A player opens a promotions page expecting money, and the page is written to look like money. The headline is a percentage, the imagery is coins and confetti, and the button says claim. What the page contains is a set of conditions under which some of that money might eventually become withdrawable. The reader's job is not to find the biggest number; it is to find the five items that decide whether the number means anything.
Read the Headline as a Condition, Not a Payment
Every promotional headline is a conditional sentence with the condition removed. The percentage shown is the amount that will be credited to the bonus balance, not to the cash balance, and the two balances obey different rules. A bonus balance cannot be withdrawn at all until a series of further conditions is met. Those conditions are printed somewhere on the page, usually below the offer in a block labelled terms, or on a separate promotions terms page linked from the footer of Thepokies118.
The headline percentage is also applied to a base amount. That base is usually the deposit, but not always. Some offers credit a percentage of the deposit, some credit a percentage of the deposit plus a fixed amount, and some credit a percentage of the deposit only after the first deposit has already been made. Until the reader knows what the percentage is a percentage of, the headline is just a number in a font.
The same applies to free spins. A headline that promises a number of free spins does not say what each spin is worth, on which game the spins run, or whether the winnings from those spins are cash or bonus. All of that is in the conditions. A free spin is not a withdrawal; it is a wager placed by the operator on the player's behalf, and its result is then subject to the same wagering requirement as any other bonus.
The Five Items That Decide Whether an Offer Is Worth Anything
Across operators, a promotional offer is governed by five variables. If any one of them is missing from the page, the offer cannot be evaluated. If all five are present, the reader can work out exactly what the offer costs and what it might return. The five items are the wagering multiple, the basis of that multiple, the eligible games, the time limit, and the maximum cashout.
| Item to confirm | Why it can change | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|
| Wagering multiple | Operators change it between offers, between player tiers, and between game categories. A multiple read last month may not be the multiple in force today. | The offer's own terms block, or the promotions terms page linked from the footer of Thepokies118. |
| Basis of the multiple | The multiple can apply to the bonus only, to the deposit only, or to the deposit plus bonus. The difference triples the amount that must be wagered. | Usually stated in the same sentence as the multiple, often as "wagering applies to bonus and deposit" or "wagering applies to bonus only". |
| Eligible games | Slots commonly count fully, table games count partially or not at all, and some games are excluded entirely. A game that does not contribute leaves the player spinning for nothing. | A list, sometimes a table, on the promotions terms page. Thepokies118's page will say which games contribute and at what rate. |
| Time limit | Offers expire. The window can be days or weeks, and it usually starts from the moment the bonus is credited, not from the moment the player claims it. | Printed in the offer's terms block, often near the bottom, sometimes in a separate "validity" clause. |
| Maximum cashout | Many offers cap the amount that can be withdrawn from bonus winnings, regardless of how much the player wins. This cap is often the most important number on the page and the least prominent. | Stated in the offer's terms, sometimes in a clause labelled "maximum withdrawal" or "cashout limit". |
Each of these five items is a number or a list, and each is printed on the operator's own page. The reader's task is to locate all five before claiming anything. A page that shows four of them and omits the fifth is not an incomplete page; it is a page that has not yet answered the reader's question, and the missing item is the one that most needs to be found.
The Wagering Multiple and Its Basis: One Number Is Not Enough
The wagering multiple is the number of times the bonus amount, or the bonus plus deposit amount, must be bet before any of it can be withdrawn. It is the central condition of every promotional offer, and it is the item most often misread. A player who sees a multiple and assumes it applies to the bonus only, when it in fact applies to the deposit plus bonus, will underestimate the required wagering by a factor that can be large.
The basis is stated in the same clause as the multiple. The phrasing varies across operators, but the meaning is always one of three things: the bonus amount, the deposit amount, or the sum of the two. Thepokies118's promotions page will state this in the terms block for each offer. If the clause is ambiguous, the reader should treat the offer as applying to the deposit plus bonus, because that is the interpretation that costs the player more, and an ambiguous clause is never resolved in the player's favour.
The multiple itself is not a fixed property of the operator. It changes between offers, between player segments, and over time. A multiple read on a review site, or remembered from a previous visit, has no bearing on the offer currently displayed. The only number that matters is the one printed on the page the reader is looking at now.
Eligible Games: Where the Wagering Can Happen
A wagering requirement can only be met by placing bets, and not all bets count equally. The promotions terms will list which games contribute to the wagering requirement, and at what rate. The usual pattern across operators is that slots contribute fully, table games contribute a fraction or nothing, and live dealer games are frequently excluded. Some offers restrict wagering to a single named game, or to a small group of games, and any bet placed outside that group does not reduce the requirement at all.
