present in the terms and means playthrough requirement to release the bonus and be able to withdraw. This also varies from being Deposit + Bonus amount combined, or just the Bonus Amount. To take an example we have King Billy with a wagering requirement of 35x Bonus Amount only, and Betroom24 has a wagering requirement of 25x Deposit + Bonus Amount. If both bonuses are 100% bonuses, then the most favorable would be the King Billy bonus as it would result in a lot less wagering (fx. King Billy (D100+B100 / Wager: 35x B = 3500) vs. Betroom24 (D100+B100 / Wager: 25x D+B = 5000).

Days to complete: There will always be a set number of days to complete wagering. If not completed within those days, the Bonus will be removed.

Countries Excluded from bonus: Excluded countries is also a common term in the bonus terms section. Make sure to see that your country is not on the list before you make a deposit.

Min. Deposit to activate: There is ALWAYS a min. Deposit amount to activate a bonus. This is NOT necessarily the lowest possible deposit amount into the casino but can be a bit higher! Always check the minimum deposit amount, to make sure it’s enough to activate the bonus.

Max Cashout after wager completion: This is unfortunately also becoming more common. It means that you have a set amount of money you are allowed to cashout, AFTER wager of the bonus is completed. Any balance above the max cashout, will be forfeited! If you have a max cashout bonus, ALWAYS cashout after you have completed the wager, because in most cases the max cashout still applies UNTIL you have made a withdrawal after playing with a bonus!

These are just some of the most common restrictions you will find in the bonus terms. Always familiarize yourself with the terms, as it could result in a loss of any funds won/generated by using bonuses.