| Wagering Requirements or Play Through Requirements |
While every casino offers their own bonuses that will change from time to time, there are some things that are common across the board, no matter where you play. The first thing that you should know is that most casinos will tell you that there are certain games where the bonus money cannot be used. Generally these games are craps, roulette, and blackjack. In addition to this, you should know when you accept bonus money that there are some wagering requirements that come along with it. Generally the requirements are that you have to wager your initial deposit into your account in addition to a bonus a certain number of times before you are able to withdraw it from your account. The number of times that you have to do this to get the money usually ranges from 8 to 37 times (bonus or bonus plus deposit), and this just helps the casino ensure that people aren’t simply cashing out when they accept a bonus or promotion. This is what is referred to as the wagering requirement or play through requirement.
Whether or not you take the bonus depends on your particular style of play. I personally do not take the bonuses because I want to feel I can cash out at any given moment, without waiting for the wagering requirement to be met. Let's go through an example of a deposit bonus from Dublin Bet. Let's say we want to play live roulette and want to take advantage of the 100% deposit bonus of up to 100€. Dublin Bet's play through requirement is 37 times the bonus only. Don't be fooled by the numbers. Take into consideration if it's the bonus only or the bonus plus the deposit. Other casinos like Casino Europa and Vegas Red will state a low wagering requirement, but they include the bonus plus the deposit. back to our example. Let's say we deposited 100€, and due to the bonus we are now playing with 200€. We can't cash out until we play with 3700€ in bets. This is 37 times the bonus amount, which was 100€ in this example. If the odds of winning on a live roulette game are 99.4% on each hand, then out of the 3700€ you are playing with you will theoretically lose 220€, which is 20€ more than you started with. Keep in mind that this is a theoretical, and you can larger swings in either direction. Since you are playing with twice as much, then you will theoretically break close to even when you are done. This allows the casinos to let you try out their games with out any "theoretical" risks for you.
A lot of people see these requirements or limitations and they wonder why they should bother accepting or taking advantage of the bonuses, but if you play regularly you will find that it is not difficult to meet these requirements. If you meet the requirements you will find that in the end you can win money without spending a cent of yours. A lot of people play smart and get lucky and are able to take their initial deposit, the bonus money, and then some home with them. Where else can you play your favorite casino games from the comfort of your own home with someone else’s money?
|
|
|
Live Roulette |
Live Baccarat |
As a casino gamer you should be aware that while bonuses are appealing the casino offers them because they keep you playing. The point is not to have you walk away with a bunch of their money, but to keep you coming back to spend yours! Playing with bonuses can be fun because it is basically free money, but you should remember that the casino benefits if you keep playing, too!
One thing to keep in mind when you win big with the help of the bonuses or promotions is that it can take awhile to get paid. While you can take your winnings home with you immediately out of a brick and mortar casino this isn’t the case when you game online. It can take anywhere from a couple days to a few weeks to get your money, so don’t spend it before you cash out because you may need to be patient!
|