Online casinos are their luck at slots, blackjack, roulette, and more. Many online casinos try to attract new players by offering generous welcome bonuses, often in the form of deposit matches. For example, they may offer to match your first deposit 100%, up to $500. But as with most things that seem too good to be true, deposit match bonuses often come with caveats and fine print that make them much less valuable than they first appear.
The playthrough also often only counts certain games at a reduced rate. For example, slots may count 100% towards a playthrough, but roulette only 10%. This encourages players to stick with slots, which have a higher house edge. It takes careful planning to successfully turn a bonus into withdraws able cash when meeting high playthroughs on restricted games.
Time limits
Deposit match bonuses typically come with strict time limits, such as 30 days to meet the playthrough. This adds pressure to play more aggressively to try to unlock your bonus funds instead of enjoying play at your own pace. Time limits benefit the casino by encouraging quicker, riskier bets. If you fail to meet the playthrough in time, you lose all bonus funds, making the offer much less amazing.
Game restrictions
As mentioned above, certain games like roulette and blackjack often don’t count fully toward playthrough requirements. But sometimes popular games are completely excluded from playthrough, making it essentially impossible to clear a bonus while playing them. For example, a bonus may state that play on table games like roulette, blackjack, and baccarat does not count towards playthrough at all.
Max bet limit
Even if a game counts 100% towards a playthrough, online M88 Top1Casino often impose a maximum bet limit when playing with bonus funds. This prevents you from meeting playthrough quickly by placing large bets. The max bet may be only $5 even if the game allows much higher limits when playing with cash. Your winnings confiscated if you hit a big win over the maximum bet size. Be sure to check for max bet rules before placing large wagers after claiming a bonus.
High wagering requirements for winnings
After completing the playthrough requirements, online casinos often impose one final obstacle before you can withdraw your winnings. Any funds won using bonus cash may be subjected to another round of wagering before withdrawal, often up to 10x or more. So if you win $1000 after meeting all playthrough requirements, you may have to wager that full $1000 one more time before cashing out, meaning you have to win doublet to break even.
Maximum bonus amounts
Online casinos typically impose a maximum amount claimed in deposit match bonuses, such as $500 or $1000. However, they often do not disclose the cap amount up front, only stating it deep in the terms and conditions. Players may deposit more in hopes of a larger bonus to find their match maxes out quickly. Max bonus limits allow the casino to appear more generous with their promotions without giving away more bonus funds.
Complex terms and conditions
All the limits and conditions outlined above are usually buried deep within complex terms and conditions attached to every bonus offer. These terms can span thousands of words across multiple pages in tiny print. It makes it unlikely players will fully understand what is required to clear bonuses and withdraw winnings. If casinos highlighted the major playthrough and withdrawal restrictions in plain language up front, fewer players would feel misled when trying to cash out bonus wins.
