Online Casino Bonus Wagering Requirements
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Online casinos offer bonuses to players in order to induce them to play at the casino. If players are allowed to withdraw the bonuses as soon as they are credited in the account then the objective of giving the bonus is lost. Therefore casinos impose wagering requirements on the bonuses. These are sometimes known as play through requirements.
Wagering requirements are best explained through an example. Suppose that a player gets a bonus of $100 for making a deposit of $100 and that the wagering requirement is 25 times the bonus and deposit. The total amount of the bonus and deposit works out to $200. 25 times $200 works out to $5,000. Therefore the player has to wager at least $5,000 before he can make a withdrawal from his account. If the bonus is a sticky bonus then after wagering $5,000 the player can withdraw the deposit of $100 and his winnings. The bonus of $100 will be withdrawn by the casino. If the bonus is a cashable bonus then after wagering $5,000 the player can withdraw the deposit of $100, the bonus of $100 and his winnings.
It is important to know that the wagering requirements have been completed before the player attempts withdrawals. If the player does try to withdraw funds before completing the wagering requirements some online casinos will simply not permit the withdrawal and point out the irregularity to the player. However other online casinos may look at the attempted withdrawal as bonus abuse and take stricter action. Players must themselves verify whether they have fulfilled the wagering requirements. They need not jot down every wager they make. Usually this information will be available in the cashier section of the online casino. As a matter of abundant precaution they should confirm with customer support that the wagering requirements have been met before requesting a withdrawal.
Different software providers have different bonus systems integrated into their software. This can be illustrated by comparing the systems of Real Time Gaming (RTG) and Microgaming. RTG online casinos require players to redeem the bonuses. This means that the players have to enter the given bonus codes while making the deposit. If the players do not enter the bonus code they will not get the bonus. Microgaming online casinos on the other hand credit the bonuses automatically without the need for any special request from the player.
Microgaming online casinos also employ the Clear Play bonus system for tracking wagering requirements. Under this system the player’s deposit is credited to the cash account and the bonus credited into the bonus account. As players wager, credits from the bonus account are transferred to the cash account. When the wagering requirements have been completed the entire credit in the bonus account would have been transferred to the cash account. Under the Clear Play system players can withdraw from the cash account at any time, even if the wagering requirements are not met. But they will then forfeit the balance in the bonus account.
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