The contribution rate is a percentage of each bet that counts toward the requirement. A game that contributes at a reduced rate means the player must wager more in total to clear the same requirement. A game that contributes nothing means the player is spending money with no effect on the bonus at all. Thepokies118's promotions terms will state these rates, usually in a table or a list, and the reader should read that table before placing a single bet with bonus funds.
There is also a category of excluded games. These are games on which bets are not only non-contributing but may also void the bonus if played while a bonus is active. The terms will name them. Playing an excluded game with an active bonus is one of the most common ways a player loses a bonus without understanding why.
Time Limits and Maximum Cashout: The Two Quiet Clauses
Every promotional offer has a validity window. The time limit is the period within which the wagering requirement must be met. It usually begins when the bonus is credited, not when the player claims it, and it is often shorter than the player expects. When the window closes, the bonus and any winnings derived from it are removed. The time limit is printed in the offer's terms, and it is not negotiable.
The maximum cashout is the ceiling on how much of the bonus winnings can be withdrawn. It is separate from the wagering requirement: a player can meet the wagering requirement in full, have a large balance, and still be able to withdraw only up to the cap. The excess is removed. This clause is often printed in small type, and it is the single most important number for a player who hopes to win a large amount from a bonus. Thepokies118's promotions page will state it for each offer where it applies.
Both clauses are standard across the industry. Their absence from an offer's terms is not a sign that they do not apply; it is a sign that the offer's terms are incomplete, and the reader should not claim the offer until the missing clause is found, either on the promotions terms page or by asking the operator's support channel.
What the Page Does Not Say Is Also Information
A promotions page that shows a headline and a claim button, but no terms block, is telling the reader something. It is telling the reader that the conditions exist somewhere else, or that the page is not the place where the conditions are stated. A reader who claims an offer without reading the terms has not been misled; they have chosen not to read the document that governs the money.
If the page does not state the wagering multiple, there is nothing for the reader to evaluate, and that absence is itself the answer to the question of whether the offer is worth claiming. If the page does not state the eligible games, the reader cannot know whether their preferred game will count toward the requirement. If the page does not state the maximum cashout, the reader cannot know what the offer is worth in the best case. Each missing item is a reason to pause, not a reason to assume the offer is generous.
The promotions page is a summary. The binding document is the promotions terms page, which Thepokies118 publishes separately and links from the footer or from the offer itself. The reader should treat the promotions page as an index and the terms page as the contract.
How to Read a Promotions Page in Practice
The practical sequence is short. First, find the offer's own terms block and read it in full. Second, open the promotions terms page and read the clauses that apply to all offers: the general wagering rules, the game contribution table, the time limit rules, and the maximum cashout rules. Third, write down the five items for the specific offer: the multiple, its basis, the eligible games, the time limit, and the cap. Fourth, compare those five items against what the player intends to deposit and play.
Only after that comparison does the headline percentage become meaningful. A percentage applied to a deposit, with a low multiple on bonus only, on games the player already plays, with a long window and a high cap, is a different proposition from the same percentage with a high multiple on deposit plus bonus, on games the player never plays, with a short window and a low cap. The headline is the same. The offers are not.
This page is an independent summary of what a promotions page covers. It is not published by Thepokies118, and it states no figure or status for that operator; the operator's own promotions page and terms page are the only binding source for every number and condition discussed here.
FAQ
Where do I find the wagering requirement on Thepokies118?
The wagering requirement is stated in the terms block of the specific offer, and again in the general promotions terms page linked from the footer. The multiple and its basis are usually in the same sentence. If the offer's own block does not show them, the general terms page is the place to look.
Do all games count toward the wagering requirement?
No. The promotions terms page lists which games contribute and at what rate. Slots usually contribute fully, table games contribute partially or not at all, and some games are excluded entirely. A bet on a non-contributing game does not reduce the requirement.
What happens if I do not meet the wagering requirement in time?
When the time limit expires, the bonus and any winnings derived from it are removed. The time limit starts when the bonus is credited, not when the player claims it, and it is printed in the offer's terms. The player's cash balance is not affected by the removal of the bonus.
Is there a limit on how much I can withdraw from a bonus?
Many offers include a maximum cashout clause, which caps the amount that can be withdrawn from bonus winnings. The cap is stated in the offer's terms. Winnings above the cap are removed when the player withdraws, even if the wagering requirement has been met in full.
Play responsibly
Gambling should be treated as paid entertainment, never as a way to earn income or recover losses. 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738)
18+ or 21+ depending on where you are; follow the minimum age that applies to you.
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.
