The number 100 is only the headline
When a casino advertises a “100 bonus”, the figure is doing two jobs at once. It is telling you the size of the promotional credit on offer, and it is quietly inviting you to skip the terms that decide whether that credit can ever leave your account as cash. The word “bonus” sounds like free money. What it describes is a conditional credit: a balance that becomes withdrawable only after you satisfy a set of rules the operator writes into the promotion.
The most common form is a deposit match. If you deposit an amount, the operator adds a bonus equal to that amount, so a 100 bonus is typically a 100% match. But the percentage is the least informative number in the offer. Two promotions can both say “100 bonus” and be completely different instruments, because the value is built from four other variables: the wagering requirement, the game weighting, the maximum cashout, and the expiry window.
How the wagering requirement turns credit into cash
A wagering requirement, also called playthrough, is a multiplier that states how much you must wager before bonus-related funds can be withdrawn. The arithmetic is simple to follow when you treat it as an example. Suppose a promotion grants 100 units of bonus on a 100-unit deposit, and the terms state a 30x wagering requirement on the bonus. You would need to place 3,000 units of wagers before a withdrawal request on those funds is accepted.
That figure is not a target you are trying to reach so much as a cost of movement. Every wager you place carries the house edge, so the expected loss generated while clearing the requirement is part of what the bonus costs you to use. A requirement that looks generous on a low-house-edge game can still consume the entire bonus in expected loss before you finish. The multiplier alone does not tell you that; you need the next variable.
Game weighting decides how fast each wager counts
Not every game contributes equally to the wagering requirement. An operator will typically assign a weighting percentage to each game category, and the cashier or promotion page states it. A slot spin might count 100% of the stake toward playthrough, while a blackjack hand or roulette spin might count only a fraction, or nothing at all.
This changes the effective size of the requirement. If a game counts at 10% weighting, then a 3,000-unit requirement behaves like a 30,000-unit requirement when measured in actual money staked on that game. The weighting exists because the house edge differs by game, and the operator does not want a player clearing a bonus on a game where the expected loss is small. Before you opt in, check which games count and at what rate. A bonus that excludes the game you wanted to play is worth very little to you.
The cap that limits what can leave the account
A maximum-cashout cap is a ceiling on how much of the bonus-derived balance can ever be withdrawn, no matter how well the playthrough goes. If a promotion grants a 100 bonus but caps withdrawals from it at, say, 100 units, then any balance above that figure is removed when you request a withdrawal. The cap is stated in the promotion terms, and it applies even after the wagering requirement is complete.
This is the variable that most changes the character of a bonus. A 100 bonus with a low cap is effectively a fixed-value coupon, not a share of your results. A 100 bonus with no cap, or a high cap, behaves more like genuine extra bankroll, though it still has to survive the wagering requirement. The cap is a number you must read before depositing, because it is the difference between a promotion that can pay out a meaningful amount and one that cannot.
Expiry windows and the clock on your play
Every bonus carries a time limit. The promotion terms will state how many days you have to complete the wagering requirement, and sometimes a separate window for using free spins or claiming the offer in the first place. When the window closes, the bonus balance and any winnings derived from it are typically removed.
The expiry interacts with the wagering requirement to create a pace. A 30x requirement on a 100 bonus means 3,000 units of wagering, and if the window is seven days, you need to average roughly 429 units of wagering per day to finish. That pace may push you toward faster games or larger bets than you would otherwise choose, which changes the expected loss. A longer window gives you room to play at your normal speed; a short one is a structural pressure to play more.
| Variable | What it controls | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus size | How much promotional credit is granted | Promotion headline and terms |
| Wagering requirement | How much must be wagered before withdrawal | Bonus terms, often a multiplier like 30x |
| Game weighting | What fraction of each stake counts toward playthrough | Bonus terms, per game category |
| Maximum cashout | The ceiling on withdrawable bonus-derived funds | Bonus terms |
| Expiry window | How long you have to complete the requirement | Bonus terms |
Where comps and loyalty value come from
A different kind of “100” appears in loyalty and comp programmes, and it is built on a different arithmetic. Casinos track your play to estimate what you are worth to them, and the core concept is theoretical loss. It is not what you lost in a session; it is the expected loss generated by your volume of play, and it is calculated as an example: average bet multiplied by decisions per hour, multiplied by the house edge of the game you are playing.
Suppose you play a game with a 1% house edge, bet 10 units per decision, and make 60 decisions per hour. Your theoretical loss is 6 units per hour. The operator uses that figure, not your actual result, to decide what comps to offer, because actual results are noisy and theoretical loss is stable. A player who wins on the night still generates theoretical loss, and the comp programme values that volume.
Loyalty points are a rebate on tracked play, not a reward for winning
Loyalty programmes convert tracked play into points, and points into redeemable value. The conversion is set by the operator and stated in the programme rules. The important structural fact is that the value flows from volume of wagering, not from outcomes. A losing session and a winning session generate the same points if the wagering volume is the same.
This means loyalty value is a small return on the expected loss you generate, not a profit centre. The programme may also distinguish between tier credits, which measure progress toward a status level, and redeemable points, which can be spent. The two balances often move at different rates and reset on different schedules. Before you chase a tier, read what the tier changes, because the benefit may be a service or a discount rather than cash value.
How to read a promotion before you opt in
The practical skill is reading the terms in the right order. Start with the wagering requirement and the game weighting together, because they define the real size of the task. Then read the maximum cashout, because it defines the ceiling on the result. Then read the expiry window, because it defines the pace. Only after those four does the headline bonus size mean anything.
If any of the four variables is missing or unclear, treat the promotion as unclear. The operator's terms page is the controlling document, and the cashier screen will usually restate the key figures at the moment you claim. A promotion that looks different on the terms page than it did in the advertisement is not a malfunction; the terms page is the offer.
What a 100 bonus cannot do
A bonus does not change the house edge of the games you play. It adds conditional funds to your account, but every wager you place while clearing it still carries the same expected loss as any other wager. A bonus can change how long you play and how much you wager, but it cannot change the mathematics of the games themselves.
This is why the honest way to evaluate a bonus is as a set of constraints, not as a gift. The question is not whether 100 is a good number. The question is whether the wagering requirement, weighting, cap and expiry window combine into something you would choose to play under anyway. If you would not play at that volume, pace and game mix without the bonus, the bonus is not adding value; it is changing your behaviour.
FAQ
Does a 100 bonus mean I get double my deposit?
It usually means the operator adds a bonus equal to your deposit, so your account shows the deposit plus the bonus. Whether that bonus balance can become withdrawable cash depends entirely on the wagering requirement, game weighting, cashout cap and expiry window in the terms.
Can I withdraw the bonus immediately after claiming it?
No. Bonus funds are conditional credit, and the promotion terms will state the wagering requirement that must be completed first. Some promotions also cap how much of the bonus-derived balance can ever be withdrawn, and any balance above that cap is removed at withdrawal.
Why do some games count less toward the wagering requirement?
Games with a lower house edge generate less expected loss per wager for the operator, so they are often weighted at a fraction of the stake or excluded entirely. The weighting is stated in the bonus terms, and it changes the effective size of the requirement when measured in money staked.
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