The world of online casinos and slots is brimming with offers of ‘free cash’, ‘bonuses’ and ‘free spins’. Given the sheer amount of lucratively-sounding offers and bonuses you simply cannot seem to avoid, knowing what’s really involved with such offers can be a minefield. A ‘£50 Welcome Bonus’, or a ‘200% deposit bonus’, might sound too good to be true at a first glimpse, but like with most things that ‘sound too good to be true’ with online casino bonuses and offers, there is usually a catch.Typically, there are wagering requirements attached to these lucrative offers that promise free money and free spins.
What is involved with wagering requirements?
Broadly speaking, wagering requirements refer to the terms and conditions placed on the offers and bonuses online casinos and mobile casinos give away to their players. So they essentially involve players having to meet certain conditions and terms before they are able to take advantage of the bonus on offer.In order for players to enjoy what a casino site is offering them for free, whether it’s free spins, £50 for joining or a 100 percent cash match when they make their first deposit into their online casino account, wagering requirements involve players having to tick several boxes and fulfil requirements before they are entitled to the bonus – we told you it was too good to be true!
Some examples of wagering requirements
One example of a wagering requirement would be an online casino offering players £20 worth of free cash but with a 20x wagering requirement associated with the ‘deal’. In this instance, a player would have to wager £400 in order to make the £20 free cash withdrawal. Until the free money has been bet on at least 20 different times, none of it will be able to be withdrawn.Take the ‘£100 Welcome Deposit Match Bonus’ as another example of a wagering requirement. If the bonus has a 20x wagering requirement, players will be required to wager £2,000 and that’s presuming there are no losses incurred on the way!
What is the purpose of wagering requirements?
As irritating and frustrating as they may be to players, wagering requirements are a necessary feature of online casinos. Why, you might ask? If there were no wagering requirements, online casinos would be much less willing to present players with offers, bonuses and other lucrative incentives, designed to excite them and get them to join the site and make their first deposit.Such wagering requirements are usually planned out by a team of risk management analysts, which will decide the wagering requirements, will be pinned to which offers and promotions. It is therefore unlikely that different online casinos will have the same wagering requirements attached to their games. The requirements are needed in order for casinos to protect the promotions and bonuses they are offering by counteracting the risks associated with offering players free money.From the players’ perspective, it is wise to research the different wagering requirements of various sites and promotions before committing to specific bonuses and promotions.