Not every bonus will be perfect!
All bonuses look great on paper – even if their amounts are small, everyone would like to get a few dollars for free. It doesn’t work like that – bookmakers don’t give money away and betting bonuses are used to attract customers. Depending on your betting style, some bonuses will allow you to earn more, while others may not pay off at all. That’s right! It turns out that getting cash for free is not always as beneficial as it seems.
We put together the types of bonuses
The sites is a place which will allow you to compare bonuses at different bookmakers without visiting each bookmaker’s website separately. First of all, you can find out how much you can gain in each promotion. There are several types.
Welcome bonus. The biggest one, available almost everywhere and of simple structure. Usually the bookmaker adds to your account the same amount you decide to deposit.
Second top-up bonus. This works in a similar way to the welcome bonus, but with a second deposit. Usually it’s not 100, but 50% of the bonus, but the general rules are the same.
Risk free bets. Here you bet only with your own money, but if the coupon doesn’t go through, the bookmaker gives you your money back.
No deposit bonus. Generally speaking, here you get a certain small amount which you can use for betting.
Each of these bonuses has its advantages and disadvantages. Their amounts are different and sometimes using one bonus may exclude the use of another.
When does a bonus pay less?
Let’s take a general look at the restrictions that can make a bonus no longer particularly attractive.
Wagering requirements. This is usually the main disadvantage of a welcome or second reload bonus. This is because the bookmaker stipulates that you must wager the bonus and deposit amount, for example, 30 times before ordering your first withdrawal. This is so much that it probably won’t pay off, although the offer will still be quite attractive if the requirement is 30 times.
Odds restrictions. With practically all bonuses there may be a requirement that the voucher will be accepted at sufficiently high partial or total odds. The point is, simply put, not to win too easily on bonus money.
Choice of disciplines. Some bonuses have rather strange regulations, which specify in which disciplines, leagues or matches you can bet with promotional funds. The norm is to exclude e-sports and special bets, for example on the results of the Oscars, but you might as well exclude hockey or basketball, for example.
Prerequisites. Relatively rarely, but nevertheless, there is a rather high deposit threshold below which the bonus will not be triggered. If it is, for example, 10, 20 or even 50 USD, it is still quite OK, but if you would have to deposit 100 USD to get a 20 USD bonus, it is rather not worth it.
A lot of funds from the promotion have an “expiry date”. If you don’t use the bonus by the specified date, both the unused funds and the prizes earned on the bonus funds may be lost.
Without the terms and conditions, don’t even get started!
Most bonuses have a very similar structure: there are some requirements, some restrictions, some additional criteria to evaluate if the bonus is used according to the guidelines.
Reading the terms and conditions is absolutely obligatory. On sites, the terms and conditions should generally be translated, but if it says that the original language version is the decisive interpretation, then try to read it if you know English (usually it will be the original language of the terms and conditions). Do not accept a promotion whose terms and conditions you do not know or understand.
You can play without a bonus!
Taking advantage of bonuses is not an obligation. Most bookmakers tempt you with free money, but no, they are not free. The turnover requirement means that the vast majority of players will still have to fund their account with a substantial amount before any winnings can be withdrawn. If you know you don’t have a big enough budget, then don’t even start playing with the bonus. You will have less money at your disposal, but at least you don’t have to worry about either the wagering requirement or the expiry date: once you win and reach the withdrawal threshold, you can order it at any time.
Remember that a legitimate bookmaker may be restricted by law when it comes to organising promotions with bonuses!
Or maybe it is not worth choosing according to promotions?
Bookmakers are often chosen according to a rather unusual key, i.e. the one which has the most bonus funds to give away. However, before you get caught up in this whirlwind, also check what the odds are at a particular bookmaker. Because if the bonus is high, but the odds are poor, the game will often not pay off at all. In the best services there are usually not large discrepancies, but it happens that for example a particular sport is heavily underestimated and you won’t win as much as you could when playing at another bookmaker.
Sure, you can open a couple of accounts, but then it will be harder to get the maximum bonuses, because you’ll have to divide your budget between a couple of bookmakers. Take a look at the situation and see where the most profitable promotions will be and where the best place to play is if there is no promotion.
So what, are you playing with a bonus?
Bookmakers’ bonuses can be really great. But they shouldn’t be the most important. Check who can give you how much in the promotion, but also check if the free money won’t cost too much. Read terms and conditions, get the maximum bonuses and get even more out of your bets than before.
