Online Bingo Bonuses
One of the best parts about playing bingo online is the bonus offered. A bonus can be very beneficial when you use it the right way. For that, you should understand a few things. First, keep in mind that no online bingo site or casino for that matter would offer you free money for no reason. Online bingo bonuses are used to attract more players to the site with aspirations of getting free money.
Whilst online bingo bonuses are essentially free money, bingo sites definitely do not want players to register, take their free bonus money and leave free and clear without playing. For this reason, bingo sites place certain terms and conditions called the playthrough or wagering requirements on their bonuses and free money.
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How Online Bingo Bonuses Work
The main idea behind offering bonuses is not just to attract players, but also to encourage them to make a deposit and wager. That is why online casinos and bingo sites need you to fulfil the bonus playthrough requirements, before you can lay hands on the bonus money. There are different types of bonuses that bingo sites offer and the most common ones are the depositor’s bonus, loyalty bonuses (also known as reload bonuses or VIP bonuses), “no deposit” bonuses (sometimes called free bonus offers), and special bonuses like refer-a-friend bonus or birthday bonuses. The wagering requirement for each of these bonuses is usually different.
Understanding Bingo Bonus Wagering Requirements
Understanding the wagering requirements of the bingo site is extremely important if you want to benefit from the bonuses and you don‘t wish to have any unpleasant surprises. In the interest of full disclosure, bingo sites are not so enthusiastic about mentioning these playthrough requirements as they are about promoting the bonus schemes. This is the reason why we feel compelled to give you the entire story on bonuses and how bingo site bonuses work.
Wagering or playthrough requirements refers to amount of money you need to wager, play or spend at a bingo room before you are permitted to submit a cashout request. The amount you have to playthrough is usually a multiple of the bonus, or the deposit or both. Here is an example that can help you understand better.
Let’s say that the bingo room offers a 100% match bonus on the deposits, up to a maximum of £200. If you deposit £100, you would get a bonus of £100 and the total amount in your account would be £200. Now if the playthrough requirement is 4x, that means you have to wager an amount equivalent to 4x (bonus + deposit). In this case, you would have to wager an amount of 4 * £200 = £800, before you can ask the bingo site for a cashout. Some bingo bonuses require playthrough that encompasses the bonus amount plus the deposited amount, whilst other bingo sites only require you to play through the bonus amount.
There are usually terms that detail what exactly happens if you ask for a withdrawal before satisfying the wagering requirements of the bonus. Some sites force you to surrender your uncleared bonus, whilst other sites will allow you to claim your winnings without penalty.
More About Bingo Playthrough Requirements
Here are a few more things about these wagering or playthrough requirements you should remember.
- Some bingo sites need you to fulfil the wagering requirements within a specified period of time, failing which the bonus amount would be withdrawn from your account.
- Another thing to note here is that the playthrough requirements differ from one bingo site to another, and can differ for different bonus schemes.
- Most of the bingo sites consider only the money you wager on bingo for these playthrough requirements. Any bets you make on the side games may or may not be considered.
Continuing with the above example, say you have spent £20 on bingo and another £40 on slots or any other casino games on the site. In this case, only the £20 you spent on bingo, and not the £40, would be accounted towards fulfilling the wagering requirement.
Similarly, casinos allow you to play only select games for meeting the wagering requirements. For example, a casino may not allow you to play blackjack or any other casino game with lower house edge , but may allow you to play roulette or slots that have a higher house edge for meeting the playthrough conditions. That is why you should go through the terms and conditions of the bingo site or the casino and have a clear idea about the requirements before you choose to play with them.
Sticky Bonuses and Redeemable Bonuses
All the bonuses can be broadly divided into two types – redeemable bonuses and non-redeemable or sticky bonuses. Redeemable bonuses are those that can be withdrawn when you fulfil the playthrough requirements and sticky bonuses cannot be withdrawn. However, these bonuses can be used to play bingo or other casino games online. Any money you win with the help of these sticky bonuses can be withdrawn, provided you fulfil the playthrough requirements. Usually, the requirements here would be to make a token deposit or wager a certain amount of money. Once you withdraw the winnings, the remaining bonus amount would usually be removed from your account.
Most of the no-deposit bonuses offered to new players are sticky bonuses. That is why, you may often come across casinos offering very generous amount of bonus. However, the initial deposit bonus, and also the money you win through it, can be redeemed when you meet the wagering requirements. So even if it needs you to invest some money from your pocket, a deposit bonus is always more beneficial than the no-deposit of free bonus. In our reviews, we will do our best to explain the type of bonus each site offers and explain any conditions that the bonus offers carry.