As a rule, a good online casino issues a welcome bonus for the very fact of registering a profile on the site. Such funds are immediately credited to the bonus account and become available. You can win them back by playing for money – to do this you need to make a deposit. The second option involves a gift to a new player who has registered and has already replenished his balance. Fortunately, today there are a huge number of casino sites with a minimum deposit of 1 pound, so you don’t have to prepare large sums from the start.
In fact, in both cases, you can withdraw the bonus to your personal account only after replenishing the balance and wagering. But let’s talk about everything step by step.
What is a first deposit bonus?
A first deposit bonus is a reward from an online casino in the form of free spins or money. It is important to note that the casino doesn’t ask you to replenish your account with a large amount of money, but to receive a bonus it may require much more than you think.
The size of the bonus depends on the policy of each casino, as well as on the amount by which the account was replenished. In the best licensed casinos, the bonus amount can be 100-300% of the deposit. An additional 50-500 free spins are also the usual case.
As a rule, the bonus must be wagered on certain slot machines within a specified time frame. If the player does not have time to do this, the winnings from free spins or bonus money are burned. The money on deposit remains the same, only the bonus disappears.
A casino bonus helps the casino attract new players. And users, in turn, get a chance to win. This is beneficial for both parties, so if you choose a reliable, licensed casino, you should not be afraid of being scammed.
Bonus wagering
After receiving a bonus on the first deposit, the client doesn’t have the opportunity to withdraw it. Each bonus must be wagered in advance. Wagering means using bonus funds to bet on individual games.
The total amount of such bets is indicated in advance in the form of a wager. For example, with a bonus of 50 pounds and a wager of x25, the player must bet a total of 50*25=1250 pounds. And only after this, funds from the bonus account can be transferred to the real one and used at your discretion.
As a rule, you have a limited amount of time to wager the bonus. If you don’t make it in time, the bonus funds will be canceled.
Is the game worth the candle?
At first glance, bonus programs are profitable and safe. For example, the standard welcome package includes free spins and the opportunity to increase your deposit by a certain percentage.
However, funds received as a result of using bonuses are almost always allowed to be withdrawn only if certain conditions are met.
The first condition is wagering, which we wrote about above. The second limitation is the wagering period. The list of bonuses entitled to the user is located in the corresponding section of the Personal Account. The expiration date for the activation of a specific offer is always indicated next to it. Sometimes it’s 3, 7, even 30 days, but some bonuses need to be “turned on” in less than a day.
Very often the time frame is too low; the entire process takes about a week from the moment of activation. Then both the winnings and the rest of the bonus are canceled.
As you can see, wagering a bonus is not the easiest procedure. However, experienced users note that this is not a reason to abandon them all at once. Many bonus programs are really beneficial, especially if the casino client is a high roller.
To avoid getting into trouble with the welcome bonus, you must:
-
Read the bonus rules. You need to read every point carefully, since the wager is often set even for cashback – insignificant, within x4-x5.
-
Calculate the wagering amount. The wager indicated in the description of the bonus will help you quickly understand whether it is realistic to do this in a limited time.
-
Agree the wagering period with your own plans. It is important to allocate enough time so as not to rush or get excited.
Having weighed everything carefully, you can make a decision that will help you not to lose money after using bonuses!