Arguments For and Against Redeeming Online Casino Bonuses

Bonuses are a major attraction for online gamblers and often play a decisive role in choosing one online casino over another. Some gambling buffs consider them the equivalent of free money but these freebies are not without their downsides.

Playing with your own funds is sometimes better than claiming a bonus and you should be aware of all the caveats before opting in for one.

In this article, we put forward several compelling arguments for and against bonus redemption to help you make informed decisions about these promotions on your own.

Also included are several important bonus terms online gamblers often ignore to their own detriment. Let’s kick things off with the most commonly available bonus types at online casinos.

Online gambling operators cater to players with various promotional incentives, the most common of which include no deposit offers, deposit match bonuses, free spins, referral bonuses, and cashbacks.

Learning to distinguish between them will allow you to easily identify the promotions that best suit your style and personal preferences. Without further ado, here are the five most commonly available bonuses you will find at online casinos.

No Deposit Bonuses

Deposit Match Bonuses

Free Spins

Friend Referral Bonuses

Cashback Bonuses

No Deposit Bonuses

No deposit bonuses are a type of promotion typically available to newly registered players that does not require them to deposit. Newcomers must simply sign up for real-money accounts and opt in for the offer. No deposit bonuses are nominal in size, rarely exceeding $5 or $10 per player.

Deposit Match Bonuses

Deposit match bonuses are offered to newly registered players who deposit for the first time as well as to returning customers on their subsequent deposits.

In the second case, they are known as reload bonuses. Either way, the casino will match the deposit with a specific percentage in bonus monies, ranging from 25% to 500%.

For example, a 100% deposit match up to $200 can give you a maximum of $400 to play with ($200 in bonus credits plus $200 in real money).

Free Spins

Free spins are regularly available to both new and existing customers. Online casinos typically use them to advertise the latest additions to their slot libraries, allowing patrons to try the new releases in a risk-free manner. The operators can hand out anywhere between 5 and 100 spins at no cost available on select slot games.

Cashback Bonuses

Cashback bonuses are a great way to partially recover the losses you incur after a bad run. Cashbacks are percentage-based similarly to deposit bonuses but the difference is the percentage reflects the amount of losses you get back. On the downside, players usually have to lose their entire deposits to qualify for a cashback.

1Always Read the T&Cs

All online casino bonuses, regardless of their type, have terms and conditions attached to them. You should have a clear understanding of the promotional terms unless you do not mind having your bonus forfeited due to violations of the rules.

2Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements are almost always in place when one gambles with bonus money. Also known as rollover or playthrough, the wagering requirements reflect the amount players must wager before they can unlock or withdraw the bonus funds. This usually must happen within a reasonable timeframe as specified by the casino.

3Game Weightings

Game weightings reflect how much of each bet counts toward clearing the bonus wagering requirements. Contribution percentages vary across the different categories of games.

Video slots usually count in full (100%), while games like craps have a significantly lower contribution, often 5% at best. A $100 wager on a game with a 5% weighting counts as $5 cleared from the bonus wagering.

4Restricted or Excluded Games

Restricted or excluded games are those that have no contribution toward clearing the bonus playthrough. Playing them results in bonus voidance and confiscation.

5Maximum Bets

Terms relating to maximum bets stipulate how much players can wager per spin or round while having active bonuses in their accounts. Exceeding the limit can also lead to bonus forfeiture.

6Cashable Bonuses

Cashable bonuses are those you can withdraw after fulfilling the wagering requirements.

7Sticky Bonuses

Sticky bonuses are those you cannot cash out after meeting the playthrough. Only the winnings resulting from sticky offers are withdrawable. The bonuses themselves are voided and removed from players’ balance.

8Winning Caps

Winning caps are often imposed on no deposit and free spins offers to protect gambling operators against customers who unexpectedly experience huge windfalls while playing with promotional credits.

9Regional Restrictions

Regional restrictions apply at times, fully or partially excluding players based in certain countries from bonus redemption.

10Payment Method Restrictions

Payment method restrictions may prevent you from claiming deposit-associated bonuses when funding your balance with specific banking solutions. The most commonly restricted methods include Skrill, PayPal, Neteller, and Paysafe.

As appealing as they seem, online casino bonuses are not without their disadvantages. Some bonuses seem like great deals until you read their terms in detail and realize they are precisely the opposite. What follows are several of the strongest arguments against claiming online casino bonuses.

Slower Withdrawals

Multiple Restrictions to Comply With

High Wagering Requirements

Bonus Credits Are Not Free Money

Slower Withdrawals

Redeeming bonuses can result in slower withdrawals at certain online casinos due to the wagering requirements. Players must clear the playthrough before they can withdraw the bonus and its associated winnings.

Fulfilling this condition takes time, especially in cases when the wagering requirements are higher than the industry standard. Some casinos altogether prohibit withdrawals when you have active bonuses in your account.

What is more, most withdrawals associated with bonus play require additional reviews on behalf of the casino’s team and this can create further delays in the payment process.

