Online casinos aggressively market their deposit bonuses, making it seem like they are handing out free money.

The reality is that these promotional funds are heavily restricted by a mechanism called a playthrough requirement.

How the Bonus Catch Actually Works

It is essentially a mathematical hurdle you must clear before the casino allows you to cash out your winnings.

If the terms state 20x on both the deposit ($100) and bonus ($100), you must wager $4,000 in total.

• The goal of the casino is for you to lose the bonus money before hitting the target
• Always check if the multiplier applies only to the bonus, or the deposit + bonus combined
• Understanding this math is crucial to determining if an offer is actually worth taking

Game Weighting and Restrictions

You cannot simply grind out the requirement on games like Blackjack that have a 99.5% RTP.

Typically, video slots contribute 100%, meaning every dollar spent removes a dollar from your target.

By playing low-risk slots, you can slowly grind through the mathematical requirement and emerge with a profit.