Casino Bonus Terminologies

When it comes to online casino bonuses, South African players are spoiled for choice. Indeed, it seems that never before have they been offered such a great variety of deals and promotions that range from hefty welcome packages and reloads to cashback and no deposit extra spins. While the great news is there’s a perk for every taste and budget, many punters and newbies in particular, often have a hard time understanding specific casino bonus terminologies and, as a result, choosing their perfect fit.

No doubt, any fine print is far from being a great read, however, in the world of online gambling, it is essential to know and fully understand the terms and conditions attached to every bonus. Even though they can be pretty confusing given the abundance of casino lingo, everything becomes crystal clear when you learn basic terminology. Let’s take a closer look at the key elements of every bonus and explain what exactly each of the terms means.

Wagering Requirements/Playthrough

Online casino players make no secret of the fact that wagering requirements are one of the decisive elements in the search for a worthy bonus to take advantage of action-packed slots or other popular games. Choose right and you will boost your chances not only to hit a nice win but also to pocket it, choose wrong and you will likely end up empty-handed – what’s worse, after long hours of spinning or playing hands.

So, what exactly is a wagering requirement or playthrough?

In a nutshell, a wagering requirement (WR) is a multiplier that represents the number of times a player has to play through the bonus amount in order to cash out winnings generated with the use of bonus funds. Be careful because often casinos require wagering your deposit on top of the received bonus amount, so always check the T&Cs of a particular match deal before getting overly excited about low WR.

As an example, let’s take a bonus of 100% up to R1,000. You deposit R100 and get another R100 in bonus money. If the wagering requirement attached to the deal looks like 35xB, it means you will have to place stakes worth R3,500 in total (35 x R100) to be able to withdraw your winnings. However, if the formula is 35x (B+D), it means that both the bonus money and your deposit are subject to WR and you will have to stake R7,000 (35 x R200) to clear the bonus. Also, keep in mind that not all games contribute 100% to the wagering, again, check the terms to know your options.

Wager-free casino bonuses – is that even possible?

As incredible as it may sound, wager-free bonuses still exist! They are most often offered by newly created online casinos that want to attract more customers or by websites with well-established loyalty programs as a thank you perk.

Max Bonus

This one is pretty self-explanatory and defines the maximum amount of bonus money that can be received by a player. For instance, if an online casino offers a deposit deal of 100% up to R5,000, it means you can deposit R5,000 and get another R5,000 from the casino. Naturally, you can deposit less than that and get the same amount in bonus money but if your deposit exceeds R5,000, you won’t get more than R5,000 because it is the max possible amount to receive.

Max Cashout

Max cashout is the amount of winnings punters can withdraw when playing with bonus funds. As a rule, all no deposit bonuses have a max cashout rule, which is perfectly fine – you get free spins or free cash without investing your own money, so everything you win can be considered a gift from the casino. However, you will also come across gambling websites that put a ceiling on winnings derived from deposit-match deals, which is a disadvantage from a player’s point of view.

Once and again, thoroughly read the terms and conditions attached to the bonus you want to claim because there’s nothing more frustrating than striking a big win but being able to cash out only a small part of the total sum, and that’s after completing the wagering requirements.

Max Bet

All online casinos limit the highest individual stake that can be made when playing with an active bonus. The max allowed bet can vary from one website to another, usually ranging from R75 to R150. Regardless of whether you are planning to play slots or roulette, blackjack, or another Vegas classic, always check the max bet because violation of this requirement will void your winnings.

Cashable Bonus vs Non-Cashable Bonus

Just as their names imply, cashable bonuses can be withdrawn with the winnings while non-cashable bonuses can not – they will simply disappear from the balance once you request a withdrawal. Non-cashable deals are also called sticky because they stay with the casino while their cashable counterparts are often referred to as non-sticky. The terms and conditions of every bonus offer clearly indicate whether it is sticky or not – one more reason not to skip the fine print.