Bonus Terms And Conditions Explained
No doubt, bonuses are what make playing at South African online casinos so much more fun. Trying to cater to the needs and wants of virtually any gambler, modern gaming websites provide a wide variety of promotions, which is great. However, such a rich and diverse offering can also create confusion and cause players to make wrong choices.
The only viable way to be sure the bonus is right for you is to carefully read all the Terms and Conditions attached to it. Naturally, scrolling through endless rows of fine print is not entertaining but think of it as a “necessary evil” that can mean the difference between cashing out a nice win and walking away empty-handed. We bet the second scenario is not the plan, therefore be ready to check out the terms every time you want to claim a bonus.
Since the bonus policy (as well as the way it is presented on the website) may vary dramatically from one online casino to another, it is of utmost importance to know the most common terms and understand their meaning completely. Below you will find everything you need to become an expert in Bonus T&Cs.
Where to Find the Bonus T&Cs on the Website
Before turning specifically to the explanation of the key bonus terms, just a couple of words about where to find all the information you need to know. Usually, the footer of the website features General Terms and Conditions and Bonus Terms and Conditions as separate documents.
While the Bonus T&Cs contain all important information relating to the use of promotions offered by the online casino, the General T&Cs govern the site’s use by the players and cover a broad range of aspects, including some rules that could apply to bonuses but are not necessarily mentioned on the Bonus terms page.
In addition to that, the specific terms attached to a certain bonus (as well as the link to the full T&Cs) are usually conveniently located on the same page as the advertised deal itself. It’s worth mentioning that while at some websites, all terms are really easy to find almost in one place, at other casinos, patrons have to do some digging around in order to solve the puzzle.
Wagering Requirements
Even though occasionally you can come across a wager-free promotion, the vast majority of casino bonuses have wagering requirements. Also called playthrough, a wagering requirement (WR) is a multiplier, which shows the number of times players have to wager the bonus amount if they want to withdraw winnings derived from the use of bonus funds or free spins.
Just a heads up, always check whether you need to wager only the bonus amount received or your deposit is also subject to wagering requirements, meaning that you have to wager both your deposit and the bonus amount. In the latter case, an attractive (at first glance) playthrough requirement of 25x may turn out to be not that advantageous compared to “higher” wagering of 35x for the first option.
The math is simple:
if a player makes an R1,000 deposit and gets an R1,000 bonus match, then under the first scenario, R2,000 in total funds has to be wagered 25 times, which makes R50,000. On the other hand, if the player has to wager only the bonus received 35 times, R1,000 x 35 = R35,000.
One more thing, not all games contribute to wagering equally. Luckily for fans of virtual fruit machines, most online slots have a 100% contribution, usually except for games with very high RTP. As for video poker and table games, their average contribution percentage may vary between 10% and 25%, with Hold’em, Caribbean Stud, and other poker variants going up to 50%. However, you will also come across websites where table games have zero or 5% contribution.
Bet Limits
You will be hard-pressed to find an online casino that does not limit the maximum individual bet that can be made when playing with bonus funds. This is being done to prevent bonus abuse from gamblers, so make sure not to break this rule or you risk your winnings being void.
Game Restrictions
While some bonuses can be played on virtually any online slot available in the game lobby, others are valid only on specific titles. It’s not rare to see a free spins bonus intended for spinning the reels of just one particular slot, therefore, once again, do not skip the terms.
In addition to that, some casinos consider it irregular play when punters switch game types while on a bonus, for instance, start with roulette and then move to slots or vice versa. If such a rule exists, you will most likely find it in the General Bonus T&Cs.
Maximum Cashout
It certainly would be great to pocket every last dime of your winnings but when you play with bonuses, it is not always possible. As a matter of fact, it is never possible with no deposit bonuses because they all have a max cashout rule, letting punters withdraw only a certain amount of their prize.
When it comes to bonuses that require a deposit, many online casinos do not put a ceiling on winnings players can withdraw after completing the playthrough, however, some websites limit the size of cashable winnings. Ideally, this information should be clearly stated in the T&Cs attached to a certain promotion but at some casinos, it may be only mentioned in the general bonus policy.
At the risk of sounding stuffy, we’d like to stress once again the importance of reading both general and specific Bonus terms and conditions. Online casino bonuses are arguably the best way to get the most out of your play but only when you know which one can bring advantage and help spin your way to winning.