Opening a brand new casino account tends to be very exciting, mainly because fresh players are eligible for a sign up bonus. This welcome bundle tends to be the most generous offer that matches the player's deposit and adds a few dozen free spins on top. However, even when you spend it, there are usually more promos that are up for grabs. In other words, it’s possible to get extra value on every deposit you make.
In modern online casinos, qualifying for the promotions is easy and usually requires a small deposit. Those who are interested can find plenty of $5 deposit bonus casino Canada sites where they can create a profile and claim rewards when they add a few bucks. However, not all offers are as ideal as they sound. There are pages of bonus terms that limit how promotions can be used. On top of that, using a promo can lock your funds, which means you can’t withdraw them unless you fulfill the terms. To that end, you should stick around to learn how bonuses typically work.
What Are The Most Common Casino Bonus Terms?
While casino terms tend to be robust, you don’t really need to read the whole thing. There are a few sections that will tell you everything you need to know about the bonus:
- Wagering requirements
- Eligible games
- Expiration date
- Maximum bet and win
On top of these terms, you should also take some time to evaluate the operator before signing up. You want to make sure that they are fully regulated and still have an active license. Ideally, you should go for a site that supports fast withdrawals and gives you easy and quick access to your cash. Many Canadians consult lists on wahta.ca in order to find legitimate casino sites with fast payout, as this makes the whole research process a lot faster.
Wagering Requirements/Rollover Terms/Bonus Playthrough
On the surface, each promo looks like a freebie or a giveaway, but when you look at the wagering terms, you see that’s not really the case. In a nutshell, wagering/playthrough/rollover terms tell you how many times you need to wager the bonus funds in order to turn them into withdrawable cash. So if you see a note that says “wagering requirements 30x,” that means you need to bet the amount of money that is equal to 30 times your bonus amount; in some instances, it is 30 times deposit + bonus amount.
So, if you got a 100% bonus match with 30x rollover terms, and you deposited $10, that means the following. You get an extra $10 in your bonus budget, and you need to wager $300 in total in order to clear that bonus. To further clarify, you need to win more than $300 using those extra $10, and then use at least $300 of those winnings in future bets.
Similar terms apply to free spins. All the winnings from those free spins are treated as the bonus funds, and then those funds have rollover requirements. So if your total winnings from free spins are $20, you’ll need to win at least $600, using those $20, and bet them on other games.
Eligible Games
Another important part of the bonus terms is the eligible games. When a casino gives you free spins or bonus cash, you can only use it on several games, or on many games by select software providers.
Another important point about the games is connected to the wagering terms that we talked about above. When clearing the playthrough requirements, you should mainly focus on playing slots. This is because bets on slots count 100% towards those rollover terms. Table games or live dealer games will contribute between 10% and 20% in most cases, but there are also instances when those games don’t contribute at all.
Expiration Date
Once you claim bonus cash or spins, they don’t stick around indefinitely. You need to spend them within a week, or, in some cases, within 24 hours. If you don’t, any remaining spins or funds will be automatically moved from your account. It’s also possible for the winnings to be removed if you haven’t cleared the rollover terms within the specified time frame. So read this part carefully; if it’s not clear what happens with the winnings, contact the support and ask them to clarify these terms.
Maximum Bet and Win
Finally, pay attention to spending limits. Casinos will rarely let you make big bets using a bonus fund, and you will likely be limited to $5-$20 per bet. Additionally, you’ll likely see terms that limit how much you can win per bet, e.g, $200. So always keep these values in mind when determining how much you will wager with bonus funds. You don’t want to use a maximum bet if there is a chance you can win big, since a portion of those winnings will be lost in the process. Only bet the amount that can’t result in a win that exceeds the maximum winning cap.