How to actually read a bonus's small print
Welcome offers get the headline treatment; the terms that decide whether they're worth claiming sit a few clicks further down the page. This is the checklist we use ourselves when comparing them — five terms worth understanding before you sign up anywhere.
The five terms that matter most
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01
Wagering requirement
How many times you need to wager the bonus amount before any winnings from it become withdrawable. A 30x requirement on a £50 bonus means £1,500 needs to be wagered first. Lower multipliers are generally easier to clear, but the multiplier alone doesn't tell the whole story — check what counts toward it.
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02
Game weighting
Not every game contributes equally toward clearing a wagering requirement. Slots commonly count at 100% of what you stake; table games like blackjack and roulette often count for far less, sometimes as little as 10%, because their house edge is lower. This is usually listed in a separate weighting table within the full terms.
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03
Time limit
Bonuses expire — typically somewhere between 7 and 30 days from being credited, though it varies by operator. If the wagering requirement isn't cleared in that window, the bonus and any related winnings are usually forfeited, which makes the time limit just as important as the multiplier itself.
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04
Maximum bet while wagering
Most bonus terms cap how much you can stake per spin or per hand while a bonus is active — often somewhere around £5 or £10. Betting above that cap can void the bonus entirely, so it's worth checking before increasing your stake mid-session.
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05
Eligible games
Some offers apply to every game in the catalogue; others are tied to one specific slot or a narrow category. A "free spins" offer, for instance, usually only ever applies to the featured title named in the promotion, not to spins on any slot you choose.
Why offer types differ so much
A deposit match rewards you for depositing more; a free spins pack gets you trying a specific slot at no extra stake; a sportsbook-linked bonus, common at brands with betting heritage, nudges you toward the sports product first. None of these structures is inherently better — they just reveal what the operator is optimising for, which is exactly why our comparisons note the offer type rather than leading with a headline number.
A reasonable way to approach any offer
Read the full terms on the operator's own site before you deposit, not after. Work out roughly what clearing the wagering requirement would actually involve in time and stake size, and decide if that's something you'd want to do anyway, offer or not. If the answer is no, the offer isn't really for you — and that's fine.
