Match Bonuses

Introduction

In a match bonus the player first makes a deposit and then the casino offers a bonus as a specified percent of the deposit. The player cannot withdraw the bonus from the casino account. He can wager with the bonus and if he wins then he can withdraw the amount of winnings that he is allowed to.

There are two common types of match bonuses. The first is a one-time bonus that is offered to new players when they first sign up with an online casino. This bonus is also called a welcome bonus. It is usually offered on the first deposit made by the new player. Some online casinos allow the welcome match bonus to be spread out over more deposits. The second match bonus is the reload bonus. This is offered on deposits made by regular players. Some casinos offer this on specified days of the week. Others are more flexible but impose a monthly cap.

Details About Bonus

There are two ways that the match bonus can be availed. In some casinos the bonus is automatically credited to the player’s account as soon as he makes the required deposit. In case he does not want the bonus he should inform the casino before making the deposit. In other casinos the player has to enter a given bonus code at the time of making the deposit if he wants the bonus. If he does not enter the code he will not be given the bonus. Online casinos are very fussy about these rules and therefore players should be aware of them before making the deposit.

The bonus and the deposit are first credited to the bonus account of the player. Funds in this account are available for wagering but not for withdrawal. The player has to meet the wagering requirements and till then the bonus, deposit and the winnings from the bonus remain in the bonus account. Once the wagering requirements are complete the deposit and that portion of the winnings that can be cashed are transferred to the cash account of the player, from where withdrawals can be made. The bonus and the excess winnings lapse and are removed by the casino.

The basic details of the match bonus are available on the promotions page of the online casino. This will indicate the percent of the deposit being given as bonus and the upper limit to the bonus. There will be a link to the bonus terms and conditions. This is a must read before making any deposit. These will give the wagering requirements and also on which casino games the wagering will be permitted. Other important information to look for is the cap on the winnings from the wagering of the bonus and the minimum qualifying deposit amount.

Example of How Bonus Works

The match bonus is specified as X% of the deposit subject to an upper limit of $Y. Typically it might be 50% of the deposit subject to an upper limit of $100. This means that up to a deposit of $200 the player will get half the amount as bonus. For larger deposits the bonus will be $100.