Everyone loves a freebie… but watch out for attached strings! If you’re a regular player at online casinos, you have probably come across some absolutely enticing online casino bonuses which sometimes seem absolutely unmissable. At this time it’s worth keeping the old adage in mind: “when something looks too good to be true, it probably is!”

Should you pay close attention to the fine print in promotions from your chosen uk online casinos, you will start noticing a pattern. Often, the most appealing casino bonuses come with very unreasonable wagering requirements that essentially defeat the purpose… after all, what’s the point of getting a bonus if you will be expected to wager 100 times that amount before you can withdraw your winnings?

Wagering requirements on bonus funds have become standard industry practice, and to a point it’s an understandable clause since casinos have to safeguard their best interests. But when some casinos tie outrageous bonuses to outlandish wagering requirements, they usually cross the line between promotion and outright deceit. In case you’re unfamiliar with this issue, read through this article for a full explanation that includes some ideas on how to pick the top bonuses, every single time!

What are Wagering Requirements and Why Does it Matter?

Even if you’re quite new to the online casino industry, you probably know that bonus offerings are widespread and common. Nowadays, pretty much all uk online casinos avail alluring bonuses that will sometimes multiply your initial deposit. But what most novice players fail to realize is how these promotions are invariably tied to so-called “wagering requirements” which are meant to keep your money circulating inside the casino and away from your pockets.

As the name implies, a wagering requirement on a bonus means that you are required to wager your bonus a certain number of times before you are allowed to withdraw those funds out of the online casino and into your bank account. Sometimes these wagering requirements are fairly reasonable and down on the single digits, while sometimes they will be absolutely unreasonable and up to triple digits. Let’s do the math:

A bonus of £50 with a 5x wagering limit implies that you have to wager a total of £500 before getting a chance to withdraw your earmings.

A bonus of £1,000 with a 75X wagering requirement means that you’ll have to wager at least £75,000 before you are given the option to withdraw your funds!

When you do the math and look at things in this light, it becomes clear that online casinos are sometimes availing impressive bonuses as nothing but a shady promotional hook, so you really have to really factor in the wagering requirement to get a sense of whether it’s a worthwhile opportunity.

Things to Keep in Mind When Looking for the Best Casino Bonus

The good news is that all online casinos are required to point out their wagering requirements clause somewhere next to their bonus offerings. Obviously, they will often do this rather covertly by using minuscule print or visual tricks to keep you focused on the potential offering and distracted from the underlying clause. In any case, you just have to make sure to look for the wagering requirement somewhere on that page. If you can’t find it, just reach out to customer support and ask about it. As a general rule though, all the reputable casinos will be clear about both their bonus offering and their wagering requirements right from the start.

In order to find the best casino bonuses, you have to multiply the bonus amount of any given casino with its wagering requirement, so you can effectively compare the offerings available across different casinos to decide which is most aligned with your preference and wagering style. Usually, the best bonuses will actually turn out to be the less substantial… assuming, of course that you’re looking to withdraw your earnings at some point. If you just want to practice your high stakes gambling, then a high wagering requirement might not be so inconvenient to you. In such a case, you may find it worthwhile to go for the biggest possible bonus for the sake of amassing the most wagering funds possible, no matter how ludicrous its requirements may be.

Make Sure to Look Beyond Online Casino Bonuses!

Remember this advice when you’re out looking for a top casino bonus: you have to look beyond the actual bonus amount and check the wagering requirements, since only by comparing both numbers will you have a clear notion of whether a bonus offering suits you… or if it’s just a ploy to draw unwitting new players to a desperate online casino.