All About Slots Bonuses and Terms Part 1

We have now selected the casino to play online slots, have our ewallet account loaded and ready to go and we are ready to make our first deposit.

Slow down a bit. Let’s look at what taking a bonus will do to our accounts. Now there is nothing at all wrong with accepting a slots bonus. In fact, in doing so, you will substantially increase your bankroll and have a good bit more cash to play with. But let’s weigh the pros and cons of taking the bonus.

We touched on bonuses back when we talked about the best online casinos. We mentioned wagering requirements and bonus codes. Now we’ll go deeper in to the sometimes confusing world of online slots bonuses. Lets go into sticky bonus, cashable bonus, play through, wagering requirements, max cashouts, free chips and automatic bonuses. We’ll take it one at a time.

Sticky Bonuses

You’ve heard the term, and it really is one that can have several meanings. A sticky bonus means you cannot cash out the bonus amount. So let’s say you get a 100% sticky bonus on your $100 deposit. You will have a playable bankroll of $200 but, you can not withdrawal the bonus funds. The casino deducts the $100 bonus from your bankroll when it comes time to cash out. Of course your winnings are yours, just remember that whatever your bonus dollars were, will be removed at the time of withdrawal.

Cashable Bonus

A cashable bonus is the exact opposite of a sticky bonus. The bonus cash you get can be withdrawn, but only after you meet the wagering requirement. Let’s look at your bonus again. You get a 100% bonus, deposit $100 and play with $200. Now, lets say the casino puts a 20x play through requirement on bonus + deposit. 20 x 200= $4,000 play through. This means you must wager $4,000 before you attempt a cashout. Once you have met the requirement, you are free to cash out both your wins and the bonus. A cashable bonus is more favorable than a sticky bonus but often times a casino may impose a higher wagering requirement.

Wagering Requirement or Play Through

These two phrases are interchangeable. They both mean the same thing. A wagering requirement may be listed in the terms and conditions as WR, Playthrough, play through, wager amount. Most times the casino shortens the phrase with a line like: "20x WR B+D before cashout" What they are saying is that you must wager at least 20 times the amount of your bonus plus deposit amount combined (see cashable bonus above for an example). The lower the wagering requirement, the easier it is to clear your bonus.

Often times you will see a casino with a huge bonus percentage or dollar amount that looks great, but once you see the wagering requirement, it looks like an impossible feat to clear your bonus. We have seen casinos place a 120x wagering requirement. Now, multiply that by the combined 800% bonus and $100 deposit… that would be $900 x 120 = $108,000 in wagers before you can attempt a cash out! How attractive is that 800% bonus now? Not very attractive at all.

Max Cashouts

Another thing to keep your eyes open for is the "Max Cashout Bonus" At times you will come across a casino that has an attractive bonus with a max cashout clause. What this means to you is, the maximum cash you are able to withdrawal (after meeting the wagering requirement) is limited to a certain percentage.

For instance, you might come across this example: 180% slots bonus. Valid on deposits up to $100. 35x playthrough, 10x Max Cash Out. Get your calculator out… $100 deposit gets $180 bonus, so $280 total bankroll. Wager 35x $280 = $9,800 in wagers. Once you clear the bonus, (wagered $9,800) you can cash out up to $2,800. That is a healthy cash out but what if you hit a jackpot of $10,000? Sorry, you can only have $2,800 of it.

So what we have learned now is, cashable bonus is better than a sticky bonus, lower wagering percentages are better, max cashouts may not be the way to go. And now that you know these terms, you can see the importance in reading the complete terms and conditions of the bonus before you make your deposit.

Click here to go to part 2 of slots bonuses.