A player opens a casino's bonus page expecting a list of gifts. What they are looking at is a list of contracts. Every offer on that page has a condition attached to it that decides whether the money can ever leave the account, and the most important of those conditions is not printed in the headline. It is printed further down, in a paragraph most readers scroll past.
The four offers that carry different costs
A casino bonus page typically presents four kinds of offer, and they do not cost the same thing. A deposit match adds funds to a deposit, but those funds are not withdrawable on arrival. Free spins attach to a specific game or group of games, and winnings from them are usually treated as bonus funds rather than cash. Cashback returns a portion of losses over a defined period, and it is the only offer type whose value depends on the reader losing first. A no-deposit offer credits something without a deposit, which makes it the most attractive on the surface and the most conditional underneath, because the operator has given value before receiving any.
The reader's first job is not to decide which offer looks largest. It is to identify which of the four types they are reading, because each type has a different set of conditions that can void it. The table below separates what changes from what stays fixed across these offer types.
| Item to confirm | Why it can change | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|
| Offer type | A page may label a deposit match as a "welcome package" or a no-deposit offer as a "free chip"; the label does not identify the mechanics. | The terms section attached to the individual offer, not the banner. |
| Wagering requirement | The multiple of bonus or deposit that must be staked before withdrawal is set per offer, and it is the single item most likely to differ between two offers on the same page. | The offer's own terms, usually under a heading such as "Wagering" or "Playthrough". |
| Eligible games | Not all games count toward the requirement at the same rate; some count at zero, which means play on them contributes nothing. | A game contribution table or list inside the bonus terms. |
| Maximum bet during wagering | Exceeding a per-spin or per-hand cap can void the bonus and any winnings built with it, even if the requirement was otherwise met. | The bonus terms, often in a "Restricted play" or "Maximum bet" clause. |
| Expiry | The window to complete wagering is fixed when the bonus is credited; a reader who does not check it may lose the bonus by waiting. | The offer terms, sometimes also stated in the account's bonus history. |
| Withdrawal cap | A no-deposit or free-spin offer may cap the amount that can ever be withdrawn from it, regardless of winnings. | The offer terms, under "Maximum withdrawal" or "Cashout limit". |
How a wagering requirement is computed
A wagering requirement is a multiplication problem the reader must solve before accepting the bonus. The base is either the bonus amount, the deposit amount, or the sum of both, and the offer terms state which base applies. The multiple is stated in the same terms. The product is the total amount of stakes the reader must place before a withdrawal is permitted.
What makes the computation harder than it looks is that not every stake counts equally. A game contribution table assigns a percentage to each game category. Slots commonly count fully, table games commonly count partially, and some games may be excluded entirely. A reader who plays only excluded games while holding a bonus is not progressing toward the requirement at all. The correct way to read the requirement is therefore not "stake this total" but "stake this total on games that count, at the contribution rate the table assigns".
The reader should also check what happens to the original deposit. On most offer types the deposit remains the player's own money, but the moment it is mixed with bonus funds, the whole balance may be treated as bonus until wagering is complete. That means a withdrawal request can be declined not because the player lost, but because the requirement was not finished. The page that states this is the bonus terms, not the cashier.
What can be completed, and what cannot
Before accepting an offer, a reader can work out whether it is completable at all. The first test is the game contribution table. If the games the reader plays count at zero, the offer is effectively uncompletable for that reader, whatever the headline says. The second test is the maximum bet clause. A requirement that must be met in a short window while each bet is capped at a low amount may be mathematically impossible to finish without playing more hours than the window allows. The third test is the withdrawal cap. If the cap is lower than the bonus itself, the best possible outcome is still a loss of the difference.
None of these tests requires knowing the operator's specific numbers. The reader performs them by reading the numbers on the operator's own page and asking whether the arithmetic closes. A bonus whose terms do not state a game contribution table, a maximum bet, or a withdrawal cap is not a simpler offer; it is an offer whose conditions are incomplete, and the reader should treat the missing item as the answer: the page does not state it, so there is nothing to verify.
Where on the Dollarmills site each item is read off
The bonus page itself is only the first layer. The binding items are usually spread across several places, and a reader who reads only the banner has read none of them. The offer terms are typically reached by a link on the offer tile, often labelled "Terms", "Full terms", or "Terms and conditions". The game contribution table, when it exists, is inside those terms or on a separate promotions policy page. The general bonus policy, which sets rules that apply to every offer unless an individual offer overrides them, is usually a standalone page linked from the footer or the promotions hub. The account's bonus history, reached from the cashier or account area, shows the wagering progress on an active bonus and the expiry clock.
A reader who wants to know which offers are currently available to their account should look at the promotions page while logged in, because some offers are shown only to accounts that meet eligibility conditions stated in the terms. An offer visible on the public page may not be claimable from a particular account, and the reason is stated in the eligibility clause, not on the banner.
What the page does not state
When a bonus page does not state the wagering base, the reader cannot compute the requirement. When it does not state the game contribution table, the reader cannot know whether their play counts. When it does not state a maximum bet, the reader cannot know what action voids the bonus. When it does not state an expiry, the reader cannot know whether the offer is still alive. Each of these absences is itself information: the offer is not fully specified, and a reader who accepts it is accepting terms they have not seen. The operator's own page is the only place those items can be read off, and if they are not there, the reader's question has no answer from any other source.
This page is an independent summary of what a casino bonus page covers, it is not published by Dollarmills, and it states no figure or status for that operator; the operator's own bonus page and terms are the only binding source.
FAQ
What is the difference between a deposit match and a no-deposit bonus?
A deposit match adds funds in proportion to a deposit the reader makes, and the deposit is usually required before the bonus is credited. A no-deposit bonus credits something without a deposit, but its wagering requirement and withdrawal cap are typically stricter, because the operator has given value before receiving any.
Do I have to wager the deposit as well as the bonus?
That depends on the wagering base stated in the offer terms. Some offers require wagering only on the bonus amount, others on the deposit amount, and others on the sum of both. The terms state which base applies, and that base is the number the multiple is applied to.
Can I withdraw my deposit before finishing the wagering requirement?
Usually not while the bonus is active, because the deposit and bonus are treated as a single balance subject to the requirement. The offer terms state whether the deposit can be withdrawn separately and what happens to the bonus if it is.
Why would a bonus be voided after I met the wagering requirement?
The most common reasons are exceeding the maximum bet during wagering, playing games that are excluded from contribution, or letting the bonus expire before the requirement was finished. Each of these is stated in the offer terms, and the reader should confirm all three before starting to play.
Play responsibly
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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.