Forfeitable Casino Bonuses – What are They?

An Example of How Forfeitable Bonuses Work

You might encounter these bonuses under a different name, so be prepared. The main types of operator bonuses can be split into 2 categories. You have your standard welcome bonuses (also referred to as sticky bonuses) and your forfeitable bonuses (non-sticky bonuses). The gaming veterans out there might be familiar with these terms, but just in case this is your first time encountering these terms, you should know how they work.

A sticky bonus is, in most cases, a deposit bonus that will match your first payment. You begin your gaming session using the bonus money first and you must roll them a certain number of times for the condition to be fulfilled. In such cases, we recommend that you pay attention to qualifying games – games like slots participate with 100% towards the wagering requirements, while other card and table games might participate with only 10%.

A non-sticky bonus (and the main topic of our review) is known as a forfeitable bonus. Your first deposit will be matched by the casino, but your gaming sessions will use the real cash you have deposited. Should you win, you are free to cash out the winnings and the deposit you made. In this case, the bonus amount would not have been used at all and will disappear from your accounts balance as the withdrawal is made. The bonus wagering requirements only kick in if you start using the bonus balance.

For a real-life example – Let’s assume our reader John made a $100 deposit. He claimed a 100% match on his deposit for a non-forfeitable bonus. His account balance will be $200 ($100 deposit + $100 bonus). On the very first game John begins playing, he will have to focus on the wagering conditions, usually around 35x the amount deposited, the bonus amount or both!

But instead, John read our review before depositing and now decided to choose a forfeitable casino bonus. He deposited $100, he got another $100 as a bonus. The balance shows $200 and he begins playing slots or blackjack or poker. The main thing here is that John began playing out of his deposit first – he is free to enjoy the gaming session without any worrying about the wagering conditions. John is lucky today and turns his deposit into several hundred dollars – he can withdraw them at will, but in doing so he will forfeit the $100 the casino gave him as a bonus since he didn’t use it.