300% Matched Deposit Terms and Conditions
As we alluded to above, you’ll need to pay close attention to any terms and conditions associated with the bonus. These conditions often present significant barriers to those looking to convert bonuses into withdrawable winnings, and players will need to read all the details in the small print to avoid any nasty surprises. Here are the T&Cs you’re likely to run into with this kind of bonus.
Wagering Requirements
The biggest obstacle to matched deposit bonus success is the wagering requirements – a condition that commits players into wagering their bonus a certain number of times. If players don’t fulfil the wagering requirements, they won’t be able to request a withdrawal of any winnings connected to the bonus.
The value of the wagering requirements will depend on the generosity of the casino, but are usually set anywhere between 25-50x the bonus. The 40-50x mark is considered steep, 30-40x is about industry average, and anything set at 25x and below is pretty good value.
Here’s how these requirements work: let’s say the 300% matched deposit bonus is applicable up to a value of £50 and comes with a wagering requirement of 30x. If players made full use of this offer, they’d be required to wager a total of £1,500 (50 x 30) before they could make a withdrawal request. With this example, it’s clear to see how wagering requirements can easily scupper plans to convert bonus money into winnings.
Game Weightings
The influence of wagering requirements doesn’t stop there, either. With game weighting restrictions, games are split into different wagering categories: some games are weighted at 100%, meaning that the full weight of any wagers on that game will contribute 100% towards the requirements, but others can be as low as 10, 5, or even 0%.
Online casinos will publish the full list of their game weightings structure in the bonus’s terms, but as a general rule, wagers on most slots are weighted at 100%, while table games such as roulette and blackjack tend to have smaller weighting percentages to their name. If you have ambitions of completing the requirements, make sure you only wager on games weighted at 100%!
Time Limits
Time limits are fairly self-explanatory: if the clock runs out, your bonus funds will expire. The important distinction to make with time limits is whether they apply to the bonus as a whole, or to the time it takes to fulfil the wagering requirements. Make sure you keep one eye on the clock if you’re attempting to complete those pesky requirements.
Game Exclusions
You may also find that you don’t have free rein to play whichever game you like with bonus funds. This is due to game exclusions, where casinos only make certain games eligible to play with the bonus. Before you commit to a bonus – particularly one as large as a 300% matched deposit – make sure at least some of your favourite titles are available.
Payment Exclusions
There may be restrictions on the type of payment method that’s allowed to access bonus offers. Deposits from debit cards will always be safe in terms of bonus eligibility, but newer banking technologies, such as depositing via PayPal or another e-wallet, are often excluded by gambling sites.
Winnings Caps
To prevent players from bankrupting the site with incredibly successful bonuses, online casinos will usually always include a clause that limits how much stands to be won. Winning caps may seem like an unjust restriction on gambling freedoms, but really they ought to be seen as useful on-site limiters.