What Is Casino Bonus Wagering and Are There No Wager Offerings?
If it wasn’t to bonus wagering, online casino would be a much sweeter place for gamblers. In fact, when the industry was in its infancy, players did enjoy some attractive bonuses with no wagering attached. The situation changed after operators started losing money because of bonus abuse. So what is wagering? Why players aren’t happy about it and are there operators that offer no wager deals?
What Is Wagering?
Basically, it’s a very simple term. Wager is commonly referred to as a multiplier. You multiply it by a bonus or deposit + bonus amount. That results in the amount of money you have to spend playing casino games. You don’t necessarily have to lose this money. Loosing or winnings makes no difference. The key is you take risk.
That sounds pretty simple. However, the process of wagering, which is sometimes called turnover or playthrough, has variety of other rules and requirements. And that’s what makes it difficult and often leaves players unhappy.
Let’s consider one example. You want to receive 50% bonus on top of you $100 deposit. That means you are about to get additional $50 (50%x$100). Casino sets 30x wagering requirements, meaning your playthrough amount is: 30x$50=$1,500. It isn’t one huge wager of $1,500, but multiple small bets. Once the goal is reached, everything that’s left of unused bonus and bonus winnings turn into withdrawable cash.
Many novice players misunderstand the concept of casino bonuses, and operators are partly to blame for that. Players think that bonus credits they are promised for their deposits are real money. But in fact, they aren’t. Until turnover requirements are met, these are just bonus credits that worth nothing.
Before wagering requirements is met, bonus credits appear on a separate balance. After the process is complete, the funds show up on a real money balance, meaning that you can now use them or withdraw.
What to Pay Attention to?
Be careful when reading bonus rules. There are times when wager is applied to both bonus and deposit amount. It basically makes the playthrough amount way higher. In the example above, we would have a completely different result if deposit money were to be added: 30x($50+$100)=$4,500. That is three times the initial amount. Some players unaware of this rule are too late to realize that they are to wager much more than they expected.
Because of multiple rules, wagering isn’t that simple as it can initially seem. Players often have no idea about all these conditions as they don’t usually read casino terms and conditions. But knowing these details is crucial as they make a big difference. Below are some of the most important bonus wagering rules you need to pay attention to.
- Maximum bet size. Note that you can’t bet any amount while having active bonuses. Breaking this rule is a common reason operators refuse to pay out bonuses and bonus winnings even after they have been cleared. Some players have no idea this rule exists, but it’s always there. Every casino sets its own maximum bet size; generally the value ranges from $5 to $10 per game round. Until bonuses are cleared, make sure you never exceed the limit.
- Time limit. Wagering is always the process that must be completed within certain time. After receiving bonuses you get on average between 24 hours and 30 days. So, you need to keep track of the time left. If the time limit isn’t specified, ask customer support.
- Games you can’t play. Almost every online casino lists certain games that can’t be played during bonus wagering. Some casinos make players responsible for abiding this rule. If you try to play a restricted game operator won’t stop you, but then you’ll fail to withdraw the winnings. If restricted games aren’t specified in the bonus rules and conditions, you can find them in general casino terms and conditions.
- Game contribution. Not all wagers contribute 100% towards bonus clearing. You can bet hundreds of dollars, but wagering level won’t even move if you play wrong games. Keep in mind that there are games that contribute 0% towards bonus wagering. Usually slot machines have the highest contribution rate of 100%, all of the rest casino games contribute at most 10%.
Real Money Spent First
Another important thing to remember about bonus wagering is your deposit gets spent first. After no real money is left, bonus credits are used to place bets. This is a general practice, but there are very few exceptions.
Why is that important? Because it’s about how much money you’ll end up having. For example, you haven’t met wagering requirements but still have some money left. If real money is spent first, there will be bonus credits left and they get cancelled once wagering time is over. And you basically have zero balance. But if bonus credits are used first, then you’ll still have real cash on your balance. And this money won’t be written off.
Deposit Wagering
What is deposit wagering? Some operators apply wagering requirements to player deposits. In this case, you’ll have to play through uploaded money a specified number of times, which is usually 3x. If for instance, deposited amount is $100, then you’ll have to wager $300 before withdrawal can be requested.
What if you don’t meet the requirement? It all depends on a particular casino. There are operators that don’t require player deposits being wagered. But if there is such rule, usually casinos will charge 10-15% for each withdrawal if minimum wagering amount isn’t met. In most extreme cases, you won’t be allowed to cash out at all. To avoid such unpleasant surprises, always make sure to read rules or ask customer support.
Keep in mind that there can be even less favorable rules. For instance, sometimes wagering is applied not only to the last deposit, but to all deposits you have ever made at that casino. That’s a real life example and it shows how important reading terms and conditions is.
Wager Free Bonuses
Casinos don’t often credit wager free bonuses, since they risk having losses. Wagering requirements make players place as many bets as possible, because that’s how they keep the risks down. In the long run the house gets higher chances of earning its theoretical advantage. But if players were allowed to place a thousand dollar bets, the outcome would be less predictable.
No deposit bonuses without wagering are a dream that is not coming true. However, cashback can be considered this kind of deal. This promotion type can be found at almost all casinos. Part of player losses is credited back in the form of cash and deposit isn’t required to qualify. But you are supposed to make deposits as there’s no way you can earn your cashback without them.
No Deposit Bonuses With Wagering
This is a common type of bonus. There are casinos offering no deposit bonuses to their new players. These offerings do require wagering, and it’s usually significantly higher than wagering required for deposit bonuses. A casino with a lowest playthrough is a nice option. Check some of no deposit offerings below.
We are only showing casinos that support players fromUnited States of America.
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| # | Online casino | AffGambler Rating | Welcome bonus | Reviews | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Desert Nights | 4.28 | 100% up to €1000 | 3 reviews | Visit |
| 2 |  Eclipse Casino | 3.0 | 360% up to €7000 | 1 review | Visit |
| 3 |  Golden Lion | 3.0 | 350% up to €7000 | 2 reviews | Visit |
| 4 |  Bovegas Casino | 3.0 | 350% up to €7000 | 2 reviews | Visit |
| 5 |  Supernova | 3.0 | 350% up to €7000 | 2 reviews | Visit |
Usually no deposit bonuses require almost twice the playthrough amount compared to bonuses credited for topping up casino account. You should expect anywhere between 50-60x. But some operators set even higher requirements, up to 100x.
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