Online casinos all battle for customers in a highly competitive sector. There is fierce competition to try to stand out from the crowd to attract new customers. The acquisition of those customers can be a costly thing for online operators to cover.
However, it’s a necessity for them. One way that online casinos attract new players is through welcome bonus offers. These are posted as one-time major incentives, representative of hanging a ‘Sale’ sign in a shop window.
Welcome bonus offers at online casinos like Jackpot Village generally work on a percentage bonus format, meaning that they credit a certain amount of your initial deposit as bonus cash.
Playing the Percentages
The most striking, notable feature of an online casino welcome bonus is the percentage of the bonus. This could be anything the casino decides to serve up, but the larger it is, the more curb appeal it is going to have in the busy world of online casino real estate.
Comparing available offers on first view, where one operator has a 50% bonus and another a 200% bonus then, should be a no-brainer as to which one the player should choose to go with.
However, playing the percentages of a casino bonus isn’t quite as straightforward as that. Bigger is not always better, and that is due to the terms and conditions that are attached to these types of bonuses.
Tied up In Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements are locked into deposit bonuses and there could be a 40x or a 50x wagering requirement for example that is attached to one.
This means the value of the bonus that you are credited must be played through that x number of times before any winnings from the bonus funds can be withdrawn.
Sometimes the requirements will also specify that the initial deposit amount must be played through too. Both the bonus percentage and wagering requirement will vary from one online casino operator to the next.
This is where the balance comes in. If you have earned a $200 bonus with a high 50x wagering requirement, then a lot of wagers need to be played before you reap the full benefit.
If on the other hand, you had picked up a smaller $20 bonus from a 50% bonus offer, then it could be more accessible. Never overlook the smaller details of the key terms and conditions for any online casino offer that you come across.
What Is a Casino Percentage?
The percentage value listed in a casino bonus is how much of your initial deposit the casino will match. If it is a 100% bonus for example, and you make a $30 deposit, then your bonus amount would be $30 as well.
If the bonus percentage was 50%, then you would collect $15 in bonus, or half of the initial deposit. As previously mentioned, due to wagering requirements, it’s not the true value of the bonus.
The terms of the bonus will explain whether you need to play through just the bonus money, or plus the deposit to meet wagering requirements. Games play a role as well when it comes to playthrough requirements.
Stakes on slots for example may count as 100% towards wagering requirements, while only 20% of blackjack wagers count.
Bonus Match
There are limits to the size of the bonus that you can pick up through offers. They are capped, so the bookmaker isn’t just throwing copious amounts of bonus funds at a single player.
The upper limit of the size of the bonus that can be collected through an offer will be stated in the terms and conditions.
An example would be a 100% matched bonus with a limit of $50. That means even if you make a $300 deposit, the maximum bonus cash you would receive is $50 and no more.
How to Calculate Online Casino Percentages
Take the value of the bonus amount credited to you, then multiply that by the wagering requirements. For example, if you have put in a $20 deposit on a 50% bonus at 35x wagering requirements:
$20 deposit at 50% = $10 bonus
$10 x 35x = $350 wagering requirement
The size of the deposit and the terms of the bonus percentage will determine your bonus amount. This is usually between 25% to 100% but can be anything. It just means that for every dollar you put in, it will be matched by whatever the percentage is in bonus funds.
If the bonus states the deposit amount needs to be played through, you will need to add that value to the equation. In this case, it would be:
($20 deposit + $10 bonus) x 35x = $1,050 wagering requirement
As you can see, this makes a big difference.
Free Spins
It’s also common to receive free spins from a casino bonus as well. These are not likely to be exempted from any wagering requirements either, which are typically set at the same terms as the deposit match bonus.
In the case of free spins, any winnings earned from them will have to first meet the wagering requirements before they can be withdrawn.
Look Beyond Bonuses
The wagering requirements can be an obstacle in attempting to pick up any kind of promotional bonus offer. It’s very important to check the details of those terms. If you put in a big initial deposit, you may potentially play your way out of a reward.
If you can’t meet the wagering requirements, which are subject to a qualifying period, then the entire bonus will be forfeited.
It’s also noteworthy that whatever the bonus amount is, that it may not return the same value of winnings after being played through. For example, if you played $30 bonus cash, you may only win $5 from it. So, what you win is the true value, not the initial bonus amount.
Plan a Strategy
Before making a deposit ensure that you are clear about the terms and conditions and the wagering requirements. Calculate how much of a qualifying stake you can realistically meet the wagering requirements on and not the other way around.
An online casino bonus should not define your online gambling experience. After all, sign-up offers are just one-off deals. There will likely be other valuable bonuses, giving longer-term value for consistent responsible play.
These could be in the form of free play, free spins, reload and even cash back bonuses. Take a look as well at any type of rewards program or VIP club that will give you perks for your regular casino play.
