Casino bonus terms, defined
Bonus terms are written in a small, consistent vocabulary. The definitions below describe how each term is used in this database and what it changes for a player.
Requirements and turnover
- Wagering requirement
- The volume of stakes that must be placed before bonus funds, or winnings from them, can be withdrawn. Stated as a multiple of an amount defined by the basis.
- Wagering basis
- The amount the multiple is applied to: the bonus alone, the bonus and the qualifying deposit together, or the winnings from a spin package. The basis changes the turnover more than the multiplier does.
- Turnover
- The product of the basis and the multiplier. The figure a player must stake in total, counted after game contribution.
- Game contribution
- The rate at which stakes on a given game category count towards the requirement. Slots usually count at 100%, table games at 5% to 20%, and some games not at all.
- Wager-free
- An offer with no requirement attached. The credit is paid as cash and can be withdrawn immediately, subject only to the qualifying deposit being played.
Limits and ceilings
- Maximum cashout
- The most that can be withdrawn from a bonus and its winnings. Anything above the cap is removed when the requirement is cleared.
- Maximum bet
- The largest stake allowed while bonus funds are active. A single stake above it commonly voids the bonus and every win from it.
- Validity window
- The period in which the requirement must be completed. Uncleared bonus funds and their winnings are removed at the end of it.
- Minimum deposit
- The smallest payment that qualifies for the offer. It is not the deposit needed to receive the bonus in full, which this database records separately.
Types of offer
- Welcome bonus
- A match on the first deposit, sometimes split across the first two or three. The largest headline figures in the market sit here.
- No deposit bonus
- Credit or spins granted on registration. Nothing is risked, and the multipliers and caps attached are the strictest in the market.
- Free spins
- A fixed number of spins at a fixed stake on named slots. Converted to a cash value in this database so the package can be compared with a match.
- Reload bonus
- A match offered to an existing account on a later deposit. Usually smaller than the welcome offer and often cheaper per dollar of bonus.
- Cashback
- A share of net losses returned over a stated period, as cash or as bonus credit. The distinction decides whether the figure quoted is the figure received.
- High roller bonus
- A large match reserved for deposits above a high threshold, typically $500 or more.
Mechanics
- Bonus code
- A string entered at deposit or in the account area to attach an offer. Where a code is required, depositing without it usually forfeits the offer.
- Incremental release
- A bonus paid out in instalments as parts of the requirement are completed, rather than credited in full at the start.
- Forfeiture
- Withdrawing before a requirement is met, which removes the remaining bonus and any winnings derived from it.
- Sticky bonus
- Credit that can be played but never withdrawn; only winnings above it are payable.