Casinos offer a variety of bonuses, each designed specifically to attract players. One of the most popular promotional tools is the match bonus. It is exactly what its name entails: the amount the bettor deposits (as long as it fits the maximum limit) is matched with a percentage of that amount.
These appear in deposit offers dedicated to both new and existing gamblers, such as welcome promo codes, second deposit promotions, reload bonus codes and others. Depending on its terms, the match bonus can work on either casino offers or sports betting.
This article will touch on how these percentages work and other related factors the player must consider before activating, such as the bonus.
How Percentages Work
The gambler should first know how the match percentage works prior to using it. As they get familiar with the concept, it will be easier to understand the conditions and how to proceed based on them.
The overall math is easy to comprehend, which is why this section will exemplify the operations behind the match bonus through some examples:
- Let’s say the player claims a 400% deposit bonus for the slot game Gates of Olympus.
- They decide to bet $20 to activate the promotion.
- It means that the amount of cash received is 400% of $20 = $80.
- This way, the gambler has the total sum of $20 + $80 = $100 to spend on the slot machine mentioned above.
The most commonly met percentage is 100%, which basically doubles the initial payment. Betting platforms also offer 200% match bonuses, or amounts in between, like 175% or 150%, and rarely something over 500%.
To fully benefit from a match bonus, the bettor should ensure that the promotion offers a percentage equal to or higher than 100%. Any value beneath that is disadvantageous for the player.
Welcome Packages and Combined Percentages
Some casinos offer match bonuses across multiple deposits, providing boosted entertainment over a longer period. The match bonus percentages for each deposit combine in an added percentage that requires multiple payments to activate in full, usually in separate batches.
The article will address deposits in the next section to clarify the concept. Before that, in order to illustrate the welcome package aspect, let’s take a hypothetical scenario:
- The player claims a welcome pack for the first 3 deposits of 500% on the slot game Big Bass Bonanza.
- The percentage seems advantageous, but the gambler should check the terms to see how it is split across each payment.
- Let’s imagine the first deposit receives a 300% match bonus, while the rest receive 100% each.
- 300% + 100% +100% = 500%, which is the total bonus amount provided by the offer’s title.
- This means that the gambler must make 3 separate payments in order to receive the bonus in full.
- It might seem misleading, which is why it is of utmost importance for bettors to always check the promotional T&Cs before triggering any coupon code. This way, they know what to expect from each match bonus.
Minimum and Maximum Deposit Requirements
Casino offers come with different requirements to enable play while fully taking advantage of them. First, it bears mentioning that the minimum deposit requirement only activates a promotion when the gambler pays a sum of money equal to or greater than the amount specified in the terms.
The minimum deposit should be clearly stated, so that players know whether they can afford the activation. Most casinos set the average at around $20, while there are exceptions for high rollers or even lower values. It all depends on the betting site, their policy and their frequent users.
Now that this topic has received some clarification, it is time to brush up on the opposite concept. Some offers impose a maximum bonus limit, which is the largest amount the offer will credit to the player for a payment. They are normally present in the offer title, next to the construction ‘Up to’.
To provide a clearer picture of this concept, a practical example will help:
- A welcome coupon code offers a 100% match bonus of up to $100 on the slot Sweet Bonanza.
- If the player decides to pay $200, the maximum sum that they can receive is $100.
- Even though the match bonus claims to bring 100% of the bet, the maximum cap is a prioritized condition that takes precedence over everything else.
Wagering Math
Another important aspect players should understand is the wagering requirement. It allows the withdrawal of winnings only after the bettors meet it. This way, any gambler who wants to take full advantage of a match bonus must also fulfill rollover conditions.
Calculating the wager required depends on the total bet amount. Since match bonuses add extra funds to the balance, they also influence wagering requirements. For easier understanding, here is a practical scenario:
- A welcome bonus of 100% for up to $40 on the slot machine Shining Crown has a 20x wagering condition.
- The gambler decided to bet the minimum required amount of $20.
- 100% out of $20 + $20 = $20 + $20 = $40 total balance.
- Since rollover is 20x, the following calculation applies: $40 x 20 = $800.
- This means that the total sum the bettor must wager on the game Shining Crown is $800.
The industry’s average wagering requirement is around 35x. The lower the value is, the more beneficial the offer is for the player, both on an entertainment level and an overall health perspective.
According to a 2021 article on the impact of wagering on online bettors, the use of these requirements is associated with an increase in harmful gambling behavior. This is why bettors should be careful to pick bonuses with lower playthrough conditions.
Conclusion
A promotional tool, the match bonus is an opportunity to enhance play with extra money. It uses a percentage system that is easy to understand, but sometimes the percentages can seem quite misleading if the bettor skips the mandatory reading of the offer terms.
Since this type of incentive requires a deposit to activate, it could increase the risk of overspending for bettors. This is why players need to set limits on their spending in their account settings, especially when using match bonuses.