One easy way to circumvent this inconvenience is to look for online casinos without wagering requirements on bonuses. Such gambling sites are rarer than hen’s teeth but they do exist on the internet.

Multiple Restrictions to Comply With

As we informed you earlier, gambling operators typically enforce multiple restrictions on bonus users. Not only is this annoying but it often prevents you from extracting enough value from your free play.

Players must keep their eyes peeled at all times unless they want to have their bonuses confiscated due to violations of the terms.

Perhaps the biggest issue is that you cannot enjoy all releases available in the gaming library. Some casinos allow only slots, keno, and instant-win games during bonus play, prohibiting video poker and table games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.

Such promotions will be of no use to you whatsoever if you are keen on table games and live dealers.

Check the promotional terms beforehand to see the restricted games and the weightings of the allowed ones. Another viable course of action is to register at casinos that offer bonuses geared specifically to the needs of players who prefer live dealers or table games.

High Wagering Requirements

Terms and conditions verbiage varies marginally across gambling sites but nearly all online casinos attach wagering requirements (WR) to their promotional offers. The higher these requirements are, the harder it gets to fulfill them within the designated time.

In some cases, the playthrough includes both the bonus and the triggering deposit, making it all the more difficult for players to clear it. If the wagering is way too steep, you will extract little to no value from the bonus.

Few recreational players can afford to gamble with five-figure amounts to release a $200 bonus from their accounts, especially within such a short timeframe. The point we are trying to drive home is that clearing the bonus playthrough can be a lengthy and expensive process.

If the idea of having your funds tied up for so long does not appeal to you, perhaps you should consider skipping on bonus redemption altogether.

Bonus Credits Are Not Free Money

Some inexperienced players mistakenly assume claiming bonuses is the same as being handed free money but as you can see from everything written so far, this is hardly the case. In reality, the promotional terms are formulated in a way that could actually help the house win money.

This is because the house edge built into all casino games starts to manifest itself over a statistically large number of wagers. The more bets you place, the closer you get to the mathematical disadvantage casino games expose you to.

In this vein, it is worth mentioning this is one of the primary reasons why most casinos impose maximum bet restrictions during bonus play. The goal is to make bonus players place as many wagers as possible before they clear the wagering requirements.

Players will thus expose a larger portion of their bankrolls to the house edge. Many will end up running out of money before they meet the playthrough.

1Overview

Despite their downsides, online casino bonuses can still offer certain benefits to savvy players who know how to find value in promotional incentives. Below we cover several arguments in favor of redeeming online casino bonuses.

2Some Bonuses Do Have Player-Friendly Terms

Promotional incentives with player-friendly terms are sometimes beatable and can offer value to gamblers as long as they know how to identify them. This is easier than ever in the modern age we live in.

Some specialized gambling sites on the internet feature dedicated calculators that can help you work out the breakeven casino advantage of cashable bonuses.

All you have to do is enter several variables, including the bonus amount, the playthrough, and the wagering contribution of the game you intend to play. Players must also input the triggering deposit provided that the playthrough includes both the bonus and the deposit amount.

bonus calculator

3You Can Extend Your Gaming Session with Bonuses

If you have a tight budget at your disposal, redeeming bonuses can help boost your bankroll and extend the duration of your gaming session. You get a good headstart and more play time without necessarily having to commit with larger deposits.

If you determine you cannot clear the playthrough within the stipulated timeframe, you can always forfeit the bonus and request to withdraw the funds from your real-money balance.

4Cashbacks Can Help You Partially Recover Your Losses

Many online casinos treat their loyal players to cashbacks, allowing them to recover a percentage of their lost deposits during a given day, week, or month. Some gambling operators are generous enough to credit the cashback amount directly in cash to your real-money balance.

If this is the case, the cashback money is yours for the keeping and you can withdraw it right away if you wish. Check the terms and conditions to ensure no wagering requirements apply to your cashback. Many online casinos are unscrupulous enough to credit such rebates as bonus monies with wagering in place.

Compelling Arguments For and Against Redeeming Online Casino Bonuses

Commonly Available Online Casino Bonuses

No Deposit Bonuses

Deposit Match Bonuses

Free Spins

Friend Referral Bonuses

Cashback Bonuses

Key Terms of Online Casino Bonuses

1Always Read the T&Cs

2Wagering Requirements

3Game Weightings

4Restricted or Excluded Games

5Maximum Bets

6Cashable Bonuses

7Sticky Bonuses

8Winning Caps

9Regional Restrictions

10Payment Method Restrictions

Arguments Against Redeeming Casino Bonuses

Slower Withdrawals

Multiple Restrictions to Comply With

High Wagering Requirements

Example of Steep WR

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Bonus Credits Are Not Free Money

Arguments in Favor of Redeeming Casino Bonuses

1Overview

2Some Bonuses Do Have Player-Friendly Terms

3You Can Extend Your Gaming Session with Bonuses

4Cashbacks Can Help You Partially Recover Your Losses