The Worst Online Casino Bonus Terms and Conditions That Should Send You Running

Just about every online casino out there is looking to attract players by offering them bonuses such as free spins no deposit required that promise them the world. While there are a many genuine bonus offers out there, sadly there are quite a few shady online bonus offers that are completely one sided!

You are most likely reading this because you want to learn how to identify bad bonus offers and spot terms and conditions that are completely one-sided. Our team has put together some great tips that will help you quickly identify the worst bonus offers out there and provide you with the information you require to make a quality decision on what bonus to choose and what to avoid.

Bad Bonus Terms: Bonus Offers to Avoid

Reading bonus terms and conditions are often the worst and most boring part of claiming a bonus offer. But you have to read the fine print and clarify your doubts, if any, with the online casino’s customer support team before actually claiming the bonus offer.

Here are some bad bonus terms that serious online casino players looking to boost their casino bankrolls must run away from:

  • Online casinos usually attach a wagering requirement to their bonus offers. However, some online casinos go exceptionally high and can have wagering requirements ranging from 70x to 100x which is ridiculously high for most players.
  • Early Cashout Confiscation
    Players who try to cashout their winnings early get dealt with harshly. This is done by imposing a ban on the player’s account and confiscating their winnings.
  • Confusing Game Eligibility
    The player is not certain regarding the game eligibility because it is not clearly stated. This can often result in a player getting themselves into a bind. They should always clarify any terms and conditions they are not aware off before availing the bonus offer.
  • Open Ended Clauses
    A player should always see a red flag when the terms and conditions use open-ended conditions such as subject to a wager pattern review or manager review as that ultimately gives the online casino the right to make a decision interpreting the scenario as per their wishes, which can often end up being against the benefit of the player.
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Is the Bonus Worth Claiming? Calculating Bonus Estimated Value

Online casino bonuses are not as simple as they look. A number of online casino players take the bonus offer at its face value, claim it without reading the terms and conditions, and use it without attempting to find out its true value.

To find out the real value or estimated value (EV) of a casino bonus, you need to know the following:

Bonus Amount

This is the exact amount you have received as a bonus. For example, if you have claimed a bonus of 100% on your first deposit and you have deposited $10 in your account, you have received a bonus of $10.

Wagering Requirement

This refers to the number of times you have to play through your bonus amount or your bonus plus deposit amount (depending on the online casino’s bonus policies) before you can request payout.

If we continue with the above-mentioned example and consider that you have received a bonus of $10, which has a wagering requirement of 10x, you have to play through your bonus amount 10 times or wager $100 on the online casino games before you can cashout your bonus winnings.

House Edge

This is the mathematical advantage the game gives to the online casino, ensuring that the online casino makes a definite profit from the game in the course of time.

To calculate the bonus EV, you simply have to deduct the bonus amount from the product of the house edge and the wagering requirement.

For example, if you received a bonus of $100, which has a wagering requirement of 40x and you use it on a game with a 3% house edge, your bonus EV is -$20. You should always run away from bonuses with a negative EV as they will make you lose your hard-earned money in the long run.

Let us now consider another example. You have received a bonus of $500, which has a playthrough requirement of 20x and you use it on a game with a house edge of 3%. In this case, you get a positive EV of $200. This is a great bonus to claim as it will actually help you to boost your casino bankroll.

And if you are bad at math, you need not to worry as you will find plenty of high-quality bonus EV calculators online. You can use these absolutely free of charge provided you know the wagering requirements and the house edge of the game you intend to use your bonus on.

Other Bad Bonus Terms To Look Out For

Excluded Banking Methods

Nothing is more disappointing than learning that you don’t qualify for a bonus offer just because you used a specific banking method. But it does happen sometimes. The online casino bonus is available only to players who use a specific banking method. Or the online casino bonus is not available to players who use some banking methods, such as electronic wallets.

Sticky Bonuses

Sticky bonuses are those that players can never withdraw. These are large, attractive-looking bonuses, but players can withdraw only the cash prizes they win while using these bonuses. Once the player satisfies the wagering requirements and withdraws their bonus winnings, the online casino will remove the bonus amount from their accounts.

Some online casinos try to reduce the disappointment caused by sticky bonuses by allowing players to continue to use them for a specific period of time after they withdraw their winnings. One of the reasons why online casinos experiment with sticky bonuses is because there are players out there who have no problems with sticky bonuses.

Percentage of Game Contribution to Bonus Clearance

Players need to pay attention to the percentage of game contribution ratio vs. the bonus clearance amount. This can come across as a little complicated but it is essential for players to understand how this works as it will enable them to make better decisions.

Most players easily understand that bonus offers come with wagering requirements that they have to satisfy within a particular time frame. But they don’t understand that each online casino game contributes differently to bonus clearance. While some contribute fully, some contribute partially.

The following is an example for percentage contributed to bonus clearance by different games:

  • Video slots: 100%
  • Blackjack and Baccarat: 5%
  • Roulette: 10%
  • Video Poker: 0%
  • Progressives: 0%

This means that if you wager on video pokers or progressives, they will not help you meet the bonus wagering requirements in any way. If you wager $100 on roulette, only $10 of it will count towards bonus clearance. However, if you wager on video slots, you will be able to clear your bonus faster as the entire amount wagered counts towards bonus clearance.

Max Cashout

Casino bonus offers appear attractive, especially when they say that players can keep whatever money they win while using their bonuses. But this is far from the truth. If you take the trouble of reading the fine print, you will notice something called max cashout or the amount that players can withdraw as their bonus winnings.

For example, some online casinos may have a max cashout from your bonus fixed at $100. This means you cannot claim anything more from your winnings. Do pay attention to the max cashout as this limit is usually determined by each player. If you feel like $100 is acceptable, then go ahead.

Low Weekly Withdrawal Limits

There are online casinos which place no limits on the amount of cash you can win from your bonus. However, they jam you up by placing a weekly or monthly withdrawal limit that ensures your winnings stay with the online casino for a long period of time. Once again, there are some players who are okay with such limits, so it really depends on your preference.

Deadlines for Satisfying Wagering Requirements

The bad news is that you cannot spend your own sweet time to satisfying your wagering requirements. You have to do it within the time frame established by the online casino and this could be anywhere between 7 days to three months. If you feel that it is humanly impossible to clear the bonus within this time frame, especially after considering the other bonus terms and conditions, feel free to opt out of the bonus offer.

If you fail to clear your bonus amount within the deadline, the online casino will remove whatever is left of the bonus amount from your account along with your winnings. You should also remember that most online casinos do not allow you to withdraw your winnings till you have satisfied the wagering requirements.

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Conclusion: How to Get the Most of the Bonus Offer

Smart online casino players always make the most of online casino bonuses. The act of claiming bonus offers just to take advantage of them and boost one’s casino bankroll is called “bonus whoring.

You can use a bonus offer to your advantage provided you take a few precautions:

  • Read the fine print (bonus terms & conditions) carefully before claiming a bonus offer.
  • Contact customer support to clarify doubts if any.
  • Carefully study terms such as max cashout and wagering requirements before deciding if you can use the bonus to your advantage.
  • Withdraw your bonus profits as soon as you can.
  • Continue to study bonus offers at different online casinos and make the most of opportunities as and when they come.
Published on: 2019/03/20

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Hi, I'm Courtney, the Webmaster at No Deposit Kings - We provide visitors with free and easy access to real money casino gaming thanks to no deposit casino bonuses offered by our hand-picked selection of online casinos.