Matched Casino Bonuses allow casino members to explore interesting games or try newly released slots or table classics without risking their own money. But there are certain conditions and requirements every casino player should be aware of.
All of the casinos we work with offer a welcome bonus to new customers and most of these take the form of a matched deposit bonus. In simple terms, just make a deposit at any of our brilliant mobile casinos and your deposit will be matched with a bonus.
Many online and mobile casinos offer a 100% match of your first deposit, meaning if you add £50 to your casino account you will get a £50 bonus and thus have £100 to play with. Much more generous than your local brick-and-mortar casino in the “real world”! However, other mobile casinos are even more generous and may offer a bonus of 200%, 300% or even 500% of your initial deposit. Here we take a look at how matched casino bonuses work and how players can make the most of them.
How Do These Bonuses Work?
As mentioned above, matched bonuses are attached to casino deposits and are designed to stimulate wagering. Online and mobile casinos offer them for mostly marketing purposes to new and existing members who make real-money deposits into their gaming balances. The size of the bonus is a certain percentage of the deposited amount, hence the term matched bonus. For instance, a 100% matched bonus given after a deposit of £100 would be £100.
Welcome Bonuses and Regular Offers
While in most cases, a single welcome bonus is granted on the first deposit made into the casino, several matched bonuses may also be offered on the first four or five consecutive deposits. Casinos tend to put a cap on the amount of matched bonuses but usually, this limit is quite generous, allowing players to make the most of it. These bonuses may be offered as a welcome bonus for attracting potential members or as part of a sign-up package. Often, they are accompanied by at least ten or twenty free spins on a particular slot or on multiple slot games.
Furthermore, matched bonuses may be offered on a regular basis, prompting players to make daily or weekly deposits. In this scenario, the size of the bonus would be significantly smaller than matched bonuses for newly registered players. It is also possible to receive a matched bonus as part of a larger promotion or a special event at the online casino.
Matched Bonus Activation
In order to qualify for a matched bonus, players need to make a real-money deposit into the online or mobile casino. In case of welcome bonuses, you need to first register an account and then, to fund it so you can receive a bonus that would match your first deposit.
Often, the bonus is automatically added to your user account but sometimes, you may have to enter a bonus code when you make your qualifying deposit or claim the bonus. The promotional code will be sent to you as an email, text message, or will be simply posted on the advertisement page for the bonus.
Some mobile casinos and their desktop counterparts may require members to claim the matched bonus manually. This is a great option, especially for players who do not wish to play with a bonus. Why not? Each promotional offer, including matched bonuses, come with a compilation of terms and conditions players need to meet once they accept the casino bonus.
Wagering Requirements for Matched Bonuses
Generous as the top mobile casinos are, they are no charities and sadly you cannot just withdraw your bonus and head to the shops! All matched bonuses carry wagering requirements before you can make a withdrawal and these are usually the bonus amount multiplied a certain number of times or, more commonly, the deposit and bonus combined multiplied.
The wagering requirement, also called rollover or playthrough, is represented as a number ranging from 10 to 50, depending on the individual casino. For example, if a casino offers new members a 100% bonus up to £100 and the rollover is 20 times the deposit plus the bonus, the player will need to make bets of at least £200 (£100 deposit + £100 bonus) multiplied by 20, or £4,000.
- Deposit £100
- Bonus of £100 is added to give £200 balance
- Wagering is £200 x 20 = £4,000
You can usually only withdraw funds from your account once the bonus wagering has been completed. Using the example from above, this would mean you need to wager £4,000 from your real-money balance before you can request a withdrawal.
Another essential thing to remember is that when completing the rollover, bets on some games will qualify, while bets on other games will not be counted at all. Many bonuses count different games differently with regards the amount they contribute to the rollover needed. Slots usually count at 100% towards the playthrough, whilst games such as blackjack and video poker often count at smaller percentages or, sometimes, not at all.
For instance, if you need to wager £4,000 and you opt for slots, each bet placed on these games will count. If you prefer video poker, however, you may consider not claiming the bonus at all. Imagine video poker games contribute 50% towards the wagering. This means that you need to bet a total amount of £8,000 on video poker before the rollover is complete.
It is important to know that real money is almost always used before bonus money. Most casinos keep deposited funds into your gaming balance, whereas the bonus funds are kept in a separate bonus balance.
Other Matched Bonus Conditions
All mobile casinos we work with are first rate and totally trustworthy and they would not try to deceive and trick you into a trap. Matched bonuses, however, may seem just like traps for less experienced players. You need to understand that these bonuses will not make you rich. They are just marketing tools and are designed to attract new members by giving some value to the player. The associated cost to the casino is considered a fair price to pay to get new players to try out their product.
That said, in order to make sure they are not taken advantage of, casinos add plenty of requirements you need to bear in mind before you claim a matched bonus. There are various conditions that may apply to the bonus and, here, we list the most common.
Time Limits
Certain time limits may apply in terms of how long after joining the casino you have to claim the bonus. Usually, you are free to claim it within the first 24 hours or a week after registering an account.
It is also imperative that you check how long you have to complete the wagering once the bonus has been added to your account. In most cases, you will have a month or so to meet the playthrough, which should be enough.
Availability and Geographic Restrictions
When registering at an online or mobile casino, players should know that they are allowed to have only one user account at a time. Similarly, they cannot claim the matched bonus more than once if it is a part of a sign-up package. Even if the bonus comes as a re-appearing weekly promotion, you need to complete its wagering before you can claim a second bonus.
Most bonuses are playable on mobile, tablet or the standard online version of casino sites but some offers may not be valid on a particular platform. It is also important to check for any geographic restrictions before signing up for a casino account and claiming a match bonus. UK players are usually welcome to most bonuses with the lowest wagering but players from certain countries may be barred from bonuses or may have higher wagering before withdrawal.
Many casinos do not give matched bonuses to patrons who deposit via Skrill or Neteller. These e-wallets may be among the most popular payment methods for gambling purposes but are often the reason for disqualification.
Low Risk Bets and Maximum Bet
Some casino bonuses may have a maximum stake that can be used when clearing the bonus. Stakes above that level will not qualify towards the rollover or may even lead to forfeiture of the bonus. The particular requirement will be described in detail in the mobile casino’s Terms and Conditions section.
But there is one more thing to take into account when meeting the wagering requirement. Low-risk bets, such as betting on both red and black in roulette, may not count towards the rollover. Those who prefer playing with a lower risk and spending less overall, could simply opt for low-variance slots or place smaller bets on high-variance games. Casino patrons should also know that games with progressive jackpots usually do not contribute towards the wagering.
Conclusion
Matched bonuses may be extremely attractive to new players since they could be twice the amount of the initial casino deposit. Some mobile and online casinos even offer matched bonuses for new registrations of 300% or even 400% of the deposit. While this sounds really amazing, casino enthusiasts should be very careful when choosing a bonus and even a site or an app to play at.
If the wagering requirement is too high, claiming the bonus may not even be worth it. The availability of the offer is also very important and you need to make sure you are eligible for a matched bonus before joining the casino.