Start with the screen that grants the bonus
The phrase in the search bar usually means one of two things: a player wants to know the steps to claim a deposit offer, or they want to know whether the offer is worth claiming at all. The second question matters more, because the claiming steps are almost always trivial while the conditions attached to the credit decide whether anything can ever leave the account as cash.
On most cashier screens the sequence is the same: choose a deposit method, enter an amount, and either tick a box or type a promotional code before confirming. The credit then lands as a separate balance, not as part of the deposit itself. From that moment the player is inside a set of rules written in the promotion's terms page, and every later step is governed by them.
Before depositing, open that terms page. The offer will be described with a percentage match and a maximum, but the numbers that shape the outcome sit further down: the wagering requirement, the game weighting table, the cashout cap, and the expiry window.
What the wagering requirement does
A wagering requirement, sometimes called playthrough, is a multiplier stating how much must be wagered before bonus-related funds can be withdrawn. The arithmetic is simple to reproduce, and the terms page gives the inputs. As an example, a 30x requirement on a 50-unit bonus means 1,500 units must be wagered. That is not a target to reach for profit; it is the volume of turnover the operator asks for before the bonus balance converts to withdrawable funds.
Two details change how heavy that multiplier really is. The first is whether the requirement applies to the bonus alone or to the deposit plus bonus combined. A 30x requirement on a combined 150 units is three times the wagering volume of a 30x requirement on a 50-unit bonus. The second is game weighting, which decides how much of each wager counts toward the total.
| Term element | What it controls | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Wagering multiplier | Total turnover required before withdrawal | Promotion terms page |
| Base for the multiplier | Bonus only, or deposit plus bonus | Promotion terms page |
| Game weighting | What fraction of each wager counts toward playthrough | Weighting table in the terms |
| Maximum cashout | Ceiling on how much of the bonus-derived balance can be withdrawn | Promotion terms page |
| Expiry window | How long the bonus and any unmet requirement remain valid | Promotion terms page |
Weighting exists because not every game carries the same house edge, and a low-edge game lets a player generate turnover while losing less on average than a high-edge one. A typical table shows slots counting at 100%, while some table games count at a lower fraction or not at all. A wager on a game weighted at 10% advances the requirement by a tenth of its face value. The only weighting numbers that matter are the ones printed in the offer the player is about to accept.
Cashout caps and expiry windows
A maximum-cashout cap limits how much of the bonus-derived balance can ever be withdrawn, regardless of how well the playthrough goes. If a no-deposit or deposit offer carries a cap, any balance above it is removed at the point of withdrawal. The cap is not a target to aim for; it is a ceiling that shapes the best possible outcome before a single spin or hand is played.
Expiry windows work on two clocks. One runs on the bonus itself: if the wagering requirement is not met within the stated period, the bonus and any winnings attached to it are removed. The other runs on individual free spins or credits, which often expire sooner than the main bonus. A player who deposits on a Friday and plans to play the following weekend should check whether the offer is still alive by then.
These three mechanisms interact. A generous-looking multiplier is less generous when the games a player wants to play are weighted at a low fraction. A low multiplier is less attractive when the cashout cap is small. And every condition is harsher when the expiry window is short, because the player has fewer sessions in which to complete the turnover without rushing decisions.
How loyalty value is calculated from tracked play
Loyalty and comp programmes do not reward deposits directly; they reward tracked play. Every carded or logged-in wager feeds a record of turnover, and the venue or operator derives a theoretical value from that record. The concept is theoretical loss: the expected loss generated by a player's action, before any individual outcome is known.
The calculation is built from three inputs. Average bet is the typical wager size across a session. Decisions per hour is how many spins, hands or rolls the player makes in that time. House edge is the mathematical advantage the operator holds on the specific game and bet. Multiplying the three gives an expected loss figure for an hour of play. As an example, suppose a player averages 5 units per spin on a game with a 2% house edge and plays 400 spins in an hour. The expected loss is 5 times 400 times 0.02, or 40 units. That is a labelled example, not a forecast for any particular session.
Comps are then granted as a fraction of that theoretical loss, not as a fraction of what the player won or lost on the day. A player who wins can still earn comps, because the programme is pricing the action, not the result. The fraction is set by the programme and is not printed on the floor; what is printed, or shown in the account, is the earn rate for a given game type.
| Input | What it measures | Why it matters for comp value |
|---|---|---|
| Average bet | Typical wager size per decision | Larger average bets generate more theoretical loss per decision |
| Decisions per hour | Game speed and player pace | Faster play multiplies the same average bet into more turnover |
| House edge | Built-in advantage on the specific bet | A higher edge produces more theoretical loss for the same turnover |
| Theoretical loss | Average bet times decisions times edge | The base from which comp value is derived |
This is why the same player can earn comps at very different rates on different games. A table game with a low edge and a slow pace generates less theoretical loss per hour than a fast slot session at the same average bet. The programme's earn rate reflects that difference, which is why the same tracked play does not produce the same comp value everywhere.
Reading an offer before opting in
The practical check is a short sequence. First, find the wagering requirement and the base it applies to. Second, find the weighting table and look up the games the player intends to play. Third, find the maximum cashout and ask whether the best possible outcome is worth the deposit. Fourth, find the expiry window and ask whether the playthrough can be completed within it at a normal pace.
None of this turns a negative-expectation game into a positive one. A bonus changes the starting balance and the conditions attached to it; it does not change the house edge on the games being played. The value of a promotion is not the headline match percentage. It is whatever remains after the wagering volume, the weighting, the cap and the clock have all been applied.
When any of those numbers is missing from the terms page, that absence is itself information. A reputable offer states its conditions in full before the deposit is confirmed. If the cap or the weighting table is not shown, the player should ask support for the written terms before funding, and should treat a refusal to provide them as a reason to decline.
FAQ
Can I withdraw the bonus immediately after it is credited?
No. The bonus balance is separate from the deposit, and the wagering requirement must be completed before bonus-related funds become withdrawable. The terms page states the multiplier, the base it applies to, and which games count toward it.
Why do some games count less toward the wagering requirement?
Because different games carry different house edges, and the operator weights contributions so that low-edge games do not let a player complete the turnover while losing less on average than the offer assumes. The weighting table in the terms page lists the exact contribution for each game type.
Does a bigger deposit make a deposit bonus more valuable?
Not necessarily. A bigger deposit can mean a bigger bonus, but it also means a larger base for the wagering requirement when the multiplier applies to deposit plus bonus, and the maximum cashout cap may not rise in proportion. The value depends on the full set of conditions, not on the match percentage alone.
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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.