FlashCasinoNow I don't want to come across as a 'Cynical Sam', but like all land casinos all online casinos are in business to make money. So when they advertise and promote highly generous signup bonuses, welcome bonuses, matching bonuses, monthly bonuses, reload bonuses, high-roller bonuses or no deposit bonuses, be aware that they all come with a catch. And the catch is that each comes with minimum wagering requirements and may only be used on selected casino games.
But don't get me wrong, if you know how online casino bonuses work and fully understand their terms and conditions, then you can make use of them for the useful tool they are. Namely as a way to increase your playing funds, and thus allow you to play for longer and potentially win more. But it is crucial that you read their terms and conditions first because they will always specify their minimum wagering requirements, also known as minimum play through requirements.
Minimum wagering requirements are the number of times you are required to play through your deposit amount plus your bonus amount before you are allowed to transfer or cash out your winnings. For example, say you take advantage of a 100 percent match bonus of up to $100 which has a 20x wagering requirement, this means that you must wager your $200 ($100 deposit + $100 bonus) 20 times i.e. make bets worth $4,000 ($200 x 20) before you are a free to cash out.
The reason online casinos do this is to dissuade 'bonus hunters' from visiting their casinos. Bonus hunters are gamblers who try to cash out free casino bonuses without playing, in other words trying to get something for nothing which to land casinos is a big no no. While you may be sceptical about casino bonuses after reading the above, don't be. Online casinos disclose all of this information and more in their terms and conditions. You just have to make the effort to read them.