A player who reads only the headline of a promotion is reading the part that costs the operator the least to print. The real offer lives further down the page, in the conditions that decide whether any of the advertised value can ever leave the account. Casino Comparer's promotions page, like every promotions page of its kind, is a set of conditions attached to a number, and the reader's job is to find the five conditions that matter before the number does.
The Headline Number Is a Condition, Not a Payment
When a promotions page shows a welcome package or a deposit match, the figure printed largest is the maximum the operator will add to the account under that offer, not the amount the player will receive. It is a ceiling, and it is reached only by depositing the amount the offer is calculated on and meeting every condition that follows. The same applies to free spins: the number of spins is a count of chances, not a count of outcomes, and each spin carries a value that is usually fixed at the minimum stake on a specified game.
The reader should treat the headline as the answer to one question only: what is the largest possible addition under this offer. Everything else on the page answers a different question, which is what must happen before that addition can be withdrawn.
The Five Items That Decide Whether an Offer Is Worth Anything
Across operators, a promotion is governed by five items, and each one can turn an attractive headline into an offer that is worse than no offer at all. They are:
- The wagering multiple. This is the number of times the bonus amount, or the deposit plus the bonus, must be staked before a withdrawal is permitted. It is the single most important figure on the page, because it converts the headline into a total amount of play.
- The basis of the wagering requirement. Some offers calculate the requirement on the bonus alone; others calculate it on the deposit plus the bonus. The difference is not cosmetic. A requirement calculated on the combined sum is materially larger, and the page states which basis applies.
- The eligible games. Not all games contribute equally to clearing a wagering requirement. A promotions page commonly lists which games count fully, which count at a reduced rate, and which are excluded entirely. A player who clears a bonus on an excluded game has cleared nothing.
- The time limit. Every offer carries a window within which the wagering requirement must be met. When the window closes, the bonus and any winnings derived from it are typically removed. The time limit is a condition on the player's schedule as much as on the money.
- The maximum cashout. Even after the wagering requirement is met, the amount that can be withdrawn from the bonus is usually capped. The cap is stated on the promotions page or in the terms linked from it, and it is the final ceiling on what the offer is worth.
| Item to confirm | Why it can change | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|
| Wagering multiple | Operators adjust the multiple between offers and between player groups; a figure read today may not be the figure on the next promotion. | In the offer's own terms block, usually directly below the headline, or in the linked full terms and conditions. |
| Basis of the requirement | The same multiple produces very different totals depending on whether it applies to the bonus alone or to the deposit plus the bonus. | In the wagering clause of the terms, where the page says what the multiple is applied to. |
| Eligible games and contribution rates | Contribution rates are commonly reduced for table games and live dealer games, and some games are excluded without being named in the headline. | In a games contribution table or a list within the promotion terms; sometimes on a separate bonus policy page. |
| Time limit | Time limits vary from a single day to several weeks, and the clock usually starts when the bonus is credited, not when the player first logs in. | In the promotion terms under a heading such as validity, expiry or time limit. |
| Maximum cashout | The cap is often lower for no-deposit offers and free spins than for deposit matches, and it is a separate limit from any withdrawal limit on the account. | In the promotion terms under a heading such as maximum withdrawal or cashout cap; sometimes in the FAQ for the offer. |
Where Each Item Is Read Off the Operator's Own Page
Casino Comparer's promotions page presents each offer with a short block of terms, and the full conditions sit on a linked page or in a collapsible section. The reader should not rely on the short block alone, because the short block is a summary and summaries omit the items that most reduce an offer's value. The full terms page is where the wagering multiple, its basis, the game contribution table, the time limit and the maximum cashout are stated in binding form.
If any of the five items is absent from both the short block and the full terms, the reader should treat the offer as unreadable. An offer whose wagering requirement is not stated is an offer whose cost is not stated, and the only safe assumption is that the cost is high. The same applies to a missing game contribution table: without it, the player cannot know whether the games they intend to play will clear the bonus at all.
What It Means When the Page Does Not State an Item
An absence on a promotions page is itself information. If the page does not state a maximum cashout, the reader cannot assume there is no cap; more commonly, the cap is stated on the full terms page and the short block simply omits it. If the page does not state the basis of the wagering requirement, the reader should assume the larger basis, because that is the one the operator will apply when the time comes to withdraw. If the page does not state a time limit, the reader should ask support before depositing, because a bonus that expires before the wagering requirement can reasonably be met is a bonus that costs the deposit.
The reader is not being asked to distrust the page. The reader is being asked to read the page as a contract, which is what it is. A contract that does not state a condition is a contract whose condition will be decided by the party that wrote it.
Free Spins and VIP Offers Follow the Same Logic
Free spins are often presented as the simplest part of a promotion, but they carry the same five items in a different form. The wagering requirement applies to the winnings from the spins, not to the spins themselves, and it is usually stated as a multiple of those winnings. The eligible games are fixed: the spins run on a named slot, and the winnings are then subject to the same contribution rules as any other bonus. The time limit is often shorter for free spins than for deposit matches, and the maximum cashout is frequently lower.
VIP and cashback offers invert the structure. A cashback offer states a percentage of losses returned over a period, and the wagering requirement is applied to the returned amount. The reader should look for the same five items: the multiple, the basis, the games, the window and the cap. A cashback offer with a high wagering multiple on the returned amount can be worth less than a smaller cashback with no requirement at all.
Reading the Page Before the Deposit
The decision the promotions page presents is not which offer looks largest. It is which offer, if any, can be converted into withdrawable money under the conditions stated. The reader who reads the five items before depositing knows what the offer costs in play, which games must be played, how long the window is, and what the final ceiling is. The reader who reads only the headline knows none of those things and will learn them later, when the money is already in the account and the conditions are being applied.
Casino Comparer's promotions page is the place where those conditions are published, and the full terms linked from each offer are the only binding version of them. A summary on a third-party site, including this one, is a guide to reading that page, not a substitute for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important number on a promotions page?
The wagering multiple is the most important number, because it converts the headline amount into the total amount of play required before a withdrawal is possible. The basis of that multiple, whether it applies to the bonus alone or to the deposit plus the bonus, matters just as much.
Do free spins have wagering requirements?
Yes. The requirement is applied to the winnings from the free spins, not to the spins themselves, and it is stated in the same terms block as the spins. The spins also run on a fixed game, and the winnings are subject to the same contribution rules as any other bonus.
What happens if a promotion does not state a maximum cashout?
If the short block does not state a cap, the reader should look at the full terms page, where the cap is usually stated. If neither page states one, the reader should ask support before depositing, because the absence of a stated cap does not mean no cap exists.
Where does Casino Comparer state the full terms of a promotion?
The full terms are linked from each offer on the promotions page, usually in a collapsible section or on a separate terms page. The short block on the main page is a summary and should not be treated as the complete conditions.
This page is an independent summary of what a promotions page covers, how its conditions work, and where each item is stated. It is not published by Casino Comparer, and it states no figure or status for that operator; the operator's own promotions page and the full terms linked from it are the only binding source for any offer.
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This article is general information about how these mechanics work. It is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble or to use any particular operator. Availability and legality differ by jurisdiction — check the rules that apply where you are.
